An academic CV follows different rules from a professional resume, and submitting a resume-style document to a graduate application is one of the most common avoidable mistakes. This guide covers the section order that academic readers expect, what to put in each section, and how to make the document work for any field, for both PhD and Master's applications.

CV versus resume

A resume is one page, tailored to a specific job, and heavily edited for concision. An academic CV is typically two to four pages for a new applicant, comprehensive rather than selective, and follows a standard section order that academic readers expect. Length is acceptable on a CV. Omitting relevant academic information is the real problem.

The section order

Use the sequence below. Omit any section where you have nothing genuine to add, rather than padding it with filler.

Your name in a large, prominent font, your email, and optionally a link to a personal website or Google Scholar profile. No photo, no home address, no date of birth.

Education

Reverse chronological. For each degree, list the institution, degree name, field, and graduation date, or "Expected [month year]" if you are still studying. Include your GPA if it is strong, and your thesis title if you have one.

Research experience

This is the most important section for a graduate application. For each position, give your role, the lab or supervisor, the institution, and the dates. Under each, write two to four bullet points describing what you did, the method or tool you used, and the outcome. Lead with action verbs: designed, developed, investigated, analyzed, demonstrated. Quantify wherever you can.

A weak bullet reads "assisted with data collection." A strong one reads "built a Python pipeline to clean and merge three longitudinal datasets covering 12,000 participants for a multi-site clinical study." The second tells the reader what you can actually do.

Publications

Include only if you have them, in the citation style standard for your field, such as APA for social sciences, IEEE for engineering, or Chicago for humanities. List items under review or in preparation separately, and label them honestly.

Professional or industry experience

Include roles relevant to your research area, focusing on technical contributions and connecting them to research skills. Two or three bullets per role is enough.

Skills

Organize by subcategory: programming languages, research methods, lab techniques, and languages. List only skills you can genuinely demonstrate, since interviewers sometimes probe them.

Awards and honors

The award name, the granting body, and the year. Include scholarships, competitive fellowships, and merit lists.

Conferences and presentations

Talks and poster presentations at academic conferences, in the same citation style as your publications.

Some applicants also add short sections for teaching experience or academic service where relevant. Include them only if they strengthen the case.

Writing entries that work

The difference between a forgettable CV and a strong one is usually in the bullet points. Three habits help:

  • Describe contributions, not duties. What you produced matters more than what you were assigned.
  • Quantify. Numbers give the reader a concrete sense of scale and rigor.
  • Lead with the verb. Starting each bullet with an action verb keeps the focus on what you did.

Common mistakes

  • Using a resume template, with an objective statement, a top-of-page skills summary, and a one-page limit. Drop all three.
  • Describing responsibilities instead of contributions.
  • Padding with unrelated experience, such as an undergraduate retail job, unless it connects to your research.
  • Inconsistent formatting. One font, one date format, and one bullet style throughout. Academic readers notice the inconsistency and read it as carelessness.

Length and format

Two to four pages is normal for a new applicant. Use clear section headings, consistent formatting, and a readable font. Export as a PDF so it renders the same on any device.

Tailoring by field

The structure above applies broadly, but conventions vary. In the humanities, a writing sample often accompanies the CV, and research experience may include archival or fieldwork. In clinical fields, placements belong in a dedicated section. When in doubt, look at the CVs of recent graduates from your target program, since most post them publicly, and match the conventions you see.

A note for international applicants

Norms differ by country, so a CV that works for one system can read oddly in another. The safest approach is to study the public CVs of current students in your target department and follow their conventions for length, sections, and citation style. Keep the language plain and the formatting clean, and export to PDF to avoid layout problems across devices.

Frequently asked questions

How long should an academic CV be? Two to four pages for a new graduate applicant. Length is acceptable on a CV, as long as everything on it is relevant.

What is the difference between a CV and a resume? A resume is a one-page, job-tailored summary. An academic CV is a longer, comprehensive record of your education, research, publications, and academic achievements, in a standard section order.

What goes in the research experience section? For each role: your title, the lab or supervisor, the institution, the dates, and two to four bullets describing what you did, the methods you used, and the outcome.

Do I need publications to apply? No. Most applicants apply without publications. Include them if you have them; otherwise, let your research experience section carry the evidence of your capabilities.