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Academic CV

A curriculum vitae (US) or academic CV (UK) is used primarily to apply for academic, education, research or scientific positions. It is also used when applying for fellowships, grants and some master’s and doctoral programs.

Distinctive features of an academic CV:

  • It is a listing of educational achievements and can include teaching and research experience, publications, presentations, awards, honors, and affiliations.
  • The format of a CV varies by field but it is generally longer and more detailed than CVs used for business applications. It is similar to the type of CV employers expect to receive in Europe, the Middle East or Asia.
  • You can begin by writing a regular CV and then add a summary of conference presentations, your work or research that has been published and research and teaching experience, if appropriate.
  • Particularly in the US, where research funding often comes from public or private grants, any grant-writing experience should be included.
  • If you are applying for a master’s or doctoral program, your academic CV should include a detailed listing of the courses you’ve taken and the grades you received, if they are good. The subject of your dissertation and any projects you have undertaken that are related to your application should also be included along with laboratory skills and any research accomplishments.
  • Unless you know that your CV will be read by computer, the use of columns and bullet points will help organize the detailed information.
  • It is especially important that you convey your knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject you intend to study and why this particular university and department are important to your academic and career goals.
  • A list of references (US) or referees (UK), with complete contact information, should be added at the end of your CV or included on a separate page.
  • Professors in your department should be able to give you guidelines or show you examples of the preferred CV format for your field of studies. A web search will also find examples, often from websites of large universities in the UK, US, Canada and Australia.