Dawn wants to know how to write that someone was awarded a degree. Is it “bachelor’s degree,” “bachelors degree,” or “bachelor degree”?

A bachelor is not just a guy who eats out a lot, but also a person of either sex who has earned a type of degree from a university or college. Think of the degree as the property of the bachelor, with the apostrophe-s indicating possession: It is a bachelor’s degree.

The same is true for a master: He or she earns a master’s degree.

You don’t use capital letters, unless you’re writing the formal name of a particular degree:

• Aardvark earned a bachelor’s degree in ant behavior.
• Aardvark has a Bachelor of Science Degree in the Behavioral Dynamics of Edible Ants.

The Associated Press recommends “associate degree,” but notes that others may spell it as “associate’s degree.”

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