Elements of a Curriculum Vitae

The Curriculum Vitae (CV) is used to apply for teaching and administrative positions in academia or for a fellowship or grant. It is crucial to have the CV represent your experience, accomplishments, expertise, and special professional qualities in the most positive manner possible.

Contents of a CV vary from field to field, but it is worth noting some of the information typically included. Your CV should be long enough to thoroughly present all your qualifications in the categories discussed below. That will probably take two, three, four, or more pages. The following is a list of typical sections in a CV.

• Identifying Information: name, address, phone numbers and e-mail address. Leave off date of birth, marital status, number of children, or other information that is not relevant.
• Education: begin with your most recent or expected degree. List degrees, majors, institutions, and dates of completion (or expected date) in reverse chronological order. Also list minors, subfields, and honors.
• Dissertation or thesis: provide the title and a brief description of your work, its theoretical framework, your conclusions, your director (and readers, if their names or departments add breadth or new perspectives to your area of research). 
• Awards, honors, fellowships, scholarships, grants: recognition of scholarship by the university or within the field is very important. Membership in honorary societies belong in this section too, unless they have already been listed under "Education."
• Professional experience: this category is often divided into several possible categories such as "Research Experience," "Consulting," "Fieldwork," "Teaching Experience," or "Postdoctoral Work," as well as many others, depending on your discipline. Reverse chronological order is again the rule.
• Publications, invited papers, exhibits, conference presentations, etc: this category may be modified to read "Papers and Publications," "Programs and Workshops" or other titles that accurately reflect production of professional work in your discipline. These should be arranged in reverse chronological order and may be subdivided into sections. You may include works in progress. 
• Teaching, research interests: list the courses you are prepared to teach and topics that indicate your present and future research directions. If your background would allow you to teach in several fields, you may want to include a list of graduate courses taken.
• Academic Service: list all departmental and university groups, committees, task forces on which you served. Student groups are valid as well. You should demonstrate that you have exhibited leadership qualities and you will assume certain departmental administrative duties if hired. If relevant to the position, community service may also be included.
• Memberships or professional affiliations: list all professional groups (e.g., American Counseling Association) and offices held.
• Languages: list all languages you read and speak and note those in which you are fluent.

For more information, see these elements of a cover letter.