Academic CV: Template, Format, and Examples for 2023

Let’s face it, today’s academic realities are pretty harsh.

So many talented scholars fighting for so few truly worthwhile fellowships, research programs, or grants.

And with the constant cuts in federal spending on higher education, things are only going to get worse.

You can’t change the economy, I’m sorry. But you can dramatically boost your chances of standing out from all other applicants.

Just follow the advice from this guide to writing an American academic CV.

In this guide you'll find: 

• How to write an academic CV to stand out from the crowd. 
• Academic CV template that will highlight your best achievements.
• Sample academic CV that turns heads.
• What format you should use for your academic CV. 

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Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our CV examples.

Sample Academic CV Template You Can Copy, Adjust, and Use

If you’re applying for a scholarship and have been asked specifically to send a scholarship academic resume instead of a CV, see: Scholarship Resume Examples and Writing Tips

Still a student? Writing an academic resume for school admissions or internships? Switch over to: Student Resume Examples and Writing Tips

Read on for an overview of an American CV for academic purposes. But before we jump into that, a quick note—

Academic CVs vary in content, chief focus, and length.

Obviously, a CV for graduate school won’t have all the sections a professor's CV has. A research CV for scientists will highlight other sorts of achievements than an academic teacher CV.

There’s no one-size-fits-all template.

This guide’s purpose is to provide you with basic concepts and rules every academic curriculum vitae has to follow.

1. Use the Right Academic CV Template and Format

Before you even start writing, take your time to properly format your academic CV, . Admission committees and other academic decision makers can be truly nit-picky when it comes to details. So—

Make sure your CV is scholarly and elegant. Avoid amateurish gaffes that would make you look like a rookie.

Academic CV Formatting Step by Step

1. Set one-inch margins on all four sides.
2. Writing “Curriculum Vitae” at the top is optional (if you’re in sciences, feel free to drop it).
3. Pick one CV font and stick to it. Standard CV fonts like Arial, Times New Roman, and Georgia are best.
4. Use 11–12pt font size for all contents and 13–16pt for section headings and your name.
5. Set single line spacing.
6. Left-align all contents. Do not justify right: avoid awkward, wide spaces.
7. Write section headings in bold using ALL CAPS, and subheadings in bold only.
8. Put an extra space before and after every heading.
9. No verbiage, no bullet points, no storytelling. A CV is not a resume.
10. Include all relevant academic details. Make your academic CV as long as it needs to be (even if that means double-digits page count).

Expert Hint: After you finish writing, save your Academic CV in PDF to keep formatting intact. The only exception is when the institution to which you’re applying only accepts academic CVs in Word. Unsure about that? Shoot a quick email or make a phone call and ask to stay on the safe side.

Now—

What goes where on a professional academic curriculum vitae?

Academic CV Template: What to Include?

1. Header with Contact Information
2. (Optional) Research Objective / Personal Profile
3. Education (read more about how to list education)
4. Professional Appointments
5. Publications
1. Books
2. Book Chapters
3. Peer-reviewed Journal Articles
4. Other Publications
6. Awards and Honors
7. Grants and Fellowships
8. Conferences
1. Invited Talks
2. Panels Organized
3. Papers Presented
4. Campus Talks
9. Teaching Experience
10. Research Experience
11. Languages
12. Skills (find the best skills to put in your resume here)
13. References

Don’t have all of the above?

If you’re, say, writing a graduate student CV or even an undergraduate student CV, applying for a PhD, or seeking to get a part-time research assistant gig your at your campus, don’t worry.

Just skip those sections where you haven’t earned any experience yet. You’ll get there in a few years!

When it comes to outlining your academic CV, there’s one rule that never changes:

Education is always at the top, just below the header with your contact information.

Below that, you organize sections by competitiveness.

The more prestigious the accolade, credential, or achievement, the higher you place it.

But remember that academic CVs might vary depending on the type of position or program you’re targeting.

What exactly are you applying for?

An academic research CV for scientific grants should highlight research over teaching. A PhD candidate academic CV will have a more elaborate education section, while a postdoc CV will emphasize publications.

In other words: the template above works as a universal reference point, but feel free to adjust it so that it fits your specific needs.

Time to break down how to create each section of your curriculum vitae for greatest impact.

2. Create a Standard Academic CV Header

How to Format the Header of an Academic CV?

• At the top, in the center, write your full name. Optionally, follow it with the words “Curriculum Vitae” (this is more common in the humanities and arts).
• Adding a center-aligned date is optional. Generally speaking, only senior scholars do it.
• Put contact details on the left: your full name again, the name and address of your institution, your home address, telephone number, and email.

Expert Hint: Adding a LinkedIn profile address is also optional. Do so if you’re active on LinkedIn and your profile is up-to-date. Business and science scholars tend to add a LinkedIn handle more often.

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3. Optionally, Write a Research Objective or a Personal Profile

For experienced researchers and lecturers, this part is redundant.

Add a personal profile on your CV only if asked for in the guidelines of the institution you’re applying to. Undergrad CVs for grad school applications might benefit from this section.

Here’s how to write it:

Sample Academic CV: Personal Profile

4. Describe Your Education Right

List your institutions chronologically descending.

Include, in the following order:

• Your degree and year of completion,
• (Optionally) your honors,
• Institution,
• Department.

No further details required.

You might include your thesis title and supervisor, but that’s about as elaborate as you might get here.

Academic Curriculum Vitae Example: Education

Expert Hint: Spelling out “Doctor of Philosophy,” or “Master of Science” will make you come across pretentious. As if you had that printed on your doorplate (you don’t, do you?).

5. List Your Professional Appointments (If You’ve Had Them)

Remember: on an adjunct professor resume or CV, there’s usually no place for this section.

Only contracted tenure goes here. And, only stints of 1+ year employment. List other types of teaching experience in the, well, “Teaching Experience” section below.

If you have had professional appointments (congratulations on your big break!), limit yourself to the following necessary details only:

• Your position name,
• Institution,
• Department,
• An outline of courses taught and/or theses supervised.

Like in every other academic curriculum vitae section, use the reverse-chronological order.

Academic CV Template: Professional Appointments

Expert Hint: I want to stress it so hard it causes mental fatigue: don’t use bullet points here. Or anywhere else. This. Is. Not. A. Resume.

6. Divide Your Publications into Proper Categories

How to List Publications on a CV?

Stick to one standard citation style (APA, MLA, or Chicago).

Organize publications by volume, peer-review and prestige:

• Books,
• Book Chapters,
• Peer-Reviewed Publications,
• Contributions to Edited Volumes Equivalent to Peer-Reviewed Journals,
• Other Publications.

7. Showcase Your Awards, Honors, Grants, and Fellowships

This part has gotten all the more important recently.

Considering the planned heavy cuts on federal spendings on higher ed, your academic CV needs to prove that your research so far has been valuable enough to attract funding.

How to List Grants on a CV?

• Enter only the year and the name of the award.
• No backstories such as “chosen out of 800+ applicants.”
• You can disclose how much you got exactly.

Expert Hint: Add the grants or scholarships you have rejected as well. You’re still a legitimate recipient. This is particularly important in artist CVs or CVs for fellowship applications.

8. Put Conferences Above Research and Teaching Experience

Especially invited talks outside of your campus.

Why?

In a word: competitiveness.

To get an invite to do a talk on another campus is insanely prestigious.

Not saying there’s anything wrong with TAing or RAing but, let’s face it, all PhD students, let alone postdoc scholars, have done it at some point in their careers.

But—

If you’re writing a junior academic CV for research projects or a part-time academic teacher CV, you might want to consider pulling your research/teaching experience above conference talks.

Always think about your target audience and what they expect from you.

9. Finish With Listing Languages, Skills, and References

Languages are a must. Describe all languages you know well enough to read basic academic texts in them. You can use the IRL scale (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), CEFR (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2) or go for descriptive evaluation (basic, intermediate, advanced, native).

Listing skills is customary for technical fields such as computer science or engineering.

References are included on an academic CV only if explicitly asked for. You enter them at the very bottom. No need to explain your relationship with a reference unless you’re writing a CV for an undergraduate and only have one reference.

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Key Points

Here’s a recap of what’s most important in producing an Academic CV, regardless of your field and seniority level:

• A well-written academic CV should provide a full overview of the candidate’s scholarly experience.
• Education always goes first. Below it, organize items by competitiveness.
• Begin with professional appointments, follow them with books and publications, list awards, grants, fellowships, conferences, research and teaching experience, and skills. At the bottom, list references.
• Academic CVs’ guidelines vary across educational institutions. When in doubt, consult with a trusted advisor or contact the institution you’re applying to.

Questions? Concerns? I’m here to listen and assist. Drop me a line in the comments and I’ll make sure to get back to you straight away!