# MRS degree

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Pejorative slang term

An **MRS Degree** or **M.R.S. Degree** is a derogatory slang term in [North American English](/source/North_American_English)[1] for when a young [woman](/source/Woman) attends [college](/source/College) or [university](/source/University) with the intention of finding a potential spouse,[2] as opposed to pursuing academic achievement for a future career.[3][4] The term derives from "[Mrs.](/source/Mrs.)", a common honorific for married women,[5] and its similarity to abbreviations for [academic degrees](/source/Academic_degree), such as "M.S." for a [Master of Science](/source/Master_of_Science). It is a faux [initialism](/source/Initialism), as it does not stand for anything individually even though its letters are pronounced individually when spoken aloud.[5] The earliest use of the term was in 1860,[1] but the term "MRS degree" was most commonly used during the mid 20th century in North America, a period of time when higher education became more accessible, yet the possibilities for women were still very limited.[6][1] A similar concept exists in Spanish: taking an EMMC course (an acronym meaning "estudio mientras me caso", "I study while I get married").

## See also

- [Sex discrimination in education](/source/Sex_discrimination_in_education)

- [Sexism in academia](/source/Sexism_in_academia)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:0_1-2) ["MRS, n. 2 meaning"](https://www.oed.com/dictionary/mrs_n2?tab=meaning_and_use). *Oxford English Dictionary*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["People & Events: Mrs. America: Women's Roles in the 1950s"](https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/pill-mrs-america-womens-roles-1950s/). PBS. Retrieved July 22, 2008.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Pesoli, Christina (April 2, 2014). ["Why Susan Patton's Advice to Get a "MRS Degree" Is As Wrong As Her Math"](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-susan-pattons-advice-to-get-an-mrs-degree-is-as-wrong-as-her-math_b_5065968). *[The Huffington Post](/source/The_Huffington_Post)*. Retrieved February 9, 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Bielski, Zosia (April 4, 2013). ["Studying the case for a new Mrs. degree in marriage"](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/relationships/studying-the-case-for-a-new-mrs-degree-in-marriage/article10790026/). *[The Globe and Mail](/source/The_Globe_and_Mail)*. Retrieved February 9, 2021.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-rice_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-rice_5-1) ["M.R.S degree"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210213004250/https://neologisms.rice.edu/index.php?a=term&d=1&t=17575). *The Rice University Neologisms Database*. rice.edu. Archived from [the original](https://neologisms.rice.edu/index.php?a=term&d=1&t=17575) on 2021-02-13. Retrieved February 9, 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Strydom, Lara (April 11, 2018). ["Students and faculty discuss the idea of 'Mrs.' degree"](https://www.redandblack.com/culture/students-and-faculty-discuss-the-idea-of-mrs-degree/article_5b353f7a-4059-11e8-85f8-639c3715284b.html). *[The Red & Black](/source/The_Red_%26_Black_(University_of_Georgia))*. Retrieved February 9, 2021.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [MRS degree](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MRS_degree) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MRS_degree?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.