Departments should be listed by their formal title (e.g. Department of…) in most instances. Thus, Department of History, not History Department (although this is acceptable informally) and never dept.
Use capitals for department name, subject name, paper name, programme name, and for context when referring to that particular department or subject (often in a paragraph about the subject).
- Department name: He worked in the Department of History for over 25 years.
- Subject name: He majored in Microbiology while she studied Marketing at Otago.
- Paper name: Taking Earth and Ocean Science can be useful in any degree.
- Programme name: Distance Learning, Health Sciences First Year, Executive Education
- Context: Students can enter Dentistry in their second year.
Use lower case when referencing the subject in general terms (i.e. non-University).
- If you have a mathematics background from school, you'll go far in life.
- Are you interested in a career in social work?
- If you are interested in the law, study Law at Otago.