Post nominal letters after marriage

I'm no expert, but I wouldn't think that there's anything wrong with using your new legal name with your degree regardless of what your name was when you earned it. It's still you, I don't think your credentials change along with your name lol

It is still your degree, not your names degree so I do not see an issue with this. Are you thinking you have to get your name on your degree changed? I don't really think you have to do that.

Yes, it's completely appropriate to use your new last name with your post-nominal letters. You're still the one who earned the degree lol. You may want to notate on your CV that your name changed, or include your maiden name as a middle name on your CV, to avoid confusion.

As far as I'm concerned, you earned those letters. You get to flaunt them regardless of your new last name!

Yes, this is fine, though I've never seen anyone add letters after their name for a master's degree. It's more common for doctors, attorneys, and CPAs. For instance, I'm an attorney and after our name we add Esq. I've changed my name twice now since becoming an attorney.

I've never put letters for my Master's after my name, but I personally wouldn't have any issues with pulling them over to my married last name. If you publish a lot and are concerned about people in academia being able to track you from your maiden name to your married name, I guess you could consider tacking your FH's last name onto your name, and then going by Caitlin Vele Harding, MS in a professional setting. *Note that I'm approaching this from a math/engineering perspective, so if you're in a different field things may be different

I never use my own title. Clients will send me things with "Esq." appended, but I figure I don't need to use it, since they already know I'm a lawyer.

However, if you would otherwise use "MS," you're entitled to use it, regardless of your name. You didn't suddenly forget everything you learned when you changed your name.

Typically people don’t add MS after their names, unless they’re teaching. I got my doctorate of physical therapy (DPT) and my license has my maiden name. I don’t think I can change the last name linked to my license, but I’ll still refer to myself as Dr. new last name if the situation is appropriate lol

Are you licensed at all?

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It would be very unusual if your state didn't allow changing your name on your license. Here are the rules in Illinois, for example:

https://www.ipta.org/page/NameChange

If they didn't allow this, how could anyone verify that you were even licensed, since your name wouldn't match what was on the license?

View Quoted Comment Thanks for this! This is mostly what I was worried about- publishing, applying for additional grad programs and jobs in the field. Seems that everyone tends to agree that it’s fine 😊

View Quoted Comment Totally agree! I meant more for academia purposes and application to additional graduate programs or jobs within my very niche field- absolutely not for social situations! Thanks for the input 🙂

View Quoted Comment I only have my Bachelor's degree but have to sign my name Jessica Last Name RN, BSN multiple times everyday. I would get almost everything I submit for patients returned if I didn't. It depends on what type of degree you have.