Resume vs CV: Which is Better for Your Graduate School Application?

As a working professional, you’ve likely created a resume to apply for an internship or full-time job. You may have also heard of a CV (curriculum vitae), but if you’ve never explicitly been asked for one there has been no need to learn what they’re all about.

While some people use the terms resume and CV interchangeably, they are completely different — you’ll want to use the best option for your graduate school application.

You will only need to submit a resume or CV, not both.

The primary purpose is for admissions reviewers to skim and learn about your academic and professional background.

For my master’s and doctorate applications in the education field, both resumes and CVs were listed as acceptable documents. (I applied with a 2-page resume). Other programs may be more clear in requesting one type over the other.

Before updating your resume or creating a CV for your application, this overview will help you understand what each of these documents are, and which type you might use when applying to graduate school.

Here’s what I’ll cover:

• What is a resume?

• What is a curriculum vitae (CV)?

• Formatting basics for both resumes and CVs

• When to use a resume vs when to use a CV for your graduate school application

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What is a resume?

Focus: professional experiences, relevant skills, accomplishments and awards

Length: 1–2 full pages (i.e. a second page should be at least half filled)

Structure: concise and tailored to a specific opportunity — whether it’s a job, graduate school application, or even volunteer role

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What is a curriculum vitae (CV)?

Focus: academic and professional experiences, publications, research and presentations

Length: 2+ pages, some later-career faculty may even have 10+ pages (it’s wild but I’ve seen them)

Structure: I’ll be honest, the content of some CVs is an “everything but the kitchen sink” approach and are not necessarily tailored for an individual application — this includes education, professional experiences, research projects, publications, professional presentations, honors and awards (including notable scholarships while in school), extracurricular and volunteer experiences, professional memberships, certifications, additional interests or qualifications like language fluency

Fun fact: curriculum vitae as a term has Latin roots meaning “course of one’s life” — which is why they are such detailed documents

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Formatting basics for resumes and CVs

• 12 point font (Times New Roman is the safest option)

• Single-space text — if possible, however, include spaces between sections for readability

• 1" margins around the full document — this ensures no text is cut off if someone prints your resume for manual review

• Use CAPS for section titles, use bolding for experience titles

• Contact information centered at the top of the first page: full name, current city and state (you don’t have to include a full address anymore, it will be available elsewhere for those who need it), email address

• Include your full name on every page — one option is to add your name in a header or footer section after the first page to ensure no pages are lost if printed

• Add page numbers in the header or footer if more than one page

• Education sections should have the highest degree listed first

DO NOT USE:

• Underlining or italics, it negatively impacts readability

• Images, graphics, photos or emojis

• Different fonts

• Colors — let your experiences speak for themselves

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When to use a resume vs when to use a CV for your graduate school application

Unless you’re applying for a PhD or research-heavy master’s degree, you’ll likely submit a resume. 

(I know, sigh of relief!)

CVs are usually reserved for programs with a deep academic or research focus, where your career aspirations are likely within an academic or university setting.

Professional-focused programs like a master’s in business or public policy typically request a resume over a CV, because applicants are more likely to have professional work experiences versus academic and research-focused.

Pro Tip: When in doubt, call admissions. They’ll tell you what reviewers prefer to see for that specific program — even if both resumes and CVs are listed as options. They may also ask about your experiences and suggest the best option for you.

And if you’re the type who wants to be prepared for anything, you are welcome to create one of each type of document to have ready for your graduate school application process.

Good luck, you’ve got this!

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