TITLES
PROFESSIONAL/JOB TITLES
Capitalize formal titles when used immediately before a name. Lowercase formal titles when used alone or in constructions that set them off from a name by commas. Use lowercase at all times for terms that are job descriptions rather than formal titles.
The basic guidelines are as follows:
• Lowercase: Lowercase and spell out titles when they are not used with an individual’s name: The president issued a statement. The pope gave his blessing. Lowercase and spell out titles in constructions that set them off from a name by commas: Ms. Johnson, senior managing director, will join us at the meeting. The senior managing director, Ms. Johnson, will join us at the meeting.
• Formal titles: Capitalize formal titles when they are used immediately before one or more names: President John Smith, Dean Jane Miller, Vice Presidents John Jones and William Brown.
• Abbreviated titles: The following formal titles are capitalized and abbreviated as shown when used before a name: Dr., Gov., Lt. Gov., Rep., and Sen.
• Past and future titles: A formal title that an individual formerly held, is about to hold, or holds temporarily is capitalized if used before the person’s name. But do not capitalize the qualifying word: former President John Smith, Attorney General-designate James Davis, acting Mayor Kim Green.
• Long titles: Separate a long title from a name by a construction that requires a comma: John Smith, the undersecretary for economic affairs, spoke.
TREATMENT OF COMPOSITION TITLES
Italic type is used for major stand-alone works such as books, movies, periodicals, journals, newspapers, plays, television shows, works of art, art exhibitions, symphonies, albums, and operas.
Use quotation marks for smaller works contained within a larger collection, e.g., book chapters, article titles, poems, and song titles.
The titles of courses and generic musical works take neither italics nor quotation marks.
Names of apps, software, board games, and video games take neither italics nor quotation marks.