Editorial Style Guide

The university has extensive writing guidelines available online. Topics include the correct usage of abbreviations, capitalization, punctuation, dates and numbers, tricky words, and more. View the university writing guidelines here.

Below are several examples showing how to reference the university, the school, degree programs, and titles.

The University of Texas at Austin

The first time the university is referenced in text, the correct usage is “The University of Texas at Austin."

In subsequent uses, use:

  • the University transforms lives … (This is a change. After several years of lowercasing “university” per AP Style, we are returning to uppercase even when used alone.)
  • UT (when it will not be confused with the UT System).
  • Texas (when unlikely to be confused with the state, and often with the construction “at Texas”).
  • And, sparingly, UT Austin (no hyphen), especially to distinguish from other UT System universities. When writing for internal audiences familiar with the university, it is acceptable to refer to the university as UT Austin.)

School of Architecture

The full, correct title of the school is "The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture."

It may also be referred to as “the School of Architecture." Use lowercase “school,” not “School,” when it stands alone.

When writing for internal audiences familiar with the school, it is acceptable to refer to the school as "UT Austin School of Architecture" or "UTSOA" (capital "O," not lowercase "o.")

School of Architecture Degree Programs

Capitalize the names of degree programs except when used in a person’s title.

Correct:    He's a student in the Community and Regional Planning Program.

Correct:    She's a community and regional planning professor.

Use lowercase for the word “program” when it stands alone.

Correct:    She's been in the program for three years.

Capitalize the discipline when it’s used to mean the degree program. Use lowercase for the discipline when it’s used in a general sense.

Correct:    She's a professor in the Sustainable Design Program.

Correct:    She's a landscape architecture professor.

Correct:    He majored in interior design.

Correct:    She received a master's degree in architectural history.

Titles

An individual’s title is capitalized only when used before the name. Do not capitalize an occupational designation, only a true title.

Correct:    We met Dean Heather Woofter.

Correct:    The dean will speak at the symposium.

Correct:    Assistant Dean for Administration Jeff Evelyn rejected your request.

Correct:    Our speaker will be architect Bjarke Ingels, principal at Bjarke Ingels Group.

Correct:    Her years of hard work were acknowledged when she earned the rank of professor emeritus.

Titles following an individual’s name should appear in lowercase. Use lowercase when a title is used alone.

Correct:    The dean of the School of Architecture will address the group.

Correct:    Allan Shearer, associate dean of the School of Architecture, will host the reception.

The official names of honorary chairs and university professorships should always be capitalized.

Correct:    Michael Benedikt, the Hal Box Endowed Chair in Urbanism, published a book.