Academic CV - Template & Writing Tips
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Academic CV - Template & Writing Tips

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Raushan Kumar
Assistant Manager Content
Updated on Nov 8, 2025 10:50 IST
Check out 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 free sample!

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. They are not much different from a resume you normally prepare. Download a free sample.

Academic CV - Template & Writing Tips

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.

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. An academic qualification 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.

Table of contents
  • What is an Academic Resume?
  • Academic CV Template
  • Academic Resume Example for Engineering Students
  • Academic CV Sample for MBA Students
  • Tips for Writing an Exemplary Academic CV

What is an Academic Resume?

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. 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. 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

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

-----------END----------

Academic Resume Example for Engineering Students

Name: Rahul Mehta
Email: rahulmehta@email.com

Phone: +91-9876543210
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rahulmehta
Address: New Delhi, India

Career Objective

I am a Mechanical Engineering student who loves learning new things and doing creative work. I want to study Master’s in Mechanical Engineering in Germany to improve my technical skills and learn more about renewable energy and automation. My goal is to become a skilled engineer who can make useful and simple solutions.

Education

B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering

Delhi Technological University (DTU), New Delhi

2019 – 2023

CGPA: 8.4/10

Class 12th (CBSE) – 88% (2019)

Class 10th (CBSE) – 9.2 CGPA (2017)

Technical Skills

Software: AutoCAD, SolidWorks, MATLAB, ANSYS

Programming: C, Python, MATLAB

Core Areas: Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Robotics, Design

Projects

Solar Powered Water Pump Design
Made a small solar pump for farmers. Improved its working by fixing the panel angle and testing it in lab.

Study on Heat Exchanger with Nanofluids
Did small experiments and checked how nanofluids change heat transfer. Wrote short paper on it in Indian Journal of Engineering Research (2023).

Internship

Tata Motors Pvt. Ltd., Pune
Intern – Mechanical Design | May 2022 – July 2022
Worked with engineers on engine models. Learned CAD drawing and testing new parts.

Certifications

AutoCAD Design Certificate, Autodesk (2022)

Robotics Basics, Coursera (2023)

German Language A2, Goethe-Institut (2024)

Achievements

Got Best Engineering Project Award at DTU TechFest (2022)

Reached DAAD Scholarship Interview Round (2023)

Languages

English – Fluent
Hindi – Native
German – Basic (A2 Level)

Academic CV Sample for MBA Students

Name: Priya Sharma
Email: priyasharma@email.com

Phone: +91-9876547890
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/priyasharma
Address: Mumbai, India

Career Objective

I am a Business Management student who wants to grow my skills in marketing, finance, and leadership. I want to study MBA in Germany to learn international business practices and understand how global companies work. My goal is to work in a top company and help in making strong business strategies that bring real change.

Education

Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com)
University of Mumbai, Maharashtra
2019 – 2022
Percentage: 82%

Class 12th (Commerce, CBSE) – 85% (2019)
Class 10th (CBSE) – 9.0 CGPA (2017)

Core Skills

Marketing and Sales Management

Business Analytics

Financial Planning and Accounting

Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint

Communication and Teamwork

Internship

HDFC Bank Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai
Intern – Finance and Marketing | May 2022 – Aug 2022
Helped the marketing team with data entry, small reports, and customer feedback. Learned how banks promote new services and maintain client relationships.

Projects

Study on Consumer Buying Behavior in Online Shopping
Collected survey data from 200 people and studied how brand trust and reviews affect online buying.

Business Plan for Start-up – Organic Skincare
Created a business plan with 3 team members for an MBA competition. Worked on cost estimation and marketing strategy.

Certifications

Digital Marketing Course, Google (2023)

Financial Modeling and Valuation, Coursera (2023)

German Language A1, Goethe-Institut (2024)

Achievements

Won Best Business Presentation at College Fest (2022)

Part of Top 10 Teams in National Business Case Study Competition (2023)

Languages

English – Fluent
Hindi – Native
German – Beginner (A1 Level)

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.

  • Keep 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. The format given above will surely provide you the best help. In the end, make sure you have followed the format correctly with the right alignment, spacing, and margin. This will help the admissions officer understand your academic resume easily.







Q:   How can you organize your academic CV?
A:

Write content under standard headings, with appropriate details. Remove the headings, and sub-headings that do not apply to you, to give your academic CV a crisp look.

Q:   What is the standard page limit for an academic CV?
A:

Your academic CV must be concise, with holistic, and to-the-point details regarding your educational qualifications, and academic accomplishments. Keep your academic CV between two, to two and a half pages long.

Q:   Where can I download Academic CV templates for applications or to send to professors? (MS CS)
A:

The template and academic CV samples have been provided here to download. One can take the reference and make your resume better. 

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About the Author
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Written by
Raushan Kumar
Assistant Manager Content
Raushan Kumar is a skilled writer and a Study Abroad Expert in the Editorial Team at Shiksha. He oversees various aspects of studying abroad, including educational opportunities, entrance exams, colleges, latest new Read Full Bio
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Comments

(11)

R

Ramya Ratish

3 years ago

Hi, Do I write my full name on the CV according to my passport or according to my government id?

Reply to Ramya Ratish

R

Rahul Singha

3 years ago

Hello Ramya. Please note that your Passport is a part of your government ID. Hence, It is advisable to have the same name on all government IDs to avoid any kind of confusion later on.

N

Narayana Gupta

4 years ago

mam i am confused about the coaching centres , from which institute I shall take classes. Actually google has mixed reactions......i have taken demo class of Top 1 %............ is it good institute ?.

Reply to Narayana Gupta

Which coaching centres are you referring to and for what? Please clearly state your query so that we can help you accordingly.

13524669
Debanshu Dhyani

5 years ago

hello , i have a question what if there a gap after my garduation ,should i mention that in my resume .Do i need to justify that ?

Reply to Debanshu Dhyani

7083717
Shilpa Saxena

4 years ago

Dear Debanshu While applying to abroad universities, it is very essential to justify the gap years. However, they need to be justified via Essays or SOPs. Only if you have a certification or proof of any activity that can be included in the CV, you must do that. Otherwise, it is not mandatory to fil

...Read more

i have completed my undergraduate from an institution , in my cv should i put the institution name or the university name . thank you

Reply to Naimur Rahman Durjoy

7083717
Shilpa Saxena

5 years ago

Dear Naimur, Ideally, you should write both the institute's as well as the university's name. Follow this: Completed from affiliated to with a score of __% OR with __ CGPA in Year.

Y

YASH RAJ

5 years ago

I have completed my Diploma and Bachelors in Mechanical Engg. I studied my UG 3 years due to direct second year (lateral entry) admission. Do I need to submit my Diploma transcripts or UG Transcripts is suffice for my Masters in Canada? And also do I need to submit my 10th transcript Please advise.

Reply to YASH RAJ

7083717
Shilpa Saxena

5 years ago

Dear Yash, You would need to provide the transcripts of both your Diploma as well as Degree to prove your eligibility for a master's degree. A University may also ask you to provide your 10th mask sheet as well. So, it is recommended that keep all your academic proofs ready.