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How to List Education in Progress on Your Resume (+ Examples)

10 min read

Are you unsure about how to list your in-progress education on your resume? Many people are, including current students, students taking online classes, and people taking a break from their degree programs.

Is it acceptable to include unfinished degrees on a resume?

ZipJob’s career experts agree that education in progress should usually be included on a resume. A degree in progress is still important to employers, as well as a degree that was started and holds relevance to a position. However, it needs to be included in an honest way so it’s an accurate reflection of your learning and accomplishments.

If you’re currently pursuing a degree, here is how you can list education in progress on your resume – plus some examples for you to use as templates on your own resume.

Key Takeaway

KEY TAKEAWAY: Are you working on a degree and want to tell prospective employers about your efforts? These tips can help you to list your in-progress education on your resume.

How to list education in progress on a resume

There are two things you need to learn if you want to know how to list education in progress on your resume. The first is how to provide that information in a way that clearly conveys your education status to an employer. The second is where to place that information in the body of your resume. With respect to the how, there are a few different ways to convey these details. There are only a couple of basic rules to follow when you list these education details:

Be as clear as possible. You don’t want to give the employer the wrong impression, after all. If you have completed one degree and are pursuing advanced education, be sure to clearly state that fact. If your degree is not yet complete, be clear about that as well.

Be honest. If you are in the process of withdrawing from school, don’t list that educational program. Don’t try to enhance your education section in any way. Just state the facts in an honest way.

Feel free to include in-progress university degrees , as well as online degrees that you may be pursuing. Both are popular in 2023/2024.

Resume degree in progress examples

When you include details indicating that you’re currently pursuing a degree on your resume, it’s important to provide clarity. The last thing you want is to inadvertently leave the impression that you’re trying to pretend like you’ve completed the degree. And while it might be tempting to just note that the degree is still a work-in-progress, we believe that you should be even more specific. The best way to do that is to include the anticipated graduation date.

Now, if you’re like many students, you may not be entirely sure that you’ll complete your degree by a set date. However, that shouldn’t stop you from providing an anticipated date of completion. In fact, it’s essential that you provide this information so that employers know that you’re serious about your studies. This is especially true in cases where the job you’re seeking requires that degree. Fortunately, it’s a relatively easy task to accomplish.

We wrote a good post here on how to include an MBA on a resume.

For example, check out this listing from a sample resume with a master’s degree in progress:

Master of Business Administration (MBA), Human Resources Program

Dynamic University, Anytown, AnyState. Expected completion 2025

If you’re closer to graduation and are more certain about the date, you can use something like this:

Graduate Studies, Computer Engineering

XYZ University, MyCity, MyState, Graduation Date: Spring, 2024

What if I don't expect to finish the degree?

If you are taking a break from your education (or a permanent hiatus) you need to consider whether or not the coursework you did complete is relevant. Ask yourself:

Is this degree related to the job I'm applying for?

Is this degree more relevant to the job than my other relevant experience including jobs, volunteer work, or certifications?

Is this in-progress degree recent enough? (Can I still remember what I learned? Has a lot changed in the industry since I learned it?)

Is having a degree required for this job?

While you should never lie about having a degree you don't have, including any progress made toward a required degree may help you reach the interview stage. The trick is you have to be qualified for the job in every other aspect. If you don't have an MBA, but you do have 10+ years in the business field, you may still have a shot at landing the interview.

To accurately represent this on your resume, don't include a prospective graduation date. Instead, try including the number of credits and the years you attended.

University of California, Riverside (2019 to 2021) | Riverside, CA

36 units toward a Bachelor of Arts in Media and Cultural Studies

EXPERT TIP: View 200+ more professional resume samples for all industries, along with a guide to writing resumes from our career experts.

Should I include other information about my degree?

You may want to consider whether you should list relevant coursework and major projects on your resume. In general, work experience is more compelling than education, but either way, adding classes that you’ve taken or capstone-type projects can elevate your resume with more relevant keywords.

Relevant coursework

Adding relevant coursework to the education section of your resume can be a great idea, especially if you lack the professional experience needed to set you apart from other job seekers. The great thing about adding coursework is that you can include it whether you’ve finished your degree or not. Here’s what it would look like:

Bachelor of Arts in Media and Cultural Studies | University of Chicago (GPA: 3.89) 

Relevant Coursework: Media Technology, Games Culture, Intercultural Communication, Web Design, Advanced Video Production, Multimedia Performance, and Strategic Social Media

Adding coursework isn’t a place to dump every class you took pursuing your degree. Rather, it’s a place to inject relevant keywords into your resume. So, if the job description calls for someone with experience in video production and you haven’t had a job that allowed you access to that but you did take a class in college, then you can add it to your Education section. 

Related read: Relevant Coursework on a Resume: Good or Bad?

Capstone or other major projects

Similar to adding coursework, you can talk about projects you’ve worked on. Remember that relevancy is critical. You should always be thinking about how your experience and education relate to what the prospective employer is looking for in a new hire. If you need to add something else on your resume that helps you demonstrate skills or knowledge, a project from school can be just the ticket. Write the project details in your Education section in the same way you’d write a job role – meaning, use bullet points to call attention to things you achieved as you worked on the project. Here’s what that looks like:

Notable project: Project title

Describe the project and goals along with how many team members were involved

Talk about what you did – your role – to achieve the project goals

Mention the skills you gained – “Honed skills in [skill 1], [skill 2], and [skill 3]

If you won an award or earned some recognition for a project well done, write about it

Where to place education in progress on your resume

The second issue you need to address is placement. Where should you place these details when you’re trying to figure out how to list education in progress on a resume? There are two main possibilities, depending upon whether the degree is needed for the job you’re seeking.

If the job requirements include the degree that you’re pursuing, then you should try to emphasize that information in your resume. Position it near the beginning of your resume, after the summary section. That way, the employer will see that you’re close to completing that requirement before he or she delves any further into the document. This placement helps showcase your interest and suitability right away.

On the other hand, you should place this detail later in the resume if the degree isn’t needed for the position. In that instance, you can put your work history and skills higher up in the resume and leave your education for the end.

Tie it all together in your cover letter

Don’t forget about the power of your cover letter . Since your cover letter is meant to complement your resume, a degree in progress could give you another opportunity to sell the point that you are qualified for the role. Talking about education in progress or unfinished education in your cover letter can also allow you to explain any gaps on your resume that are related to pursuing education. 

Gaps can happen if you decide to go to school, and then change your mind. If you didn’t work while you were in school, then you’ll have a gap. It’s not something to fret about, gaps happen all the time. You just have to be ready to explain why it exists and being able to tell a story about how you were actively working to improve your qualifications and skills can go a long way in showing future employers your dedication to continuous improvement. 

As always, whether you bring up unfinished education in your cover letter depends on whether it’s relevant to the job you’re applying to. If it doesn’t add value to your job application, then leave it off. 

Here are some example statements you can use when mentioning a resume degree in progress on your cover letter:

I am currently pursuing a degree in [field or industry] to enhance my skills in [skill 1], [skill 2], and [skill 3].

While my education journey is still ongoing, I’m excited to apply the knowledge I’ve gained to the [position name] role.

I am actively working toward completing my [degree name] to meet the educational requirements for this position.

A final note: grade point average

We should also address another common question that we encounter: do you need to include your grade point average ? There are different schools of thought on this, so it’s really up to you. As a rule, however, most experts agree that it’s generally unwise to include anything less than the best GPAs. That typically means leaving it out unless it’s at least 3.5. In most instances, however, you won’t need to include that detail unless the job description requires a certain grade point average or you’re seeking a job at a major firm.

For your resume, a degree in progress is one more tool for success!

As you can see, it is not difficult to enhance your resume with a degree in progress. Yes, you need to know the right format to use, and where to list that information. Still, it is a relatively simple thing to handle if you stick to the basic principles we’ve outlined here. So, be sure to include those educational details, to showcase your developing skills and help you stand out from the crowd!

Recommended reading:

7 Free Certifications To Enhance Your Resume

How to List Online Courses on a Resume (Examples and Tips)

200+ Resume Examples for Every Job & Industry

Marsha Hebert, Professional Resume Writer

Marsha is a resume writer with a strong background in marketing and writing. After completing a Business Marketing degree, she discovered that she could combine her passion for writing with a natural talent for marketing. For more than 10 years, Marsha has helped companies and individuals market themselves. Read more advice from Marsha on ZipJob's blog .

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How to List Education on a Resume in 2024 (With Examples & Tips)

Not sure what degree to list? If you should include a GPA? It just so happens that there's a variety of ways to effectively list your eduction.

The education section of a resume may not always be the star of the document but knowing how to properly list your education can be essential for advancing into the next phase of the hiring process.

In this guide, we will cover all the ins and outs of crafting an education section for your resume. 

We'll cover the following:

• What to Include in an Education Section?

Tips for Listing Degrees (College, High-School, GED)

Listing incomplete education.

• Where to Include Education on a Resume?

What Employers Look for in an Education Section

Beautiful resume templates to land your dream job.

What to Include in an Education Section

As we've covered, different formats of resumes may require different information to be included within an education section.

In general, there is some basic information that should be included within the education section of a resume:

• The name of the school — "e.g. Georgia Institute of Technology"
• The location of the school
• Your degree ( high-school diploma, GED, associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, etc. )
• Graduation year ( if applicable )
• Major field or department of study (if applicable )
• Minor field or department of study (if applicable and relevant )
• GPA ( If you're a student or graduates who held lower GPAs, this bit of information may be good to omit unless specifically requested by the employer )

Here's what that looks like for and university grad:

Georgia Institute of Technology • Atlanta, GA B.S. in Computer Engineering, 2006 - 2010 GPA: 3.9/4.0

For high-school students, you can do something like the following:

Georgia Institute of Technology • Atlanta, GA High School Diploma, Graduated in 2010 GPA: 3.9/4.0

Remember, including a GPA  is optional. Only add it if it's required by the job listing or it's relatively high. If your GPA is low (under 3.5), it's better to just leave it out.

Listing Education with Limited Work Experience

In resumes that have limited or no work experience , as may be the case with college students or recent graduates, the education section may be a good opportunity to show off educational achievements instead.

Additional information that can be included in longer education sections can include:

• Internships completed as part of a curriculum 
• Academic awards or sponsorships
• Relevant coursework
• Academic assistantships with professors or other academic professionals

As covered, in documents such as CVs the education section could be fairly lengthy.

However, the education section for most resumes will be one of the shortest sections.

This is mostly because standard resumes will be used for entry-level or mid-level positions, while longer-form resumes like the CV will only come into play for more prestigious or hard to obtain positions. 

It is much more important to show either a robust work history or detail relevant and transferable skills, using your education as support rather than the main point of interest. 

Here are some quick tips for deciding what educational information to include in a resume:

1) When including professional hobbies and extra curricular activities, it is important to keep relevance in mind

Incorrect: Do not include information about sports clubs or other clubs that cannot be connected back to your qualifications for a job.

Correct: If you held leadership positions in clubs or other extra-curricular activities, this can be useful information to include to highlight non-paid leadership or management experience.

Keep your descriptions simple and concise

Incorrect: Including long-winded and wordy paragraphs explaining the relevance of a certain piece of information. If a piece of information is relevant, it should be easily explained in one, simple sentence.

Correct: Use bullet points to separate bits of information to keep your resume easy to read or skim.

The readability of a resume can be the defining factor of whether or not a job recruiter or potential employer moves the candidate into the next phase of the hiring process.

As such, using clear and concise wording and formatting is essential for not just the education section, but for all sections. 

Here are a few tips for different formatting options depending on the level and type of education you have completed.

1) Adding High School and GED on Resume

• If your highest level of education is a high school diploma or a GED, this should still be included as there are many jobs that are open to high school graduates as well as college graduates.
• Generally, this type of education section should be kept short and sweet. Listing that you have received either a diploma or a GED should be sufficient.
• If you have recently graduated high school or received your GED, including additional high school-related achievements may be beneficial (such as leadership positions, honor roll awards, athletics, etc.)

2) Adding Associate’s and Bachelor’s Degrees on Resume

• When listing an associate’s or bachelor’s degree on a resume, always include the name and location of the institution, as well as the date or expected date of graduation.
• While the education section should still be kept short, inclusion of any collegiate level academic achievements, such as honor societies or dean’s lists, can be useful to include.
• Don’t go too crazy including coursework of extracurricular information – stick to including the most relevant information. 

3) Adding Graduate School or Doctoral Programs on Resume

• Graduate and doctoral students may feel inclined to always include this information; however, it is important to be wary of including too much academic information in scenarios where it may render you overqualified for the position.
• Graduate and doctoral information is more likely to come into play for candidates seeking higher level positions at the management level. 
• For candidates seeking jobs in academic or scientific fields, a CV-style resume and longer-form education section providing higher level of details regarding graduate or doctoral programs may be necessary.

4) Adding Certifications on Resume

• In some cases, a candidate may not have attended college but may have completed a trade school or other program that resulted in various certifications. These certifications should be included when relevant.
• Certifications such as CPR or First Aid can be useful to include in most resumes, although they should perhaps be saved for a separate certifications section .

5) Listing Incomplete Education on Resume

Incomplete education can be tricky to include in a way that sounds positive — as such, if you have incomplete education, be wary of your wording and avoid words such as “incomplete” or “unfinished.” Instead try to do the following:

• Include relevant coursework or credits earned during your duration of education before the point of departure from the institution.
• Omit any wordy or lengthy explanations of why the education is incomplete. 

However, we've seen this be a common problem that many candidates have. Continue reading below to see how to effectively list education that is left incomplete. ‍

In some cases, a job applicant may have a partially-complete or incomplete educational credential they want to list on their resume.

Incomplete education can result from a variety of circumstances, including:

• A person who is still in the process of earning their diploma, GED, or degree, but has not yet earned the credential or graduated.
• A person who started a degree and completed relevant coursework, but ultimately did not finish the degree program.
• A person who chose a different career path than what they studied for, but still has relevant coursework for the new career path.

When listing incomplete education on a resume, it is important to stay highly mindful of how you are wording your limited educational credentials — as words such as “ unfinished ” or “ incomplete ” are not ideal to include within a resume. 

Here are some quick examples on how to properly list incomplete education in the education section of a resume:

For applicants who are in the process of completing a degree, it is important to note the expected timeframe of completion.

Incorrect: ‍ B.S. in Communications University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC Not yet complete

Correct: B.S. in Communications University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC Expected graduation May 2021

For applicants who began a degree, but ultimately did not complete the degree, it is key to be mindful of how you frame the education you did receive. 

Incorrect: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC

Why is this incorrect? Sure, this example indicates you, at some point, attended a university.

However, it provides no insight as to what relevant coursework or studies you may have completed.

Here's the correct way to describe your educational experience instead:

Correct: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC Completed 20 credits towards a BS in Communications

Alternatively: This could be a good opportunity to include a bulleted list of relevant coursework.

For applicants who did not complete high school, it is important to note if you either earned a GED or are in the process of earning a GED.

Incorrect: ‍ Watauga County High School Boone, NC Incomplete

Correct: General Educational Development Diploma Earned May 2021 — OR — Expected to earn May 2021

Generally speaking, the majority of jobs will require applicants to have earned at minimum a GED certification in order to qualify.

In some cases, an applicant may lack a degree but may be certified by a trade school.

For instance, a beautician would want to include any beauty and health related certifications or licenses earned under the education section. 

Take a look at this resume example of a college student below to see how to do this.

Where to Include Education on a Resume

When it comes to placing your educational credentials on a resume, there are many considerations to make.

Resumes can serve a variety of purposes and, as a general rule of thumb, should be tailored for specific jobs . 

It is also important to take into consideration the level of education you have completed, as this will impact how it should be presented as well.

For instance, a job applicant seeking a position in academia would have a much heavier emphasis on education and academic-related achievements — than someone seeking a job in a corporate environment.

Ultimately, not all resumes are the same, so the placement of the education section will differ depending on the type of resume being used and the intention behind its structuring. 

Choosing the right resume format

There are several different types of resume formats to choose from, but the main ones that are used are as follows:

1) Reverse-Chronological

‍ Emphasis is placed on the most relevant work experience, listing jobs from most recent to oldest. Education can be placed before or after the work experience section. However higher degrees that qualify a candidate for the position may be beneficial to mention sooner rather than later. 

2) Functional

‍ Functional resumes place a much heavier emphasis on skillsets and areas of expertise. This format of resume is typically used by job applicants lacking the relevant work experience or educational credentials. In this format, the education section may lead if the applicant has educational credentials but limited work experience but should follow after the skills section if education is limited. 

‍ Hybrid resumes combine the reverse-chronological work experience ordering with the emphasizing of skills. This can help to supplement resumes of applicants who may have some relevant work experience but still need to beef up their resumes with a skills section . The placement of the education section will depend on how applicable or high level the credentials are and should generally be kept brief. 

4) Curriculum Vitae (CV)

‍ CVs are a type of long-form and multi-page resume used most commonly by applicants seeking positions in either academic or scientific fields. In a CV, the education section will be a prominent component and should appear early in the document. This type of education section should include all credentials, published works, projects, awards, or other academic achievements — no details should be spared. 

The below example of a Physician Assistant's resume is listing education in the bottom-right corner as it's using a reverse-chronological resume format to shine on it's work history.

Employers can gather a variety of information about a job candidate from an education section, including:

• A job applicant’s work ethic, reflected through GPAs or other grade-related information
• Relevant skills or training an applicant has received through their schooling
• Name recognition of specific universities, such as ivy leagues, that may give a candidate a leg up on the competition
• Insight into a candidate’s interests or talents based on academic-related extracurricular activities included 

Understanding what employers are looking for in an education section included on a resume is key to understand how much or how little information to include.

What an employer is looking for will vary depending on the nature of the job being offered. 

For instance, an entry-level communications job at a corporation is likely to require a bachelor’s degree in communications or a related field.

Comparatively, a job in the welding industry may require the completion of a trade school program but not require a four-year degree. 

It is of the utmost importance when you are applying to various jobs that you read the job descriptions provided carefully, as this is where you will find the necessary information regarding what educational credentials are required of eligible candidates.

This will also help you to tailor your education section according to what credentials or qualifications you have that meet the requirements of the job. 

In general, what an employer is mostly looking for is simply that an education section exists on a resume.

The majority of employers will want candidates who have shown a commitment to their education, reflected through the inclusion of an education section.

For candidates lacking a completed education, it is still considered best practice to include some information regarding what level of education was reached before the point of incompletion, as well as the inclusion of any relevant coursework and knowledge gained from the time the candidate spent pursuing further education. 

Here is a quick rundown of a few key factors to consider for applicants who may be unsure how much information to provide in an education section for a specific employer or position:

• The education section should prove that you have the credentials necessary to complete the job at hand.
• Oversharing of education can be detrimental in some situations, as overqualified candidates may not be considered by employers.
• Job descriptions will always be the best place to look for indicators regarding how much educational background information an employer is looking for.
• Never lie or over-exaggerate — while not all employers double-check applicants’ educational histories, many still do, and dishonesty can cost you the position in the long run.

Final Thoughts

Unless you are crafting a longer-form resume, such as a CV, the education section will generally be a fairly short summary of your academic credentials and achievements.

Education sections can be longer in some cases where job applicants may have hefty academic backgrounds but limited work experience.

Ultimately, the key to making a strong education section is to include only the most relevant information.

Always avoid deceptive wording, as employers can fairly easily run academic background checks if need be. 

Check out our resume templates to get your creativity flowing and get started on your ideal resume today. 

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What to Include in Your Education Section

The education section on a resume gives hiring managers a glimpse into your academic achievements , interests, and skills.

It can demonstrate your commitment to learning, your ability to succeed in a structured environment, and the relevant knowledge you've acquired.

The information you should include in this section, though, varies based on things like your career level, the exact job you're applying for, and how recent your education is.

This means you don’t always have to be super detailed. Some of the information about your education is optional, and some of it may even be redundant if you have relevant work experience, so you should only use it if you think it can give your resume a boost.

Let’s start with the details most employers expect to see:

Essential Information

• Degree Name. Include the type of degree and the relevant major. (E.g.: BFA in Graphic Design)
• University Name. Add the name of the institution you studied at. (E.g.: University of Saint Andrews)
• Location. If the university isn’t well known or the name doesn’t specify where it is, include the general location. (E.g.: St Andrews, Scotland)
• Years Attended. Usually, only the years you attend there are enough, but the mm/yyyy format is also popular. (E.g.: 09/2018 - 06/2021)

Optional Information

• Honors and Awards. If you’ve received any acknowledgments, list them here. (E.g.: Dean's List, Summa Cum Laude, Merit Scholarships, Valedictorian)
• Relevant Coursework. List three to five courses that directly apply to your target job. (E.g.: Marketing 101, Marketing Strategy, PR Basics)
• Thesis or Dissertation. We recommend including this for graduate-level degrees in research-heavy fields.
• Minor. If relevant, include any additional areas of study. (E.g.: BA in Creative Writing, Minor in Journalism)
• Grade Point Average. Only include your GPA if it's 3.5 or above on a 4.0 scale. Anything lower can undermine your application.
• Extracurricular Activities. Mention any clubs or organizations that seem relevant. (E.g.: Debate team, Theater Club, School Newspaper)

Here’s an example of an education section that includes information from both categories:

Getting ready to find a job? Start by learning how to write a resume with our detailed guide!

How to Format Education on Your Resume

Now that you have an idea of what to include in your education section, let’s explain how you should do it.

In terms of structuring your education section, follow a reverse-chronological order ; this means, list your latest educational entry first and then go backward from there.

And remember – if you have a relevant university degree, there’s no need to waste precious space on your resume by listing your high school education .

As a general rule, if you’re an experienced professional and you have a Master’s degree, you can also omit your undergrad degree. Hiring managers are a lot more interested in your work experience section, so your education section should only focus on the basics.

However, if you’re a recent graduate , you might want to include more details to give your resume an extra kick. It’s always a good idea to leverage your education if you don’t have enough relevant work experience.

Now, regardless of your level of experience, add the name of your degree at the very top of the entry in your education section.

The same degree can be written down differently, for instance:

• Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Culture with a Minor in Teaching
• BA in English Language and Culture, Minor in Teaching
• B.A. English Language and Culture (Major), Teaching (Minor)
• BA, English Language and Culture

Here’s an example of what the formatting in your education section should look like:

If you graduated from a famous university with a good reputation, you can highlight that first. For example, list “Harvard University” before the name of your degree.

Where to Place Education on Your Resume

Another important thing to consider is where to position the education section on your resume.

This mostly depends on where you are in your career. Do you have a lot of relevant achievements in the field, or are you looking for your first job ?

As a rule of thumb, the top third of your resume should be reserved for your accomplishments , which are most relevant to the job you are applying for.

So before you place this section on your resume, ask yourself: is your education your biggest selling point to the hiring manager?

Most of the time, it won’t be. Work experience is way more important for just about any position above entry level, so it should be listed first.

Let’s look at an example of a resume that puts this into action:

As you can see, this architect resume starts by listing their relevant work experience and then includes a detailed entry of their most recent degree.

When Does Education Go Before Work Experience?

While your work experience section is generally more important, there are a few cases where you should list your education first.

These include:

• You have no work experience. When you have absolutely no work experience yet, you should focus on your academic achievements instead.
• You just graduated college. If you don’t have relevant work experience, you’re often better off not listing it. For example, if you’re applying for an entry-level office job, the part-time teenage jobs you had won’t be anywhere near as relevant as your recently earned BA in Marketing.
• You are currently studying. If you’re in the process of earning a degree that’s relevant to your targeted field, it’s better to list education before work experience. For example, if you’re making a career change , you would want your new education to be the first thing the hiring manager sees.
• You recently earned a new degree. Getting a fresh MSc, Ph.D., or MBA in your field is worth showing off. For example, if you’ve been a line manager for years but earned an MBA to qualify for an executive position, your education section should go first.
• You are applying to academia. Usually, when applying for a research or teaching position in academia, you’ll need an academic CV , not a resume. In that case, your education will always come first.

Not sure if you need a CV or a resume ? Check out our guide to learn what the difference between the two is and when to use which.

Use a (Free) Resume Template

Creating a resume can be a hassle.

You have to find a template that works with your favorite text editor, set the page margins, adjust the line spacing, choose a professional font , and all while making sure you never go past page one.

What if there was an easier way?

This is where our resume builder comes in!

Novoresume lets you choose from 16 professional resume templates , each crafted with feedback from HR professionals around the world, and create the perfect resume in minutes.

Just look at how one of our resume templates compares to a basic text editor resume template:

16 Examples of Education on a Resume

Looking for inspiration?

We’ve compiled a list filled with real-life examples of how education can be listed on a resume, with practical examples for different types and levels of education:

#1. High School Education

If you’re a high school student, you might have some volunteer experience or extracurriculars you can show off. In that case, you can start by listing those sections, so long as they’re relevant to the job you’re applying for.

For example, if you volunteered with your local branch of the Red Cross, that’s a good experience to have when you’re applying to work at a shelter.

In most other cases, the education section would take the upper hand, and it would look something like this:

High School Diploma

Chapel Hill High School

2017 - 2021

• Courses: AP Science, Mathematics, Advanced Chemistry

If you’re still in high school, you can disclose it in your resume by writing down your expected graduation year or otherwise specifying that you’re currently still there.

2021 - Present

#2. General Education Development

If you were homeschooled or haven’t graduated high school, the previous example won’t apply to you.

But if you still received a General Education Development certificate, you can mention that in your resume in the following way:

GED Diploma

Durham Literacy Center

Just like with high school education, you can include the location of your school or GED center, as well as any relevant courses, if you have enough space.

#3. Associate Degree

If you went to a community college or opted for a vocational program, you can list it in your education section the same as any other undergraduate degree.

Associate degrees are typically cheaper and take less time than a bachelor’s degree. They tend to be focused on specific occupations and place more emphasis on daily job functions. Other than that, they follow the same formatting as any other educational entry.

Let’s look at some real-life examples of different types of degrees at this level.

First, an Associate of Arts degree:

AA in Business Designation

Community College of Denver

2015 - 2016

Summa Cum Laude

Next, here’s how you would list an ongoing Associate’s of Applied Science degree:

AAS in Medical Assisting

2018 - Present

Some associate degrees are what’s known as “transfer degrees.” Here, the long-term goal is to transfer into a bachelor’s degree program.

Similarly, if you’ve completed accredited courses at a community college that can go towards a degree, you can list them under your education section, like this:

Medical Assisting Certificate

• 30 credits completed

#4. Certificates

Certificates can be included on your resume, either as part of the education section or in a dedicated section.

Unlike broad academic degrees, certificates can show specialized expertise and commitment to professional development. They tend to demonstrate more focused, essential skills that are directly applicable to a particular job or industry.

Treat these entries the same as any other: list the name of the certificate, the institution or organization that issued it, and the year you obtained it.

Here’s an example of how to list a professional certificate in an education section:

Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

American Institute of CPAs

And here’s how they would look in a separate section:

CERTIFICATES

• Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) - National Academy of Sports Medicine, 2020
• Certified Nutrition Coach - American Nutrition Association, 2023

But there are also other certificates you could list , such as after specialized software courses:

• Maya Autodesk: Advanced 3D & Animation Udemy, 2022
• Creation of Pixel Art Scenes for Video Games Domestika, 2023

#5. Undergraduate Degree

There are different ways to list a bachelor’s degree.

Let’s take a look at three different cases for a candidate with an engineering degree.

First, if you’ve graduated from university and received the degree, list it according to the following template:

B.Sc. Mechanical Engine ering

University of California, Berkeley

2002 - 2006

If you obtained a double major, you would write it down as:

B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering

If you have two or more majors, keep in mind that you should list the major that’s most relevant to the job you are applying to.

For example, if you majored in Applied Languages and International Relations, you should focus on the languages for a job as a translator.

Lastly, if you’re still attending college, just omit the finishing year when filling in your education section and add “Present” instead, like so:

But there are also different ways you can specify that you’re still studying. Instead of “Present,” you could write:

• 2021 - Current
• Expected Graduation: 2024
• 2021 - 2024 (expected graduation)
• 2021 - In progress
• To Be Completed: 2024

#6. Graduate and Postgraduate Degrees

Graduate-level education is, in general, more detailed since it requires participating in a more focused area of research on top of your graduate-level work. 

At this level, you probably contributed to the field with a dissertation of your own, which you should include in your resume.

Here’s an example:

Ph.D. in Brain and Cognitive Sciences

University of Rochester

Dissertation: Imaging, Computational Analysis, & Neural Representations in Young Children

Graduate and postgraduate education often includes scholarships , fellowships, or outside funding involved, which you might want to include in addition to all the general information about your degree.

Here are some real-life examples:

MBA in Business Administration

University of Maine

• Avangrid Scholarship
• Magna Cum Laude

When it comes to honors and awards, there are different ways you can list them to save space on your resume. Here’s an example that mentions them but leaves more space for the dissertation title:

MSc. in Information Systems

WU Vienna University of Economics & Business

Salutatorian, Summa Cum Laude

2015 - 2017

Dissertation: Leveraging User-Generated Content for Advertising Purposes Through Information Systems

And if you’re still studying, don’t forget to check out our student resume templates to get started on your job hunt.

#7. Unfinished Education

Even if you didn’t graduate from university, you can still mention it in your education section. Just be strategic about it.

If you have several years of relevant coursework from a degree program that relates to the job you're applying for, it can show that you’re knowledgeable even without the final credential.

B.Sc. in Civil Engineering

34 credits completed

2018 - 2019

However, if you only have basic courses or your degree isn’t relevant to the role, you might be better off skipping it altogether. There’s no need to draw attention to an unfinished degree if it won’t help you impress the hiring manager.

Need more examples? Check out our 90+ resume examples for different professions .

Do you still wonder something about education on a resume? Check out the answers to the most frequently asked questions here:

#1. How Do You Put Your Degree on a CV?

Adding your degree to your CV is pretty much the same as adding it to your resume.

List your degrees in reverse chronological order, with the most recent degree on top. Always include the essential information, such as the degree name, your major, the name of the university, and the years you attended. If relevant, you can include your GPA, thesis title, study abroad experiences, and academic honors.

#2. How Do You Write Down Your Bachelor’s Degree?

There are different ways that a bachelor's degree can be written down on your resume. Usually, there’s no need to spell out the full degree name, so there are ways you can abbreviate it for your resume. These include:

BA (Bachelor of Arts) BS (Bachelor of Science) BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration) BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing)

Just use the specific abbreviation that matches your degree type. (E.g.: BSc Computer Science, BA History, BBA Economics, etc. )

#3. What If I Have an Education Gap or Took Time Off from Studies?

Treat any gaps in your education the same as you would treat an employment gap . Be upfront with the hiring manager and list the start and end dates to account for the time of the gap on your resume.

Use your cover letter to briefly explain the gap without going into too much detail. Hiring managers are understanding, and reasons like health, family, or professional experience are all common to justify education gaps.

#4. How Far Back Should I Go When Listing My Education History?

Generally, you only need to list basic information about your education if you graduated a long time ago. Your work experience and more recent achievements will have a lot more weight than details about your time in college 14 years ago.

For most professionals, listing just your highest degree is more than enough. However, an academic CV for scientific or research-heavy roles might need a more comprehensive educational background.

Key Takeaways

Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end of our article!

We’re confident you’re an expert on how to list education on a resume by now, but before we part ways, let’s quickly wrap up our main points:

• Your education section belongs after your work experience section, though there are some exceptions.
• If you don’t have any work experience, recently earned a relevant degree, or if you’re applying for a research-oriented position or in academia, the education section should be listed first.
• When listing your educational entries, use a reverse chronological order. Start with the most recent degree you have and go backward from there.
• If you have some sort of higher education, there’s no need to list your high school education.
• Unless your GPA is exceptional, don’t list it. It might undermine your resume otherwise.
• There are different ways to list your education, depending on the type of school you went to and what you want to highlight. Scroll back up if you want to see some examples.

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• Resume and Cover Letter
• How to List Education on Your...

How to List Education on Your Resume (with Examples)

10 min read · Updated on March 27, 2024

Use your education to show you have the knowledge to land the job

Your education is an essential detail to include on your resume, as it indicates that you're trained in your field. Even if your formal education isn't directly related to your current career path (perhaps you made a career change, for instance), it's still worthwhile to show that you succeeded in a high-level learning environment.

As with much of resume writing, the content and format of your resume Education section is fluid and will depend on where you are in your career. Still, it's important that you get it right to prove you're qualified for the job you want.

In this article, you'll learn how to list education on your resume and see examples that you can use for inspiration as you craft your own. 

What to include under Education on a resume

It sounds simple – you list the degrees you've obtained and the schools where you got them. 

But, wait! There's more.

In some instances, it may be appropriate to include your GPA, some relevant coursework, or even give a nod to some major project you worked on. Much of this depends on whether you're fresh out of school or have some experience under your belt. 

Here are some other things to consider when writing the Education section of your resume:

Does your education section go at the top or bottom of your resume?

Do you include a degree if you're still working on it?

Does high school belong on my resume?

Let's start with the basics.

1. Degree earned

When you finally graduated and received your diploma, what did it say? For example, you may have achieved a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Whatever it was, it's the most important education detail you can put on your resume, because it's the official evidence of your education.

One of the most important things to remember is that you should list your degrees in reverse chronological order. That means you start with the most recent one (which is likely to be your highest) and work backward. Also, once you get into college there is no reason to add high school. Employers know that you have to finish high school to get into college, so they'll assume you graduated. 

Remember that one degree type can be applied to a variety of fields of study. For example, a Bachelor of Science degree can be earned for both physics and computer science. Therefore, in addition to the degree itself, you must include the major for which the degree was earned. This way, a hiring manager knows exactly what topics you've studied.

If you completed any minors or concentrations, you can include those too.

3. University, college, or institution

Add some context to your education by listing the university, college, or institution where you went to school. This is especially important if you attended a well-respected program in your field, because it will make you seem all the more impressive.

4. Years attended

The timeframe that you were in school is generally something you don't need to worry about including unless you're still in school or graduated within the last year. Additionally, you might add the dates you were in school if you need to take care of a gap in employment. Outside of these conditions, you should leave off the timeframe you were in school.

Whether or not you include your GPA in the Education section of a resume depends on many factors. If you earned your degree 20 years ago, your GPA is likely a defunct measure of your current abilities. If you earned your degree recently, however, adding your GPA can be a great move – but only if it's 3.5 or higher. You can also indicate any distinctions you earned based on your grades, such as summa cum laude , if applicable.

6. Extracurricular activities

If you were in an honors society, you can list your membership. If you were part of a fraternity or sorority, it's a toss-up. While you might think this is a good inclusion because it demonstrates you were participating in service-related activities or so on, Greek rivalries can extend way past college years and you wouldn't want to accidentally tip off your hiring manager that you belonged to a rival group.

7. Certifications 

Outside of formal education, you may also have taken the initiative to earn supplementary certifications or complete online courses that are relevant to your field. Highlight these in your resume Education section, especially if they are on niche or high-level topics that prove your expertise far beyond a more generalized curriculum.

Here's an example of what all that looks like:

EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS

Bachelor of Business Administration | ABC University | 2021-2024

Dean's list - summa cum laude

President - Marketing Club

Certifications:

Project Management Professional (PMP) | Project Management Institute

Conditions to consider, aside from the basics

Some of those basics may be optional - as we mentioned, you wouldn't include the dates of your degree program if you've been out of school for more than a year. When you begin to craft the Education section of your resume, there are other things to consider as well.

You completed high school

Attending college may not be among the goals you've set for your life. That's okay!

If you decide to graduate high school and go straight to work, your career can still be rich and full. At this point, though, a lot of people ask if they should include high school on their resume. 

A few rules of thumb about adding high school to the Education section of your resume:

Exclude high school altogether if you go to college

Exclude high school if you've attended trade school

Include high school if you have no additional education, professional development, or certifications

Include high school if the job description specifically mentions that you need a high school diploma

Include high school if you're applying for a job while still in high school

This is what the Education section of your resume would look like if all you have to put in it is high school:

Diploma or GED [whichever is appropriate] | DEF High School

Graduated: 2023

Relevant courses: Accounting, Business Law, and Ethics

Just because high school is the highest education you've obtained, doesn't mean you can't take the opportunity to inject some relevant keywords into your resume. 

PRO TIP: Check out our article on tailoring your resume to different jobs to understand how important relevant keywords are when writing your resume.

You have an undergrad degree

Once you graduate from college and start searching for your first entry-level position, it's assumed that you'll remove any information that refers to your high school activities and focus on your new undergrad degree.

Go back to the basics to build your Education section when you earn your Bachelor's degree. 

Include your degree and major

Add the name of the school where you obtained the degree

Throw in some extras, like achievements, coursework, and affiliations

The last point – about adding extras – is extremely important if you have little to no work experience . Adding that you were a Resident Advisor or won first place in a robotics competition could be the thing that puts your resume at the top of the yes pile. 

You have an advanced degree

Once you enter the world of Master's degrees and PhDs the Education section of your resume becomes more robust and might include things like the title of a dissertation, fellowships or internships. 

As before, always start with your highest degree and work backward. Here's an example of an Education section with advanced degrees:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) – Leadership Studies | CCC University 

International Student Scholar

Dissertation: Exploring the Relationships of Principal Preparation Programs and Leadership Styles on School Accountability Indices

Master of Arts (MA) – Counseling | BBB University 

Bachelor of Science – Psychology (cum laude) | University of AAA

You started college at one place but finished somewhere else

If you attended college at one institution – perhaps a community college – and then completed your education in another place, you only need to list the university where you completed your degree. All the employer wants to know is which college supplied you with your degree at the end of your education; they don't necessarily care or need to know how you arrived at this place. Save that resume space for more important information.

You didn't attend or finish college

If you attended college but didn't graduate, you may want to list the relevant courses you took, especially if you made it to some of the higher-level classes, to demonstrate the skills you built or the disciplines you were exposed to during your coursework.

You're still pursuing a college degree (undergrad or grad program)

If you're still attending college for either your undergraduate or graduate degree, you can simply add an expected graduation year to this information. You can add a list of a few courses you've completed if 

They're higher-level courses that are relevant to your job goals

You don't have a lot of relevant work experience to market on your resume.

You earned your degree more than 5 years ago

If you earned a degree or certification more than 5 years ago, place your Education at the bottom of your resume and remove the graduation date. It's important to demonstrate you've earned the degree, but there's no need to draw attention to how long ago this occurred.

Doing so will allow you to focus your resume on your skills, accomplishments , and professional history. For those who have many years of professional experience, education becomes less important because you should be moving forward in your career.

Where does the Education section of your resume go?

If you're new to the workforce and your new degree is your best selling point, the Education section should appear toward the top of your resume , because 

You most likely have limited professional experience to list on your resume

Your education is the core competency that you wish to highlight for an employer

After you have a few years of relevant experience under your belt, the education section gets shifted to the bottom of your resume, and your work history will get pushed farther up on the page.

Key takeaways

Presenting your education on your resume in a thoughtful way will open a lot of employment doors. Here's what you should keep in mind as you write the Education section of your resume:

You list education on your resume in a certain way based on what stage of your career you're at

The main components of your Education section are degree, major, school, years attended, and certifications

Tailor your Education section based on keywords and qualifications mentioned in the job description

Be honest about ongoing education or degrees you've decided not to complete

Your Education section is fluid

Remember, there isn't one resume format that fits all job seekers. Be strategic when placing your Education information by considering where you are in your career and how it will help you to land the jobs you're after. 

Find out if you are showcasing your education on your resume - get a free resume review from TopResume.

This article was updated in December 2023. It contains work by Amanda Augustine and Lauren Settembrino  and Heather Rothbauer-Wanish .

Recommended reading:

Resources for In-Demand Job Skills You Can Learn Online

How To Speed Up the Resume-Writing Process

The Most Essential Trait You Need to Land Any Job

Related Articles:

Do Hiring Managers Actually Read Cover Letters?

How to Create a Resume With No Education

Why You Lose When You Lie on Your Resume: Learning From Mina Chang

See how your resume stacks up.

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How To List Education On A Resume (With Examples)

• How To Write A Resume
• Resume Skills Section
• Resume Objective Section
• Career Objective Section
• Resume Reference Section
• Resume Summary Section
• Resume Summary Example
• Resume Interests Section
• Address On Resume
• Relevant Work Experience
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• Education Section On Resume
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• Study Abroad On Resume

Listing your education on your resume is a vital part of showing hiring managers that you not only qualify for the job, but you’re the best person for it. Job seekers often struggle to figure out where exactly they should put it on their resume, though, especially if they’re short on space.

In this article, we’ll explain how to list education on a resume and give you examples of the different ways of doing this.

Key Takeaways:

List your highest degree first unless another degree is more relevant to the position.

If you’re a recent graduate, put your education at the top of your resume . If you have a few years of job experience, put it at the bottom.

Put the name of the school you attended, the degree you earned, your graduation year, and your GPA (if above 3.5) on your resume.

What to include in resume education section

How to include your education on your resume, resume education section template and examples, resume education section tips, resume education section faq, final thoughts.

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Your resume education section should include the basics of your education — degree level, name, and institution name — as well as anything else that sets you apart, such as honors or awards.

Degrees listed in reverse chronological order

High school, college, or university name

Educational institution location (city and state)

Major/minor/field of study

GPA (if above 3.5)

Honors: cum laude (3.900 or higher), magna laude (3.700-3.899) , summa laude (3.900 or higher)

Awards or distinctions (Honor Society, President’s Award, Dean’s List, etc.)

Scholarships (Academic, Merit, Athletic or Community Service Scholarships)

Place your education on your resume according to how relevant it is to the job you’re applying for.

The placement and layout of your resume’s education section depends on your experience level, how recently you were a student, and what sort of role you’re applying for.

Here are some principles to follow when listing your education section on your resume depending on which category you fall into:

Student or recent graduate. If you are attending or recently graduated from high school, college, or a vocational program, put your education section near the top of your resume, after your contact information and a resume objective or summary statement.

Since you will be applying for an entry-level job and have very little relevant job experience to show, you want to showcase your education as the first thing recruiters see.

The exception to this is if you’re a college student or recent graduate who has some impressive internships and other work experiences under your belt — in this case, it’s probably best to open with your professional experience instead of your education.

Here’s an example of an education section on a current student’s resume:

Education Kansas State University Manhattan, Kansas Bachelor of Science in Biology, Pre-Med Expected May 2022 4.0 GPA Relevant Coursework: Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Genetics, Research Methods Berthoud High School Berthoud, Colorado May 2020 4.0 GPA summa cum laude

College graduates with some experience. Once you have your college degree and some experience with jobs in your industry, you can list your education after your professional experience section.

Here’s an example of how the previous example of a resume education section would change once you’ve graduated and gained some experience:

Education Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, Maryland Master of Science in Biotechnology May 2024 Kansas State University Manhattan, Kansas Bachelor of Science in Biology, Pre-Med May 2022 summa cum laude Honor Society Top 10 Senior

Seasoned job seekers. Once you’ve been working for several years, put your education section near the bottom of your resume, usually between your professional experience and skills sections. The exception is if you’re applying to academic or research positions.

Seasoned employees don’t necessarily need to include their honors and awards in their education section, as your work in your career speaks more powerfully to your work ethic and success. Here’s an example of this:

Education Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, Maryland Master of Science in Biotechnology May 2024 Kansas State University Manhattan, Kansas Bachelor of Science in Biology, Pre-Med May 2022

To create a winning resume, you need to know how to write an effective education section and what information to include in it.

To make it easy, here is a template of what to include in the education section of your resume along with some examples below for different situations.

Resume education section template:

School or University City, State Degree Earned / Minor (Most recent degree listed first) Date Earned or Expected to Earn (Month and year) GPA (if over 3.5) Honors/Awards

Example of education section with a 4-year degree from college:

Western Illinois University Macomb, Illinois Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice / Minor in Psychology December 2018 Graduated magna cum laude Cumulative GPA of 3.95 Dean’s List all semesters

Example of education section with two degrees:

Northwestern University Evanston, Illinois Master of Business Administration May 2020 GPA of 3.75 The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign Champaign, Illinois BS in Business, Business Administration May 2016 GPA of 3.8

Example of education section with a future graduation date:

DePaul University Chicago, Illinois Bachelor of Arts in Communications, degree anticipated December 2020 Current GPA of 3.65

Example of education section with no graduation date to avoid age discrimination:

University of Chicago Chicago, Illinois Bachelor of Business Administration

Example of education section with a recent high school diploma:

Burlington High School Burlington, Iowa 2016-2020 President of Student Council

Example resume objective statements with educational experience

If your education plays a vital role in your eligibility for a position, mention it in your resume objective statement.

Here are two example resume objective statements that incorporate educational experience:

High school graduate example resume objective statement

Hard-working high school graduate with one year experience in retail seeks a job in customer service. Possess strong communication skills, attention to detail, and sales experience.

Undergraduate example resume objective statement

Highly motivated Bachelor of Arts graduate with a 3.5 GPA seeking a role with a Public Relations firm. Brings strong interpersonal skills and proven experience directing media campaigns.

Follow these tips to make your resume’s education section look great for hiring managers and recruiters:

Read the job description carefully . Specifically, look for any “requirements” or “education” sections in the job posting. Most jobs don’t specify much more than “bachelor’s degree required” or something similar, but some jobs do require certain certifications or degrees.

Don’t lie. Educational background checks are one of the easiest things employers do to verify your information. Being caught in a lie is a surefire way to remove yourself from the candidate pool.

Start strong. You should almost always lead with your highest level of education and work your way backward. The only caveat to this is when your highest degree isn’t relevant to the position you’re applying for, but a more recent, less prestigious certification is relevant. In that case, relevancy wins out and you should lead with that certification.

Don’t list multiple schools for one degree. If you hopped around a few times to get some credits here and there, don’t go writing an autobiography about it. Keep things simple; just list where you ended up getting the degree from.

Consider breaking down your education section. If you have a lot of impressive collegiate or post-graduate experience under your belt and it’s all relevant to the job you’re applying for, you can start thinking about breaking down your education section into subsections. Things like “projects,” “continuous education,” “awards,” etc. can all make good subheaders.

Should you spell out your degree?

Yes, you should spell out your degree. Rather than put B.S. or B.A., it’s better to spell out your degree.

Do you use an apostrophe in your degree?

You use an apostrophe in your degree if you say master’s degree or bachelor’s degree. If you use the word of, then you don’t use an apostrophe. For example, Master of Business Administration or Bachelor of Arts.

Should you include your high school graduation information?

If you are a recent high school graduate who has not earned a college degree, then list your high school education. However, if you have earned a college degree, then it’s recommended you omit your high school information.

Should you include the year you graduated from college?

Yes, you should include the year you graduated from college unless you’re over 40 years old. Job seekers aged 19-39 can list their college graduation dates. But after you hit 40 years old, it’s recommended to drop the date so hiring managers don’t discriminate against you unfairly.

What if you never graduated?

If you attended college for a couple of years but did not complete your degree, you can still list the credit hours you received there. Put the school name, how many hours you completed, and the subjects you studied. If you intend to finish your degree, put what it is, where you’re getting it from, and the date you expect to receive it.

Should you list your anticipated graduation date?

Yes, you should list your anticipated graduation date. If you are currently attending college and have an anticipated graduation date you should include that on your resume.

What if you didn’t make the Dean’s list all semesters? Can you still include it?

While it may be tempting to show off the one semester that you reached the Dean’s list , it’s better to include that honor on your resume only if you made it all semesters you attended school. This will keep your education section more streamlined.

Should you list advanced degrees that you are pursuing?

Yes, you should list the advanced degrees that you are pursuing. Employers love to see when applicants are investing in their further education. Showing that you are pursuing a master’s or a doctorate can help explain a job gap too.

Should you embellish things in your education section?

No, you shouldn’t embellish things in your education section. Lying about your education or work experience on a resume is a bad idea. Many employers will verify your college degree. If an employee checked your background and found that out to be not true, you would immediately be terminated.

Should you include education in your cover letter?

You should only include education in your cover letter if it is highly relevant to what makes you the best candidate for the job. Most of your resume cover letter should be focused on your relevant skills and work experience, but you can mention aspects of your education and how they would translate to job-related skills.

For example, if you have a bachelor’s degree in Communications with a focus on Mass Communications, you could mention in your cover letter the transferable skills you gained during your college television production experience and how it applies to the TV production studio job that you are applying for.

Today’s job market is competitive. Leverage these tips and tricks and write a resume that gets you noticed and lands you a job interview. Whether you’re a new graduate looking for your first job, your education is your biggest asset. If you are a seasoned veteran looking to make your next career move, your education can help you stand out.

So follow the simple steps outlined above to create an effective resume education section that gets you one step closer to landing the job you want.

Purdue Online Writing Lab – Education Section

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Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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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The Must-Haves When Writing Your Education On Your Resume [For 2024]

The education section on your resume is more important than you think. Here’s how to structure it, including advice for current students and recent grads.

3 years ago   •   11 min read

The education section is an easily overlooked part of any resume — which doesn’t mean it should be an afterthought. If you’re a current student or recent graduate, or if you’re applying to jobs that require a specific degree, you’ll know you need to put some thought into it, but the same is true even if you’ve been in the workforce for a while.

Here are some of our best tips for how to structure it, including where to put your resume education section and how to make the most impact without letting it take over more space than it needs.

Where to put your education on your resume

Where to put the education section of your resume mostly depends on how recently you graduated:

• If you've been out of school for a few years and have some relevant work experience, include your education section underneath your professional experience .
• If you graduated recently and your education is your most relevant experience, put your education section at the top of your resume .

We'll go into more detail on the why's and how's of listing your education vs work experience first on your resume later in the article. First, here's a quick guide on how to write a resume education section.

How to format a resume education section

• Create a separate section and title it "Education."
• List the name of the school and the degree you studied.
• List your graduation date. This is optional, especially if you graduated more than 10 years ago.
• List any major awards or honors, including cum laude or dean's list.
• If you're a current student or recent graduate, you can consider including extra details like GPA or relevant coursework (see below for more details).
• If you have multiple degrees, list them in reverse chronological order, with your most recent degree first.

Resume education section template

Here are a couple of different templates you can use, depending on how much experience you have.

Education section for mid-level hires

Here's an example of a brief education section, suitable for experienced hires.

Use this template to copy this format:

EDUCATION Name of college or university, location Date of graduation Degree, major, and minor

Education section for students and graduates

This is a longer example you can use if you're a current student or recent graduate.

Here's the expanded template:

EDUCATION Name of college or university, location Date of graduation Degree, major, and minor Awards and GPA (if above 3.5) Relevant coursework

What to include in your resume education section

As a general rule, you should limit your education section to information that's relevant to the job you're applying for.

Must haves:

• The university or college you attended
• The degree you obtained
• Your major(s)
• The year you graduated

Awards and honors

Study abroad.

• Relevant coursework

Extracurricular activities

Other certifications, educational projects, internships and student placements, unfinished degrees, the university or college and degree.

This one's a no-brainer. If nothing else, you must include the name of your degree and where you obtained it.

Major and minor

You should pretty much always list your major, unless you completed your degree in a completely unrelated field. Listing your minor is a good idea if it's in any way relevant to the job you're now applying for.

More information: How to put a double major on a resume and the minors you need to include on your resume

Any major awards or honors should go in your resume education section. These include cum laude or magna cum laude, dean's list , and fellowships.

More information: How to list honors on your resume

Your GPA is very optional — only include it if you're a current student or recent graduate and it's above 3.5. In all other cases, leave it off.

If you’re a current student, it’s fine to list study abroad on your resume. You can list the experience under the host school, making sure to note that it was a study abroad program.

More information: Turn study abroad into a job with these resume tips

If you're an experienced hire, skip this step. If you have real work experience, including coursework will look strangely out of touch.

If you're a current student and don't have a lot of relevant work experience, relevant coursework can help demonstrate key skills and get you past Applicant Tracking Systems . You can list a handful of subjects on one line underneath your degree and major.

More information: What to put on your resume if you don't have a lot of experience

You can include student activities a subsection of your resume education section (if they only take up a line or two) or in a separate section (if you want to include key accomplishments).

More information: How to showcase extracurriculars on your resume

Other certifications and qualifications can go on your resume, but be critical about what you list. This could include certificates, licences, technical qualifications, and other types of continuing education — as long as they’re relevant to the job you’re applying for. You also don’t need to list every conference or seminar you’ve ever attended. Keep it limited to substantial qualifications that help you stand out.

More information: The right way to list certifications on a resume

Projects can also be listed in their own section if you choose to elaborate on your accomplishments — if you're a current student or recent graduate, this is a great way to highlight relevant skills. If you'd rather keep it brief, include a 'Projects' subheading in your education section and list them there instead.

More information: How to list projects on your resume

Internships — paid or unpaid — are generally a better fit for your work experience section, since they take place in a professional work environment. List these the same way as paid work experience, including the name of the employer, the dates of the internship, and a few key accomplishments in bullet points.

You can include student placements if they were a) significant, b) recent, and c) relevant. In other words, a six-month hospital placement belongs on your resume if you're a recent nursing graduate, but a two-week observation probably doesn't.

More information: How to write effective resume bullet points

It's fine to list an unfinished degree on your resume. Do list an unfinished degree if it's relevant to the job you're applying for, demonstrates key skills, or explains a long career gap. Don't list an unfinished degree if it's much older or  in a different industry than the one you now work in — only include it if it strengthens your candidacy.

It’s also okay to include your degree if you haven’t officially graduated yet — simply list it as “expected May 2024” (or whatever date applies).

Boston University (2020-2021) Boston, MA Bachelor of Arts in Communication — Completed 20 credit hours

More information: Listing an unfinished degree on your resume

I’d recommend uploading your resume to the tool below to find out if your education section is structured the right way. It’ll scan your education section and let you know if you’ve listed your degrees, majors & minors, GPA, honors, coursework and projects the right way. It’ll also let you know which of these belong on your resume and which ones to leave off entirely.

Do's and don'ts for structuring your education section

Here are some general do's and don'ts for formatting the education section of your resume:

• Keep it brief. In most cases, your education section only needs to be a line or two underneath your work experience.
• Highlight any particularly impressive accomplishments, like graduating summa cum laude or receiving a prestigious fellowship.
• Include unfinished degrees if you're still in school or they're relevant to the job you're applying for.
• List all your degrees, not just the most recent. You may think your bachelor’s degree in art history doesn’t matter if you have a master’s in engineering and are applying for jobs as an engineer, but it’ll look weird if you leave it off altogether.
• Leave a degree off your resume only if it isn’t relevant and it could make you appear overqualified — for example, if you have PhD in mathematics and are applying for jobs as an entry-level salesperson.
• Always include an education section, even if it's very short.
• Include more information than is necessary. Stick to details that strengthen your candidacy — if it's not relevant, leave it off.
• Include your GPA unless it's very high (above 3.5) . Listing a 2.0 GPA isn't going to impress any recruiters — but the good news is, once you've graduated, it isn't relevant anyway.
• List high school information (unless you're a current high school student).

Tips for writing a resume education section

Wondering how these rules apply to your specific circumstances? Here's some more targeted advice for different situations.

If you’re a recent graduate

As a recent graduate, always include your graduation date on your resume. If you don’t have a lot of work experience, a recent graduation date makes it obvious why.

Unlike more experienced hires , recent graduates can use your education section to highlight your achievements. This includes awards, student initiatives, study abroad programs, language proficiency , key leadership skills, and any major accomplishments.

If you’re a current student

If you’re still studying, your education section can be a lot bigger, since you’re unlikely to have a lot of relevant work experience. You should include any major accomplishments, including awards and involvement in extracurricular activities. If you know when you’ll be graduating, go ahead and list the expected date .

Any part-time work experience or internships can go in the work history section of your resume.

If you graduated a while ago

Try to keep your education section as short as possible.  The longer you’ve been in the workforce, the shorter it should be. If you graduated some time ago (e.g. 8+ years), it’s common practice to omit the date (and a good idea for those who want to avoid any potential age discrimination) .

If you transferred schools

If you started and finished your degree at different institutions — including transferring between four-year schools or from a community college — it's fine to just list the name of the school you graduated from. If you're a recent graduate and have achievements on your resume from your previous institution (like involvement in student organizations), you can consider listing both schools for clarification.

If you have multiple degrees

If you have multiple degrees, list them in reverse chronological order with the most recent first.

Key takeaways

Remember that your resume is about presenting you as a strong applicant for a position rather than about adding as much information as possible. Normal resume rules apply — if it strengthens your candidacy, leave it in. If it takes the spotlight off more impressive work experience, take it off.

Everything on your resume should have a single purpose: Demonstrating that you’re a good fit for the position you’re applying to. This means:

• Tailor your resume : Add or remove experiences and qualifications from your experience section as necessary to fit each specific role.
• If you don't have much work experience: Expand your education section when you don’t have a lot of work experience, or if the experience you do have isn’t particularly relevant. On the other side, if your work experience is extensive or impressive on its own, anything else you add risks taking focus away from the parts you want to highlight.
• If you’re a career changer: Fresh qualifications can help bridge the gap between your old industry and the new role you want.

Should you lead with work experience or education on your resume?

The convention is for your education section to be after your work experience, but there are some situations where that doesn’t apply.

You can put your education section at the top of your resume if:

• You're still a student
• You graduated recently
• You're changing careers
• Your education is the most relevant part of your resume

Recent or current students can lead with your education section

If you’re a current student and don’t have a lot of work experience , it’s fine to lead with your education section. It’s the most recent (and likely most relevant) experience you have. Leading with your education also prevents anyone who’s skimming over your resume from assuming that you’re simply inexperienced or unemployed, when the reality is that you’re in full-time education.

The same applies if you’re a recent graduate. If your education is still the most relevant or most impressive experience you have, list it first.

Career changers can start their resumes with an education section, if it's relevant

The last exception is career changers . If you’ve gone back to school as part of the career change process, you can list your education first. A new qualification is more relevant than your experience in a different industry. It also provides important context for your application, as a resume that solely focuses on your past experience in a different sector might otherwise be confusing to a hiring manager.

If you’re a career changer looking for new qualifications to include in your education section but aren’t sure what skills you need, use the tool below to find a list of skills and keywords required for the job you want.

Otherwise, your work experience should come before your education section

If the situations above don’t apply to you, and you don’t have another good reason to list your education first, stick to the standard convention as lead with your work experience. Employers primarily want to know about your work history and achievements, so unless your education is very recent, you’re better of focusing on your professional accomplishments.

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University Student Resume Examples & Writing Guide for 2024

Write an eye-catching resume as a university student

Writing a resume while still attending university can feel immensely difficult, as you may not have an extensive work history to showcase just yet. However, with a few quick tricks, you can optimize your resume as a university student to be compelling and eye-catching in no time.

In this comprehensive guide, we will unveil essential tips for crafting an impactful resume while you're still a university student. Keep reading to learn all about:

• Choosing the correct resume format for your experience level
• Writing a resume summary that showcases your best attributes
• Including a variety of technical and interpersonal skills on your resume
• Describing your relevant work experience with concise details
• Listing your educational credentials accurately on a resume
• Including relevant extra sections in your university student resume

Still looking for a job? These 100+ resources will tell you everything you need to get hired fast.

1. Choose the correct resume format for your university student resume

Resume formats vary in purpose depending on how much work experience a person has. For current university students, it is often preferable to choose a format that prioritizes academic experience over work experience, as they are more likely to have a greater amount of this type of experience.

In general, there are 3 main types of resume format for an applicant to choose between:

• Reverse-Chronological: The reverse-chronological resume focuses almost entirely on work experience, listing your most recent job first and working backward from there. Although this format is the standard expected by most employers, it is not always the most ideal for current students without an extensive work history.
• Functional: The functional resume format shifts the focus of the document away from work experience and onto education, skills, and unpaid experience. This is often the best choice for students, as it provides the most opportunity to showcase academic experience and achievements.
• Hybrid: The hybrid resume is a combination of the above two formats, spreading out the focus of the document more evenly between all sections rather than having one main focal point. This format works well for current students who have a mix of both academic and professional experience.

Choose your preferred template and make your resume shine.

Try our AI Resume Writer and have your resume ready in minutes!

2. write a university student resume summary that showcases your best attributes.

A resume summary is a brief statement at the beginning of a resume that introduces you to the reader.

Including a well-written summary on your resume that details your best professional or academic attributes is a great way to not only catch an employer’s attention but also make your resume more memorable overall.

To help illustrate how to write an effective resume summary, check out the following weak example, followed by a correction and explanation:

Incorrect university student resume summary example

Current University Student studying computer science. Experienced in coding and programming, with a portfolio of development projects available upon request. Recipient of the University’s Academic Excellence Award for 3 consecutive years.

Why is this Incorrect?

In this example, the applicant covers key details about their academic career but fails to provide the necessary context to make this information compelling to readers. To improve this summary, they should use more engaging language and exact facts.

Corrected university student resume summary

Senior University Student with a major in Computer Science. Specialized in software development and programming, with 10+ mobile app projects completed between 2021 to 2022. Three-time recipient (2020-2022) of the Academic Excellence Award given by the university’s Computer Science Department.

Why is this Correct?

This corrected example provides more specific information, such as the amount and type of programming projects the applicant has worked on and the department that gives out the award they earned. As a result, the summary reads more coherently and is more attention-grabbing.

3. Include a variety of technical and interpersonal skills on your university student resume

Skills are an essential part of any resume – they help to show employers more of your talents that may have been overlooked in the other sections of your resume. Plus, the skills you choose to include can be used throughout various sections of your resume as well.

The key to including skills on your resume is to choose an array of both technical and interpersonal skills .

Technical skills — also called hard skills — are learned abilities gained through education and training. These are highly quantifiable and measurable skills, such as knowing how to code or speaking a foreign language.

Interpersonal skills — also called soft skills — can be both inherent and learned. These abilities deal with how well you interact with and understand the people and world around you.

Here are 10 technical and 10 interpersonal skills that look great on a University Student’s resume:

Effective technical skills for your university student resume

• Productivity software (Microsoft Office 365, Google Workspace, etc.)
• Graphic design
• Programming languages (Python, Java, Ruby, etc.)
• Software development
• Project management
• Data collection & analytics
• Literary analysis
• Social media management
• Bookkeeping & accounting
• Foreign languages

The best interpersonal skills to put on your university student resume

• Verbal & written communication
• Collaboration & teamwork
• Adaptability
• Self-confidence
• Time management
• Organization
• Critical thinking

Find out your resume score!

4. Describe your relevant work experience with concise details

Depending on which resume format you have decided to use, your work experience section may vary in length and detail. Regardless of what type of resume you opt for, however, the work experience you do include should offer concise details that provide good insight into your transferrable skills and work ethic.

If you lack any formal work experience, you may be able to substitute a work experience for a simplified “Hands-On Experience” section that includes unpaid work such as internships, volunteering, or extracurricular leadership roles.

Here's an example of a work experience entry from a university student’s resume

Duke University, Durham, N.C. Outdoor Programs Leader August 2021 to Present

• Trained intensively for 10 weeks, earning First Aid, CPR, and Wilderness First Aid certifications.
• Led monthly weekend backpacking trips with 10 undergraduate participants, supervising daily activities and ensuring the safety of students.
• Maintained the office work schedule and performed morning and nightime inventory checks when on duty.

5. List your university student educational credentials accurately on a resume

When creating an education section for your resume while still attending university, it is crucial to indicate that your degree is ongoing and when you expect to complete it. You should also include previous degrees or diplomas earned as well to give a better overview of your academic history.

Additionally, you can also use your education section to detail any key academic accomplishments, such as membership in an honor society or leadership roles.

Here's an example of a well-crafted education section on a university student’s resume

The University of North Carolina at Asheville, Asheville, N.C. B.A. in Communications

• In Progress, Expected Graduation: May 2022
• Dean’s List 2020, 2021

Charles D. Owen High School, Black Mountain, N.C. High School Diploma

• Graduated: 2018, Salutatorian

6. Include relevant extra sections in your university student resume

Adding relevant extra sections to your university student resume is of paramount importance. While your education and academic achievements are crucial, extra sections can provide a more comprehensive picture of your skills, experiences, and interests.

These sections offer an opportunity to showcase your diverse abilities and demonstrate your well-roundedness as a candidate. Including sections such as projects, internships, extracurricular activities, leadership roles, volunteering, and certifications can significantly enhance your resume.

Here's an example of listing research experience on your university student resume

Research Experience

• Collaborated with a team of researchers to investigate the effects of environmental factors on plant growth and development.
• Assisted in experimental design, data collection, and analysis using laboratory techniques and statistical software.
• Presented research findings at departmental seminars and contributed to the development of research publications.
• Developed a strong understanding of research methodologies, critical thinking, and data interpretation.

Nikoleta Kuhejda

A journalist by trade, a writer by fate. Nikoleta went from writing for media outlets to exploring the world of content creation with Kickresume and helping people get closer to the job of their dreams. Her insights and career guides have been published by The Female Lead , College Recruiter , and ISIC, among others. When she’s not writing or (enthusiastically) pestering people with questions, you can find her traveling or sipping on a cup of coffee.

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3 Current College Student Resume Examples for 2024

Current College Student Resume

Modern current college student resume, professional current college student resume.

• Current College Student Resume Writing 101

Plenty of college students need to work while they’re still in school—especially considering that infamous catch-22 feeling of needing experience but struggling to get it. You’ve already gathered an impressive array of skills, though, and might even have some cool projects or internships under your belt!

So, how do you spin your (relatively) limited experiences on your resume in favor of the qualifications you have for that job you want?

It’s all good: We’ve spent years helping students and new graduates break into their industries of choice. We can help you too—just try out our three resume templates and array of tools like our free resume builder and cover letter generator !

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Related resume examples

• College student internship
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What Matters Most: Your Skills & Past Experience

Since you may have limited or less-than-relevant work experience as a current college student, your skills are super important! You need to show recruiters that you have solid bricks to build a promising career with.

Make sure you’re crystal clear on what profession you’re hoping to break into by listing skills that directly relate to the field. Including a couple of classics like MS Suite programs can help show that you’ve got solid footing, but use most of your skills to point to your niche.

Being specific is one of the best ways to do this! Use skills that are unique to your field whenever possible. For example, consider how these student skills still relate to HR:

9 most popular current college student skills

• LinkedIn Sourcing
• Google Sheets
• Greenhouse ATS
• Employee Benefits
• Interviewing

Sample current college student work experience bullet points

Now, don’t freak out, but this is the area where some current college students tend to falter. They often think things like, “What do I even put here? I’ve barely had the chance to work yet.”

But don’t worry—recruiters take your student role into consideration while they skim your resume, and most will understand. What they really want to see is initiative and potential with the projects or jobs you had as a teen . Show these qualities by getting creative and referencing projects and internships that relate to your field.

And don’t forget to back up any accomplishments with quantifiable data! Metrics of your impact are especially important for a student resume.

Here are a couple of samples:

• Collaborated with HR staff to create a mentorship program for new hires, increasing staff retention by 23%
• Answered employees’ questions about coverage and company health benefits by efficiently pulling plan documentation data, reducing HR staff workload by 10 hours per month
• Participated in interview and provided feedback, updating candidates on their status within 2-3 days and boosting positive ratings by 12%
• Iterated on messaging to qualified candidates for given roles to improve the response rate from 8% to 17%
• Proactively sourced candidates using LinkedIn Recruiter for technical roles, gaining 4 full-time hires within one month

Top 5 Tips for Your Current College Student Resume

• Internships offer many of the same experiences as entry-level jobs do—whether paid or unpaid. So take them seriously and don’t hesitate to emphasize them if they’ve guided you towards some of your best achievements!
• Of course, it’s always important to include an education section—especially as a college student. While some students aren’t super confident about their qualifications, you have the unique opportunity to list specific, relevant courses to boost your credibility without sounding weird.
• Student resumes provide the perfect opportunity to make the most of an objective statement . Since you may not have a ton of experience to summarize and are still taking courses, it’ll help recruiters out if you plainly state what kind of job you want and how you’re qualified.
• When you’re freshly entering a field, you’ll want to put your best foot forward—and that goes for your resume’s appearance , too. Your layout should be clear, cohesive, and polished. It’s like the “interview suit” for your job application!
• Since you’re currently still in college, you may not be ready to take on a job role just yet. And that’s fine: Just make sure you’re clear in your objective statement about when you’re looking to join the team.

Just one page—or even less. And if you’re more worried about filling the page than you are about overflowing onto a second one, don’t sweat that either. You don’t have to fill the page: Just pick a layout that makes your accomplishments look solid.

Besides your resume, you can include a cover letter that highlights your qualifying background in more depth. And you can add in a couple of professional recommendation letters, too!

Always refer to the job description and make sure you look for key company phrases, skills, and buzzwords that you can reflect in your resume. Don’t miss this opportunity to show that you can go the extra mile!

How to write an MBA resume and make sure it stands out in the stack

Applying to business school, or an MBA program, can be nerve-racking. You’ll need to lasso together transcripts and test scores, fill out an application, and likely ace an interview—but perhaps the most critical piece of it all is an MBA resume. This important document will list out many of the same elements as a traditional resume, such as your educational background and work experience. 

But an MBA resume also has a different primary function than the typical resume you might submit to try and land a job: It’s designed to land you a spot in an MBA program. If writing an MBA resume feels intimidating, knowing what to put on it, and some other framing tactics, may help calm your nerves.

UNC Kenan-Flagler’s top-ranked online MBA

Mba resume vs. a job resume  .

As noted, an MBA resume should feel familiar to many prospective business school students. 

“An MBA resume is very similar to a job resume,” says Kaneisha Grayson, the founder and CEO of The Art of Applying , an MBA admissions consultancy. She adds that both types of resumes will, or should, comprise a single page, incorporate clear, professional formatting, and lay out an applicant’s educational and career accomplishments. 

“I’d say one difference between the two is that I advise our clients to put their education at the top—whereas with a job resume, you’d see education at the bottom,” Grayson says. She recommends this variation because an MBA resume’s specific aim of landing an applicant at an educational institution. 

So, in that sense, there may not be a whole lot of differences between an MBA resume and a job resume, but there will be some additional focus on specific aspects of your background, all in an effort to win over an MBA program’s selection or admissions committee. 

How to write an MBA resume

Again, writing an MBA resume shouldn’t differ a whole lot from writing a traditional resume, but you’ll want to try and keep your end goal in mind, which is landing a spot in an MBA program. As you write your MBA resume, keeping that goal in mind should prove helpful, because it can help you parse out the information you’ll want to include, and the things you won’t.

“An MBA resume is very specialized toward the application cycle,” says Ellin Lolis, President and Founder of Ellin Lolis MBA Consulting . So, again, keep the end goal in mind. “Your education section is going to be important,” Lolis says, “but we mostly want to see your career focus.”

As for the nuts and bolts of writing an MBA resume? Keep it simple by deciding what to rope in, what to leave out, and how to structure it all so that it’s easy to read. 

What to include in your MBA resume

The main elements that your MBA resume should include are an education section, a job experience or professional experience section, and a portion that details a bit more about you, personally, such as your hobbies and interests. 

You can leave out photographs, information related to your high school, and even most of your contact information—that’ll be included on your program application, the experts say. 

Again, do your best to keep what you include to one page. The only time you could probably get a pass for using more than one page is if you have extensive professional experience, and are applying to an executive MBA program. A good rule of thumb? “When you have more than seven years of full-time, post-college work experience,” says Grayson. 

How to structure an MBA resume

As for structuring an MBA resume, do your best to contain most elements to the aforementioned sections: Education, professional background and experience, and a section dedicated to your personal hobbies, interests, skills and certifications, and community service work.

List the schools you attended and the degrees you earned, perhaps with any relevant coursework and GPAs in the education section. Your professional section may differ depending on your specific experiences and industries you’ve worked in, but try to frame it as a sort of professional “story,” which can showcase how an MBA can help you take the next step.

Professional background

“Generally speaking, the MBA is not a purely academic degree, as a majority of people are going to earn one to get a better job,” says Lolis. “They’re doing it to boost their career—and at that point, the most relevant thing is your recent job and your professional track record,” she says.

Get into the weeds, too, about your accomplishments. “Don’t just reiterate your job responsibilities,” says Grayson. “Communicate the results of your efforts. Quantifying the results is much more significant and meaningful—describe the impact,” she says.

Hobbies, interests, and more

As for the more personal portion? “One of the main things that’s different from a job resume is that they want you to share some of your hobbies and interests,” Lolis says. “Be very specific,” adds Grayson, “because 90% of people will list ‘travel’ as a hobby. “But that’s not interesting—maybe something like ‘slow traveling to find the best street food.’ That’s interesting.” This, she says, can help spark a conversation, or help your resume stand out from the pile.

In addition to specific hobbies or interests, you might include, add volunteer or community work as well, and perhaps relevant technical or language skills. Again, this may help tip the scales in your favor by showing you have specific know-how related to a given industry or task. Any applicable awards you’ve earned may be good to include, too, as they showcase that you’re capable of excelling in a given area.

Should you customize your resume for each business school?

Experts generally don’t recommend changing up your MBA resume when applying to different schools. Instead, look for specific instructions relayed by the school, if there are any, and make any needed changes accordingly. So, unless you have a really compelling reason, you can probably use the same resume for a number of applications.

Also, don’t go overboard in terms of design to make your resume stand out. “Just stick to traditional formatting,” says Lolis, since that’s what most admissions teams are used to seeing, and are generally looking for. Let the contents of the resume speak for you—not the design.

Where to go if you need help  

For many prospective MBA students, piecing together a resume shouldn’t be terribly difficult, given that it’s mostly the same process as writing a traditional resume. However, if you need help, you can reach out to consultants, or even check out some of the resources schools make available to help you along the process. 

• Consultants : There are many MBA consultancies out there, including the firms that Lolis and Grayson founded. They can help create, review, and critique an MBA resume and get it into shape. 
• Examples and templates : Some schools even make templates available , and example resumes to help students create their own. 

The takeaway  

In all, you should write an MBA resume in the same way you’d write a traditional resume, with some slight variations. The resume should focus on your professional background and previous education, while also detailing some of your personal interests, too. Stick to classic resume formatting as well, and keep it to one page, if possible.

It’s also important, experts say, to use some basic formatting and style—use 11 or 12-point font, a normal font style (Arial, Times New Roman, etc.), and overall, keep it professional. And remember: don’t go overboard trying to score style points with the resume’s design or other elements.

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Columbia faculty members walk out after pro-Palestinian protesters arrested

Hundreds of members of teaching staff demonstrate in solidarity with arrested students as protest tents put back up on campus

Hundreds of faculty members at Columbia University in New York held a mass walkout on Monday to protest against the school president’s decision to have police arrest students at a pro-Palestinian encampment protest last week.

The solidarity protest came as students put protest tents back up on campus. They had been torn down last week when the New York police department arrested more than 100 students, who were also suspended by the university.

Bassam Khawaja, a lecturer at Columbia law school and supervising attorney at the school’s human rights clinic, said he was “shocked and appalled that the president went immediately to the New York police department”.

“It didn’t seem like any kind of measures were taken to de-escalate,” Khawaja said. “It also just seems completely unnecessary. This was by all accounts a non-violent protest. It was a group of students camping out on the lawn in the middle of campus. It’s not any different from everyday life on campus.”

As Columbia announced it would be holding classes remotely, students on campuses across the US launched their own protests. At Yale University in Connecticut, police arrested more than 40 pro-Palestinian protesters, according to the student newspaper, the Yale Daily News .

Students have called for their universities to back a ceasefire in Gaza and divest from companies with ties to Israel .

On Monday, Columbia’s president, Nemat Minouche Shafik, said that school leaders would be convening to discuss the “crisis”, NBC News reported .

Shafik also claimed that antisemitic language and intimidating and harassing behavior towards Jewish students had taken place on campus recently: “The decibel of our disagreements has only increased in recent days. These tensions have been exploited and amplified by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia who have come to campus to pursue their own agendas … We need a reset.”

Student demonstrators, including Jewish students, have denied accusations that their protests are antisemitic, blaming “inflammatory individuals who do not represent us” and describing the protests as peaceful and inclusive.

“We firmly reject any form of hate or bigotry and stand vigilant against non-students attempting to disrupt the solidarity being forged amount students – Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, Jewish, Black, and pro-Palestinian classmates and colleagues who represent the full diversity of our country,” read a statement from student organizers posted to Instagram .

The Columbia and Barnard chapters of the American Association of University Professors decried Shafik’s crackdowns on protests in a statement on Friday, saying: “We are shocked at her failure to mount any defense of the free inquiry central to the educational mission of a university.”

Journalism professor Helen Benedict, who was on campus when the NYPD began arresting students, said in an interview that sending “riot police with guns” on to campus was an “overreaction”.

“There’s been a huge miscalculation, [at] every step,” Benedict said. “The safety of the campus for our students has been violated and the students are actually made less safe by this … This is a learning environment in which students learn to debate disagreement and have to learn sometimes to be made uncomfortable, and that instead of punishing that, we should be mediating and teaching from it so that students can learn from it.”

On Monday, long lines formed outside the gates of Columbia as students had to wait to have their IDs scanned at security checkpoints. Some faculty members were at the gates advocating for reporters who had been denied entry.

The protests have prompted national attention, with political leaders of both parties condemning university leadership.

In Virginia, Joe Biden denounced antisemitism on college campuses in a statement marking Passover, which began on Monday.

He said: “This blatant antisemitism is reprehensible and dangerous – and it has absolutely no place on college campuses, or anywhere in our country.”

Speaking before Biden at the Virginia event, the progressive New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appeared to reference the campus demonstrations in her remarks, saying: “It is especially important that we remember the power of young people shaping this country today of all days.”

One of the suspended students at Columbia was Isra Hirsi, the daughter of the Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar . Omar, of Minnesota, and her fellow progressive Rashida Tlaib of Michigan also condemned punishments against Hirsi and other student protesters, the Hill reported .

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Omar said university protests were being “co-opted and made to look bad so police and public leaders would shut them down”, similar to other movements in the past: “The Columbia protesters have made clear their demands and want their school not to be complacent in the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Public officials and media making this about anything else are inflaming the situation and need to bring calmness and sanity back.”

The New York governor, Kathy Hochul, convened a meeting with Columbia administrators, city officials and police on Monday, and a group of Jewish House Democrats also met Jewish students.

“While the leadership of Columbia may be failing you, we will not,” Josh Gottheimer, a Democratic congressman from New Jersey, said during a press conference on campus. If Columbia fails to keep Jewish students safe, Gottheimer warned that the university’s leadership would “pay the price”.

Congressman Dan Goldman, a New York Democrat, said what Jewish students told him they had witnessed was “unacceptable at an academic institution of learning”.

Other US colleges and universities have announced extreme measures to punish students who participate in peaceful protests supporting Palestine.

The University of Michigan announced it would draft new rules to punish disruptive behavior after students held a protest during the university’s convocation ceremony on Sunday.

Students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Emerson College, both in the Boston area, have started encampment protests inspired by the demonstration at Columbia. Videos on X showed students at New York University in Manhattan erecting a new encampment on their campus, as well as students at the University of North Carolina doing the same.

NYU’s office of global campus safety ordered students to clear their encampments by 4pm on Monday after officials allegedly witnessed “disorderly, disruptive and antagonizing behavior” as additional protesters attempted to participate in the demonstrations.

“You will need to clear the plaza by 4.00pm. If you leave now, no one will face any consequences for today’s actions – no discipline, no police,” according to a post to X from the university. Mass arrests began around 8.30pm, local time.

Prahlad Iyengar, an MIT graduate student studying electrical engineering, was among about two dozen students who set up an encampment of more than a dozen tents on campus on Sunday evening to call for a ceasefire and to protest what they describe as MIT’s “complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza”.

“MIT has not even called for a ceasefire, and that’s a demand we have for sure,” he said.

The Associated Press contributed reporting

This article was amended on 23 April 2024 to correct Bassam Khawaja’s title, and to clarify a quotation from Helen Benedict in which she said riot police were called on to campus.

• US universities
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How universities are cracking down on a swell of tension months into student protests over Israel’s bombardment of Gaza

W ith tension mounting over an encampment in support of Palestinians at New York’s Columbia University , police strode onto campus this month and arrested more than 100 demonstrators.

On the cusp of the close of the academic year, university communities across the nation remain on edge, not only over flares of political action but also what response, if any, it might compel.

Soon, dozens more students protesting the monthslong assault on Gaza were arrested at New York and Yale universities. At the University of Texas at Austin , police in riot gear and on horseback moved to disperse a like-minded demonstration, while nearly 100 at the University of Southern California also got arrested. Then at Emory University in Atlanta , law enforcement deployed pepper balls to break up a pro-Palestinian action, arresting 28, including several professors . At Boston’s Emerson College , another 108 protesters were arrested, with four officers hurt. And 91 people – 54 of them students – were arrested and charged with trespassing overnight into Monday at  Virginia Tech after they refused police orders to disperse, the university said .

While the latest run of arrests has commanded outsized attention, US colleges have been using law enforcement – along with academic suspensions and, for at least one school, expulsion – to try to bring to heel student demonstrations since Hamas’ October attack on Israel left more than 1,200 dead and dozens taken hostage. Israel’s devastating counterpunch in Gaza – with more than 34,000 Palestinians killed, according to its health ministry – has further fueled deeply held views of students and faculty on all sides.

Amid US students’ broad insistence their tactics are peaceful, administrators often have decried campus protests as disruptive, with some – including at Indiana University, George Washington University and California State Polytechnic University’s Humboldt campus – employing school rules governing use of public spaces to threaten or enact discipline or call for police backup.

Implicit in the crackdowns is a built-in tension of higher education: balancing the role of campuses as bastions of free speech while ensuring the safety of students, including those who are Jewish and have expressed concern for their well-being in the face of antisemitism that’s surged nationally since October 7 and has occasionally been seen at or near – or conflated with – pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations.

Administrators lately have seemed quicker to levy consequences against campus demonstrators than they were six months ago, according to Zach Greenberg of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE, a non-partisan, non-profit civil liberties group defending free speech with a focus on colleges.

But, he said, calling in police carries risk.

It is a “drastic action” that “should be reserved for only the most direct and severe threats to campus safety,” Greenberg said. Further, doing so threatens to “erode” the trust between universities and students, who may see “police officers in riot gear arresting their classmates, maybe their professors.”

“In many ways, it’s a dark time for college campuses that may have to do that.”

College officials’ responses to Israel-Hamas war protests also have unfolded against a global debate over the US role in the conflict, as well as an intensifying race for the White House and control of Congress that’s seen elite college presidents hauled to Capitol Hill and even forced out of their jobs as the major parties jockey for moral and political ground.

To some, the surge in universities’ reliance on police to break up the protests illustrates an unwillingness by officials to truly engage with students and their demands, which usually include pulling institutional investments from companies whose work directly or indirectly supports Israel or its military apparatus, or profits from the war.

“Instead of engaging (protesters), they are cracking down,” said Dima Khalidi, executive director of Palestine Legal, which has for months represented students in disciplinary hearings brought by their universities. She called the police response across many campuses a “concerning and problematic escalation of repression and state violence against students’ peaceful protests against an ongoing genocide.”

“All of this is a distraction to take our eyes away from Gaza, where mass graves are being found, where people are being starved to death, where 35,000 Palestinians have been killed,” she said. “That’s what students are trying to bring attention to.”

At the same time, the power of civil disobedience – a long tradition among American college students – is derived, at least in part, from protesters’ willingness to accept the consequences, Greenberg said.

“Many times, the severity of the consequences adds to the persuasive power of the protest,” he said.

‘Ready to … put our bodies on the line’

Many students seem prepared to accept consequences.

Standing outside an encampment last week at Brown University in Rhode Island , Arman Deendar – their neck draped in a keffiyeh – told CNN, “We’re out here and we’re ready to risk suspension and arrest to put our bodies on the line because we believe that this moment is truly going to change.”

At Deendar’s side was Rafi Ash, a sophomore and member of Jews for Ceasefire Now, who stressed the protest is not new at Brown, which in recent days doubled down on its commitment to enforce its Green Space Usage policy with discipline up to and including “separation from the institution” as well as law enforcement response and arrest.

Ash told CNN he was one of 20 students arrested following a sit-in on November 8. The charges were later dropped, according to the Brown Daily Herald , but 41 students arrested the following month in similar circumstances still face charges, which protesters now want dropped .

“We had the same demand now as we did then, which is divestment from companies that are complicit in the genocide in Gaza,” Ash said, echoing the wider demands.

Beyond criminal charges lies the ultimate academic punishment: expulsion. It was levied on Jack Petocz, a 19-year-old freshman, and others who were kicked out of Vanderbilt University in Nashville after more than two dozen students affiliated with the Vanderbilt Divest Coalition staged a 21-hour sit-in at an administrative office, he told CNN and the group has said .

The demonstration was prompted by the university’s cancellation of a vote on an amendment to the student government constitution to prohibit that group’s funds from being spent on targets of the worldwide Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, Petocz said. Students were denied access to food, water, bathrooms and medical attention over the course of the sit-in, which concluded with some arrested, including Petocz, he told CNN.

All who participated, Petocz said, were issued interim suspensions – removed from campus and denied access to their dorms and dining halls. Within days, after a disciplinary hearing at which Petocz claims he was wrongfully accused of assaulting an administrative staff member – he faces a misdemeanor assault charge – the university expelled him, he said. At least two others were expelled, another suspended and more than 20 students put on probation, Vanderbilt Divest Coalition said.

“It’s incredibly jarring,” Petocz said, noting he has appealed. “I would be the first person in my family to have a bachelor’s degree – from Vanderbilt University, of all places. It meant a lot for me to go to a college like this.”

Vanderbilt University declined to discuss disciplinary actions taken against students, citing federal privacy laws and directing CNN to earlier statements about the incident. Students “forcibly entered” the administrative building on March 26, those statements said, and three faced misdemeanor assault charges for “pushing a Community Service Officer as well as a staff member who offered to meet” with protesters.

Separately, the referendum on the BDS resolution “did not move forward because of potential conflict with federal and state laws,” the university told CNN in a statement.

Petocz has experience with “institutional repression,” he said: In high school, he was a prominent opponent of his home state of Florida’s so-called “ Don’t Say Gay ” bill and was suspended after distributing Pride flags at his high school, he said.

It’s because of his history as an activist that he believes he was admitted to Vanderbilt in the first place, and he feels the university wants “to make an example out of me.”

‘We’ll do what we have to do’

Other schools that reportedly have suspended students in response to their protests over the conflict in Gaza include Barnard College in New York, Harvard University near Boston and Pomona College, one of Southern California’s seven Claremont Colleges where at least 19 people were arrested following an early April sit-in.

Protests had gone on this academic year largely without administrators interfering with Pomona Divest from Apartheid, a coalition of student groups demanding the college “disclose and divest” its $2.8 billion endowment from “all weapons manufacturers and all institutions that aid the ongoing occupation of Palestine.”

But the tenor changed April 3, when Pomona College’s president sent a message to the university community, decrying the “harassment targeting visitors to our campus” and telling students continued violation of the student code “is subject to disciplinary action.” Masked student protesters’ refusal to identify themselves also was “unacceptable,” it said.

Then school staff and security on April 5 began dismantling an “apartheid wall” where pro-Palestinian demonstrators had gathered, said Samson Zhang, a student journalist at Pomona College. Soon after, the sit-in happened at Alexander Hall, recalled nearby Pitzer College’s Mita Banerjee, a member of Faculty for Justice in Palestine who said she saw the arrests.

Banerjee had “never seen this kind of militarized police force used against students and against student protesters who were not a threat,” she told CNN. “It was understood that this was legitimate protest and that you negotiate, and you have conversations, and that’s how you resolve things.”

Claremont Police confirmed 19 people were arrested for trespassing at the request of school administrators, with one other arrested for “obstructing/delaying an officer.” Arrestees enrolled at Pomona College were suspended, and while several have successfully appealed their suspension orders, others remain suspended, Banerjee told CNN, which has reached out to Pomona College.

Other US universities, meanwhile, have levied community-level consequences tied to pro-Palestinian demonstrations. The University of Southern California canceled its main commencement ceremony in May days after it canceled the commencement speech of its Muslim valedictorian , citing security concerns.

University of Michigan’s president admonished protesters who in March interrupted the 101st Honors Convocation, saying in a statement the school is reevaluating rules, seeking feedback on a new draft policy about “disruption of university operations, including academic and social activities,” among other events.

That’s done little, though, to deter student activists with the Transparency, Accountability, Humanity, Reparations, Investment and Resistance, or TAHRIR, Coalition, the group that led the demonstration at the honors event, demanding the University of Michigan divest from all companies and entities that support Israel’s military and economy.

“It’s horrifying to see what is happening,” said Shubh Agrawal, a spokesperson for the group that has been holding demonstrations since last fall, including one at which students were arrested during a sit-in Agrawal said was aimed at demanding a meeting with school officials about divestment.

Police then were aggressive, Agrawal told CNN. Forty people were arrested for trespassing after forcing entry to a locked building, said university spokesperson Colleen Mastony, noting demonstrators were warned repeatedly before being arrested; two police officers were injured, she said.

Still, the group persists: Last week, about 100 students set up an encampment on campus and plan to stay there until the university divests, Agrawal said, committed to “staying here for the long haul.”

“We’ll do what we have to do.”

‘Students take very seriously their role’

Civil liberties groups have urged universities to be measured in response to protests, underscoring demonstrators’ rights to free speech: In response to arrests at New York University last week, the New York Civil Liberties Union said, “City and campus officials should take great care to distinguish between controversial speech, which helps students and society develop, and actual threats.”

“Officials,” the organization said, “should not conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism or use hate incidents as a pretext to silence political views they oppose.”

There are, of course, limits to free speech, which “ends at violence,” said Greenberg, noting schools have an “obligation” to preserve security and safety. “It ends at true threats, serious intent to commit unlawful violence, it ends at discriminatory harassment,” he said, and potentially at disruption.

Still, some question whether all pro-Palestinian protesters are interested in honest dialogue. Adam Lehman, the president and CEO of the Jewish campus organization Hillel International, called the free speech argument a “red herring.”

“Unfortunately, a lot of students who understandably want to think about and express compassion toward Palestinians – hopefully they think the same towards Israelis, the victims of 10/7 and others who’ve been so adversely impacted – they’re getting, in my view, co-opted into a political movement that, as we have seen, has been marked by hateful, discriminatory and violent speech and actual harassment and violence spawning from those protests,” Lehman told CNN’s Dana Bash.

But the suppression of dissent on campus – and the continued US military aid sent to Israel – sends a signal to Palestinian students and their allies “that they don’t matter,” Palestine Legal’s Khalidi said. Still, they “remain undeterred, because they understand what’s at stake here.”

“They understand that they are morally in the right,” she said. “They understand that they are in a long tradition of crucial student activism for justice from the anti-Vietnam War movement to the civil rights movement and beyond.”

“We see that students take very seriously their role, their moral obligation to speak out and to mobilize their own communities, to speak out against injustice,” Khalidi said. “And I think history will judge them kindly.”

Correction: A previous version of this story included the wrong pronoun for Arman Deendar, who uses they/them.

CNN’s Nicquel Terry Ellis, Chelsea Bailey, Isabel Rosales and Devon Sayers contributed to this report.

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Students at prestigious Paris university occupy campus building in pro-Palestinian protest

The Associated Press

April 26, 2024, 4:17 PM

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PARIS (AP) — Students in Paris inspired by Gaza solidarity encampments at campuses in the United States blocked access to a campus building at a prestigious French university Friday, prompting administrators to move all classes online.

The pro-Palestinian protest kicked off a day of drama at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, known as Sciences Po, which counts President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Gabriel Attal among its many famous alumni.

Protesters first occupied a central campus building and blocked its entrance with trash cans, wooden platforms and a bicycle. They also gathered at the building’s windows, chanting pro-Palestinian slogans, and hung out Palestinian flags and placards.

Later Friday, pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrators faced each other in a tense standoff in the street outside the school. Riot police stepped in to separate the opposing groups.

As night fell, a dwindling group of pro-Palestinian protesters refused to budge, ignoring police orders to evacuate the street and warnings of possible arrests. Eventually, demonstrators came out of the building, carrying a large Palestinian flag, to cheers from the protesters who had been supporting them outside. They then started to stream peacefully away from the area, watched by police.

Among protester demands was that Sciences Po sever ties with Israeli schools. In an email to students, Sciences Po administrator Jean Bassères pledged to hold a townhall meeting in the coming week and to suspend some disciplinary proceedings against students. In return, students “committed to no longer disrupting courses, examinations and all other activities of the institution,” the email said.

The Gaza war is sharply divisive in France, which has the largest populations of Muslims and Jews in western Europe. France initially sought to ban pro-Palestinian demonstrations after Hamas’ surprise Oct. 7 attack on Israel that sparked the war. Antisemitism has surged.

On Wednesday evening, more than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters had also occupied a Sciences Po amphitheater. Most agreed to leave after discussions with management but a small group of students remained. They were removed by police later that night, according to French media reports.

The university administration closed all university buildings and moved classes online Friday. It said in a statement it “strongly condemns these student actions which prevent the proper functioning of the institution and penalize Sciences Po students, teachers and employees.”

Louise, a protester, said the students’ actions were inspired by similar demonstrations at New York’s Columbia University and other U.S. campuses.

“But our solidarity remains first and foremost with the Palestinian people,” she said. She spoke on condition that only her first name be used over concerns of repercussions.

Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war have been digging in at Columbia University , one of a number of demonstrations roiling campuses from California to Connecticut .

Hundreds of students and even some professors have been arrested across the U.S., sometimes amid struggles with police.

Barbara Surk contributed from Nice, France.

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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Geno Auriemma says UConn women's basketball will play at Lady Vols during 2024-25 season

Geno Auriemma was at the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame induction to escort former UConn star Maya Moore-Irons, but the longtime coach also unexpectedly broke some big news.

The historic series between Lady Vols basketball and UConn took a one-year hiatus last season, but Auriemma told Knox News after the ceremony at the Tennessee Theatre on Saturday the Huskies and Tennessee will play in Knoxville during the 2024-25 season. The series hasn't been announced by either school.

The historic series was originally ended after 2007 by legendary Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt. It was renewed under former Tennessee coach Holly Warlick, but the games didn't officially resume until the 2019-20 season, which was Kellie Harper's first season. The Lady Vols and Huskies played four games, alternating between campuses through the 2022-23 season. UConn won all four matchups, the last one a 17-point victory in Knoxville in January 2023.

UConn leads the series 17-9.

The two teams did not face each other in the 2023-24 season due to scheduling conflicts.

"I think we just have some scheduling conflicts," Harper said last year in April . "But I believe we're going to try to continue it after this season. Sometimes you have contractual obligations, facility obligations and it just doesn't work out. But we're gonna try to continue that."

Auriemma, who has a 1,213–162 career record, has been the coach of UConn since 1985.

The series will resume under new Lady Vols coach Kim Caldwell , who was hired April 7. Harper was fired April 1 after five seasons at her alma mater.

Cora Hall  covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter  @corahalll . If you enjoy Cora’s coverage,  consider a digital subscription  that allows you to access all of it.