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Postnominals – Qualification Abbreviations

Swinburne graduands are entitled to identify their qualification(s) after their name. This is a guide to help you determine your postnominals (the abbreviated version of your qualification title). Note: You can only use postnominals once your award Step 1: Select …

Postnominals – Qualification Abbreviations

Swinburne graduands are entitled to identify their qualification(s) after their name. This is a guide to help you determine your postnominals (the abbreviated version of your qualification title).

Note: You can only use postnominals once your award


Step 1: Select your qualification descriptor

Qualification Descriptors Abbreviation
Doctor of Philosophy PhD
Doctor D
Masters Degree M
Graduate Diploma GradDip
Graduate Certificate GradCert
Bachelor Degree B
Honours Hons
Associate Degree AssocDeg
Advanced Diploma AdvDip
Diploma Dip

Step 2: Select your study descriptor

These study descriptors are for Swinburne accredited courses. If your course is externally accredited, you should check Regulation 13.

Study Descriptors Abbreviation
Accounting Acc
Applied Science AppSc
Arts A
Business Administration BA
Business Bus
Business Information Systems BusInfSys
Commerce Com
Computing Comp
Design Des
Engineering Eng
Information Systems InfSys
International Business IntBus
Management Mgt
Multimedia Mm
Science Sc

Step 3: Select your field of study

You may also add the field of study to the letters to describe your award, for instance if you undertook a tag degree or specialisation, within the area of study.

Example: Bachelor of Commerce (International Business) would equate to BCom(International Business)


Handy Tips

Order of Qualifications

The recommended order is the lower qualifications directly after your name, leading to the highest qualifications.

Example: J Smith DipBus, BBus


Institution Name

The name of the awarding institution should also follow your academic qualifications. If you hold multiple qualifications from the one institution then you just list it after all of the qualifications from that institution, not after each qualification.

Example: J Smith DipBus, BBus RMIT, MBA, PhD Swinburne


Professional Qualifications

If you are the member of a professional association, you may be entitled to include the postnominals for that association after your academic postnominals.

Example: J Smith BEng, PhD, Swinburne, FIEAust


Double Degrees and Dual Awards

Graduands of double degrees or dual awards are entitled to use postnominals for both programs, separated by a slash. In the case of dual awards, the order should commence with the lowest qualification leading to the highest.

Example: J Smith BSc(Biotechnology)/BBus Swinburne


Honours

Students who have undertaken an Honours program, should list this after the qualification and study descriptor, and before the field of study descriptor (if applicable).

Example: J Smith MSc(Hons) (Network Systems) OR J Smith BInfTech(Hons)