Most abbreviations or acronyms should be spelled out on first use. Buffalo State’s style is to introduce the full term, followed by the abbreviation or acronym in parentheses, and use the acronym alone on subsequent reference: American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). If there is no subsequent reference, however, the acronym is usually not needed.
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A
ABD—all but dissertation
ABET—Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
ABT—all but thesis
ACE—American Council on Education
ADA—Americans with Disabilities Act
AFDC—Aid to Families with Dependent Children
AFSCME—American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees
ALA—American Library Association
AM—amplitude modulation
APA—American Psychological Association
APC—Application Processing Center
APTS—Aid for Part-Time Study (New York State)
ASHA—American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
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B
B.A.—bachelor of arts
B.F.A.—bachelor of fine arts
B.Mus.—bachelor of music
BOCES—Board of Cooperative Educational Services
B.S.—bachelor of science
B.S.Ed.—bachelor of science in education
C
C.A.S.—certificate of advanced study
CASE—Council for Support and Advancement of Education
CBVH—Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped
CDC—Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CPA—certified public accountant
CSEA—Civil Service Employees Association
C-STEP—Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program
C.S.W.—certified social worker
CWSP—College Work-Study Program
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D
D.D.S.—doctor of dental surgery
DEC—Department of Environmental Conservation
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E
Ed.D.—doctor of education
EOC—Educational Opportunity Center
EOP—Educational Opportunity Program
EPIC—Every Person Influences Children
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F
FAFSA—Free Application for Federal Student Aid
FERPA—Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
FM—frequency modulation
FOI—Freedom of Information
FWSP—Federal Work-Study Program
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G
GAAP—generally accepted accounting principles
GPA—grade point average
GRE—Graduate Record Examination
H
HIPAA—Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
I
J
J.D.—juris doctor (doctor of law)
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L
L.P.N.—licensed practical nurse
LSAT—Law School Admissions Test
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M
M.A.—master of arts
M.B.A.—master of business administration
MCAT—Medical College Admissions Test
M.D.—doctor of medicine
M.F.A.—master of fine arts
MLA—Modern Language Association
M.L.S.—master of library science
M.P.S.—master of professional studies
M.S.—master of science
M.S.Ed.—master of science in education
M.S.W.—master of social work
N
NAACP—National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
NAIT—National Association of Industrial Technology
NAST—National Association of Schools of Theatre
NCATE—National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
NEA—National Endowment for the Arts
NEH—National Endowment for the Humanities
NFTA—Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority
NIH—National Institutes of Health
N.P.—nurse practitioner
NSF—National Science Foundation
NYFA—New York Foundation for the Arts
NYSCOPBA—New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association
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O
O.T.—occupational therapist
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P
P.A.—physicianâs assistant
PEF—Public Employees Federation
Ph.D.—doctor of philosophy
PLUS—Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students
P.T.—physical therapist
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R
R.N.—registered nurse
ROTC—Reserve Officer Training Corps
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S
SAT—“Use only the initials in referring to the previously designated Scholastic Aptitude Test or Scholastic Assessment Test.” (32)
SEFA—State Employees Federated Appeal
SEOG—(federal) Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
STAP—Supplemental Tuition Assistance Program
SUNY—State University of New York
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T
TAP—Tuition Assistance Program
TDD—telecommunications device for the deaf
TESOL—Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages
TOEFL—Test of English as a Foreign Language
TTY—teletypewriter
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U
USCIS—United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly the INS—Immigration and Naturalization Services)
UUP—United University Professions
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V
VESID—Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities
VSLC—Volunteer and Service-Learning Center
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W
WHO—World Health Organization
WWW—World Wide Web
(32) The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law (2007), p. 218
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