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Academic CV (Curriculum Vitae) for Research: CV Examples

What is an academic CV (or research CV)?

An academic CV or “curriculum vitae” is a full synopsis (usually around two to three pages) of your educational and academic background. In addition to college and university transcripts, the personal statement or statement of purpose , and the cover letter, postgraduate candidates need to submit an academic CV when applying for research, teaching, and other faculty positions at universities and research institutions. 

Writing an academic CV (also referred to as a “research CV” or “academic resume”) is a bit different than writing a professional resume. It focuses on your academic experience and qualifications for the position—although relevant work experience can still be included if the position calls for it. 

What’s the difference between a CV and a resume?

While both CVs and resumes summarize your major activities and achievements, a resume is more heavily focused on professional achievements and work history. An academic CV, on the other hand, highlights academic accomplishments and summarizes your educational experience, academic background and related information.

Think of a CV as basically a longer and more academic version of a resume. It details your academic history, research interests, relevant work experience, publications, honors/awards, accomplishments, etc. For grad schools, the CV is a quick indicator of how extensive your background is in the field and how much academic potential you have. Ultimately, grad schools use your academic resume to gauge how successful you’re likely to be as a grad student.

Do I need an academic CV for graduate school?

Like personal statements, CVs are a common grad school application document (though not all programs require them). An academic CV serves the same basic purpose as a regular CV: to secure you the job you want—in this case, the position of “grad student.” Essentially, the CV is a sales pitch to grad schools, and you’re selling yourself !

In addition to your college transcripts, GRE scores, and personal statement or statement of purpose , graduate schools often require applicants submit an academic CV. The rules for composing a CV for a Master’s or doctoral application are slightly different than those for a standard job application. Let’s take a closer look.

Academic CV Format Guidelines

No matter how compelling the content of your CV might be, it must still be clear and easy for graduate admissions committee members to understand. Keep these formatting and organization tips in mind when composing and revising your CV:

• Whatever formatting choices you make (e.g., indentation, font and text size, spacing, grammar), keep it consistent throughout the document.
• Use bolding, italics, underlining, and capitalized words to highlight key information.
• Use reverse chronological order to list your experiences within the sections.
• Include the most important information to the top and left of each entry and place associated dates to the right.
• Include page numbers on each page followed by your last name as a header or footer.
• Use academic verbs and terms in bulleted lists; vary your language and do not repeat the same terms. (See our list of best verbs for CVs and resumes )

How long should a CV be?

While resumes should be concise and are usually limited to one or two pages, an academic CV isn’t restricted by word count or number of pages. Because academic CVs are submitted for careers in research and academia, they have all of the sections and content of a professional CV, but they also require additional information about publications, grants, teaching positions, research, conferences, etc. 

It is difficult to shorten the length without shortening the number of CV sections you include. Because the scope and depth of candidates’ academic careers vary greatly, academic CVs that are as short as two pages or as long as five pages will likely not surprise graduate admissions faculty.

How to Write an Academic CV

Before we look at academic CV examples, let’s discuss the main sections of the CV and how you can go about writing your CV from scratch. Take a look at the sections of the academic CV and read about which information to include and where to put each CV section. For academic CV examples, see the section that follows this one.

Academic CV Sections to Include (with Examples)

A strong academic CV should include the following sections, starting from the top of the list and moving through the bottom. This is the basic Academic CV structure, but some of the subsections (such as research publications and academic awards) can be rearranged to highlight your specific strengths and achievements. 

• Contact Information
• Research Objective or Personal Profile
• Education Section
• Professional Appointments
• Research Publications
• Awards and Honors
• Grants and Fellowships
• Conferences Attended
• Teaching Experience
• Research Experience
• Additional Activities
• Languages and Skills

Now let’s go through each section of your academic CV to see what information to include in detail. 

1. Contact Information

Your academic curriculum vitae must include your full contact information, including the following: 

• Professional title and affiliation (if applicable)
• Institutional address (if you are currently registered as a student)
• Your home address
• Your email address
• Your telephone number
• LinkedIn profile or other professional profile links (if applicable)

In more business-related fields or industries, adding your LinkedIn profile in your contact information section is recommended to give reviewers a more holistic understanding of your academic and professional profile.

Check out our article on how to use your LinkedIn profile to attract employers .

2. Research Objective or Personal Profile

A research objective for an academic CV is a concise paragraph (or long sentence) detailing your specific research plans and goals.

A personal profile gives summarizes your academic background and crowning achievements.

Should you choose a research objective or a personal profile?

If you are writing a research CV, include a research objective. For example, indicate that you are applying to graduate research programs or seeking research grants for your project or study

A research objective will catch the graduate admission committee’s attention and make them want to take a closer look at you as a candidate.

Academic CV research objective example for PhD application  

MA student in Sociology and Gender Studies at North American University who made the President’s List for for six consecutive semesters seeking to use a semester-long research internship to enter into postgraduate research on the Impetus for Religious In-groups in Eastern Europe in the Twentieth Century.

Note that the candidate includes details about their academic field, their specific scholastic achievements (including an internship), and a specific topic of study. This level of detail shows graduate committees that you are a candidate who is fully prepared for the rigors of grad school life. 

While an academic CV research objective encapsulates your research objective, a CV personal profile should summarize your personal statement or grad school statement of purpose . 

Academic CV personal profile example for a post-doctoral university position

Proven excellence in the development of a strong rapport with undergraduate students, colleagues, and administrators as a lecturer at a major research university. Exhibits expertise in the creation and implementation of lifelong learning programs and the personalized development of strategies and activities to propel learning in Higher Education, specifically in the field of Education. Experienced lecturer, inspirational tutor, and focused researcher with a knack for recognizing and encouraging growth in individuals. Has completed a Master’s and PhD in Sociology and Education with a BA in Educational Administration.

What makes this CV personal profile example so compelling? Again, the details included about the applicant’s academic history and achievements make the reader take note and provide concrete examples of success, proving the candidate’s academic acumen and verifiable achievements.

3. Education Section

If you are applying to an academic position, the Education section is the most essential part of your academic CV.

List your postsecondary degrees in reverse chronological order . Begin with your most recent education (whether or not you have received a degree at the time of application), follow it with your previous education/degree, and then list the ones before these.

Include the following educational details:

• Year of completion or expected completion (do not include starting dates)
• Type of Degree
• Any minor degrees (if applicable)
• Your department and institution
• Your honors and awards
• Dissertation/Thesis Title and Advisor (if applicable)

Because this is arguably the most important academic CV section, make sure that all of the information is completely accurate and that you have not left out any details that highlight your skills as a student. 

4. Professional Appointments

Following the education section, list your employment/professional positions on your academic CV. These should be positions related to academia rather than previous jobs or positions you held in the private section (whether it be a chef or a CEO). These appointments are typically tenure-track positions, not ad hoc and adjunct professor gigs, nor TA (teacher assistant) experience. You should instead label this kind of experience under “Teaching Experience,” which we discuss further down the list.

List the following information for each entry in your “Professional Appointments” section:

• Institution (university/college name)
• Department 
• Your professional title
• Dates employed (include beginning and end dates)
• Duties in this position

5. Research Publications

Divide your publications into two distinct sections: peer-reviewed publications and other publications. List peer-reviewed publications first, as these tend to carry more weight in academia. Use a subheading to distinguish these sections for the reader and make your CV details easier to understand.

Within each subsection, further divide your publications in the following order:

• Book chapters
• Peer-reviewed journal articles
• Contributions to edited volumes equivalent to peer-reviewed journals

All of your other research publications should be put into a subcategory titled “Other Publications.” This includes all documents published by a third party that did not receive peer review, whether it is an academic journal, a science magazine, a website, or any other publishing platform. 

Tip: When listing your publications, choose one academic formatting style ( MLA style , Chicago style , APA style , etc.) and apply it throughout your academic CV. Unsure which formatting style to use? Check the website of the school you are applying to and see what citation style they use.

6. Awards and Honors

This section allows you to show off how your skills and achievements were officially acknowledged. List all academic honors and awards you have received in reverse chronological order, just like the education and professional appointments sections. Include the name of the award, which year you received it, and the institution that awarded it to you.

Should you include how much money you were awarded? While this is not recommended for most academic fields (including humanities and social sciences), it is more common for business or STEM fields.

7. Fellowships and Grants

It is important to include fellowships and grants you received because it evidences that your research has been novel and valuable enough to attract funding from institutions or third parties.

Just like with awards and honors, list your grants and fellowships in reverse chronological order. Enter the years your fellowship or grant spanned and the name of the institution or entity providing the funding. Whether you disclose the specific dollar amount of funding you received depends on your field of study, just as with awards and honors.

8. Conferences Attended

Involvement in academic conferences shows admissions committees that you are already an active member of the research community. List the academic conferences in which you took part and divide this section into three subsections:

• Invited talks —conferences you presented at other institutions to which you received an invitation
• Campus talks —lectures you gave on your own institution’s campus
• Conference participation —conferences you participated in (attended) but gave no lecture

9. Teaching Experience

The “Teaching Experience” section is distinct from the “Professional Appointments” section discussed above.  In the Teaching Experience CV section, list any courses you taught as a TA (teacher’s assistant) you have taught. If you taught fewer than ten courses, list all of them out. Included the name of the institution, your department, your specific teaching role, and the dates you taught in this position. 

If you have a long tenure as an academic scholar and your academic CV Appointments section strongly highlights your strengths and achievements, in the Teaching Experience sections you could list only the institutions at which you were a TA. Since it is likely that you will be teaching, lecturing, or mentoring undergraduates and other research students in your postgraduate role, this section is helpful in making you stand out from other graduate, doctoral, or postdoctoral candidates.

10. Research Experience

In the “Research Experience” section of your CV, list all of the academic research posts at which you served. As with the other CV sections, enter these positions in reverse chronological order.

If you have significant experience (and your academic CV is filling up), you might want to limit research and lab positions to only the most pertinent to the research position to which you are applying. Include the following research positions:

• Full-time Researcher
• Research Associate
• Research Assistant

For an academic or research CV, if you do not have much research experience, include all research projects in which you participated–even the research projects with the smallest roles, budget, length, or scope. 

11. Additional Activities

If you have any other activities, distinctions, positions, etc. that do not fit into the above academic CV sections, include them here.

The following items might fit in the “Additional Activities” section:

• Extracurriculars (clubs, societies, sports teams, etc.)
• Jobs unrelated to your academic career
• Service to profession
• Media coverage
• Volunteer work

12. Languages and Skills

Many non-academic professional job positions require unique skillsets to succeed. The same can be true with academic and research positions at universities, especially when you speak a language that might come in handy with the specific area of study or with the other researchers you are likely to be working alongside.

Include all the languages in which you are proficient enough to read and understand academic texts. Qualify your proficiency level with the following terms and phrases:

• IntermediateNative/bilingual in Language
• Can read Language with a dictionary
• Advanced use of Language
• Fully proficient in Language
• Native fluency in Language
• Native/Bilingual Language speaker

If you only have a basic comprehension of a language (or if you simply minored in it a decade ago but never really used it), omit these from this section. 

Including skills on an academic CV is optional and MIGHT appear somewhat amateur if it is not a skill that is difficult and would likely contribute to your competency in your research position. In general, include a skill only if you are in a scientific or technical field (STEM fields) and if they realistically make you a better candidate.

13. References 

The final section of your academic CV is the “References” section. Only include references from individuals who know you well and have first-hand experience working with you, either in the capacity of a manager, instructor, or professor, or as a colleague who can attest to your character and how well you worked in that position. Avoid using personal references and never use family members or acquaintances–unless they can somehow attest to your strength as an academic.

List your references in the order of their importance or ability to back up your candidacy. In other words, list the referrers you would want the admissions faculty to contact first and who would give you a shining review. 

Include the following in this order:

• Full name and academic title
• Physical mailing address
• Telephone number
• Email address

Academic CV Examples by Section 

Now that you have a template for what to include in your academic CV sections, let’s look at some examples of academic CV sections with actual applicant information included. Remember that the best CVs are those that clearly state the applicant’s qualifications, skills, and achievements. Let’s go through the CV section-by-section to see how best to highlight these elements of your academic profile. Note that although this example CV does not include EVERY section detailed above, this doesn’t mean that YOU shouldn’t include any of those sections if you have the experiences to fill them in.

CV Example: Personal Details (Basic)

Write your full name, home address, phone number, and email address. Include this information at the top of the first page, either in the center of the page or aligned left.

• Tip: Use a larger font size and put the text in bold to make this info stand out.

CV Example: Profile Summary (Optional)

This applicant uses an academic research profile summary that outlines their personal details and describes core qualifications and interests in a specific research topic. Remember that the aim of this section is to entice admissions officials into reading through your entire CV.

• Tip: Include only skills, experience, and what most drives you in your academic and career goals.

CV Example: Education Section (Basic)

This applicant’s academic degrees are listed in reverse chronological order, starting with those that are currently in progress and recently completed and moving backward in time to their undergraduate degrees and institutions.

• Include the name of the institution; city, state, and country (if different from the institution to which you are applying); degree type and major; and month/year the degree was or will be awarded.
• Provide details such as the title of your thesis/dissertation and your advisor, if applicable.
• Tip: Provide more details about more recent degrees and fewer details for older degrees.

CV Example: Relevant Experience (Basic)

List professional positions that highlight your skills and qualifications. When including details about non-academic jobs you have held, be sure that they relate to your academic career in some way. Group experiences into relevant categories if you have multiple elements to include in one category (e.g., “Research,” “Teaching,” and “Managerial”). For each position, be sure to:

• Include position title; the name of organization or company; city, state, and country (if different from the institution to which you are applying); and dates you held the position
• Use bullet points for each relevant duty/activity and accomplishment
• Tip: For bulleted content, use strong CV words , vary your vocabulary, and write in the active voice; lead with the verbs and write in phrases rather than in complete sentences.

CV Example: Special Qualifications or Skills (Optional)

Summarize skills and strengths relevant to the position and/or area of study if they are relevant and important to your academic discipline. Remember that you should not include any skills that are not central to the competencies of the position, as these can make you appear unprofessional.

CV Example: Publications (Basic)

Include a chronological (not alphabetical) list of any books, journal articles, chapters, research reports, pamphlets, or any other publication you have authored or co-authored. This sample CV does not segment the publications by “peer-reviewed” and “non-peer-reviewed,” but this could simply be because they do not have many publications to list. Keep in mind that your CV format and overall design and readability are also important factors in creating a strong curriculum vitae, so you might opt for a more streamlined layout if needed.

• Use bibliographic citations for each work in the format appropriate for your particular field of study.
• Tip: If you have not officially authored or co-authored any text publications, include studies you assisted in or any online articles you have written or contributed to that are related to your discipline or that are academic in nature. Including any relevant work in this section shows the faculty members that you are interested in your field of study, even if you haven’t had an opportunity to publish work yet.

CV Example: Conferences Attended (Basic)

Include any presentations you have been involved in, whether you were the presenter or contributed to the visual work (such as posters and slides), or simply attended as an invitee. See the CV template guide in the first section of this article for how to list conference participation for more seasoned researchers.

• Give the title of the presentation, the name of the conference or event, and the location and date.
• Briefly describe the content of your presentation.
• Tip: Use style formatting appropriate to your field of study to cite the conference (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.)

CV Example: Honors and Awards (Basic)

Honors and awards can include anything from university scholarships and grants, to teaching assistantships and fellowships, to inclusion on the Dean’s list for having a stellar GPA. As with other sections, use your discretion and choose the achievements that best highlight you as a candidate for the academic position.

• Include the names of the honors and official recognition and the date that you received them.
• Tip: Place these in order of importance, not necessarily in chronological order.

CV Example: Professional/Institutional Service (Optional)

List the professional and institutional offices you have held, student groups you have led or managed, committees you have been involved with, or extra academic projects you have participated in.

• Tip: Showing your involvement in campus life, however minor, can greatly strengthen your CV. It shows the graduate faculty that you not only contribute to the academic integrity of the institution but that you also enrich the life of the campus and community.

CV Example: Certifications and Professional Associations (Optional)

Include any membership in professional organizations (national, state, or local). This can include nominal participation as a student, not only as a professional member.

CV Example: Community Involvement and Volunteer Work (Optional)

Include any volunteer work or outreach to community organizations, including work with churches, schools, shelters, non-profits, and other service organizations. As with institutional service, showing community involvement demonstrates your integrity and willingness to go the extra mile—a very important quality in a postgraduate student or faculty member. 

While the CV template guide above suggests including these activities in a section titled “Additional Activities,” if you have several instances of volunteer work or other community involvement, creating a separate heading will help catch the eye of the admissions reviewer.

CV Example: References Section (Basic)

References are usually listed in the final section of an academic CV. Include 3-5 professional or academic references who can vouch for your ability and qualifications and provide evidence of these characteristics.

• Write the name of the reference, professional title, affiliation, and contact information (phone and email are sufficient). You do not need to write these in alphabetical order. Consider listing your references in order of relevance and impact.

CV Editing for Research Positions

After you finish drafting and revising your academic CV, you still need to ensure that your language is clear, compelling, and accurate and that it doesn’t have any errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation. 

A good academic CV typically goes through at least three or four rounds of revision before it is ready to send out to university department faculty. Be sure to have a peer or CV editing service check your CV or academic resume, and get cover letter editing and application essay editing for your longer admissions documents to ensure that there are no glaring errors or major room for improvement.

For professional editing services that are among the highest quality in the industry, send your CV and other application documents to Wordvice’s admissions editing services . Our professional proofreaders and editors will ensure that your hard work is reflected in your CV and help make your postgrad goals a reality.

Check out our full suite of professional proofreading and English editing services on the Wordvice homepage.

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Academic Curriculum Vitae (CV) Example and Writing Tips

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Updated July 30, 2020 | Link to article from The Balance Careers

A  curriculum vitae (CV)  written for academia should highlight research and teaching experience, publications, grants and fellowships, professional associations and licenses, awards, and any other details in your experience that show you’re the best candidate for a faculty or research position advertised by a college or university.

When writing an academic CV, make sure you know what sections to include and how to structure your document.

Tips for Writing an Academic CV

Think about length.  Unlike resumes  (and even some other CVs), academic CVs can be any length. This is because you need to include all of your relevant publications, conferences, fellowships, etc. 1  Of course, if you are applying to a particular job, check to see if the  job listing  includes any information on a page limit for your CV.

Think about structure . More important than length is structure. When writing your CV, place the most important information at the top. Often, this will include your education, employment history, and publications. You may also consider adding a  personal statement  to make your CV stand out. Within each section, list your experiences in reverse chronological order.

Consider your audience . Like a resume, be sure to tailor your CV to your audience. For example, think carefully about the university or department you are applying to work at. Has this department traditionally valued publication over teaching when it makes tenure and promotion decisions? If so, you should describe your publications before listing your teaching experience.

If, however, you are applying to, say, a community college that prides itself on the quality of its instruction, your teaching accomplishments should have pride of place. In this case, the teaching section (in reverse chronological order) should proceed your publications section.

Talk to someone in your field.  Ask someone in your field for feedback on how to structure your CV. Every academic department expects slightly different things from a CV. Talk to successful people in your field or department, and ask if anyone is willing to share a sample CV with you. This will help you craft a CV that will impress people in your field.

Make it easy to read.  Keep your CV uncluttered by including ample margins (about 1 inch on all sides) and space between each section. You might also include bullet points in some sections (such as when listing the courses you taught at each university) to make your CV easy to read.

Important: Be sure to use an  easy-to-read font , such as Times New Roman, in a font size of about 12-pt.

By making your CV clear and easy to follow, you increase the chances that an employer will look at it carefully.

Be consistent.  Be consistent with whatever format you choose. For example, if you bold one section title, bold all section titles. Consistency will make it easy for people to read and follow along with your CV.

Carefully edit.  You want your CV to show that you are professional and polished. Therefore, your document should be error-free. Read through your CV and  proofread  it for any spelling or grammar errors. Ask a friend or family member to look it over as well.

Academic Curriculum Vitae Format

This CV format will give you a sense of what you might include in your academic CV. When writing your own curriculum vitae, tailor your sections (and the order of those sections) to your field, and to the job that you want.

Note: Some of these sections might not be applicable to your field, so remove any that don’t make sense for you.

CONTACT INFORMATION Name Address City, State Zip Code Telephone Cell Phone Email

SUMMARY STATEMENT This is an optional section. In it, include a brief list of the highlights of your candidacy.

EDUCATION List your academic background, including undergraduate and graduate institutions attended. For each degree, list the institution, location, degree, and date of graduation. If applicable, include your dissertation or thesis title, and your advisors.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY List your employment history in reverse chronological order, including position details and dates. You might break this into multiple sections based on your field. For example, you might have a section called “Teaching Experience” and another section called “Administrative Experience.”

POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING List your postdoctoral, research, and/or clinical experiences, if applicable.

FELLOWSHIPS / GRANTS List internships and fellowships, including organization, title, and dates. Also include any grants you have been given. Depending on your field, you might include the amount of money awarded for each grant.

HONORS / AWARDS Include any awards you have received that are related to your work.

CONFERENCES / TALKS List any presentations (including poster presentations) or invited talks that you have given. Also list any conferences or panels that you have organized.

SERVICE Include any service you have done for your department, such as serving as an advisor to students, acting as chair of a department, or providing any other administrative assistance.

LICENSES / CERTIFICATION List type of license, certification, or accreditation, and date received.

PUBLICATIONS / BOOKS Include any publications, including books, book chapters, articles, book reviews, and more. Include all of the information about each publication, including the title, journal title, date of publication, and (if applicable) page numbers.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS List any professional organizations that you belong to. Mention if you hold a position on the board of any organization.

SKILLS / INTERESTS This is an optional section that you can use to show a bit more about who you are. Only include relevant skills and interests. For example, you might mention if you speak a foreign language, or have experience with web design.

REFERENCES Depending on your field, you might include a list of your  references  at the end of your CV.

Academic Curriculum Vitae Example

This is an example of an academic curriculum vitae.  Download the academic CV template  (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online) or see below for more examples.

Download the Word Template

Academic Curriculum Vitae Example (Text Version)

JOHN SMITH 287 Market Street Minneapolis, MN 55404 Phone: 555-555-5555   [email protected]

EDUCATION:Ph.D., Psychology, University of Minnesota, 2019 Concentrations: Psychology, Community Psychology  Dissertation:  A Study of Learning-Disabled Children in a Low-Income Community   Dissertation Advisors: Susan Hanford, Ph.D., Bill Andersen, Ph.D., Melissa Chambers, MSW

M.A., Psychology, University at Albany, 2017 Concentrations: Psychology, Special Education Thesis:  Communication Skills of Learning-Disabled Children Thesis Advisor: Jennifer Atkins, Ph.D. 

B.A, Psychology, California State University-Long Beach, 2015

TEACHING EXPERIENCE:

Instructor, University of Minnesota, 2017-2019 University of Minnesota Courses: Psychology in the Classroom, Adolescent Psychology

Teaching Assistant, University at Albany, 2015-2017 Courses: Special Education, Learning Disabilities, Introduction to Psychology

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE:

Postdoctoral Fellow, XYZ Hospital, 2019-2020 Administered extensive neuropsychological and psychodiagnostic assessment for children ages 3-6 for study on impact of in-class technology on children with various neurodevelopmental conditions

PUBLICATIONS:

North, T., and Smith, J. (Forthcoming). “Technology and Classroom Learning in a Mixed Education Space.”  Journal of Adolescent Psychology,  vol. 12.

Willis, A., North, T., and Smith, J. (2019). “The Behavior of Learning Disabled Adolescents in the Classroom.”  Journal of Educational Psychology , volume 81, 120-125.

PRESENTATIONS:

Smith, John (2019). “The Behavior of Learning Disabled Adolescents in the Classroom.” Paper presented at the Psychology Conference at the University of Minnesota.

Smith, John (2018). “Tailoring Assignments within Inclusive Classrooms.” Paper presented at Brown Bag Series, Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota.

GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS:

Nelson G. Stevens Fellowship (XYZ Research Facility, 2019)

RDB Grant (University of Minnesota Research Grant, 2018) Workshop Grant (for ASPA meeting in New York, 2017)

AWARDS AND HONORS:

Treldar Scholar, 2019 Teaching Fellow of the Year, 2018 Academic Excellence Award, 2017

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:

Psychology Association of America National Association of Adolescent Psychology

RELEVANT SKILLS:

• Programming ability in C++ and PHP
• Extensive knowledge of SPSSX and SAS statistical programs.
• Fluent in German, French, and Spanish

We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples. Today, Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized tribes, with Tucson being home to the O'odham and the Yaqui. Committed to diversity and inclusion, the University strives to build sustainable relationships with sovereign Native Nations and Indigenous communities through education offerings, partnerships, and community service.

Academic CV Example [Full Guide, Free Template + Tips!]

Whether you’re looking to start your Ph.D. or you’re an experienced professional in your academic field, navigating academic expectations and standards can feel overwhelming when preparing your CV.

And, like it or not, a CV can be the difference between landing the position you have your eyes set on or your application going completely unnoticed.

But there’s good news.

We’ve prepared a detailed guide to turn your CV into a compelling presentation of your accomplishments and academic potential and help you take the next step in your academic career.

Some things we’re going to cover include:

Academic CV Example

How to format an academic cv, 11 academic cv layout tips, academic cv templates, what to include in an academic cv.

Let’s get started!

Here’s a great academic CV example made with our very own CV builder :

The CV example above covers the candidate’s entire educational history, is formatted the right way, and has all the other essential experiences documented.

Want your academic CV to look just as impressive?

Browse our free templates!

The first thing you want to do is pick the right format for your academic CV.

You want your CV to be well-structured and easy to read, as well as to highlight your greatest achievements to date.

This is where the reverse-chronological CV format comes in. 

It’s the most popular format out there, and since it starts with your most recent experiences and works its way back, it also does a great job showing off your most recent achievements first.

While different formats may apply to other job hunts, academics should always stick to this classic CV format .

Academic CV Vs Resume

If this is your first time preparing an academic CV, you might be wondering - what is a CV anyway?

The term CV is an abbreviation of the Latin words Curriculum Vitae, and it means “the course of your life”.

Across most of the world, the differences between a CV and a resume are superficial if you’re applying for most jobs.

But in the academic context, a CV is a very in-depth document.

Essentially, your CV is a comprehensive description of everything you’ve ever done. It details your work experience, education, all the achievements you’re proud of, and any publications you have to your name.

Any time you accomplish something new, you should add it to your CV . This includes when you earn a new certificate, finish a new publication, or get a new job.

An academic CV is typically used for applying to post-graduate or graduate institutions, either as a student or as a faculty member. For some colleges, if it isn’t specified that a CV is necessary, you can use a college application resume instead.

Here’s a visual representation of how a CV is different from a resume:

In academic CVs, education comes before work experience, which is the opposite of the typical resume rule. In fact, work experience might not even make the cut if it isn’t relevant to the academic position you’re applying for.

There are several things you should keep in mind when making your academic CV, starting with:

• Keep it visually simple. An academic CV is not the place to show how creative you are with design and colors. Keep the background plain white, with only one or two complementary colors at most to highlight section headings, icons, and links.
• Use the right font style and size. Some CV fonts should never make it to an academic CV. Sticking to a professional font is the way to go. When it comes to size, use 10-12 pt for the main body of your text. Your headings and subheadings can be between 14 and 16 pt, but make sure to keep the font size consistent throughout the CV.
• Make the CV as long as necessary. The goal of an academic CV is to list your whole career path, so there’s no limit to how long a CV should be . Use as many pages as you need to show everything relevant to your career so far.
• Tailor the CV to the position. Research your employer beforehand. Find out what the department you’re applying for values and is looking for, and emphasize that in your CV. Your most impressive and relevant accomplishments should always go first, so if they want experienced educators, put your professional appointments or teaching experience before your other achievements.
• Stay concise. There’s no need to overexplain your academic record or use bullet points to list all your achievements in each education or work entry. A couple of short sentences that convey the point are enough.
• Skip irrelevant information. If you had a part-time job while getting through college, you shouldn’t list it unless it’s related to your field of study. When applying for a position as a professor of mathematics, mentioning your brief teenage gig as a cashier is irrelevant. But your time spent tutoring classmates could make the cut.
• Avoid field jargon. Everyone should have an easy time reading your CV, not just experts in your field. University admissions departments, grant reviewers, and hiring committees alike may not be well-versed in your field but they will be reviewing your application, so make it as accessible as possible.
• Touch base with advisors. Every academic department has a slightly different way of doing things when it comes to CVs. After all, arts and humanities differ from economics, sciences, and mathematics. Expand your professional network and talk to someone more experienced in the field you’re applying for to clear up any confusion.
• Save your CV in the right format.  Unless stated otherwise, always save your CV as a PDF . It’s the best file format guaranteed to keep your CV looking as you intended it across any software or device, whereas Word or Google Doc files might be skewed.
• Name the file appropriately. This might be a no-brainer but it’s worth mentioning. The file containing your CV should be named some variation of your full name, rather than a placeholder name. E.g. John-Doe-Academic-CV.pdf , not draft1final.pdf
• Adjust the file size. If you’re sending your CV through an application portal, there might be a file size limit. Consider compressing your documents with a tool like ILOVEPDF .

You can gain a competitive advantage not just from what your academic CV contains, but also from how it looks .

So, if you really want to stand out from the crowd, take your CV design to the next level with one of our templates.

Our professional CV builder comes with a dozen of modern and professional CV templates you can choose from to easily make a detailed CV while keeping your formatting intact. 

Any of Novorésumé’s templates can be adapted to suit your needs, whether you’re a research candidate or an academic looking to become a tenured professor.

The academic CV has many of the same sections as a resume. They include:

• Contact Information
• Work Experience

But there are also some critical differences between the two. 

For starters, academic CVs put education above work experience. This is especially important when it comes to Ph.D. candidates since research is at the forefront of their position.

Some sections which are considered optional for resumes are mandatory for an academic CV. Examples of this include publications, conferences, or research experience.

Overall, an academic CV should include the following sections, in this order:

• Personal Profile/Research Objective
• Professional Appointments
• Publications
• Grants and Fellowships
• Awards and Honors
• Conferences and Talks
• Teaching Experience
• Research Experience
• Other Activities
• Hobbies and Interests

If you don’t have enough experience in one of the sections listed, there’s no need to add those to your CV. For example, if you don’t have any fellowships or conferences to showcase, you can just skip those sections.

Now, let’s break down how each CV section should be written:

#1. Contact Information

This section should be the easiest to spot, so it should always go at the top of your CV.

Here’s what you should include in the contact information section of an academic CV:

• Full Name. It’s recommended that you use your name as it is in your passport, including any middle names, particularly if you’re a Ph.D. candidate. Adding your middle name or even just the initial to your CV is only optional if you’re already an established academic, and it’s necessary if your middle name is included in your formal academic name.
• Professional Title and Affiliation. If you’re a professor, this is where you should list your title, as well as the institution you’re affiliated with.
• Institutional Address. This should be the mailing address of the institution you’re formally affiliated with or based in. For example, if you’re an assistant researcher at the University of Columbia, you want to give the university’s exact mailing address.
• Home address. Provide your home mailing address.
• Email address. If you have a formal email address provided by the institution you’re affiliated with, you should list that. If not, use a personal email address with some variation of your first and last name (e.g. [email protected]).
• Telephone number. Be sure to include the international dialing code for your number, especially if you’re applying for a position abroad.
• Optional links. For some fields, such as business and marketing, a LinkedIn profile fits in, while for IT-related departments, GitHub can be more appropriate. Other academics could benefit from adding a Google Scholar or ORCiD profile.

Your academic name should be consistent throughout your career as that’s how you’ll be credited when your research is used. If you legally change your name during the course of your career, you might want to keep your academic name the same as it was when you started.

#2. Personal Statement or Research Objective

The next thing you want the admissions committee to see is a short paragraph at the top of your CV, similar to a resume profile .

This short pitch can be a personal statement or research objective , depending on what you’re applying for exactly.

If you’re applying for a research position, such as a Ph.D. or a grant, you should write a research objective. Even if you’ve provided a different document that already details your research goals, your CV’s objective should provide a concise summary that outlines your plans.

Here’s an example of a research objective on an academic CV:

Nutrition and Dietology MA student at Harvard University. Graduated BA in Psychology magna cum laude. Looking to undertake postgraduate research on the connection between digestive inflammation and mental health in adolescents in the USA in the twenty-first century.

A personal statement, on the other hand, consists of a few brief sentences that summarize your academic background and biggest achievements. It’s meant to highlight the essential experiences, skills, and qualities that make you the right candidate for the position.

Take a look at this personal statement for inspiration:

Innovative researcher and lecturer with 6+ years of experience teaching courses on undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Supervised 11 BA theses, 4 MA theses, and 1 Ph.D. dissertation. Published over 17 articles in peer-reviewed journals and 3 books.

#3. Education

The most important part of any academic CV is the education section .

It’s no coincidence that this comes listed before any practical work experience. Academic achievements are valued in academia, and your CV is the place to make yours shine.

Your education should always be listed chronologically, with your most recent degree at the top.

List the information on each entry in the following order:

• Name of the degree. E.g. B.A. English Language, Literature, and Culture
• Name of the department. (Optional) E.g. Department of Linguistics and Literature
• Name of the educational institution. E.g. University of Groningen
• Years attended. If you haven’t graduated yet, you can write down the year of expected graduation. E.g. 2020 - 2024
• Honors. While honors are optional in other fields, academics would do well to include them. E.g. Magna Cum Laude.
• Relevant courses. (Optional) The courses you’ve taken could be useful if they’re relevant to the exact position you’re applying for.
• Dissertation. Provide the full title of your dissertation or project.
• Location of the program. (Optional) If the university or school you attended is less renowned, you can specify its location. E.g. University of Marmara, Istanbul, Turkey
• GPA. (Optional) You should only list your GPA if it’s over 3.5, otherwise, it won’t add to your CV’s academic shine. But adding your GPA isn’t necessary for an experienced candidate at all. If it’s been more than five years since you graduated, or you already have honors listed, it’s not something that you should add to your CV.

Here’s an example of education listed on an academic CV:

Education Ph.D. in French Literature

Department of Linguistics and Literature

University of Maine

2021 - Present  

MA in Literary Theory

Magna Cum Laude

2019 - 2021

Dissertation: The blend of culture, activism, and art in the early work of Richard Guidry  

BA in English Language, Literature, and Culture

Louisiana State University

2016 - 2019

- Literary analysis, Phonology, Cultural Theory, French language, Cajun Poetry

#4. Professional Appointments

If you already have the necessary experience in academia under your belt, make a section for your professional appointments.

This should include:

• Position. E.g. Professor of History.
• Name of the institution. E.g. King’s College, London
• Dates employed. E.g. 2015 - 2022
• Description and achievements. Use short paragraphs to describe your professional appointments, not bullet points.

Professor of Architecture

The University of Montana, 2017 - 2023

• Taught 15 undergraduate and 12 postgraduate courses, mainly focused on the history of architecture and principles of interior design.
• Supervised 9 BA and 5 MA theses.

As you can see, this section is similar to how a work experience section would be formatted in a resume.

It’s important to remember that this section pertains exclusively to contracted, professional appointments in universities and similar institutions.

It’s not meant to describe all of your teaching experience , so don’t detail your time as a Teaching Assistant (TA), adjunct professor, or any part-time teaching job. You have the opportunity to do that in a separate section later on in your CV.

Professional appointments take years, hard work, and academic recognition to achieve, so this section is where your career progression can shine. While most academics have experience teaching as TAs during the pursuit of their Ph.D., that experience should be in a separate teaching experience section further down your academic CV.

Has one of your former students reached out to you for help with their postgrad application? Check out our guide on how to write a stellar letter of recommendation .

#5. Publications

Having published research brings a lot of value to your academic reputation and, by extension, to your CV. Publications show you’ve done research that’s given back to your field and that you’re a dedicated academic.

In fact, if you’re already an established expert in your field, this section can even be listed ahead of professional appointments or education. Publications in peer-reviewed journals have a lot of value since they’re difficult to achieve.

Your publications should be divided by “peer-reviewed” and “other”, and then further subcategorized by where they were published. Examples include:

• Book chapters
• Book reviews
• Contributions to edited volumes
• Web-based publications

Provide full citations for each of your publications, and list them in their respective categories by year of publication.

When citing journals and edited volumes, authorship is usually listed by order of contribution. If your paper is the third in the publication listed, your name should be third in the citation. You can underline your name for each of your publications to highlight which contribution is yours.

However, some fields, like mathematics, always list authors alphabetically. In any case, ensure you’re consistent with your citation format throughout your whole academic CV.

If you have publications under review, you can still list them on your CV. Provide the citation as you usually would but swap out the year of publication for “in press”.

But your publications section shouldn’t necessarily include a full bibliography. If you’re a frequently published writer , make sure to limit your listed publications to the most relevant and recent titles.

Let’s see how this section looks on an academic CV:

Publications:

• Smith, J. (in press). The Mythical Beasts of French Literature: Uncovering Symbolism and Allegory in Magical Creatures. Journal of French Literary Studies, 46(3), 157-179.
• Rousseau, P., Smith, J. , & Dubois, M. (2022). Love, Longing, and Lost Letters: Exploring Epistolary Narratives in 18th-Century French Literature. Studies in French Literature and Culture, 27(2), 82-102.
• Smith, J. , Martin, L., & Dupont, C. (2021). From Boulevards to Backstreets: Urban Imagery and Identity in Contemporary French Literature. Modern French Studies, 58(4), 223-245.

#6. Grants and Fellowships

This section showcases that your research is deemed valuable enough to fund.

Grants and fellowships on an academic CV are must-haves, as they show agencies and admissions committees that you’re equipped to conduct future research projects successfully.

Depending on how many grants you’ve received or applied for, you can divide them into subcategories for “Active Grants”, “Pending Grants”, and “Completed Grants”.

In each subsection, list the grants in reverse chronological order with the following information:

• Name of institution. Provide the name of the institution which provided the funding.
• Duration of funding. Use the dd/mm/yyyy format. E.g. 15/03/2020 - 15/06/2023
• Role and effort. (Optional) If applicable, give the specific role you were given on the approved grant and what percentage of the total work was designated to you.
• Monetary value. (Optional) Mentioning the monetary value is field-specific, so consider checking in with other experts in your field before adding it.

Simple enough, right? Now let’s see it in practice.

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) - “Challenge America”

01/2021 - 07/2021

• Project Title: Sunshine Street
• Project summary: Facilitated outdoor workshops and organized art programs for children from families below the poverty line in Middleton, NY.

#7. Awards and Honors

A little showing-off never hurts when it comes to an academic CV.

Take your time to list the awards and honors you’ve received so far, including any scholarships . Start with the latest additions first and work your way back.

Be sure to include:

• Name of the award. E.g. The RSPB medal
• Year it was received. E.g. 2023
• The institution it was presented by. E.g. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
• A brief description. (Optional) If the name isn’t clear enough, you can give a brief introduction to what the award was for.

Here’s an example:

The RSPB medal, 2023

• The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds’ most prestigious medal, which is awarded annually to a single individual in recognition of wild bird protection and countryside conservation.
• Awarded for research on the decline of the hawfinch and proposals for reintroduction to its once-native woodlands. The project was successful, with over 45 hawfinch families now nested in Leicestershire.

#8. Conferences and Talks

If you’ve been invited to speak at conferences or as a guest lecturer at other institutions, you should dedicate a special section to it in your CV.

Use subcategories to list them, such as:

• Campus Talks. You lectured at your home institution’s campus.
• Invited Talks. You lectured at other institutions or conferences.
• Conference attendance. You participated in a conference but didn’t give a lecture. 

Then list each talk and conference, including the following information:

• Name of the institution. E.g. Queen Mary University of London
• Location. E.g. London, United Kingdom
• Department. If applicable, such as in the case of a university guest talk. E.g. The Department of History.
• Dates. Use the dd/mm/yyyy format.
• Title or brief description. Usually, the title is descriptive enough but if you have space, you can clarify the topic of the event.
• Presentation type. (Optional) This applies to conferences, as they can be a session talk, plenary lecture, or other.

Depending on the amount of experience you have with conferences and talks, you could separate them into one section for Conferences, and a separate section for Talks. Keep one section for conferences where you participated but weren’t a speaker, and one for events where you lectured.

Do you have an upcoming conference or talk? Plan ahead and check out 12 Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills [for Work & Life] !

#9. Teaching Experience

With academic CVs, work experience is divided into distinct sections, such as:

• Professional appointments
• Teaching experience
• Research experience
• Other work experience

If you already have experience as a contracted professor, that should be listed in your professional appointments section at the start of your CV.

For aspiring professors, though, the first of these sections should be teaching experience.

This is where you can list any TA or adjunct professor positions in reverse chronological order, and mention the courses you’ve taught. 

Provide the following information for each entry:

• Name of the institution. E.g. University of Ohio
• Department. E.g. The Department of History and Classics
• Courses. E.g. Roman Poetry of the Republican Period
• Dates taught. Use the mm/yyyy format. E.g. 09/2017 - 06/2020
• Type. Specify if the course was undergraduate or graduate , and whether the course was taught in person or online.
• Duties. (Optional) For TA positions, you should only include your duties if your institution required you to create and teach your own courses.

If you have a lot of experience in this section, tailor it according to your application.

There’s no need to include all the courses you’ve taught if their number is in the double digits. Focus only on the top ten courses that are relevant to the position you’re applying for.

Alternatively, if you’re an experienced academic and your professional appointments section already details enough courses, you can be brief here. Just list the institutions where you were a TA and the dates you taught there.

Here’s an example of how to list teaching experience:

Teaching Assistant

Queen Mary’s College, London

Department of History and Classics

01/2022 - present

• Designed courses on Ancient Roman History and Culture, adjusted to students majoring in Art History, Classics, and Theology. Supervised undergraduate dissertations and assessed students’ performance in class.
• Postgraduate courses: Late Roman Mithraism, Imperial Symbolism in Eastern Roman Mosaics
• Undergraduate courses: Roman Poetry of the Republican Period, Latin Grammar, Introduction to Catullus
• Online courses: Roman Orientalism: The Allure of the East

If you’re using your CV to apply for a position at the beginning of your academic career, you might not have any teaching experience yet.

In that case, you can either list informal experience, such as tutoring, or you can remove the section altogether.

Thinking of applying for a job as a teacher? Check out our step-by-step guide on how to write a teacher resume with examples and templates.

#10. Research Experience

Any academic research position is welcome in this section. Start with your most recent post and work your way back.

• Name of the institution. E.g. Lund University
• Position. E.g. Research Assistant.
• Dates. E.g. 06/2019 - 08/2021
• Description. Specify the research question and explain how the research was conducted, and what methodologies you used.

If you’re an experienced researcher, you should only list the following positions:

• Full-time Researcher
• Research Associate

Research Assistant

Here’s how to list it on your academic CV:

Columbia University

09/2017 - 07/2019

• Collected field samples of fungi on expeditions.
• Analyzed mycelium production in different environments.
• Conducted detailed reports on the effects of fungal spores on the human respiratory system and their potential medicinal uses.

For graduates who don’t have experience yet, any research projects can be listed, not just formal research positions.

#11. Other Activities

This is a versatile section where you can list other optional but relevant information. You can divide your entries here into as many subsections as you deem necessary.

Some activities you can list are:

• Professional service. This can include conferences you’ve organized, journals you review for, students you’ve mentored, public outreach programs, and more.
• Professional memberships. If you’re a member of an association or council, you can mention it in this section. E.g. Voting member of ICOM (International Council of Museums) since 2016.
• Other qualifications. All other certifications , licenses, or qualifications go here.
• Extracurricular university activities . Any clubs or communities you were part of while pursuing your degree can make an appearance here.
• Media coverage. Any coverage you’ve received in the media, including talk show attendance or magazine interviews.
• Non-academic work. If you worked in a corporate environment before switching to academia, any of that work experience would be listed here.

Since these sections are all optional, it’s best to only add impressive activities. Your time as an au pair during your gap year isn’t as interesting as the time you were interviewed for your innovative research.

#12. Languages

The rule of thumb for language skills is that you should only list those you know well enough to read academic texts.

List languages by including your proficiency, starting with your native language. Depending on your field or country of origin, you might want to use the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CERFL) to indicate your level of proficiency.

If you’ve studied one or two foreign languages, you can list your fluency level for reading, writing, and speaking for each. If you’ve studied more than that, you can summarize your fluency with the appropriate CERFL score.

It’s generally best not to list a language if you’re a complete beginner in it. This section is also optional, so if you don’t know any foreign languages, you can skip it entirely.

#13. Skills

As a general rule, academic CVs shouldn’t list any skills.

Unlike in the corporate world, where adding skills to your resume is crucial , in academia, it might seem unprofessional.

However, exceptions are made for scientific and technical fields. If the position you’re applying for requires specialized methods that are worth listing, dedicate a section to highlight those skills.

#14. Hobbies and Interests

Another optional section is hobbies and interests .

These can be personal, professional, or research interests. Generally, it’s best to only mention hobbies and interests that are relevant to your field, if any at all.

For example, if you’re interested in historical reenactments, it might add more value to your application to the Department of History. But for a mathematician, it’s irrelevant.

#15. References

At the end of your academic CV, you can optionally include a list of references .

Choose a few people who are familiar with your work and can refer you. List them vertically and provide the following information for each entry:

• Full name and title. E.g. Jane Donovan, Ph.D.
• Mailing address. This should be a work address, rather than a personal one.
• Telephone number. Be sure to include the country dial code, especially if your CV is going to be reviewed abroad.
• Email address. List their professional email address, not a personal email.

Here’s how it should look on your CV:

Jane Donovan, Ph.D.

Department of Physics and Astronomy

University of Massachusetts

73 Einkorn street

Amherst, MA 94720-3840

+1 907-212-6234

[email protected]

Attach an Academic Cover Letter

An academic CV is only one part of your application. Make sure to also include an academic cover letter so you come across as a professional and well-prepared candidate.

Depending on the nature of your application and your field, you might have to write an academic personal statement or an academic cover letter.

The difference between the two is that an academic personal statement focuses primarily on the applicant, and is meant to highlight your knowledge, expertise, and strengths. 

The academic cover letter, on the other hand, focuses on the job you are applying for and on what makes you the proper candidate for that job.

Here are the steps you need to follow to write one:

• Choose a cover letter template that matches your CV.
• Provide all the essential details in the header. These should include your contact information, such as your full name, phone number, mailing address, and email address.
• Address the letter to the admissions officer or other appropriate recipient. Include their title, email address, institution name and department, and mailing address. Then add a date to your letter right after.
• Start with a formal opening line, such as “To whom it may concern.”
• Write an attention-grabbing introduction explaining why you’re writing.
• In the body of your cover letter, expand on why you’re the right candidate for the position and why you’re a good choice for the institution you’re applying to.
• Summarize your key points, and use a call to action that asks the reader to take some sort of action, such as calling or otherwise contacting you.
• Finish your letter with the appropriate closing line, such as “Best Regards,” or “Sincerely.”

Are you applying for your postgraduate research degree? Check out our detailed guide to writing a motivational letter for a Ph.D. candidate !

Key Takeaways

And that’s our guide to academic CVs! Hopefully, you’ll be more confident when writing your CV and applying for that academic position you have your eye on.

To be on the safe side, let’s recap some of the main points we discussed:

• Academic CVs are used for faculty and research applications in universities. These CVs should highlight education, publications, teaching, research, and other experiences and achievements relevant to the position, not skills or general work experience.
• There’s no page limit you have to be wary of when writing your CV. Academics don’t have to worry about Applicant Tracking Systems rejecting their CV or that a hiring manager might only skim through the contents and discard it without reading. 
• The sections on your CV are listed in order of importance, depending on the position you’re applying for. The top sections are usually Education, Publications, Professional appointments, and Teaching or Research experience.
• Be sure to pair your CV with an appropriate Motivational Letter, Personal Statement, or any other document relevant to your application.

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CV Formatting Essentials

In general, the main thing to consider when developing your CV is readability.  It is important because reviewers will likely read 100s of CVs for applications. Therefore you want to make this as easy and painless as possible.  The following are just a few tips we think will help you get started.

• To start, make sure to use 12 point font (or no smaller then 10) and one inch margins (or no smaller then 8)
• The following are some common sections found in a CV:
• Publications
• Presentations
• Professional or Work Experience
• Community or Academic Service
• Honors & Awards
• When describing your experience a CV generally uses a paragraph structure, compared to a resume which is typically formatted using bullet points.
• The emphasis for a CV is on academic accomplishment, research inquiry, methods or techniques used, and analytical approaches.
• Briefly highlight your dissertation or thesis in the Education section. When describing your dissertation or thesis in a CV, you typically include the title within the Education section included just under the degree. The details of the work will be include later within the Research Experience section. For those in the Humanities, you will add a Dissertation section with a brief synopsis of your research. See Humanities  CV sample .
• A CV could include names of collaborators and your PI, research outcomes or future areas of inquiry. Skills and abilities are also included in a CV. Those skills particular to graduate students and postdocs include the ability to analyze data, conduct archival research, test hypothesis, and reason logically.
• Include a reference section.  A Reference section is typically included when applying for a faculty or postdoc position. Follow the instructions. If the position description calls for three references, provide them with three. Be sure to include the name, department, email, address and phone number. Referees for academic appointments generally send the reference letter directly to the institution, so you will want them to know exactly how to contact your references in case the letter does not arrive.
• Include a footer starting on the second page with your name and "page 2 of X".

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Creating an Undergraduate CV

Your curriculum vitae (CV) is a representation of your scholarly identity and trajectory in your field. 

A CV is used to apply to research roles or other academic positions. It shows your academic credentials and achievements, experience conducting research in your field, and other experience relevant to the opportunity you’re targeting.

Your goal is to convey your interest in the field, as well as the relevant skills and knowledge that will prepare you to excel in the target opportunity.

When might I use a CV as an undergraduate?

You may be asked for a CV when you’re applying to a research position, to a fellowship, or to graduate school in the sciences. If you’re applying to a research position in industry, pay attention to whether they ask for a resume or a CV in their posting, as they may prefer a resume. In your cover letter, you can let them know that a CV is available upon request.

Many faculty may be happy to receive either a resume or a CV from undergrads looking to conduct research with them. Remember that in this case, whichever document you submit should still be tailored toward research in their field! If you haven’t done research before, convey your interest and preparedness by showing the transferable skills and knowledge you’ve built through your coursework and other experiences.

What should my CV look like as an undergraduate?

Unlike your one-page resume, your undergraduate CV can be two pages.

Sections on a CV

The sections on a CV are designed to feature the experiences that academics (like professors or researchers) acquire over time. As an undergrad, the sections on your CV will depend on the experience you’ve had so far—and the professors or researchers interested in hiring undergrads won’t expect you to have graduate-level experience. So, don’t worry if you don’t have information to go in all of these categories!

Start with these mandatory sections:

Contact information.

Include your name, address, phone number, email address, and professional website or profile (if you have one).

Include the degree-granting institution and school, the degree you’re receiving, your major or concentration, and your expected graduation date. If you’re writing a departmental thesis, include the title and the names of your thesis advisers. You can include relevant coursework, which we generally recommend keeping to two lines of text or less.

If you have additional higher education, you can also include it. If you’ve studied abroad, for instance, you can include the institution name, the month and year range you attended, and relevant coursework you took during this program.

Your CV may include some of the following sections: 

Research experience.

Include the name of the lab or department and institution, the position you held, the location, and your dates of involvement. We recommend including a brief description of the project, your role, the primary methods used, and key findings.

Publications

This section includes scholarly publications such as journal articles, book chapters, and published conference proceedings.

Format each bibliographic entry according to your discipline’s style guide, with the article or chapter title, journal name, and publication information. Include authors in publication order, bolding your name.

Include publication status if the piece is not yet published—e.g., in preparation, under review, forthcoming. We recommend listing the DOI if the article has been accepted but does not yet have page numbers.

Presentations

This section showcases scholarly presentations you’ve made, usually at conferences or symposia.

Include the author(s) and title of presentation, the conference or symposium name, and the location and date (or month if a range) of the presentation. Specify the format of the presentation—e.g., poster or oral presentation.

Grants / Awards / Academic Honors

List any academic awards, fellowships, grants, or funding received. In each entry, include the award name, award-granting institution, and year of the award.

If the nature of the award will not be clear based on the award name, you can briefly clarify parenthetically.

Teaching Experience

Include the name of the course and institution, the position you held (e.g., Teaching Assistant, Instructor of Record), the location, and month-year range of the teaching engagement. We encourge you to include a brief description of your role.

Additional Professional Experience

On a CV, you may include recent professional experience that is pertinent to your scholarly trajectory. You can title this section by the job area if helpful—e.g., Additional Engineering Experience, Editorial Experience, Museum Experience.

Include the name of the organization, your job title, and the location and month-year range of the experience. You can include a brief description of your role and accomplishments to highlight relevant transferable skills.

Leadership / Activities / Service / Volunteer Work

Include the organization, your position title, the location, and dates of your involvement. You can include a brief description of your role and accomplishments.

Professional Memberships or Affiliations

List any memberships you maintain to professional organizations in your field. Many scholarly associations have low-cost student memberships.

Certifications

Include any relevant certifications or licensures you hold.

Create categories for your skills, such as languages, technical or computer (software, hardware, coding languages), laboratory, machining, and design. In each category, list the relevant items—e.g., language names, tools, programs. For languages, we recommend indicating your proficiency level. Keep each category to 3 lines maximum.

This includes a list of relevant references, including their name, title, institution, and contact information (phone and/or email).

How should I format my CV?

CVs typically have a much simpler format than resumes. You’ll left-justify the content, use one-inch margins all around, and a size 11 or 12 font. Use bold and italics sparingly, and avoid extra design elements. Include a right-justified header includes your last name and page numbers (#/#).

How should I describe my experiences on my CV?

Typically, undergraduate CVs include short descriptions of your experience that focus on field-related content such as a description of the research project and the methods you used. Remember, your reader is likely another scholar in your discipline who will be able to interpret this technical language. It is more common to display these descriptions in paragraph form, but some people prefer bullet points for clarity.

Learning About CV Conventions in Your Field

Many professors, postdocs, and graduate students post their CVs on their departmental or lab website. Their CVs will be a lot longer than yours—some professors’ CVs run up to 15 pages. You may notice that faculty CVs will be, in most cases, less detailed than your undergraduate one, with fewer descriptions: they may be serving as records of research and teaching conducted, rather than job-search documents. Nevertheless, these CVs can help you understand trends and conventions in your discipline.

Can I see what a CV might look like?

Sure! We’ve created a couple of sample undergraduate CVs for your reference.

• Sample Undergraduate Science CV
• Sample Undergraduate Humanities / Social Science CV

Where can I get feedback on my CV?

You can get feedback on your CV from your previous research mentors (faculty, postdocs, grad students), instructors of relevant courses you’ve taken, career counselors , fellowship advisers , or writing consultants .

We recommend always seeking feedback from mentors in your field, as they will be able to offer discipline-specific insights and tips.

Related Resources

Finding an Undergraduate Research Position

Getting research experience during your time as an undergraduate can aid in your pursuit for graduate school or certain career opportunities. There are many opportunities available to conduct research alongside faculty at Columbia or other universities and research institutes.

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How to Write a Curriculum Vitae (CV)

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In the United States, a curriculum vitae, or CV, is a type of resume used by professionals in the fields of academia, medicine, teaching, and research. Students most often are asked to submit a CV when they are applying to fellowships, graduate degree programs, or research positions. Countries outside the U.S. often call their resumes CVs, so be sure to understand accurately what it is they are looking for.

As a student, CVs are typically two pages and will include more scholarly content, such as research experiences, laboratory skills, and publications. Apply the same  resume formatting guidelines  to your CV.

Sample CV section headings may include, but are not limited to

• Community Service
• Laboratory Experience
• Relevant Coursework
• Software Skills
• Presentations
• Fellowships/Grants
• Summer Education
• Publications
• Teaching Experience
• Work Experience
• Special Training
• Research Experience
• Honors/Awards
• Honors Thesis
• Internship Experience
• Study Abroad/Travel
• Conferences
• Poster Sessions
• Shadowing Experience
• Professional Affiliations
• Relevant Experience
• Leadership Experience
• Certifications/Licensure

For a sample CV download our resume guide .

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How to Write Your Curriculum Vitae

Associated data, the challenge.

Soon-to-be residency and fellowship graduates are often challenged by how best to structure their curriculum vitae (CV). This involves making choices about whether to include certain information, like activities that predate medical school, and how to best highlight activities and accomplishments. The development of a CV is further challenged by individual academic institutions and potential employers having particular specifications regarding the order, format, and content.

What Is Known

A CV provides fellowship programs, employers, and/or academic promotion and tenure committees with a chronological story. A CV highlights your education, skills, experiences, and achievements (academic, scientific, teaching, and clinical). It is a dynamic document featuring the evolution (and gaps, as applicable) of your training and experience for a particular audience at one moment in time—applying for a fellowship, a position at a medical center, or a grant. This comprehensive chronicle of your career is in contrast to a résumé, which succinctly highlights your experience and skills in a 1- to 2-page document. A CV is often submitted with a cover letter to help the reader connect your experience to the position requirements and differentiate you from other candidates.

How You Can Start TODAY

• Follow institutional specifications . Make sure that your CV aligns with the format expectations of the institution, employer, or grant agency reviewing your CV. If available, obtain CV guidelines from several of the organizations to which you wish to apply. Identify individuals who have successfully applied for similar positions or awards previously and inquire if you may use their CV as a template for yours. A general CV template with accompanying tips is available as online supplemental material.
• Be thorough and use consistent formatting . List your educational background, prior affiliations, certifications, achievements, awards, grants, scholarship, committee memberships, and volunteer work with accurate dates. Use consistent chronology (typically past to present) throughout the CV. List additional languages spoken and prior names. Add a running header or footer with your name, the page number, and the current date.
• Highlight elements relevant to the sought-after position . What are the 2 to 3 major items someone should know after reading your CV? Consider subheads within sections to demonstrate common themes (eg, under leadership, add a subhead for education, clinical, and quality/safety). Consider bolding meaningful activities to highlight position-relevant skills and accomplishments. A brief annotation can clarify your contribution to a project. Savvy reviewers can spot fluff in CVs (brief activities, peripheral involvement), which may detract from your actual accomplishments.
• Include a cover letter . A single-page letter using a professional and warm tone can provide compelling information not available in your CV. Open the letter by introducing yourself, stating the specific position you are seeking, and describing your interest in joining the organization. Use the remainder of the letter to connect your values and experiences to the position requirements. Consider highlighting your geographic preference (organizations are recruiting for retention), gaps in your CV, and skills (eg, communication, teamwork, leadership, problem solving, and/or quality improvement). Close with a thank you and an actionable statement, such as “I am available to discuss this opportunity with you further and look forward to hearing from you.”
• Proofread . You only get one chance to make a first impression. Be sure to check spelling, titles, and punctuation. These errors can adversely affect the reader's impression of you. Ask colleagues and mentors to read your CV and cover letter to ensure that your story is being told effectively, to check for critical omissions, and to find errors.

Rip Out Action Items

• Start developing your CV today using an accepted template. It is a timeline of your education, skills, and experience. It highlights your academic, scientific, and clinical achievements.
• Create a CV file for items to add to your subsequent CV. Update your CV semiannually. When you have an urgent request to submit your CV, it will be ready to go.
• Use your CV for personal growth and annual goal setting. Meet with mentors and colleagues to review your CV and goals to identify opportunities that will enhance your professional development.

What You Can Do LONG TERM

• Maintain your CV as a dynamic document . Create a comprehensive dynamic CV file to save all activities and accomplishments that could be added to the next updated version of your CV. Depending on the position you are seeking, you might select specific projects in this file to include in your updated CV.
• Update your CV at least semiannually . Are you capturing all of the activities you are currently doing—teaching, committee work, leadership roles, grant applications, significant quality improvement projects? When you have an urgent request to submit your CV, it will be ready to go. Save the file with the current date as you may not use the same CV for future position applications. Keep a backup copy on another device in case one device fails.
• Identify opportunities for professional growth . Your CV is your career chronicle. Use it to identify opportunities that will enhance your professional development and to set goals for the year ahead. An astute CV reader (eg, mentors and colleagues) can identify strengths and opportunities for your future growth. Have your CV reviewed annually to discuss your career themes, goals, and directions, as well as to proofread your CV. Just sharing your CV (with reciprocal reviews as appropriate) may open new doors for you!
• Revisit the storyline of your CV . As your career evolves you will have additional areas of emphasis, expertise, and interests to add to your CV. Be sure that your CV entries reflect that story using common subheads within categories to highlight key elements.
• Host a CV session . Invite trainees and experienced faculty to a 30-minute CV session. In advance, ask trainees and junior faculty to update their CVs, bring copies to share, and raise questions. Dyads can spend 15 to 20 minutes reviewing CVs and adding common questions to a whiteboard that can then be discussed with the group during the remaining time.

Supplementary Material

Internship and Career Center

Curriculum vitae.

Curriculum vitae (CV, also often informally called a “vita”) is a Latin expression loosely translated as "course of life”. In contrast to a resume (also resumé or résumé) from the French meaning “summary”. 

Both a CV and resume represent you as the best qualified candidate, demonstrate your "fit" for a position, and are used in an application process to get you an interview. A CV presents a full history of your academic credentials so length is variable, while a resume presents a concise picture of your qualifications with length prescribed by years of experience. For more information on the differences between a CV and resume .

Many European countries use “CV” to describe all such documents and do not use the term resume. In the United Kingdom, most Commonwealth countries , and Republic of Ireland, for example, a CV is a short document, containing a summary of the job seeker's employment history, qualifications, education, and some personal information. Some parts of Asia also require applicants' photos, date of birth, and most recent salary information. When applying to international positions, be sure to check if you are unsure just what kind of information they want.

Check with your advisor about any discipline specific variations when preparing your CV.

When to use a CV

A CV is used when applying for:

• Graduate school
• Academic (research and teaching) positions in a four-year university, state college, community college, or liberal arts college
• Fellowships and scholarships
• Research funding and grants

Although largely the same format for all academic positions, there is some variation and a difference on emphasis for a CV depending on the type of institution you’re applying to (e.g. community college vs. four-year university).

Review discipline specific CV samples .

CVs for Undergraduates Applying to Graduate School

When applying to graduate school, the application instructions may request that a CV be included in your application packet. You can check with the admissions office at the institution you are applying to, but in general this request is not for a full CV, but rather a more comprehensive resume.

The graduate school application CV will still be no longer than 2 pages. Items to include on the graduate school application CV might include (if applicable):

• Descriptions of academic projects
• Presentations, posters, or publications
• Teaching assistantships
• Academic service, such as mentoring and/or leadership on committees

General tips and guidelines

See our CV/Resume builder to help you get started compiling your information.

General things to consider when developing your CV:

• Readability is important Reviewers will likely read 100s of applications. You want to make this as easy and painless as possible. Use 12 point font (or no smaller then 10). One inch margins (or no smaller then .8). Include a footer starting on the second page with your name and "page 2 of X". See CV samples for footer options.
• Briefly highlight your dissertation or thesis in the Education section When describing your dissertation or thesis in a CV, you typically include the title within the Education section included just under the degree. The details of the work will be include later within the Research Experience section. For those in the Humanities, you will add a Dissertation section with a brief synopsis of your research. See Humanities CV sample .
• Include common CV sections The header with contact information ( see header samples ), Education, Research Experience, Teaching Experience, Publications, Presentations, Grants and Awards, Academic Service (could include mentoring, committee work, journal editing), and References. See additional CV categories for further explanation. Also see CV samples for formatting and layout.
• Use paragraphs instead of bullets When describing your experience a CV generally uses a paragraph structure, compared to a resume which is typically formatted using bullet points. The emphasis for a CV is on academic accomplishment, research inquiry, methods or techniques used, and analytical approaches. A CV could include names of collaborators and your PI, research outcomes or future areas of inquiry. Skills and abilities are also included in a CV. Those skills particular to graduate students and postdocs include the ability to analyze data, conduct archival research, test hypothesis, and reason logically. For additional suggestions and a list of skills, view the CV supplement .
• Include a reference section A Reference section is typically included when applying for a faculty or postdoc position. Follow the instructions. If the position description calls for three references, provide them with three. Be sure to include the name, department, email, address and phone number. Referees for academic appointments generally send the reference letter directly to the institution, so you will want them to know exactly how to contact your references in case the letter does not arrive.

Emphasis Depends Upon the Institution

A CV for an academic teaching position in a:

• Community College Emphasizes teaching over research, pedagogical training and qualifications as a generalist as well as academic service, mentoring and work with undergraduate students. The Teaching Experience section on your CV will follow the Education section and include details about your particular role (e.g., Adjunct, Lead Teaching Assistant, Teaching Assistant) as well as a list of all of the courses (by course title, not course number) you have taught or supported. The Teaching Experience section may include lecture materials you have presented, class size, lab responsibilities, etc. Teaching-focused community college CVs may also have a research section, but will include limited detail. See community college CV sample .
• State or Liberal Arts College Emphasizes a balance of teaching and research, thus will include equal emphasis on the research and teaching sections.
• Four-Year University Emphasizes academic accomplishments, scholarly productivity, research experience, technical expertise, successful grant writing and collaboration potential. The emphasis for a tier one research institution will be placed on the research section, with a less prominent section on teaching and mentoring experience. The Research Experience section should follow the Education Section.

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Curriculum Vitae (CV) Format Guidelines With Examples

Curriculum Vitae Formatting Tips

What to include in your cv, curriculum vitae format, curriculum vitae template.

• Curriculum Vitae Example

Tips for Writing Your CV

Image by Maddy Price © The Balance 2019

Do you need to write a curriculum vitae ? A curriculum vitae, commonly known as a CV, is an alternative to writing a resume to apply for a job. CVs are most commonly used in academia, research, and medicine—not to mention for most jobs outside of the United States.  

While a resume is typically only a page or two in length, a CV is more detailed and therefore longer, often containing more information about academic achievements than a resume

CVs vary depending on your field and experience, but there are a number of general format and style guidelines you can follow when creating a CV.

There are also certain sections most people include in their CVs, as well as optional sections.

Learn how to format your curriculum vitae and what to include. Review CV tips and use the format example as a template for your own CV.

CV Length: While resumes are generally one page long, most CVs are at least two pages long, and often much longer.

Font Choice and Font Size: There's no need to use ornate fonts that are difficult to read; Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, or fonts like these are best. Your font size should be between 10 and 12 points, although your name and the section headings can be a little larger and/or bolded.

Format: However you decide to organize the sections of your CV, be sure to keep each section uniform. For example, if you put the name of one organization in italics, every organization name must be in italics. If you include a sentence or two about your accomplishments in a particular position, fellowship, etc., make a bulleted list of each accomplishment. This will keep your CV organized and easy to read.

Accuracy: Be sure to edit your CV before sending it. Check spelling, grammar, tenses, names of companies and people, etc.

Not all CVs look the same. You may choose to include only some of these sections because others do not apply to your background or your industry. Include what seems appropriate for your area of specialty. Here's an overview of what to include in a CV:  

Your CV should vary in style and content based on the position and the organization you are applying to.

Contact Information: At the top of your CV, include your name and contact information (address, phone number, email address, etc.). Outside of the US, many CVs include even more personal information, such as gender, date of birth, marital status, and even the names of children. Unless you are applying to a job outside of the United States, there's no need to include that information.

Education: This may include college and graduate studies. Include the school attended, dates of study, and degree received.

Honors and Awards: Feel free to list your dean's list standings, departmental awards, scholarships, fellowships, and membership in any honors associations.

Thesis/Dissertation: Include your thesis or dissertation title. You may also include a brief sentence or two on your paper, and/or the name of your advisor.

Research Experience: List any research experience you have, including where you worked, when, and with whom. Include any publications resulting from your research.

Work Experience: List relevant work experience, including non-academic work that you feel is related. List the employer, position, and dates of employment. Include a brief list of your duties and/or accomplishments.

Teaching Experience: List any teaching positions you have held. Include the school, course name, and semester. You may also include any other relevant tutoring or group leadership experience.

Skills: List any relevant skills you have not yet mentioned so far, like language skills, computer skills , administrative skills , etc.

Publications and Presentations: List any publications you have written, co-written, or contributed to. Include all necessary bibliographic information. You should also include any pieces you are currently working on. Include papers you presented at conferences and/or associations: list the name of the paper, the conference name and location, and the date.

Professional Memberships: List any professional associations to which you belong. If you are a board member of the association, list your title.

Extracurricular Activities: Include any volunteer or service work you have done, as well as any clubs or organizations to which you have belonged.

You can also include any study abroad experiences here if you have not already mentioned them.

Your Contact Information Name Address Telephone Cell Phone Email

Optional Personal Information This information is not included in U.S. CVs. It may be requested in other countries. Date of Birth Place of Birth Citizenship Visa Status Gender Marital Status Spouse's Name Children

Employment History List in chronological order, include position details and dates. Work History Academic Positions Research and Training

Education Include dates, majors, and details of degrees, training, and certification. Post-Doctoral Training Graduate School University High School (Depending on the country)

Professional Qualifications Certifications and Accreditations

Computer Skills

Publications

Professional Memberships

This is an example of a curriculum vitae. Download the curriculum vitae template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online) or see below for more examples.

Create your Europass CV

The Europass CV builder makes it easy to create your CV online. You can use it to apply for a job, education or training opportunities as well as volunteering.

The best-known CV format in Europe

The Europass CV is one of the best-known CV formats in Europe. It is easy-to-use and familiar to employers and education institutions.

You will first have to create your Europass profile with information on your education, training, work experience and skills. After you complete your Europass profile, you can create as many CVs as you want with just a few clicks. Just select which information you want to include, pick your favourite design and Europass will do the rest. 

You can create, store and share CVs in 31 languages . You can download your Europass CV, store it in your Europass Library share it with employers, with  EURES  or other job boards.

How to create a good CV

Remember that your CV is your first opportunity to communicate your skills and experiences to a future employer. It is a snapshot of who you are, your skills, your educational background, work experiences and other achievements.

Present your experience clearly

Highlight examples of your skills and experiences matching the job you are applying for. Pay close attention to the details published in the vacancy notice.

Tailor your CV

Make sure you update the ‘About Me’ section to highlight why you are the best person for the job. Do not include a full detailed history. Focus on facts and main points that match the job you have in mind.

Make it readable

Make sure your CV is easy to read. Use clear and simple language.  Use strong verbs (e.g. ‘managed’, ‘developed’, ‘increased’).

Use reverse chronological order

Always list the most recent experience on the top followed by previous ones. In case of long gaps in working or learning, include an explanation.

Polish and fine-tune

Check for spelling and grammar mistakes, provide a professional e-mail address, and add a professional photograph of yourself.

Your Europass profile

Your Europass profile is the place to keep a record of all your skills, qualifications and experiences. If you keep your Europass profile up-to-date then you will always have all the information you need to create tailored CVs and job applications quickly.

Good luck with your applications!

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