University terms

Academic disciplines

Don’t capitalise the names of disciplines. Earth sciences is an exception, as Earth refers to the planet (the names of planets are proper nouns).

Write

Curtin has broad research strength in astronomy and astrophysics.

Don’t write

Curtin has broad research strength in Astronomy and Astrophysics.


Alumnus, alumni

A Curtin alumnus (singular) is a former student, female or male, who has graduated with a Curtin qualification. Plural is alumni.

Don’t use alumna, which is a gender-specific term (female alumni).


Awards and scholarships

Capitalise all words in the titles of awards and scholarships.

Examples

  • The Vice-Chancellor’s Awards ceremony was well attended.
  • We award a John Curtin Scholarship each year.

Campus names

See Curtin campuses and locations.


Centres and facilities

Spell the name in full for the first instance and use the initialism/acronym or the generic reference thereafter.

If there will be several acronyms/initialisms close together, it may be easier for the reader if you use generic references (the centre, institute, department) rather than clutter the paragraph with abbreviations.

Do not capitalise the generic terms when shortening a centre, institute or department’s name to the centre, the institute or the department. Shortening Curtin University to the University is an exception to this rule.

Example

Curtin has been very successful in the national Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) program. In 2019, we launched our newest centre, the Future Battery Industries CRC.


Courses and degrees

Write names of courses and qualifications in title case (capitalise each word in the name).

Example

The Master of Information Systems is a four-year course.


Curtin buildings and facilities

Capitalise the names of buildings and facilities (including carparks).

Example

The Centre for Aboriginal Studies is Building 211. Carpark 12 is the closest carpark to the centre.


Curtin University

In general text, use Curtin University in the first instance, and Curtin, the University or the pronouns we/our thereafter.

Example

Curtin University is a truly global university. We have campuses in Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Dubai and Mauritius.


Faculties, schools, departments and centres

Use title case when writing the name of Curtin faculties, areas and centres but do not capitalise these terms in general.

Example

The Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute sits within the Faculty of Humanities. In 2015, we relocated the institute from premises in Fremantle to the faculty’s main building at Curtin Perth.


Lectures and seminars

Use single quotation marks and capitalise the first word of the lecture/seminar name.

Example

Next week’s seminar is ‘Reducing childhood obesity: the role of school canteens’ by Dr Mary Franklin.


Mature age

Avoid using the term mature age as it suggests an age bias.


Semesters

Use first semester and second semester in sentences. Do not capitalise. Semester 1 and semester 2 (lower case) can be used in tables.

Example

You will complete five assignments in first semester. You’ll complete another three assignments in second semester.