Academic CV - Template & Writing Tips

Check out the standard academic resume format to see how to write a good academic resume for a college/university. When preparing an Academic Resume, there are simple rules and guidelines which every student must keep in mind. Essentially, they are not much different from a resume you normally prepare. Download a free sample.

Crafting an academic CV is essential for showcasing your research, teaching experience, and academic achievements when applying for positions in academia or research. Unlike a standard CV, an academic CV focuses on your educational background, publications, grants, awards, and professional appointments in detail.

There are certain guidelines that you need to follow when preparing your Academic Resume. Fundamentally, an academic resume is similar to a generic resume. An Academic CV is a 1–2-page document that aims at capturing your candidature by highlighting your achievements.

A key difference between an Academic Resume, and a Generic CV is that the former is devoid of summary, aim, or objective. Furthermore, to understand how to write an impressive resume, you need to have a clear idea of the content you must include, and the format that you must adhere to. Showcasing academic qualifications in a resume is most important for this type of document. In this guide, we provide a comprehensive academic CV template along with expert writing tips to help you create a standout document.

What is an Academic Resume?

An academic resume is a specialized application document utilized by study abroad aspirants as they apply for their intended course or program in their dream university. Unlike standard resumes, academic ones contain additional details relevant to academia. Along with basic information like contact details, a professional summary, educational history, certifications, research expertise, and skills, they will portray your co-curricular activities as well such as publications, conference attendance, accolades, fellowships, and grants. Consequently, if you are including academic qualifications in a resume, it will be longer than non-academic ones. Now, we will learn how to write educational qualifications in a resume by going through the proper format for the same.

Academic CV Template

The following is an  academic CV template for international students. This is the format that you can use in your academic resume when applying for MS and PhD programs to abroad universities:

Begin by adding a box. 

FULL NAME

Address: (Complete postal address with city, pin code, state and country)

Contact No: _________________; Email: ______________________

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATION

If you are confused about how to write educational qualifications in a resume, then read the section given below to know the things to be incorporated:

The name of the degree, institution, and location must be incorporated here.

• Postgraduate Degree (Specialization), Name of the University/ Institute, City, Year, (CGPA/ percentage) (if applicable)
• Undergraduate Degree (Specialization), Name of the University/ Institute, City, Year, (CGPA/ percentage) (if applicable)

All study abroad applicants are requested to follow the format given below when including their educational qualifications in their resume for academic purposes. Mention your details chronologically.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Designation, Department, Organisation, City (when-when)

• Write your roles, and responsibilities in bullet points here.
• Keep the list brief, and to the point and use action words to begin your sentences, for example, developed, created, handled, led, demonstrated, innovated, initiated etc.
• Highlight any special award you have received in the organization, any special appreciation or any innovative idea you might have implemented. Remember to highlight the result/outcome in the latter case.
• Project Name: Mention the name of the client/ project you have worked on if applicable
• Technologies Employed: If you have worked on any niche technology, mention it here

INTERNSHIPS/ INDUSTRIAL TRAINING

What? Where? When? Mention your findings and learning in each case

INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE

Mention in detail, if any

Also, mention if participated in any exchange programs and how you were selected.

RESEARCH PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN

An important aspect; mention in detail all projects that have been undertaken. Please use the following format:

Title:

Location: Institution, City

Duration: (when – when)

Team Size:

Brief Description: (Write a short paragraph of 50-80 words here)

Individual Role: (Write in bullet points)

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Mention in detail – where have you used those skills

• Languages: Ex. C language, PHP, CSS
• Database Management System: Ex. My SQL
• Operating Systems: Ex. Microsoft Office 2003, 2007, 2010
• Design Software: Ex. CATIA, AutoCAD

AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Mention if any

CERTIFICATIONS

Mention if any

CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Mention if any (for example, seminars, workshops, technical presentations or fests, conferences, papers, publications etc.)

• Use this space to mention any papers that you presented/ published, any specific seminars you presented, conferences or workshops attended etc.
• You can create separate sub-sections if the number is too high

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Mention if any, with proper details of what, where, when, your role etc.

• Highlight any extracurricular participation/ achievements.
• List only inter-college, district, state, national or international-level events
• Debates/ quizzes/ sports/ theatre are all to be clubbed
• Write in reverse chronological order
• Avoid listing out certificates received in school until they were of national/ international level

COMMUNITY SERVICE/ SOCIAL WORK

Mention if any, with proper details

Discuss any volunteer work or social work done

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Tips for Writing an Exemplary Academic CV

We have provided an acceptable format for your academic resume which you can use to create your resume for MS or PhD courses above. Now, you know the appropriate way of including academic qualifications in resume. However, there are certain fundamentals that you need to understand, and be mindful of while drafting your academic resume. Here are some basic suggestions that you need to remember throughout the time that you invest in creating the perfect academic resume draft.

• Keep the font consistent throughout your academic resume.
• All the content such as degrees, and professional responsibilities must be given in bullet points. Do not write in paragraphs. This applies to all sections.
• Do not use abbreviations in your academic resume.
• Keep your academic resume well within two pages only. If it goes beyond that, then mention only significant ones, and remove the rest.
• Avoid using personal pronouns in your academic resume.
• Keep the document in ‘justified’ alignment
• Present your details briefly and crisply. It should not look haphazard, or messy.
• Write your experiences, or degrees reverse chronologically, making them easier to comprehend.
• Mention the skills that you acquired throughout your academic, and professional journeys.
• Provide your contact number, name, address, and e-mail address as mentioned in your passport.

If you need to submit an academic resume under your application documents, then following the suggestions, and format given above, will surely provide you the best help, leading to your success. In the end, make sure you have followed the format correctly with the right alignment, spacing, and margin, and, properly portray your educational qualification in your resume. This will help the admissions officer understand your academic resume easily, making your applicant stand out amongst the rest.

 Also Read

• Difference between MS and MBA Resume
• How to Present Professional Experience in Resume
• Things to include in your MS Resume 
• Common Errors to avoid in an Academic Resume

Have more queries? Write to us in the comments section below and we shall get back to you!