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Grad School Resume 2024: Tips, FAQs, and Templates

When applying to grad school, you’ll probably be asked to submit your resume. As grad school admissions become increasingly competitive, it’s critical that you have a strong resume to help you stand out from other applicants and impress the selection committee.

The perfect grad school resume is short and concise but persuasive enough to convince your dream grad school that you’re the perfect candidate. An academic resume is quite different to an employment resume, so it’s important to know how to write a winning CV for grad school.

Table of Contents

Why Do I Need a Grad School Resume?

When preparing your grad school application, you’re probably consumed with many tasks like chasing down your academic transcripts and preparing for the  entrance exam . Your graduate school resume might be the last thing on your mind, but you’ll almost certainly need to prepare one.

Grad school admission requirements vary depending on the school you’re applying to, but you’ll typically need to submit the following for your grad school application:

• Completed application form
• Academic transcript
• Entrance exam
• Reference letters
• Personal statement

You shouldn’t use whatever resume you have on hand from the last time you applied for a job. A grad school resume is quite different from an employment resume , so you’ll need to create one specifically for this purpose. A well-crafted and comprehensive resume helps the admissions team understand your strengths, qualifications, experience, and interests. Ultimately, this will help them determine whether or not they’ll accept you into the program.

Related: How To Prep Your Resume For Success (When You’ve No Work Experience)

Tips for Writing a Winning Graduate School Resume in 2024

Follow these tips to show any selection committee that you’re the perfect candidate for their program!

Write a Strong but Concise Introduction

Grad school selection committees go over hundreds, if not  thousands , of resumes to find candidates who meet their standards and who could be excellent ambassadors for the program. Because of sheer volume, they may spend only a few seconds reviewing each resume.

This makes the introduction critical—this part will grab their attention and persuade them to keep reading. So, take your time to write a brief but strong professional profile. In as few words as possible, mention your qualifications, experience, and relevant skills, why you want to join the program, and why you’re the perfect candidate.

Your letter of intent for admission to graduate school gives you a unique way to separate yourself from the rest of the applicants.

Include your Contact Details

Your contact details should go at the top of your resume, right below your name.

Be sure to include the following details:

• Your first name and surname
• Your physical address

Your email address

• At least one contact phone number
• Links to your social media profiles.

You don’t need to include extra information about yourself such as your race, age, or citizenship. In fact, by law, institutions are not allowed to discriminate based on these details; so, it’s best to leave them off your resume entirely.

On the other hand, social media links are important, especially LinkedIn. If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile already, consider signing up for one. The selection committee may check your profile to verify your connections, work experience, internships, volunteer work, and educational background.

Pay Attention to Formatting

Good formatting is vital for any resume—a sloppy layout will make you look unprofessional and could damage your chances of getting accepted into a grad program. Keep it short, simple, and precise—make it no more than one page if possible. Don’t include any unnecessary details or information that isn’t relevant to the program.

The exact layout can vary, but your grad school resume should include:

• Your name and contact details
• Summary/introduction
• Education history and educational achievements

Awards and achievements

• Significant research projects
• Extra-curricular activities
• Volunteer work
• Skills and hobbies

Some grad schools want you to follow a standard format, so be sure to check with the admissions office if they have any grad school resume examples or templates. You can’t expect a call back from the selection committee if you can’t follow a simple format instruction!

For more on formatting, take a look at the sample CVs for graduate school admission later in this article.

Detail your Education History

Many grad schools require candidates to have a minimum level of education in order to be considered for their program. Even if a school doesn’t have strict grade prerequisites, at a minimum you will need to have completed an undergraduate degree. Your education history is one of the first things the selection committee will check when going over your resume.

Because this information is so important, you should outline your education in a prominent spot near the top of your resume. Mention the schools you’ve attended, your qualifications, GPA, and any other courses or certifications you took before or after your undergraduate studies. It’s also essential to include any teaching experience and major research projects.

Be sure to include these details in the education section:

•       Name of the school
•       Location
•       Graduation date
•       Degrees
•       Awards

Include your Professional Experience

An academic resume doesn’t need to be limited to your education experience. It’s usually a good idea to also include work experience outside of academia, along with teaching and research experience .

Detailing your diverse work experience may demonstrate additional skills and experience that is relevant to the program. It can also help to build a complete picture of your journey to grad school that will be more compelling to the selection committee. Furthermore, some programs, such as most MBAs, particularly look for professional work experience.

Related: How To Apply To Grad School

Highlight Your Awards and Achievements

Your achievements set you apart from other candidates so it’s vital to highlight them in your resume. Achievements demonstrate your skills and strengths in a very concrete way, giving the committee a good reason to choose you over other applicants. Achievements could include volunteer awards, leadership positions, prizes won as part of extracurricular activities, academic achievements such as honors, and internships. Be sure to also briefly mention what you learned from your achievements.

Detailing your academic achievements can certainly enhance your resume, but it’s not necessary to include every small award you’ve won over the years. Make this section detailed, but without any fluff. Only include awards that are relevant to the program you are applying for.

Stick with Reverse Chronological Order

The selection committee will be most interested in hearing about your latest experience and achievements. Therefore, it’s important to list everything in reverse chronological order: start with your most recent awards, projects, or positions and work backwards chronologically.

You should follow this approach for all the elements in your academic resume. This includes academic and professional work experience, research projects, publications, awards, and other achievements.

Include Key Skills and Proficiencies

At the end of your resume, you should include a section covering your skills and abilities . Detail both the hard and soft skills picked up from your undergraduate program and professional experience. You can also list your hobbies, but remember to avoid fluff – only include extracurricular activities that are relevant to your application.

This doesn’t mean that all the skills and hobbies you mention must be directly related to the graduate program; however, they should show the school that you are a strong candidate for one reason or another. For example, sporting achievements demonstrate dedication and motivation, even if they aren’t directly related to the program you’re applying for. Anything that adds value to your resume will help make your application stand out.

Wherever possible, back up your statements. Rather than just stating that you possess certain skills, provide examples of academic projects that allowed you to build a specific capability, or awards you won that recognize your proficiency in a certain area.

Don’t be Repetitive

Avoid repeating information. If you have only a few achievements to show and you’ve already mentioned them under the education section, you don’t need to create a separate section for achievements and awards. A lengthy resume filled with fluff isn’t going to help you get into your dream school. It’s always better to keep your resume short, concise, and to the point.

Proof Read to Pick up any Errors

Don’t underestimate the importance of proofreading your academic resume for graduate school. Even one or two spelling mistakes, typos, or messy formatting can be a big turn off the selection committees.

Read over your resume to check for errors. Then proofread it again. Just to be sure, ask a friend, family member, or mentor to take a look. Most importantly, make sure your contact details are accurate and up to date!

How to Write a Resume for Your Graduate School Application

Here’s a brief step-by-step guide to writing a resume for grad school applicants.

Step 1: Write a Strong Introduction

Your academic resume should start with a brief but compelling introduction to catch the selection committee’s attention and encourage them to keep reading.

Your introduction should summarize your most relevant skills and academic history, as well as mentioning your main professional objective. A strong graduate school resume objective is authentic, direct, and compelling.

Step 2: List your Academic Experience

In the next section, detail your academic qualifications and experience. Include not only your undergraduate degree and any other studies you’ve completed, but also key coursework, major academic projects and research and teaching experience.

Related: When To Apply For Grad School

Step 3: Detail your Professional Experience

The next part of your academic should cover your professional experience. If you’re a recent graduate with limited experience, list your internships, fellowships, teaching positions, or any other relevant experience you have.

Step 4: Detail your Key Skills

Next, describe your most relevant skills that will impress the admissions committee. It’s essential to include as many relevant keywords as possible, as admissions committees are increasingly using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to automatically filter applications.

Key skills and proficiencies you could add to your resume include:

• Academic research
• Business knowledge
• Social sciences
• Written communication skills
• Skills in specific disciplines, such as accounting, actuarial science, biology, calculus, cell-based analysis, cognitive behavioral therapy, economics, engineering, finance, nursing theory, psychology, social work, and statistics

Step 5: List Important Academic Achievements

Finally, highlight your most impressive academic achievements. Include details such as your GPAs, academic memberships and associations, and any awards you’ve received.

Graduate School Resume Template

Below, we’ve included three graduate school resume examples that showcase different ways to format your resume for graduate school. These graduate school resumes include all the critical information, such as academic projects, relevant skills, and professional experience in a clear, concise way.

Grad School Resume Template 1: General Academic Resume

Your First Name, Last Name

Your phone number

LinkedIn profile, other social media profiles

Introduction : 2-3 sentences outlining your qualifications, experience, why you want to join the program, and why you make the perfect candidate.

School name

Completion date – Degree name

• List of accomplishments

Work Experience

Position title Start date – End date

Organization name, address

• Responsibilities and achievements
• List of skills and proficiencies
• List of awards and achievements

Template 2: Professional-Focused Academic Resume (for MBA and similar programs)

Introduction: 2-3 sentences outlining your qualifications, experience, and main career goals.

Template 3: Recent Graduate Academic Resume

Academic Projects

Project subject, Institution, City, State

Start date – End date

• List of key courses

Volunteer Experience

Grad School Resume FAQs

Is an academic resume the same as a regular resume.

A grad school or academic resume is totally different from a resume that you might use to apply for a job. Most students have limited work experience, particularly in the professional sector. Furthermore, grad school selection committees generally look for applicants with a strong academic background. Therefore, an academic resume can focus on qualifications, achievements, test scores, and extracurricular activities.

What Should a Grad School Resume Include?

Contact information, educational qualifications, internship programs, awards and achievements, and any extracurricular activities are the basic essentials you should include in your masters degree resume or graduate school resume. You should also have a strong introduction or summary near the top of your resume which tells the selection committee what they need to know at a glance. You can add additional information, such as professional experience and other projects if it’s relevant to the program.

How Long Should My Grad School Resume Be?

Generally speaking, your grad school resume should be no more than one page. However, if you have a lot of experience and a detailed history of qualifications, you can make your resume 1.5-2 pages. But, we don’t recommend going over two pages! The most important thing is to keep your professional resume for graduate school both relevant and concise.

What is the Best Graduate School Resume Format?

There are a few different graduate school resume formats, and the best one for you will depend on your chosen field of study, as well as your level of experience. Equally, it’s important to format your resume so that you showcase your strengths and achievements in the best way possible.

If you already have professional experience, it’s usually best to open with your most recent experience, then continue the list in reverse chronological order. If you have little to no work experience, its preferable to follow your opening summary with your most impressive academic achievements and qualifications.

How do you Align your Resume with a Job Description?

When applying for jobs, you should never use a one-size-fits all resume. Instead, it’s critical to adapt your CV to the job description each and every time. If the job description mentions certain skills, ensure that your resume shows that you have these capabilities. Additionally, be sure to clearly demonstrate the experience and qualifications detailed in the job description.

Likewise, prospective graduate students should tailor their academic resume to the specific program they’re applying to. Many grad schools are highly competitive, so it’s essential that every part of your application, including your resume, helps you to stand out and clearly shows why you’re an excellent fit for the program.

How Far Back Should a Resume go for Grad School?

Your graduate school application should be as comprehensive as possible, but you don’t need to go overboard. Therefore, for most graduate programs, it’s best to include your undergraduate qualifications and any other relevant certifications, but you don’t need to mention your high school GPA or SAT scores , for example.

Likewise, you should generally include professional work experience going back around 10 – 15 years, as long as it’s relevant to the program.

Wrapping Up

Getting into grad school can be tough, especially if you’re applying to one of the  Ivy Leagues . These schools receive thousands of applications, so you really need to make sure yours stands out. It’s important to take your time and make the effort to present a strong application, from your academic transcript and GPA to your winning grad school resume.

Are you putting together a grad school application? Check out this guide on how to ace your grad school interview .

Lisa Marlin

Lisa is a full-time writer specializing in career advice, further education, and personal development. She works from all over the world, and when not writing you'll find her hiking, practicing yoga, or enjoying a glass of Malbec.

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7 Grad School Resume Examples + Complete Guide

Grad School

Best for senior and mid-level candidates.

There’s plenty of room in our elegant resume template to add your professional experience while impressing recruiters with a sleek design.

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As a graduate student, you’ve dedicated years to the pursuit of knowledge and the betterment of the world. And if that weren’t enough, you’re paying the bills and building your expertise along the way.

But even though you can tackle research and jobs with a cool head, writing an effective cover letter and grad school resume can feel like a shot in the dark. How are you supposed to know what to include, and how can you showcase all your skills without going over a page?

We’ve created seven grad school resume samples based on the best resume practices for grad students . These examples have helped scholars build a great resume to get job interviews at prestigious universities, private corporations, and federal laboratories across the country.

Grad School Resume

or download as PDF

Why this resume works

• We’d recommend using a  resume outline  to structure your thoughts initially—just jot down everything you can think of. Then go through and narrow it down so it contains only the essentials.
• Then you can  format your resume  so it’s easy to read and pleasing to look at. Don’t forget to keep your section headers distinct with a different font and color.
• You can include metrics about any rates you improved (like efficiency or time saved), the amount of grant money you helped earn, your GPA, how many publications you produced, or the number of people you worked with or assisted.

Graduate School Resume

• If the institution caters to a specific subject like history then mention how you’ve used your skills to truly pursue excellence in this field via projects, internships, etc. Decided to study when everyone else was partying? Don’t be shy! Showcase your academic brilliance by adding a high GPA of at least 3.75.

Grad School Application Resume

• Whether it be scoring an internship at a big company like NVIDIA or even using your skills to create various solutions, ensure you highlight the best parts! Let the university recruiters know your desire and ambition to contribute to society by pursuing higher studies there!

Biology Grad School Resume

• An objective is best if you’re changing careers or have only a few years of experience in your field. If you have over 10 years of experience, use a  resume summary  instead.
• Make sure your objective is personalized for every job application by including the specific job title, company, and relevant skills each time you submit your resume.
• For example, what areas of research are you familiar with? How did you assist with experiments, and what were the results of your research? Did you improve lab processes in any way, and if so, how?

Nursing Grad School Resume

• Quantifiable metrics can include patient satisfaction, the number of successful procedures you performed, how accurately you filled out paperwork, and number of patients you cared for per shift.
• Before you submit your application, always  check your resume  so it’s completely free of errors, like present tense verbs, missed commas, and typos. You’d be surprised by what you can miss on the first few revisions!

Psychology Grad School Resume

• Hiring managers use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to streamline the initial stages of applicant cuts. The ATS catches keywords in your resume and matches them to skills preselected by recruiters. If you don’t include enough skills in your resume, you’ll be eliminated. So, read the job description to add similar skills in a dedicated skills section.
• We recommend adding six to eight skills in your skills section to demonstrate your technical capabilities.
• Getting a job in psychology isn’t easy, so if you’ve got any special licenses or certifications, add an optional “certifications” section to your resume to show off your credentials.

SLP Grad School Resume

• While you can certainly list those skills in your skills section, it’s best to include them both in your skills section  and  in your work experience bullets.
• Explain how you used those skills to make a positive impact on your patients and in your workplace. Always think of the “how” questions and try to answer them in your resume for the strongest effect.
• Including your interests can make you more personable to the hiring manager, which is vital when the hiring team considers who they’ll interview!

Related resume guides

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How to write a resume for grad school?

[ Click here to directly go to the complete Grad school resume sample ]

The first hurdle you encounter when you start applying for a grad school is that they all require you to submit a resume for grad school application.

But hold on!

You don't have any idea how to make a resume for grad school!

You don't know what the differences are between a graduate school resume and a professional resume.

These questions can make it really difficult for you to write a resume for grad school.

But don't worry! Writing a graduate school resume is not that difficult.

In this blog, we will tell you everything you need to know about writing a resume for grad school.

Here's a summary of the blog:

• Why do you need a resume for grad school
• How graduate school resume is different from other resumes
• What admission committee look for in a grad school resume
• What are the characteristics of a resume for grad school application

Things to include in your graduate school resume

Why do you need a resume for grad school.

[ Back to Table of Content ]

"I'm not applying for a job! Why do I have to create a resume for grad school application?"

This question might come to your mind when you are filling up your grad school application. Ideally, resumes are not only for jobs. Its primary function is to give a brief introduction to your professional or academic background.

Your resume objective for grad school is the same. It helps the school committee understand your academic qualifications.

Grad schools get a lot of student applications each year. They try to sort those applications and select the candidates who are most suitable for the curriculum.

And, graduate school resumes are the best way for candidates to showcase their interests and stand out among other applicants.

In the next part, we will walk you through the things you need to include in your resume for grad school application to get in front of the competition.

Sample grad school resume

To help you understand how a grad school resume looks, we have included a grad school resume sample for you.

• Conducted primary research to interview 30 + branch managers of various banks & created a report based on the results
• Identified the prevalent lack of knowledge on the topic of mutual funds in the hills of Alabama
• Recommended that Apple Records Sales Representatives conduct presentations in branches to spread knowledge
• Gained proficiency in the domain of Foreign Exchange in concepts such as currency risk , forwards , and options
• Liaised with accounts payable , treasury and payroll teams, and worked on OCS data migration
• Conducted verification of disbursements , overtime claims , insurance details, vouchers and cheques
• Successfully completed multiple internal audits at the firm
• Rendered assistance in administering the authentication of multiple payments including Foreign Exchange Payments
• Carried out all allocated tasks within the stipulated timeline & with zero errors
• Successfully ensured ZERO error rates by 100% control adherence and focus on accuracy
• Built and maintained cordial relationships with interns from Operations as well as the Front Office
• Conducted regression tests on the data to test the validity of the CAPM model
• Carried out Literature Review of CAPM and discussed the extensions of the model in the project
• Concluded the following after completing the entire research:
• The model succeeded in explaining the linear relationship between risk and return but failed in explaining risk completely
• Due to certain sources of error , complete accuracy of the study’s results could not be established
• Computed the Cost of Capital and Net Present Value (NPV) of Valkyrecords
• Calculated the NPV of Valkyrecords as positive to conclude that:
• Long term projects were expected to produce more income than what could be gained by earning discount rate
• The company should go ahead with the project
• Participated as a team member in Blizzart Half Marathon Feb ' 17
• Participated as a team member in Inter-college Volleyball Match '16
• Languages : English and Spanish

Feel free to use the sample to understand the structure of your grad school resume.

If you want to create your grad school resume, go to Online Resume Builder and create one for yourself, or you pick one from our pre-built resume templates.

How does a graduate school resume differ from professional resumes?

Graduate school resumes are similar to professional resumes, but there are many fundamental differences between them. You can not use the same elements of a professional resume in a grad school resume.

Here are a couple of ways a resume for grad school differ from a professional resume:

No strict length restriction

Professional resumes generally stretch between one to two pages. But a grad school resume can extend beyond two pages. This gives the student more space to include their academic achievements and other experiences.

That doesn't mean you can write a novel in your resume. It's still preferable to wrap up your resume within two pages. But it's nice to have the option to add more pages if needed.

Detailed education details

When you're applying for a grad school, you don't have much work experience to show for. So it makes sense to focus on your educational details more.

For example, your graduate school resume should include your GPA, projects, any thesis you've written, any paper you've published, any classes you've taken relevant to your grad school application, etc.

Some grad schools specifically tell what information they need in the graduate school resume to make things easier. Even if they don't, it's a good practice to include detailed academic achievements in your resume.

Importance of internship and volunteer experience

Professional resumes give importance to the past work experience of the candidate. But since grad school applicants don't have full-time work experience, grad schools prioritize candidates' internship and volunteer experience in the graduate school resume.

So, don't shy away from adding all your volunteer and internship experience into your resume.

What admission committee looks for in a grad school resume?

Grad school admission committee gets thousands of applications every year. And they want to make sure they are selecting the right candidate who will be an excellent fit for the grad school program or curriculum.

So, make sure that your resume stands out from thousands of other graduate school resumes.

Here are some characteristics of a standout graduate school resume:

Tailor your resume to the specific program

Add the academic achievements and skills that are important for the program you're applying for. That will give you a higher chance of getting selected for grad school.

Mention your academic details

A rule of thumb for your resume for grad school is to include a detailed academic overview in it. Include your GPA, any academic award you've achieved, or even coursework you've done.

This shows you've been serious with your studies and likely to work hard for your grad school studies as well.

Include internships and volunteer works

If you have a decent internship and volunteer work experience in your resume, it shows the admission committee that you are determined and a hard-working person.

So, don't be afraid to put even the smallest of your internship and volunteer work experience on your grad school resume.

Include your grants or award

If you have received any awards in your undergraduate school or written any grant proposals, include these in your grad school resume.

It looks impressive on your resume and increases your chances of getting selected for grad school.

Make the resume easy to follow

If you search online, you'll see thousands of designed graduate school resume templates available. But often, these designed resume formats are confusing and difficult to read.

Grad school admission committees have to go through hundreds of resumes every day. And they prefer simple formatted resumes that they can understand easily.

So, make sure your resume is well-structured and easy to read.

Format your resume professionally

Do not go for a creative template for your grad school resume. Instead, use a professional resume style. Here are some points for resume format:

• Use sans serif fonts
• Make font size between 10-12 points
• Leave minimum 1-inch margins on all sides
• Use bolded headlines, bullet points to highlight important information

Read this resume format guide to learn more.

Use powerful verbs

Strong verbs get the reader's attention. So, use strong verbs to demonstrate your academic and work experience.

For example, use "Assisted in inventory management for university library" instead of using "worked as an inventory manager in the university library."

Here is a list of power verbs you can use in your resume.

Make sure your resume flows logically

A well-organized resume is easier to read. The grad school admissions committee wants to see that you are organized and know how to present information logically.

Use the reverse chronological resume format to write your information on the resume for grad school. For example, when you give your education information, put the most recent on top, and go in descending order from top to bottom.

There are no definite guides online to show students what to include in a resume for grad school application.

To be honest, there is no single best way to write your graduate school resume. But, there are simple structures that need to be followed. Here is a list of things that you should include in your resume for grad school:

• Personal information- name address, phone number

Resume objective

• Research Experience
• Teaching Experience

Internships

• Volunteer Work experience
• Honors & Awards
• Professional Affiliations
• Academic Publications
• Memberships
• Skills & Abilities
• Community Involvement

Extracurricular activities

• Educational Travel

Note : Do not try to use all these sections on your graduate school resume. Use the ones that are relevant to the program you are applying for. The most important thing is to keep everything clear and concise.

Personal information

Personal information is a standard for resumes. It goes on top of your grad school resume. However, make sure you add just the right amount of information, not too overly personal information on this section, i.e., date of birth, gender, etc.

Here's what you must include in your grad school resume personal information:

• Email address
• Mailing address
• Contact number
• Linkedin profile link

Here are some tips for nailing your personal information on resume for grad school:

• Make sure to use a decent email address with your name on it, i.e. [email protected] , not [email protected]
• Give your personal mobile number than the home telephone number
• Make sure to optimize your Linkedin profile and keep everything up-to-date

Use Hiration's LinkedIn Profile Review to prepare your Linkedin profile for graduate school application.

A suitable resume object will help to grab the committee's attention and convince them that you are the right candidate for their program.

The resume objective for grad school should not be more than two or three sentences and focuses majorly on your academic achievement and future goal rather than any specific skills.

Things to include in resume objective:

• Undergraduate degree
• Internship/volunteer experience
• Admission goal

*Undergraduate computer science student (3.95 GPA) with six months software engineer internship experience with AT&T Labs. Seeking admission into Cornell University for a master's in computer science program. *

This is the most important section for your resume for grad school application. It gives the admission committee a clear picture of your academic career and performance.

So put a reasonable effort in writing the education section on your grad school resume, and write it in reverse chronological order.

Here's what you should include in your education qualification:

• Degrees you've achieved
• School/college name with state
• Graduation date (year)
• GPA you scored
• Awards and honors you've achieved

Note : High school degrees are irrelevant for a grad school resume. You can choose not to include it on your resume.

Here's an example of the education section on grad school resume:

Education Major in Mathematics (B.S) UCLA, Los Angeles, California Graduation:2019 GPA: 3.8/4.00 Honors: Magna cum laude

Research and teaching experience

Once you're done with the education section, the next section should address your work experiences. This section can be broken down into research experience, teaching experience, internships, and volunteer work.

Make sure the information you are adding is relevant to the program you are applying for.

Example of research experience :

Research Assistant May 2018- April 2019 Assisted Dr. G. Regts in his research paper "Weighted counting of solutions to sparse systems of equations."

Example of teaching experience :

Laboratory Teacher Assistant UCLA, Los Angeles, California March 2018- May 2019 Assisted and instructed 40 undergrads in organic chemistry laboratory Prepare chemical solutions for experiments before each class Maintained chemistry laboratory equipment

Don't have many academic achievements or experiences?

Don't worry! You might have internships or volunteer work experience under your belt worth sharing. It shows that you are hard-working and have the dedication to complete the master's program.

Here's what your internship section should look like:

Internships example :

Software Engineer Intern AT&T Labs, Manhattan, New York March 2017- September 2017 Developed software for clients Assisted in testing new software for clients Collaborated with beta testers and improved existing software

Your volunteer experience addresses your commitment towards society and also addresses your skills.

Here's what your volunteer experience section should look like:

Volunteer experience Example :

Volunteer Teacher XYZ Volunteer Teacher Program, California June 2018- May 2019 Manages a class of 40 students taught English, Mathematics, and Science

Honors, awards, or grants

Having a study grant, scholarship, or teaching assistantship is an incredible achievement in your academic career. And it looks impressive on a resume for grad school application.

You can arrange this section by importance. That means the most important achievement goes first, followed by the rest of the achievements.

Make sure you don't repeat the same honors and awards mentioned in the education section. Also, make sure to add the award name, providing organization, and date of receiving on the graduate school resume.

Grants Alan Moore Memorial Scholarship, University of Prince Edward Island, 2018 Honors & awards Dean’s list for 2018 & 2019, UCLA, California

Affiliations & memberships

If you are a part of any affiliated professional body or a member of any professional group, you can add it to your resume for graduate school. Make sure to include:

• Name of the organization
• City and state
• Affiliation/membership timeline

Note : Only include the membership you are currently part of—no need to include past memberships or affiliations.

Academic publications

Have you published any article, paper, or book anywhere? If you have, add those to your resume.

Note : Ask your prospective graduate school for the correct citation format to follow. Also, bold your name to put emphasis on it.

Here is an example of the Publication section on your grad school resume:

Publications 2019, John S , Trever C., "Optofluidics: Basics, Devices, and Applications" University of California Press. March 2019.

If it's possible, include a couple of references on your resume for graduate school. If you've already included your references on the grad school application, no need to add them to the resume. Here are things to include in the reference section:

• Reference name
• Their professional designation
• Their contact information

Example of reference section on grad school resume:

References Alan Finch Professor, Department of Physics University of California [email protected] (416)234-2343

Skills & abilities

Through your undergraduate degree, internships, volunteer works, you have developed a lot of useful skills. Use the skills and abilities section on your resume to highlight those skills that are relevant to your graduate school application.

However, the importance of certain skills depends on the program you are applying for.

For example, if you apply for a master's in mathematics, your coding skills will not be relevant to the program. Keep that in mind, when adding your skills to the resume.

Add the most relevant skills at first and least relevant skills at last.

Skills & abilities Mathematica Matico lab Ansys Coding language: Java Language: Spanish

Fluency in another language is an impressive addition to a grad school resume. Usually, it's included in the skill section, but if that language is essential for the program you are applying for, highlight it in a separate section.

Leadership experience

If you have worked in any leadership position, add it to your resume. It projects your leadership skills.

Content Lead MBA Insider's blog, UCLA, California May 2017- April 2018 Managed a team of 10 student writers Increased organic traffic by 20% YoY

Grad school does not look for only academic excellence. They want a candidate with broad exposure to different areas. In this extracurricular activities section, you can include various types of activities you have done.

For example, if you are a music player and have been a part of your university music club, you can add it to this section.

Lead Guitarist Music Club of UCLA June 2017- April 2019 Composed songs for UCLA band "Voice of the Moon." Taught guitar to 20+ students

Educational travel

Have you been to another country for educational or research purposes? If so, add that to your resume for grad school application. It shows that you are interested in personal development and have exposure in different cultures.

Things to include:

• Name of the country
• Date of trip
• Purpose of trip

South Africa, June-October,2019 Conducted research for the "Sustainability of Livestock Farming in South Africa" paper.

Key Takeaways

Hopefully, you have got all the answers you needed for your graduate school resume. To sum it up, here are the key takeaways:

• Unlike a professional resume, resume for grad school focus on academic experience more
• Your graduate school resume must be tailored to the graduate program you are applying for
• Use reverse chronological order to format your graduate school resume
• Use a simple format to create resume for grad school
• Do not include overly personal details on your graduate school resume
• Include your research, teaching experience, internship, and volunteer experience to showcase your skills
• Give emphasis on awards, grants, extracurricular activities, publications, etc.

With that, we have come to the end of this blog. If you want to create your graduate school resume, head over to Hiration Online Resume Builder , and get your resume in minutes.

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On the hunt for a graduate school resume or CV template? Then look no further! Chances are your graduate school application requires a resume or CV. But good-quality resume and CV templates can be hard to find online. To lend you a hand, we’ve created a handful of unique resume and CV templates you can use for graduate school . And they’re entirely free!

In this article, we’ll start by exploring the differences between graduate school resumes and CVs as well as what the graduate school resume format (and CV format) entails. Then, we’ll give you our four original resume and CV templates . Finally, we’ll leave you with a few ideas on how you can customize your graduate school resume template or CV template for graduate school.

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Resume vs cv: how do they differ, graduate school resume sections, graduate school cv sections, free resume and cv templates for graduate school, how to customize our resume and cv templates: 4 tips, recap: resume and cv templates for graduate school.

Is the graduate school resume format all that different from the graduate school CV format? Aren’t the two documents basically the same thing? In short, yes and no.

Similarities-wise,  resumes and CVs both summarize academic and professional experiences, accomplishments, and skills . Essentially, the two documents serve the same purpose of securing you a position, whether that be the position of employee or the position of grad student.

That said, there are a few key areas in which the two documents differ significantly:

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• Length: Resumes are succinct and focused, whereas CVs are long and elaborate. Typically, a resume is no more than one or two pages long, but a CV can be however long you need it to be. (Most people use two or more pages.)
• Content: Resumes have a larger emphasis on employment and work-related skills. CVs, on the other hand, focus more on your academic history, experiences, and accomplishments, especially those most relevant to your field of study.
• Usage: Resumes are more commonly used to obtain employment in the public and private sectors (in the U.S.), whereas CVs are more commonly used to obtain employment in the fields of academia or scientific research.

In regard to your graduate school application, are you better off writing a resume or a CV? The answer depends on what you and your program want. Some programs allow applicants to select whichever document they prefer, while other programs are stricter and strongly prefer one document over the other.

In the end, always opt for the document your program either prefers or requires  — don’t hand in a well-crafted CV if your program wants resumes!

What Should You Include on Your Resume/CV?

To start, graduate school resumes and CVs should always contain the following features:

• A logical structure.  Reverse chronological order (from most recent to earliest) is an ideal arrangement because it highlights what you’re currently doing as well as your most recent experiences and accomplishments.

But what about the sections? What kinds of headings should you include on your resume/CV? In truth, resumes and CVs overlap significantly in regard to headings and sections . So don’t be surprised if you find a lot of the same information listed for both resumes and CVs!

Your resume should be a concise document focusing primarily on your education and employment history .

Generally, resumes shouldn’t exceed one or two pages; however, some graduate schools aren’t as picky about length. In the end, just make sure your resume abides by your program’s rules and doesn’t exceed any page limits.

Below is a brief overview of the kinds of sections you may include on your resume. For more details on how to structure a graduate school resume, check out our guide on how to write a graduate school resume .

This section goes at the very top of your resume and includes your full name, home address, phone number, and email address. Always emphasize your name in some manner (usually, by increasing its font size and/or bolding it) so admissions committees can quickly note whose resume they’re evaluating.

Additionally, you’ll save space by avoiding superfluous words  such as “phone” and “email.” Trust me, it’ll be obvious which ones are which!

Your education section should always come directly after your header.  Because you’re applying to graduate school, you’ll want to emphasize your academic history a little more than you normally would on a resume.

For this section, include as many of the following details as possible:

• All universities you attended
• The location (city and state) of each university
• Your degree, including major and minor
• Your (expected) graduation date (month and year)
• The title of your thesis (if applicable)
• The name(s) of your thesis advisor(s)
• Coursework relevant to your field of study
• Non-degree coursework or study abroad programs
• Your cumulative GPA*
• Academic honors, distinctions, and awards (or you may include these in a separate awards section)

*There’s no need to include your cumulative GPA if it’s not that impressive. In this case, either omit the GPA altogether or replace your cumulative GPA with a more impressive variation of your GPA, such as your major GPA. Be sure to note what kind of GPA it is (e.g., “Major GPA: 3.82/4.00”).

Your work experience will likely be one of the longest sections on your resume. This section should include:

• Full-time jobs, part-time jobs, temporary jobs, and internships
• The titles of your positions
• Company or organization names and locations (city and state)
• The dates (month and year) you worked
• Two to three bullet points for each entry describing your responsibilities, accomplishments, major projects, etc.

Publications

If you’ve authored or coauthored any academic reports, books, chapters, etc., list the works in their own section using  your field’s preferred citation style  for each entry. Citations should include all authors’ names, the title of the publication, and the year it was published or will be published.

Honors & Awards

Use this section to list academic or professional honors and awards, taking care not to repeat any honors or awards already mentioned in your education section . For each honor, write the name of the honor and the date (month and year) you received it.

Skills & Certifications

This section focuses on any skills or certifications you possess , such as foreign-language abilities, computer skills, teaching certificates, etc. Include the name of each skill or certification. (You may also include the date you became certified, if applicable.)

For foreign-language skills, always indicate what your current proficiency is (e.g., intermediate, business-level, fluent, etc.).

Extracurricular Activities

This optional section focuses on (relevant) extracurricular activities in which you’ve participated or currently participate. You may choose to include this section if you possess any additional experiences relevant to your field of study, or if you’d like to showcase a critical component of who you are.  

Include the title of your position or the activity, the location (city and state), and the dates (month and year) you participated. Use bullet points to describe the activities, your duties, etc.

The graduate school CV format is fairly similar to the graduate school resume format described above.  But because the CV is a lengthier document, you can squeeze in a lot more detail on it than you can a resume — basically, as many sections as you want! (You should also include page numbers for the sake of clarity.)

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On a CV,  prioritize your academic history and any employment, experiences, and accomplishments directly related to your field of study . Try to cut down less relevant jobs and experiences by either completely eliminating them or writing shorter descriptions for them.

Below are some of the major sections you may incorporate into your graduate school CV. For more tips on how to construct a great graduate school CV, refer to our guide .

Your CV should start with a header containing your name, address, phone number, and email address . I recommend emphasizing your name by using all caps or bolding it (or both). In addition, forgo any superfluous words or phrases such as “home address” and “email address.”

Research/Teaching Interests

You may insert a short section (anywhere on the CV is fine but generally at the beginning is best) detailing your research and/or teaching interests. This section serves as a brief overview of your academic interests and future goals.

Keep this section brief — one to three sentences should suffice. And be specific  by narrowing down your interests to exact sub-fields, topics, people, eras, etc.

Like the resume, your education section should always come at the beginning of your CV, directly after your header (or it may come slightly later if you decide to insert a “Research/Teaching Interests” section before it).

Include most or all of the following details:

• The name and location (city and state) of each university you attended
• Your degree type, major, and minor
• Your (expected) date of graduation (month and year)
• Courses related to your field of study

*Don’t bother including your cumulative GPA if it won’t impress graduate schools. Either delete it or replace it with a higher version of your GPA, such as your major GPA.

Don’t be afraid to get specific in this section. The CV offers an unlimited amount of space, so if you have certain courses, projects, or papers you’d like to highlight, go ahead and do so.

Research/Teaching Experience

Here, you’ll discuss any research or teaching experience you have in your field of study . You may combine this section with your “Employment” section (see following entry).

Generally speaking, those entering scientific fields should focus more on research experience, while those entering humanities fields should focus more on teaching experience.

Include the following details in this section:

• The titles of your positions
• The names and locations of companies, organizations, or institutions at which you researched or taught
• The dates (month and year) you taught or researched
• The names of any advisors or supervisors
• Any specific courses or projects you’d like to highlight
• Bullet points describing your duties, successes, skills, etc.

Research or teaching experience may also include unpaid activities , such as volunteer work, tutoring, extracurricular research projects, internships, etc.

For the CV, keep the employment section brief by focusing only on your most relevant positions. If you don’t have any work experience in your field, you may list some less relevant positions — just take care to minimize the space you dedicate to these positions.

You may also combine this section with the “Research/Teaching Experience” section, or divide it into specific types of employment.

Any type of work is fair game , including part-time employment, full-time employment, and paid or unpaid internships. For each entry, include the following details:

• The title of your position
• The name of the company or organization
• The location (city and state) of the company or organization
• The dates (month and year) you were employed
• Bullet points describing your duties, achievements, skills, etc.

Use this section to showcase any academic papers, reports, books, chapters, etc., you’ve contributed to. Instead of just listing the titles of your publications, write each entry as a separate citation and include all authors’ names, the title, and the (pending) publication date.

Be sure you’re using  the citation style appropriate for your field .

Here, you may list any major awards, honors, or achievements you’ve earned (particularly those most relevant to your field). Include the names of the awards and the dates (month and year) you received them.

For this section, you may list any major skills or certifications you have, such as computer skills, certificates, foreign-language skills, etc. Write the name of each skill or certification and include the date of certification (month and year) if applicable. Don’t forget to indicate your level of proficiency.

Additional Topics

CVs offer a nearly limitless supply of possible sections. Although you may include whatever sections you want on your CV,  it’s best to select sections in which you have noteworthy strengths . For an even longer list of potential CV topics, refer to  page 2 of this handy PDF created by Rice University .

Other popular choices for CV sections include the following:

• Fellowships & Grants:  This section lists any fellowships or grants you’ve received, for what purpose you received them, when you used them, and how much money you received.
• Presentations: For this section, include any major presentations or speeches you’ve given (in your field) as well as when (month and year) and where you gave each presentation (institution, city, and state). Presentations may include presentations of papers or theses.
• Memberships/Affiliations: Here you can list academic, professional, or extracurricular groups of which you’re a current member. Include the name of each group or organization.
• Extracurricular Activities:  If there are any additional activities in which you’ve participated that you believe to be relevant to your field, list those here. Include any positions you held, the location (organization, city, and state), and the dates (month and year). Use bullet points to describe your responsibilities and accomplishments.
• Community Service:  This section is similar to the “Extracurricular Activities” section. Here, you can discuss any (relevant) volunteer work you’ve done. Include the title of your position, the name of the organization, its location (city and state), and the dates (month and year) you volunteered your services. Use bullet points to describe your duties and achievements.

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So far, we’ve given you specific tips on what to include on your graduate school resume or CV. Now, let’s begin the process of making one! In this section, we offer you four free resume and CV templates for graduate school . All of our templates are available for download as .docx files to make customization simple, fast, and fun for you.

Once you’ve finished customizing your template (see the following section for tips!), we strongly recommend saving your resume or CV as a PDF . Most graduate programs prefer PDFs over .doc or .docx files because they’re less likely to produce formatting errors.

Resume Templates for Graduate School

• Graduate School Resume Template 1
• Graduate School Resume Template 2

CV Templates for Graduate School

• Graduate School CV Template 1
• Graduate School CV Template 2

Once you’ve chosen a graduate school resume template you like, it’s time to flex your creativity muscles! Remember, your resume or CV should emphasize your personal strengths . Below, we give you four tips on how to customize your graduate school resume template or graduate school CV template.

#1: Delete Irrelevant Sections

Our templates include all of the most common sections and headings used for graduate school resumes and CVs; however, you likely won’t need every section listed .

We recommend you first go about deleting any obviously irrelevant sections. For example, if you’ve never contributed to any publication before, it makes sense to delete the “Publications” section.

On a related note, don’t feel guilty if you’re deleting a lot of the sections we’ve included on our templates . In reality, graduate school applicants can differ significantly in their backgrounds, experiences, and achievements. Remember the goal of a graduate school resume/CV: to play up your personal strengths, whatever they may be!

#2: Insert Relevant Sections

Next, I recommend  you insert any relevant sections not included on our templates . These are sections you believe will ultimately enhance the content and flow of your resume/CV. For example, those applying to master’s degree programs in international relations could insert a section centering on their experiences abroad.

As a reminder, the sections on our templates are not an exhaustive list of all possible resume/CV sections . If you have any additional activities, experiences, skills, or a ccomplishments you can weave together in a unique or clearer way, you’re welcome to add a section and do so.

Just be sure the section you insert either directly relates to your field of study or emphasizes an important part of who you are.

#3: Rearrange Sections to Highlight Your Strengths

Additionally,  there’s no need to stick with the order of sections we’ve given you on our templates . In other words, we encourage you to rearrange sections so that they better reflect your  experiences and successes.

That said, there are a few sections you’re better off leaving as is:

• Header: Always place your header (with your name and contact information) at the top of your resume/CV. This is not the time to get creative — simplicity and clarity are key to appearing professional.
• Education: Always place your education section at the beginning of your resume/CV directly after your header. The only exception is if you have a “Research/Teaching Interests” section (for a CV), in which case you may place it before your education section.
• Employment: On a resume, always follow your education section with your employment history. On a CV, follow your education section with any research, academic, or professional experiences related to your field of study.
• Less Important Sections:  Always place less important or less relevant sections, such as “Skills & Certifications” and “Memberships,” near or at the end of your resume/CV.

#4: Get Creative

Lastly, we want you to have a little fun with our templates! Now, while we don’t recommend adding a bunch of colors or clip art, we do encourage you to consider changing the following:

• Headings: Don’t feel obligated to stick with the headings we’ve given you! You’re allowed to swap these out for any headings you think flow better with the rest of your resume/CV. My only word of caution is to  make sure your headings match the content of their sections . For example, if you’ve chosen the heading “Skills” but are also listing certifications, it makes more sense to change the heading to “Skills & Certifications.”
• Fonts: If you’re downright sick of Times New Roman, go ahead and change it! But don’t go overboard. We recommend sticking with simple, professional-looking fonts , such as Calibri, Tahoma, and Arial, and avoiding any fancy or overtly unprofessional fonts, such as Chiller and Comic Sans.

Here’s what we  don’t  suggest changing on our templates:

• Sizes: Resumes and CVs always look at least a little bit cramped, but this is so you can fit all of the information you need in as little space as possible. Increasing any of the font sizes ultimately increases your risk of running out of space or exceeding your program’s page limit. If you for whatever reason must change a font size, reduce the sizes of the headings and your name only  — not  the size of the main text!
• Margins:  Our margins are your basic one-inch margins and are what most people use for their resumes and CVs. We do not recommend reducing the margins, as doing so can increase your risk of cutting something off should you or the admissions committee print out your resume/CV.

Most graduate school applicants will need to submit either a resume or a CV along with their applications. Which one you submit ultimately depends on what your program requires and your own preferences.

Although resumes and CVs are used for similar purposes — to get you the position you want! — the two documents differ in a few key ways. Resumes are more succinct and work-centered, whereas  CVs are longer and more academically oriented. 

That said, resumes and CVs often include many of the same sections and headings, such as “Education,” “Employment,” “Honors & Awards,” and “Skills & Certifications.” Because CVs are longer, they offer more room for additional sections, such as “Fellowships & Grants,” “Presentations,” and “Memberships.”

To customize your resume or CV template for graduate school, you may delete irrelevant sections and insert any additional sections that either relate to your field of study or illuminate any personal successes you’ve had. You may also rearrange our templates’ sections in order to highlight your strengths.

Additionally, we encourage you to play around with the headings and fonts (though we recommend leaving the font sizes and margins as is).

Even though your resume/CV is just a single part of your graduate school application, it’s important to put in an adequate amount of time and effort in order to make it both professional and unique. After all, a compelling resume/CV can only strengthen your application !

What’s Next?

Need step-by-step help with your graduate school resume or CV? Check out our guides on how to write a graduate school resume and how to write a graduate school CV today !

Looking for samples, instead?  Then take a peek at   our compilation of graduate school resume and CV samples !

Got questions about graduate school?  Read our guides to learn  what graduate school really entails  and what the basic graduate school application requirements are .

Ready to improve your GRE score by 7 points?

Author: Hannah Muniz

Hannah graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in English and East Asian languages and cultures. After graduation, she taught English in Japan for two years via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel. View all posts by Hannah Muniz

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How To Write A Graduate School Resume (With Examples)

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Although resumes are often associated with pursuits in a career, you’ll also need one when applying to graduate school. A graduate school resume will serve a similar function as a professional one, which is to catch the reader’s attention as a promising candidate.

Learning how to write an effective and concise graduate school resume is a crucial part of the higher education application process.

Key Takeaways:

Graduate school resumes are used to evaluate candidates and is similar to both an undergraduate application and a professional resume.

The education section, relevant coursework, and relevant experience are crucial parts of the graduate school resume.

Accomplishments and achievements from experiences should precede responsibilities.

Use concise language and tailor your resume to the specific program for application.

A graduate school resume should be one page long.

What Is a Graduate School Resume?

How to write a graduate school resume in 6 steps, tips for a successful graduate school resume, template for a graduate school resume.

Example of a Graduate School Resume

Graduate School Resume vs. CV

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A graduate school resume is a brief and organized description of an applicant’s background, skills, education, and any other aspects that would make them qualified for admission. It’s submitted along with an application to provide all the information that an admissions committee will need in contained space.

Graduate school resumes are used to evaluate many potential candidates easier by establishing a bullet-point list of their characteristics.

Including a graduate school resume in your application package illustrates who you are, what your experience is, and why you should be submitted to the program neatly on a single page .

Writing a graduate school resume can be confusing for many people; should it be more similar to a school application or a professional resume? The perhaps unsatisfying answer is that it is a bit of both.

Complete the following steps to create a graduate school resume containing information needed for admissions while being in a resume format:

Think about formatting. Although most resumes have typical structure guidelines, there’s still room for creativity in formatting a graduate school resume. There are some formatting rules you should adhere to, such as keeping your graduate resume about a page long and making your contact details boldly noticeable.

Pay attention to the education section . Since the point of submitting a graduate school resume is to be admitted to an educational program, there should be a clear focus on your prior academics.

Unlike a professional resume, which focuses primarily on career experience, a resume for graduate school should speak about the candidate’s educational background first and foremost.

Include information such as your:

School Name

Grade Point Average (GPA) (Only if 3.5+)

Field of Study

Dates of Attendance

Extracurriculars, Clubs, or Groups (if relevant)

Awards and Acknowledgment

Test Scores (If Applicable)

Include relevant coursework. Relevant coursework might come under your education section or your experience section, depending on which part needs more love. In any case, you’ll want to include the specifics of the classes you’ve taken so that admissions boards know that you’ve got the prerequisite training required to excel in your program.

List relevant work experience. Your prior experience in jobs shouldn’t be the center of attention in your graduate school resume.

However, positions related to the program you’re applying for should be included in your resume. Internships and volunteer experience that can be applied to the program’s field of study can also be helpful in a graduate school resume.

Include notable accomplishments. A graduate school resume is an appropriate place to keep a running tally of your achievements because you want to impress an admissions team. While you can make a dedicated “accomplishments” section, we recommend tactfully weaving achivements throughout your resume’s sections.

Your resume summary statement is a good place to include one, eye-catching accomplishment. And your undergraduate education probably involved some big project or thesis if you’re keen enough on the subject to continue onto graduate school, so that’s at least one major accomplishment for your education section.

Achievements from internships or even minor jobs should always precede boring job responsibilities.

“Answered emails” and “made spreadsheets” don’t exactly pop off the page, but “Responded to 20+ customer queries each day” or “Developed Cloud-based spreadsheet for interdepartment project planning and budgeting” sound a lot better — even if they describe the same jobs and tasks.

Skills and certifications. Including a skills section in a graduate school is recommended if you have the chops to back it up. You should stick to mentioning hard skills in a graduate resume that apply to the field of study you’re hoping to pursue.

This area of your graduate school resume can also be used to mention any certifications you’ve received outside of formal education.

Examples of possible skills and certifications to include on a graduate school resume include:

Fluency in a programming language

Experience in particular computer systems or applications

Speaking a second language

A technical skills training program

An online or in-person certificate in a specific field, like digital marketing or agile management

Tailor your resume to the program you’re applying for. When top applicants apply for new jobs, they go back to their resume and make edits to optimize it for the position they’re hoping to land . Successful graduate school applicants do the same. Every graduate program emphasizes different skills and experiences.

It’s okay to speak highly of your accomplishments. Many people are uncomfortable with the idea of speaking freely on all their outstanding accomplishments because they worry it makes them out to be conceited .

While you should maintain a humble attitude when discussing your achievements (especially in interviews), it’s recommended to get into the nitty-gritty of what you’ve done well in the past in a resume.

Use crisp, concise language. Start your bullet points with strong action verbs. Never include the words “I, me, my, or mine” in your resume. Use as few words as possible and embrace white space.

Include both hard and soft skills. There are probably some hard skills that the program you’re applying for requires, depending on the field of study. Besides listing the hard skills that you have, include soft skills that apply to your personality and work ethic.

Soft skills describe who a candidate is beyond their accomplishments or technical skills . An admissions team will use soft skills to assess if you’re the kind of student they want in their program.

Be honest about your experience and skills. Although it’s essential to catch an admissions counselor ’s attention with your resume, the information you include needs to be true. Bending the truth eventually becomes evident to experienced admissions professionals.

Proofread. Once you’ve finished writing a graduate school resume, the final thing to do is proofread it. Careless spelling and grammatical errors will turn off an admissions counselor reading your resume because it will portray you as sloppy or lazy.

You understand what information should be included on a graduate school resume. Now you use a template to structure the information properly.

Below is a template to guide you through creating your own graduate school resume.

First and Last Name City, State | Phone Number | Email Address | Social Media or Website Resume Summary Statement (Do not label your resume summary statement — just write it) A few sentences outlining what your graduate school resume will go on to say and what your goals for the future are. Education School Name , Degree Title, and Major Graduation Date Grade Point Average (GPA) (If 3.5+) Areas of Study Prior Research Awards, accomplishments, and acknowledgments Extracurricular activities and clubs (repeat if you have multiple schoools) Professional Experience Job Title Company Name, City, State Dates Employed One major achievement with numbers Job responsibility with mention of your impact on results More achievements (repeat for multiple jobs, internships, and volunteer experiences) Relevant Skills list 4-8 skills Give more hard skills than soft skills Additional Section (this section can be dedicated to certifications, volunteer experience, language fluency, independent projects, publications, or another optional resume section)

Aaron Blakely Denver, CO | (753)-585-5866 | [email protected]| LinkedIn.com/AaronBlakely A devoted and creative recent graduate from the University Of Denver with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and former research experience. Seeking higher education with the University of Washington’s computer science graduate program. Education The University Of Denver , B.S. in Computer Science 2020 3.9 GPA Studied computer science with a minor in creative coding Conducted research into biotechnology and virtual reality (VR) Achieved the Dean’s List all four years of college Vice President of the computer coding club Professional Experience Computer Coding Student Intern Larson’s Technology, Denver, CO 2017-2018 Created a process workflow that reduced average project turnaround time by 12% Helped mid-level developers write and debug code for client websites of over 1 million monthly visitors Reviewed engineers code and tested software patches before roll-out Sales Associate and Tech Help Desk Attendant Best Bet Computer Repair, Denver, CO 2012-2017 summers Served an average of 40 customers each day, aiding in selection of electronic goods Won employee of the month in June 2015 Received an an average customer review rating of 4.89/5 at tech help desk Scholarships 2016-2020 Outstanding Student Scholarship Awarded for academic accomplishment and community involvement The amount of $40,000 over four years of undergraduate education Relevant Skills Java HTML MS Office Suites Windows Mac OS X Communication Problem-solving Dependability Creativity Resourcefulness Certifications 2018 HTML Fluency Course, HTML programming language A 12-week course outlining the basics of HTML language Accompanied by assignments, six tests, and a final exam HTML basic fluency achieved

While this article focuses on graduate school resumes , it is important to note that some graduate schools might request a curriculum vitae, or CV, instead.

Graduate school resumes and CVs share a lot of similarities. They both act as documents to highlight an applicant’s qualifications, experiences, and contact information as part of an application process.

However, there are noticeable differences with CVs. These include:

Length. CVs tend to be two or more pages long. They are designed to provide an in-depth profile of your qualifications and achievements.

Purpose. CVs tend to focus on academic and research experience, as well as accomplishments such as fellowships, academic positions, and scholarships.

Content. CVs are more detailed. They cover a complete academic history of the applicant.

Audience. Academic and research heavy programs tend to request CVs because they want to see your abilities in these fields. This can include social sciences, natural sciences, and humanities programs.

As you can see, a CV has significant differences, which means you need to make sure whether you should send a resume or a CV. Luckily, most applications will specify which one they want to see.

However, if you ever have any questions, reach out to the graduate school program for clarification.

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Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.

Don Pippin is an executive and HR leader for Fortune 50 and 500 companies and startups. In 2008, Don launched area|Talent with a focus on helping clients identify their brand. As a Certified Professional Resume Writer, Certified Digital Career Strategist, and Certified Personal Branding Strategist, Don guides clients through career transitions.

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20+Resume Summary Examples For Almost Every Profession

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Master’s student resume samples

General master’s resumes, school of engineering & applied science student resumes, weitzman school of design student resumes.

/images/cornell/logo35pt_cornell_white.svg" alt="graduate school resume format"> Cornell University --> Graduate School

Resumes and cvs.

Depending on the type of job, you will need to create a curriculum vitae (CV) or a resume. Both documents put your qualification in writing, but they are used for different audiences and use a different format.

When to use a Resume

In the United States, most employers use resumes for non-academic positions, which are one or two page summaries of your experience, education, and skills.  Employers rarely spend more than a few minutes reviewing a resume, and successful resumes are concise with enough white space on the page to make it easy to scan. 

For more information on developing your resume, please visit Cornell Career Services’ Career Development Toolkit . Students often find it helpful to review resumes from graduate students who got their first job outside of academe.

When to use a Curriculum Vitae (CV)

A CV is a longer synopsis of your educational and academic background as well as teaching and research experience, publications, awards, presentations, honors, and additional details. CVs are used when applying for academic, scientific, or research positions. International employers often use CVs as well.

A CV is a comprehensive statement emphasizing:

• professional qualifications
• accomplishments
• special qualifications

A CV can vary from two pages to several pages. Professionals seeking academic positions and non-academic positions in science, higher education, research, and health care typically use a CV. It is also used to seek a fellowship or grant and is expected for some positions overseas. Consult with faculty members in your field to determine what is expected and appropriate for your field.

Guidelines for Preparing a CV

• The order of topics in a CV format is flexible.
• Arrange sections to highlight strengths for the position you are seeking.
• Elaborate on accomplishments and skills within categories.
• List items within each category chronologically, the most recent appearing first.
• Include additional headings when appropriate to reflect certifications/licensures, workshops/training, languages, book reviews, etc.
• Present information in an easily accessible and attractive style.
• Faculty advisors are the most knowledgeable resource for determining what constitutes effective content in your discipline.
• For formatting assistance and to see more examples of  CVs, visit the Cornell Career Services Library in 103 Barnes Hall. The following books also may help:  How to Prepare Your Curriculum Vitae  and  The Curriculum Vitae Handbook .
• Non-academic samples from the University of California, San Francisco
• Academic samples from the University of California, San Francisco
• Samples from Columbia University
• Samples from University of Pennsylvania
• Chronicle of Higher Education’s CV Doctor

Electronic Version of CV

When sending electronic versions, attach a file or cut and paste the CV into the text of the email message. State your objectives and career interests in the first few lines since they may be the only items seen on a screen. Other tips:

• Use language and acronyms recognized in your field.
• Avoid using bold, italics, underlining, lines, or graphics. Use all caps for emphasis.
• Put your name at the top followed by address and each phone number on a separate line.

Many employers use websites for applicants to apply for positions. Although each form may be different, some elements may be similar. Save parts of your CV in a format that can be cut and pasted for each individual web-based form, such as saving a bulleted list of work experience.

Transforming Your CV into a Resume

You may need both a CV and a resume for your job search. Sending the appropriate document (CV or resume) tells employers that you can distinguish the differences between the academic and non-academic environments and that you can adapt your skills to either environment. Most employers in industry prefer a resume. When rearranging your CV to make it a resume:

• Do not exceed two pages.
• Re-evaluate your experience. Think creatively about how your academic experience can be translated into the necessary skills for a non-academic environment. Consider skills of project management, leadership, teamwork, effective communication, and meeting deadlines. 
• Choose action verbs to describe your experience.
• Put your strengths first. List your professional experience or your degree first, depending on which is most important for a specific position.  
• Include a well-written job objective; state the type of position and work setting you are seeking, skills or abilities you possess, and long-term goals. Be sure that your resume supports your job objective.
• Emphasize skills and accomplishments.
• List relevant presentations, publications, and papers, but not all. 
• Have someone proofread it.

Graduate Resume Example for 2024 [Plus 10 Skills for Savvy Job-hunters]

Time to get a job to support your plans and kick off your mission to leave a mark on the world?

We’re here to help. 

Whether you’re looking for your first part-time job to support your studies or internship or if you’re a fresh graduate looking for your first full-time job, you’ve come to the right place. 

Here’s how we’re going to help you write your first student or graduate resume.

In a few minutes, you’ll hear four resume skills and insights that’ll last your entire working life:

• The 6 sections to include in your resume
• What a resume summary is – and how to write yours
• The 10 student skills every employer needs
• How to stand out from the crowd

Let’s follow the Jane Doe’s Novorésumé-created example throughout this guide.

Student and Graduates Resume Writing

Graduate resume sample.

Like the look of this? Stand out from other graduates and students, by creating your resume in minutes with templates that make hiring managers and recruiters take notice.

Here's more related resume examples that you might be interested in:

• College Resume
• High School Resume
• No Experience Resume
• Internship Resume
• Research Assistant Resume
• Teacher Resume

Sections to Include in a Student or Graduate Resume

Here’s a quick overview of the sections that you should include in every resume you write, regardless of how you customize it for each job advertisement or speculative cover letter .  

• Contact and Professional Social Media details . List your professional email address – (not that ‘hilarious’ one you signed up for when you were 13!) – your phone number, and your professional social network profile).
• Professional Resume Summary: A summary for a resume needs to dash off your professional achievements and your skills that are relevant to the job ad.
• A Relevant Professional Title: A professional title for a resume will need to match the position/title that is advertised in the job ad, such as ‘media graduate, junior developer, or paralegal’.
• Education and certificates: Include your thesis, if it’s relevant, and add key courses related to the job. Include your grade point average, scholarships or university medals – if you have them.
• Relevant Experience: Don’t stress about this, we all started somewhere. Include any paid, unpaid or volunteer roles you held during your studies. No experience? No worries! Skip over to this dedicated guide with resume tips for students with no experience yet .
• Skills and expertise: Wizard at Word? Proficient in Photoshop? Google Ad Words guru? Make sure to include your key hard and soft skills (more on this soon).

What about those ‘nice-to-have’ but not mandatory sections? 

Here’s a few you can put in or leave out, based on the role and your own judgement. 

• Conferences, courses and certificates
• Student organizations, clubs, or networks
• Publications and awards
• Volunteer Experience
• Personal Projects

Think you already have enough information to create your student or graduate resume ? 

Check out our intuitive resume builder , job-hunting tips and resume examples to help you choose the best resume template to reach recruiters and hiring managers. 

How to Write a Resume Summary for a Student or Graduate Resume

Let’s get moving on the content of your resume, starting with your resume summary .

Hold up! Wondering what a resume summary is? 

It’s quite straightforward. 

Basically, a resume summary it’s a short paragraph at the start of your resume which sums up your experience and suitability for the role. 

It’s a bit like that elevator pitch you might hear people talk about in movies, start-ups or sales-driven business areas. 

Instead of pitching a company or idea, you pitch you – and the benefits and value you bring, but there is no need to mention everything - for example, your work for an  essay service  may raise some eyebrows.

Time for us to look at Jane’s resume to see this in action.

Her summary is clear and direct. 

Being in business means knowing about a lot of interconnected areas and Jane shows that she is versatile by highlighting her ‘proven and tested’ skills in procurement, marketing and sales – just some of the key areas that every solid business professional needs.

• “An independent and self-motivated business student with proven and tested business, procurement, sales, and marketing skills.”
• “An award-winning and confident communication graduate, able to establish rapport quickly and conduct training sessions with clarity and enthusiasm.”

Top Skills to Include in a Student or Graduate Resume

Let’s take a look at some of Jane’s skills now. 

She includes a nice mix of technical (hard) and soft skills on her resume. 

She talks about her proficiency with Google advertising technology, Typeform, and SendGrid, while highlighting four in-demand soft skills. 

Now you might be worried that you don’t have any of the skills Jane lists in her resume. 

Don’t worry, we bet you have plenty that you can include once you give it some thought. 

Your hard skills will differ drastically based on what you’ve studied too.

And here’s a little secret that will lift your confidence and readiness to complete your resume. 

There are some Soft Skills that almost every single employer will need. 

Here they are:

• Communication
• Adaptability
• Punctuality
• Organization
• Flexibility
• Problem Solving Abilities

How many of them would you add to your college resume template ? 

How to Stand Out From the Crowd as a Student or Fresh Graduate

You clever clogs out there are probably asking: “What if you share these skills with many other applicants?”

How on earth do you stand out?

Simple: you highlight your individual achievements and how they relate to the job.

Jane does this by linking her past work and volunteer experience to results. She successfully overcame personal targets – suggesting she’s driven – for three months in a row. 

This kind of example is a really strong way to show a high-performance attitude, without bragging or claiming ‘I’m a high performer’. It’s showing, not telling. 

A lack of experience is one of the big worries that students and graduates have when first applying for jobs and working on new resumes.  

Look how Jane solves this problem by highlighting her leadership in event planning and social media while at University.

Feeling inspired? Ready to create a resume that helps you get that interview? 

Suggested Reading:

• How to Write a Professional Resume - Extensive Guide
• Cover Letter Writing - Extensive Guide + Examples
• 43+ Resume Tips and Tricks to Land Your Next Job

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Things to keep in mind for your grad school resumé

Throughout university, you probably made sure to build a strong resumé including good grades, research work, and gathering work experience to build your resume for grad school. While all that certainly gives you an upper hand, your effort is wasted if you don't equally emphasise arranging and presenting your qualifications. This is where your resumé – what information you include and how you design it – comes into play.

Writing a resumé can be hard to master. When seeking advice, different sources will tell you different things. And, with time and the changing market, the unsaid requirements of resumé keep changing. When it comes to graduate school applications, there are some constant factors that are persistent across multiple institutions. Regardless of where you choose to apply, here are three key elements that your resume should include:

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Add a professional summary

Below your contact details, you should write a short and concise professional summary outlining any relevant experiences, achievement, and reasons for applying to graduate school, potential career goals, etc. Your summary should be a maximum of two to three sentences. Think of this section as an elevator pitch for your admission where you include unique skill sets and experiences that would set you apart from other candidates. Slipping in why this graduate programme will be a boost for your career is essential while merging in what aspects make you a potential candidate.

When should you pursue a Master’s degree?

There's nothing wrong with doing more than the bare requirement. In fact, it's recommended when you're in such a competitive pool.

However, not all experiences and achievements need to be added your resume. Choose the best accomplishments which will set you apart from the crowd and demonstrate your skill set to the fullest extent. Make sure to use action verbs when you describe what your roles demanded of you and what you accomplished.

It's highly advised to not go over one page. Additionally, everything you don't include in your resumé can potentially be points to touch on in your statement of purpose, which is where you add to your resumé and not restate it. Within a good margin, sections of your contact information, education, relevant work experiences, and social work is sufficient. If you have space in your one page, accomplishments and publications, and skills are the sections that should take priority.

Use a polished design and format

It might be tempting to pull out the latest eye-catching templates for your résumé. However, keep in mind that the admissions officers are going through hundreds of applications and the last thing they want to look at is an overdone resumé that's barely readable or one that's difficult on the eyes. So, note that simplicity is key. Keep your resumé simple and free of any unnecessary designs. Some universities will even tell you what kind of template to follow and provide samples. Additionally, more often than not, you don't need to include your picture. It's best to stick to a minimalist design with consistent formatting and visual appeal. 

Every university and programme have résumé requirements with unique modifications. It's crucial that you cater your résumé to each programme and present yourself as a potential and worthy candidate. It's not easy, and it might just come down to the finer details you put into the documents of your application.