cv for phd application

Guide to Writing a PhD CV

Written by Chris Banyard

Writing a CV for your PhD application is an important part of the process. A CV for a PhD application needs to be an academic CV . These differ from traditional CVs in several key ways. They provide a great opportunity for you to display your education background and any relevant research experience in a short and concise way.

This page explains how to write a CV for a PhD application , as well as including several PhD CV examples to give you an idea of how to format your own resume. We’ve also given some handy tips for making a good impression with your PhD CV.

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What is an academic CV?

An academic CV is similar to a standard CV, so the same general guidelines apply.

Keep it professional, up-to-date, relevant, clear and concise. All information should be presented in reverse-chronological order (most recent first).

Any CV should always be tailored to the specific application. And so for a PhD you should ldirectly reference the project specification if possible. The most important and most relevant aspects of you PhD CV should be at the top.

However, there are some key differences between the two documents. An academic CV for a PhD application focuses on academic experience and accomplishments . Anything not relevant to this shouldn’t be included.

How long should an academic CV be?

There can be more pages in an academic CV template compared to a general CV. This is due to the additional sections and information that may be required for academia. For late career researchers, CVs can cover lots of pages. But, for an early career researcher such as a PhD student, an academic CV should last no more than four pages . However, you should still make an effort to keep the CV relevant and concise – in most cases two pages should still be enough.

PhD cover letters

An academic CV is often accompanied by a PhD cover letter. This will give you the chance to expand on the experience you've laid our in your CV and fill in any gaps.

Read more about PhD cover letters .

PhD CV format

An academic CV has several additional sections compared to a standard CV .

1. Personal profile and research interests

2. publications, 3. research experience, 4. teaching experience, 5. funding and awards, 6. professional society membership.

This section is often found at the top of an academic CV. It is usually a short summary of your research experience and your specific interests. This should directly address the job or project application. This could be in the form of bullet points, short sentences, or a short paragraph.

As with all aspects of a PhD CV, it is better to show, not tell . Give evidence of skills, interest and enthusiasm where possible rather than just stating it outright.

If you are deeper into your academic career, and have lots of publications and research experience, you may not need to have a research interests section – it should be fairly clear from your research experience.

• I have spent four years of study in the field of 18th Century History following my research interest
• I’ve developed a particular interest in the French Revolution, on which I have published several popular history articles
• I would love to advance my understanding of the period further, through PhD study with an expert at a remarkable institution

I’m enthusiastic about Science and I really like learning. My research interest is Physics. I’ve got undergraduate and Masters degrees in Physics, so I want to do a PhD next.

This should include any journal articles, books (or chapters), reports and patents. Again, these should be in reverse chronological order. Ensure the referencing style is consistent and embolden your name where there are several authors.

You can include works in progress if necessary – just ensure this is clearly labelled.

If this is a long list, it may be better suited as an appendix .

This includes invited research projects , talks , conference attendance / participation, and other presentations .

It could be arranged by project (in reverse chronological order) or by experience (i.e. laboratory experience, presentations etc., in order of relevance). You can include your current research – this could be worthy of greater detail.

It may be useful to focus on the expert and technical skills involved in this experience, especially if they are relevant to the application.

Include the names of supervisors for each research project / experience, plus a brief summary of each (highlighting relevant or impressive aspects).

Research experience is arguably the most important part of an academic CV. It’s what many employers / project supervisors will look for and could be a deciding factor in the application process.

2017-present: Investigation into Viral Capsid Protein Self-Assembly

Masters degree research project, supervised by Prof J. Bloggs. Developed in-depth knowledge of literature searching, basic molecular biology techniques, and in vitro protein analysis. Presented research at several academic conferences through posters and oral presentations.

2016: Redox Sensors of Bacillus subtilis

Undergraduate research project under the supervision of Dr S. Smyth. Gained experience of protein crystallisation and bioinformatic analysis. My research report for this project was awarded a First Class mark.

Laboratory research. I have research experience in Molecular Biology laboratories at the Universities of Aberdeen and Dundee, developing relevant skills such as PCR, genetic cloning, protein purification, and protein crystallisation.

Presenting. I have presented research using a variety of techniques, including talks, posters, and workshops. These have been presented to academic experts at national conferences.

Academic writing. I have written many pieces of assessed research writing. These include literature reviews, research reports, and meta-analyses. All marks shown in Education section.

Teaching is an increasingly important part of academia, and teaching skills or experience are useful to have on an academic CV (provided they are relevant to the application).

Show any teaching, training, demonstrating, mentoring and supervision experience. Include the level of the students (i.e. undergraduate, postgraduate), and any additional work you did to accompany this such as marking, planning or organisation.

Here you can list any grants, awards, bursaries, scholarships, and fellowships you may have.

This may be for things such as:

• research projects
• conferences
• presentations
• academic posters
• anything else appropriate

Funding and awards are competitive and demonstrating an ability to succeed with them is an important skill in academia.

Again, list these in reverse chronological order, and include the award or funding monetary amount if it’s the convention in the particular research field.

Being a member of a professional society (for example the Biochemical Society) is a good way to show enthusiasm and commitment for a research area. Always include the dates of your membership.

What if I don’t have publications / experience?

As a PhD applicant, it is unlikely that you will already have lots of publications, research experience or academic funding / awards.

If you do, this will go a long way to building a successful application.

However, as an undergraduate or new postgraduate student you will not be expected to have lots of this.

It is important to include any experience you have (for example, a research project at Masters level) and show an enthusiasm for research.

It could be worth changing your PhD CV to a more skills-based format. In this way, you can put more focus on transferable skills that are useful in academia, and less focus on research experience.

If your CV still seems bare, it may be beneficial for your academic CV if you can find ways to get research experience or develop research skills.

Academic CV flexibility

There is some flexibility in writing a CV – you can change the sections included to better suit you or better suit the application.

General CV sections

Some of the same sections as a general CV should be included in an academic CV. However, these may need to be adjusted to be appropriate for a position in academia.

This should be your name, fairly large and clear, at the top of the page. It is not necessary to write “CV” or “Curriculum Vitae” – this should be obvious to the reader.

Include your contact information below this, such as your address, phone number and email.

For an academic CV, this is an important section and usually is found near the top of the CV. List by degree, plus titles, with the most advanced first (i.e. PhD, Masters, Bachelors etc.). It is acceptable to include your current degree, clearly noted.

This section is vital to show the hard skills necessary to be eligible for the position. For example, if a PhD project description states that applicants require a Masters degree, then your relevant Masters degree should be prominent here.

If useful to the application, you can include individual courses on a degree with their marks. But, give course titles and do not include course codes – these are usually just for internal administration purposes.

Results pending

A student applicant may not have received exam / dissertation results at the time of applying. This is acceptable – just include any results or marks you have already.

Other skills

Research and teaching skills may already be included in specific sections, but this section may serve for any other relevant skills .

This can include things like administrative experience, professional development, additional training, and languages (with proficiency noted).

• Administration experience: treasurer for University English Literature Society, management of local business’ social media accounts
• Technology skills: Diploma of Graphic Design & Desktop Publishing (awarded by International Career Institute)
• Languages: French (fluent), German (conversational)

I like reading books. I have experience of working in a local shop. Good with animals. Can do 46 keepie-uppies in a row. . .

Discussion of CV content at the interview

If you are shortlisted for a PhD interview , you may be asked to discuss the contents of your CV. Therefore, you can keep the CV concise and clear, and expand later at the interview if it is relevant.

For an academic CV, you will have referees , not references. This section will be at the bottom of your CV.

Check the application information regarding the number and nature of referees to include. There are usually two or three referees, at least two of which are academic. Non-academic referees may be included if specified or required, particularly if you’ve taken some time out of education before applying for the programme in question.

Keep the referencing style consistent.

Check that your referees are aware of their inclusion on your CV and have given you permission.

Should I include a photo of myself?

In the UK, USA and Canada, a photo should not be included. In some professions, this will cause the CV to immediately be discarded due to anti-discrimination laws.

However, in some countries, for example in continental Europe, photos are often included at the top of a CV. Always check the conventions of the country you are applying to.

Layout and formatting

Most of the same rules apply for a general CV as for an academic CV. However, it may be useful to check the common PhD resume format conventions for a specific academic field – these can sometimes vary.

Organisation

For all CVs, the most important parts for the application are placed at the top. Generally speaking, you should follow this PhD CV template when ordering the sections of your resume:

• 1. Name and contact information
• 2. Education
• 3. Publications
• 4. Research experience
• 5. Teaching experience
• 6. Funding and awards
• 7. Professional society membership
• 8. Referees

The exact order of these can be adjusted to better suit the application and the applicant.

There is some flexibility in the PhD resume formats. You may choose a style that you like, but it should follow the following rules.

The format of the CV should always be clear, with a readable, normal-sized font and line-spacing where possible. Make sure the format is consistent throughout.

Headings and subheadings can be larger and / or emboldened. There should be clear spaces or definitions between each section.

UK and Canada CV vs. USA CV

There can be differences in the layout and formatting of CVs in different countries. UK / Canadian CVs tend to be shorter and more condensed than their American counterparts. Always check the conventions of the country you are applying to.

Tips for writing an academic CV

As you write your academic CV for a PhD application, there are plenty of things you should bear in mind to make sure that you give a strong impression to those reading it. These are our tips for producing a great academic CV:

• Make sure that your CV is clear, reads well and is scannable . This means ensuring that the most important – and impressive – information is obvious at a glance. Don’t make the admissions officer work hard to discover what a brilliant candidate you are.
• Don’t allow sections to be split across two pages – this can harm the readability of your academic CV.
• Avoid jargon and unexplained abbreviations .
• Ask a second, third or even fourth pair of eyes to comb your CV for potential typos and grammatical errors.
• Bear in mind that you don’t need to repeat information already included in your cover letter , research proposal and personal statement as part of your PhD application.
• Try not to use too many font sizes or styles , which can make your CV look jumbled and inconsistent. At the same time, bold and italics can be useful with clarity – just don’t overdo it.
• Check that the CV is specific to the job or project description , and that there is no irrelevant information carried over from another PhD application.
• Ensure that the appropriate sections are in reverse chronological order .
• Use the PDF file format to prevent potential formatting issues.

Finally, always get additional advice and opinions. Not all advice is good, but you should always get help to find any mistakes or opportunities for improvement. Advice from someone who is experienced in the research field – perhaps a PhD graduate themselves – who can offer discipline-specific help on the academic CV will be particularly useful.

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• How to write an Academic CV for a PhD Application
• Applying to a PhD
• The purpose of an academic CV for a PhD application is to provide a summary of your educational background and demonstrate the research skills and relevant experience you have that make you capable of undertaking a PhD.
• It should be divided into nine sections : (1) contact information, (2) research interests, (3) education, (4) research and work experience, (5) teaching experience, (6) relevant skills and experience, (7) publications and conferences, (8) professional memberships, (9) referees.
• It should ideally be up to two pages for a new research student, but can extend up to four pages if required.
• The smaller details matter more than you think – write concisely, use consistent formatting, avoid jargons and general statements, check spelling and grammar, and have at least one academic to proofread it for you, ideally in the same area you are applying to.

Introduction

So you are nearing the end of your current degree or making a return to education, and you’ve decided to make your next step a PhD. While the road ahead will be filled with much excitement, you’ll need to secure your position first. This will all begin with a strong PhD application and an equally impressive academic CV and personal statement or cover letter.

Together with your personal statement or cover letter, your CV will show who you are as an individual and what you have to offer. It needs to be concise, correctly formatted and well written to convince your preferred university and supervisor that you are the right student for the project.

This step-by-step guide will get you on your way to creating an outstanding academic CV for your next PhD application. We’ll discuss the sections your CV should be structured into, what each of these sections should include, and how it should be written. We’ll also give you valuable tips that are sure to get your readers’ attention.

What Is an Academic CV?

When applying for a PhD position, it’s common for the university to request a curriculum vitae (CV) from you to accompany your application.

An academic CV may appear similar to a standard CV used for job applications, but they are two relatively unique documents.

Where a standard CV focuses mostly on what your previous responsibilities have been and what you have accomplished to date, an academic CV concentrates on your academic background, achievements and experiences . Your academic CV will be used by a PhD supervisor to determine whether you can meet the challenges associated with undertaking a demanding PhD research project, as not everyone can.

How to Write an Academic CV for A PhD Application

A good academic CV should be broken into nine section headings:

• Contact Information
• Research Interests / Personal Profile
• Research and Work Experience
• Teaching Experience
• Relevant Skills and Experience
• Publications and Conferences
• Professional Memberships
• Referees / References

Below, we discuss what each of these sections should contain and how they should be written.

1. Contact Information

Start your CV by providing your contact details. All of the following should be included:

• Full name  – Your name should be your document title, formatted in bold and centralised text.
• Email address and contact number
• Location  – Your town/city and country, e.g. ‘Birmingham, UK’, will be sufficient; it’s not necessary to provide your full home address.
• Profiles  – Include a link to any professional profiles you may have, such as LinkedIn or ResearchGate.

NOTE:  Some individuals include a profile photo but be careful before doing so. While this would be expected in some countries such as those in Asia, the Middle East and Africa, this would not be the case in other countries such as the UK and US. This is because it can lead to complications with labour and anti-discrimination laws and potentially cost you your application. We therefore strongly advise you to look into the norms and regulations of the host country before deciding to do so.

2. Research Interests / Personal Profile

For an academic CV written for a PhD position, your ‘research interests’ section will double as you ‘personal profile’. As a brief introduction to yourself, this will be an important section as it sets the first impression of you for the reader.

Use bullet points or a brief paragraph to summarise who you are, your relevant qualifications, your research interests and your relevant skills and experience. When writing this section, your focus should be on two aspects: demonstrating your  ability to conduct a PhD  and your  enthusiasm for the project .

To create an impactful research interests’ section, adhere to the following:

• Tailor to each research project you apply for:  One of the easiest ways to do this is to read the project description attached to the PhD advert, identify two to three of the most prominent keywords, and incorporate them into your writeup.
• Keep it short:  This section is only an introduction, so keep it concise and punchy over long and detailed; 50 – 60 words is a good target.
• Make every word count:  As 50 – 60 words isn’t much, be as specific as you can. Avoid clichés such as “I am committed to research and have a high attention to detail” at all costs; not only are they generic and overused, they also don’t provide the reader with any useful insights into you.

3. Education

A PhD CV is all about academic achievements and qualifications, so your education section should be given high importance and form the bulk of your CV, especially as it will be used to determine if have the core skills required for the position.

Working in reverse chronological order, provide a breakdown of your current academic qualifications. For most of you, this will be an undergraduate Bachelor’s degree and a postgraduate Master’s degree.

When listing your qualifications, provide the full name of the degree, the degree type, and the duration in terms of its start and end year. You do not need to limit this to your past qualifications; if you’re currently studying or taking an external course, include them as well, but state that they are ongoing and provide an expected grade if you have one.

If your degree is relevant to the PhD project you are applying to, include a list of the modules you completed and your corresponding marks; the same applies to your final year dissertation project.

Note:  If you list your relevant modules, streamline their names by removing any course codes. For example, “FN01 Fluid Dynamics” should become “Fluid Dynamics”. Course codes are only used for internal purposes, and each university will have its own system, so remove them to avoid any possible confusion.

Feel free to also list your GCSEs, A-Levels or other relevant academic qualifications if applicable to the field you are applying to, however, this isn’t necessary, and most supervisors will not ask for them. The exception to this is if your university degree is not directly related to the project you are applying for, but your previous qualifications are. In these cases, include them to help demonstrate the suitability of your academic background.

Finally, list any honours, awards and prizes that you have won or any other notable academic achievements that will help to strengthen your application.

4. Research and Work Experience

Your research and relevant work experience is just as, if not more, important than your educational background. This is because most applicants applying for the position will have similar qualifications, so your research experience can often be the deciding factor when all other things are considered equal.

Your research experience may include both paid and voluntary, full-time and part-time work, as well as university project work. However, in all cases, the experience you mention should be relevant to the project you are applying for or have helped you develop skills that make you a more capable researcher. For example, it’s not necessary to mention your time in retail, but any previous time as a laboratory or teaching assistant or teaching support absolutely will be.

If you any discuss research that you have done as part of your studies, present them as individual project listed in reverse chronological order, as before. You can also include research projects you are currently working on, regardless of how developed they are.

When discussing any projects, include the following:

• What the project was about,
• What research methods you used,
• The skills you gained,
• Any notable achievements or outcomes.

5. Teaching Experience

Since one of the main career paths after a PhD is an academic career, teaching experience can significantly strengthen your academic CV. However, it is generally accepted that not all applicants will have teaching experience, but if you do, include it here.

When discussing your teaching experience, state what level it was at, e.g. undergraduate or postgraduate, and what it involved, i.e. marking, teaching, supervising or organising.

6. Relevant Skills and Experience

This section should describe all other skills and experiences that will help strengthen your application.

They should be specific to the PhD project or demonstrate your potential to become a competent researcher. This includes:

• Technical skills and experience, e.g. the use of computer software packages or research equipment common to the project you’re applying for.
• Non-project specific courses you’ve sat, e.g. an academic writing and communication course.
• Languages you know with their proficiencies noted.

7. Publications and Conferences

Most students won’t have academic publications, but if you do, list them here. Formal publications can include anything from journal articles, which is most likely to an adaptation of your final year dissertation project if you do have one, and published reports. If you have these, list them in reverse chronological order using the reference system adopted by the university you are applying to, as this is what the PhD supervisor will most likely be used to.

If you aren’t a published author or co-author, you can still include other text publications that you may have been involved in, such as online articles, magazines, newsletters and blogs. The topics of these publications should relate to your field or academia in general and be written in a formal tone that showcases your critical thinking and writing skills.

If you’ve ever given a conference presentation, include it here with details of the name, date and location of the conference, the title of your presentation and a summary of what it was about.

Even if you haven’t presented in conferences, you should still list any you have attended, including any seminars or talks. This is a useful way to illustrate your interest in the subject and your commitment to gaining new knowledge within your field.

TIP:  If you haven’t attended many conferences or seminars, consider attending several upcoming ones relevant to the research area you’re interested in. Not only is this a great way to learn more about the field in terms of its latest developments and gaps, but it can also be an effective way to make your academic CV more relevant if it’s currently light on research experience.

8. Professional Memberships

Being affiliated with an academic group, society or professional body demonstrates your enthusiasm for your field and for connecting with other like-minded individuals within the community.

When listing these, include the name of the group, the associated membership dates and the position you have held within it.

9. Referees / References

Your references will form the last section of your academic CV.

Your PhD application should specify the number of referees you should include, but if it does not, try to include at least two, but ideally three.

Two of the referees should be academic, with most students choosing their personal tutor and their final year’s dissertation project supervisor. It can be other staff members, but the essential requirement is that it is someone who knows you well enough to be able to substantiate your abilities and character.

If you don’t have two academic referees, you can use a professional referee as long as they are still relevant to the project you are applying for. This will most likely be the case for those who have worked in industry for some time before deciding to return to education.

When creating your reference list, list your referees in order of relevance and how well they know you, not in alphabetical order. This is so if only the first referee is called upon, it will be the individual who can provide you the most useful reference. The following information should be provided:

• Professional title,
• Name of current university,
• Phone number and email address.

It’s imperative that you first seek permission from the individuals before listing them as a referee. It would also be beneficial to send them a copy of your CV, cover letter and application form so they can familiarise themselves with the broader details in case they are called upon.

Tips for Creating a Standout Academic CV

No matter how impressive your academic achievements are or how much experience you have accumulated in your field, the PhD supervisor may never find out if your CV is too difficult to read. With this in mind, here are a few tips for achieving a high degree of clarity:

Formatting for Clarity

• Highlight key information through the use of bolding, italics and underlining, but be careful not to overdo it so that it loses its purpose.
• Keep your formatting consistent throughout, such as indentations, font type and font size, vertical spacing and margins.
• Insert page numbers on each page.
• Avoid jargon and abbreviations to maximise clarity.
• Avoid splitting sections across two pages.

Keep It Concise

• Try to limit your CV to two pages and not more than four. If you need to go over two pages, make sure the most important information is on the first two pages.
• Avoid dense paragraphs, overly long sentences and generic statements. The aim is to pass on essential information in a way that doesn’t require the reader to have to extract it themselves. This leads to the next tip,
• Use bullet points whenever possible, they’re easier to digest than paragraphs.

NOTE:  Remember that you will also submit a cover letter or personal statement alongside your CV, so don’t feel the need to cover everything to a high level of detail here as you will have the opportunity to do so elsewhere.

Check and Revise

• As a rule of thumb, the academic CV you submit as part of your PhD application should be the third or fourth version you produce. Try to keep a day or two between each version so that you always approach it with a fresh perspective.
• Proofread for any spelling and grammar mistakes. Although this will seem like we’re stating the obvious, a small mistake can be enough to jeopardise your chances considering that there will be many other high-profile candidates for the supervisor to choose from.
• Have your document checked, first by an academic such as your tutor, and second by a professional proofreader or by an advisor from your university’s careers team. The former will check for technical issues, the latter for common curriculum vitae formatting, spelling and grammar mistakes.

Save in PDF Format

If the submission method allows for it, convert your CV to PDF format. This significantly reduces the likelihood of compatibility and reformatting issues when opened by the supervisor.

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Resume for PhD application example

You’ve wrapped up your degree and are keen to embark on your PhD journey.

But before you can get stuck in, you’ll need to secure your place by putting forward a compelling PhD application and resume.

If you’ve never written an academic-style resume before, the process can be daunting. That’s why I’ve created this step-by-step guide to writing a resume for a PhD application.

I’ve also included a PhD resume example, to give you a better idea of what you need to include. Here’s what I’ll cover in the guide:

Guide contents

PhD application resume example

• Structuring and formatting your resume
• Writing your resume summary
• Detailing your education
• Detailing your relevant experience

Resume templates 

As you can see from the resume example above, a PhD resume is structured differently to a traditional resume. Instead of focusing on work experience, academic experience and accomplishments are prioritised.

However, the fundamental resume writing rules stay the same. Therefore, the candidate has put forward their information in a way which is clear, concise and formatted for easy reading.

PhD application resume structure & format

PhD programmes receive thousands of applications, meaning the university admissions teams are generally very time-strapped.

As such, you need to structure and format your resume to make it as easy as possible for them to review.

First impressions count and a cluttered or disorganised application won’t do you any favours.

Instead, you should aim for a clean, well-organised and professional appearance throughout.

Formatting Tips

• Length: While academic resumes are generally longer than standard resumes, it’s still best to aim for a short, relevant and concise document. For PhD applications, a length of one or two A4 pages is ideal. This is more than enough space to highlight your suitability without overwhelming the reader with irrelevant information or excessive detail.
• Readability: The information on your resume should be laid out logically, with clear section headings for easy navigation. Break up large chunks of text into small, snappy paragraphs and include bullet points where appropriate.
• Design: Opt for a clear, legible font and stick to it throughout – consistency is important. Ensure your headings are formatted for attention by using bold text or a slightly larger font size.
• Things to avoid: Steer clear of elaborate designs, fancy fonts, images or logos – they’re simply not needed and might distract from the all-important written content.
• Things to consider: resumes ‘rules’ differ from country to country, so if you’re applying to an international university, take some time to research what’s expected of you.

Structuring your resume

Organise your content into the following sections for ease-of-reading:

• Contact details – These should always be at the very top of your resume.
• Personal statement – A brief introductory summary of your qualifications, skills and experience in relation to the PhD.
• Core skills – A short and snappy list of your most relevant skills, tailored to the PhD.
• Education – A detailed breakdown of your relevant qualifications, especially your undergraduate and postgraduate degree(s).
• Career summary/research experience – An overview of any relevant work or research experience, angled towards your chosen field of study.
• Additional information – A space to detail any other relevant information which may boost your application.

Quick tip: While the simple resume format above is usually ideal, academic institutions often have their own preferred structure. Double-check their guidelines before you start writing – their preferences should be prioritised – and use a resume template if you want to speed things up without sacrificing quality.

Resume Contact Details

Commence your resume by sharing your basic contact details

• Phone number
• Email address
• Location – Rather than listing your full address, your town or city, such as ‘New York’ or ‘Boston’, is enough.
• If you have one, add a link to your LinkedIn profile or a portfolio of work.

Resume for PhD Personal Statement

Your summary / personal statement is essentially your first impression on the reader and is a great way to hook their attention.

It should provide a snappy summary of who you are and why your qualifications, skills and ambitions make you a perfect candidate for the PhD.

Tips to consider when creating your personal statement:

• Tailor to the PhD: Every PhD programme should have a description available, which you can use to tailor your personal statement ( and your resume as a whole). Focus on proving you have the appropriate educational background, skillset and knowledge to carry out the project.
• Prove your enthusiasm: It’s important to put forward your drive and motivation for your field and explain why the specific PhD is so well-matched to your wider interests and ambitions.
• Avoid clichés: Clichés and generic phrases like “I’m a motivated team player” and “gives 110%” won’t impress the admissions team.
• Keep it short: A paragraph length of around 8-15 lines is perfect. This is only an introduction – the detail can come later on in your resume.

What to include in your resume for PhD personal statement?

• Your academic background – Give a brief overview of your undergraduate degree and/or masters and how they’ve brought you towards this PhD.
• Impressive results – PhD students are normally academically extraordinary, so make sure to point out any impressive results or feedback – whether that’s your degree as a whole or a particularly relevant assignment/project grade.
• Relevant skills – Use the PhD project description to find out what the university is looking for in candidates. Then, try to incorporate the core skills into your summary.
• Relevant experience – Not everyone will have any relevant research or work experience to their name at this stage, but if you do, make sure to briefly highlight it here.
• Interests, goals & motivations – Give a brief insight into your motivation for taking on a PhD, why you’re so committed to your specific research topics(s) and what you think you can add. It’s also helpful to summarise how the course will fit into your wider career ambitions/goals.

Core skills section

Next, create a punchy list of core skills, organised into 2 or 3 columns of bullet points.

Use the project description to identify the required skills and knowledge, then use your findings to inform your list.

This will help the busy admissions team to see that the PhD is right for you at a glance.

Education & Qualifications

A PhD resume is all about academic achievements and qualifications, so this section should make up the bulk of your resume.

Working in reverse chronological order, provide a detailed breakdown of your undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications.

If you have any other academic qualifications that are particularly relevant to the PhD subject, they might be worth listing, too.

Structuring your education

By working to a considered structure, you can ensure your education is easy to navigate and that your key achievements stand out.

For each of your relevant qualifications, break up information into the following sections.

Start by detailing the type of qualification, the title, the achieved grade, the academic institution at which you studied and the year you graduated.

MSc – Environmental Engineering (Distinction)

St James University (2018)

Course content

Next, discuss your thesis or dissertation title (if applicable), the modules you studied and any relevant projects you were involved in.

What you choose to write here should be tailored to the PhD you’re applying for – focus the detail on the most relevant aspects of the qualification.

Thesis: “Identification of the Bacterial Profusion and Variety in Nuclear Waste Disposal”.

Modules: System Analysis in Urban Water Management; Process Engineering in Urban Water Management; Air Quality Control; Waste Management; Ecological Systems Design, and Remote Sensing and Earth Observation.

Project: “Research Study for Anaerobic Wastewater Treatment”

Key achievements (optional)

Finish up with a snappy list of key results, accomplishments or learning outcomes you achieved.

This might be an impressive grade for a highly relevant assignment, an award you won or a quote of exemplary feedback from a tutor.

Career & Research Experience

Next up is your career & research summary, which should be tailored to the PhD in question.

You could include relevant research experience here, as well as any related employment (even if temporary or voluntary).

Make sure to be selective with the type of employment you list, though. For example, a part-time waiting on job isn’t worth including, but a laboratory or tutoring job might be. Ultimately, it should be related to your field or have helped you develop relevant skills or knowledge.

When discussing your research roles, make sure to detail the techniques you used, the skills developed and any interesting findings.

Structuring your experience section

Ensure your career & research section is clear, scannable and easy to read by working to the following structure:

Outline the dates of employment/contract, the role title and the organisation or institution you worked for.

Aug 2018 – Sep 2019 Research Intern Hydro Continental, New York

Give a brief overview of the position or research project as a whole, discussing the team you worked with (or lead), who you reported to and what the goal of the project was.

“Undertook a short-term assignment pertaining to the Economics of climate change in order to research and drive improvements in energy consumption and emissions; reported to the Executive Engineer.”

Key responsibilities

Then use bullet points to pinpoint your duties and responsibilities within the role, making sure to mention any relevant techniques or skills used that could benefit your candidacy.

• Employed the Marginal Abatement Cost (MAC) curve tool to present carbon emissions abatement options.
• Built partnerships and participated in open discussions with other country modellers and research associates.
• Amassed and processed varied data from multiple sources.

Writing your resume for PhD

Applying for a PhD is a daunting yet exciting time, but a flawless resume can help you achieve your goals.

Remember to tailor your resume to the specific PhD you’re applying for and aim to make a compelling case for your suitability and aligned goals.

Before you send off your resume, try to get a second opinion from a current or previous tutor, trusted family member or friend.

It’s also worth checking the finished document with our quick-and-easy Resume Builder , to eliminate the risk of overlooking mistakes.

Best of luck with your PhD application!

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CV for PhD Application: How to Write One Like a True Scholar (+CV Example)

• Klara Cervenanska , 
• Updated March 13, 2024 11 min read

A PhD is the highest level of academic qualification you can achieve. To secure your position, however, you first need an impressive CV for your PhD application.

Earning a PhD degree requires you to produce extensive research in a narrowly defined subject within a certain discipline and to make a considerable original contribution to your field.

Hence why PhD programs are always very selective. The admission rates hover around 10% and only about half of the admitted candidates actually finish the degree, according to a recent psychology research .

As a result, less than 1% of the population attains a PhD.

So, how do you become a part of the 1%?

The process of attaining a PhD starts with a strong application which includes an impressive academic CV .

A CV for PhD application needs to be carefully crafted, well formatted, and contain specific sections.

We'll show you how to craft a stellar PhD application CV, and a sample academic CV from a real person admitted to a PhD program in France.

Table of Contents

Click on a section to skip

What is an academic CV?

What to include in an academic cv for phd application.

• How to write an academic CV for a PhD application?

Tips on how to write a CV for PhD application

How to tailor your cv for different phd programs, phd cv example.

First, there are two types of career documents job seekers widely use. A resume and a Curriculum Vitae (CV).

These two documents are similar but not identical.

So, let's have a look at the key differences between a CV vs a resume :

• A resume is used when applying for a position in industry, non-profits, or the public sector. It should focus on skills and past experience while being tailored to a specific job position. The length of the document shouldn't be more than 1 or 2 pages.
• A curriculum vitae (CV) is used when applying for positions in academia, science, or medicine. It focuses on education, research background and scholarly accomplishments. Finally, its length depends on the number of references, publications, etc.

There are even more types of CVs. A general CV, an industry (professional) CV, or an academic (research) CV — which is exactly the one you'll need.

In a nutshell, an academic CV is a career document that provides extensive information about your educational and research background. Scholars and researchers use this document when applying for jobs in academia — such as a PhD application.

Lastly, an academic resume is a term you can often come across, too. To avoid any confusion, it's the same as an academic CV. A more appropriate term is, however, the latter.

Rules are important in academia. That's why all academic CVs usually follow pretty strict structures regarding their content and formatting.

First, let's have a look at the resume sections you should include in a CV for PhD application:

• Contact information. Include your full name, email, phone number, and location.
• (Research) objective. A concise, brief paragraph outlining your research plans and strategies.
• Education. It should form the bulk of your CV and detail you educational background.
• (Research) experience. Your research experience can often set you apart from other candidates.
• Publications. Include anything from journal articles, published reports, to your research dissertation.
• Awards. Mention all awards and accomplishments you’ve received in reverse chronological order.
• Skills. These should be relevant to the PhD project or show that you have what it takes to succeed as a researcher.
• References. Finally, try to include at least two references, such as your dissertation supervisor and one other member of staff.

Let's have a closer look at each of the 8 CV sections in the next chapter.

How to write an academic CV for a PhD application ?

Applying for a PhD will be a lot less stressful if you follow this quick guide on how to write a CV for a PhD application:

You should always start your CV or your resume by providing your contact details to form the CV header . Include your full name, your professional email address, and your mobile number. Additionally, you can include your location. However, we don't advise including your full home address for privacy reasons. Entering the country and city you reside in is usually enough. Since a CV is a bit different than a resume, we don't recommend including links to your social media .

Research objective is basically a brief paragraph at the beginning of your CV outlining your research plans, interests, and strategies. It paints a picture of you as a person and will guarantee that the admissions committee will be interested in reading and learning more about your professional background. Your research plans and strategies should align with the PhD project you're applying for. Hence, read the project description carefully and make sure to tailor your objective accordingly. Ideally, without making stuff up.

The education section should form the bulk of an academic CV. No one expects a potential PhD candidate to have 10 years of experience in the field. But what's expected is an appropriate educational background. A common practice is to list your education in a reverse chronological order. This means listing your Master's degree first and then a Bachelor's degree. For each degree, provide the full name of the degree, the type, its duration, the relevant courses and modules, the corresponding (or expected) marks, GPA , and any relevant projects or presentations. Also, include the name and the description of your final year dissertation project.

In this section, introduce all of the research projects you worked on, whether they were a part of your undergraduate degree, your master's degree, or you have undertaken this project elsewhere. You can include any voluntary , part-time , or full-time work experience you deem relevant for the PhD project of your choice. For instance, skip the part-time bartending job and rather include a teaching experience or a voluntary project you undertook.

Of course, it's okay if you don't have any publications yet. If that's the case, simply skip this section. However, if you do have any work published at this stage, list it in this section. The publications can include anything from journal articles, published reports, contributions to peer-reviewed journals, or an adaptation of your dissertation project. Make sure to check the citation style your institution or field prefers and use it consistently in your publications section. The most common ones are APA, MLA, and Chicago.

In this CV section, list relevant honors, achievements, or awards you earned for going beyond average — again in reversed chronological order. It includes scholarships, university fellowships, competitions, work-related awards, or academic awards . For instance, you can mention a very high GPA, subject-specific awards, or any grants you received. However, keep in mind that mentioning how much money was involved is only common in scientific fields.

The skills you mention in your academic CV should be relevant to the PhD project you're applying for or show that you have what it takes to succeed as a researcher. Between the two types of skills , hard and soft, hard skills are more appropriate to include in your CV for PhD application. Examples of hard skills include Python, data analysis, polymer synthesis, C++, Chem Draw, Ahrefs , languages, or other computer skills . However, completing a PhD degree usually also involves demonstrating your teaching abilities. For this reason, listing soft skills such as a good oral communication and presenting is also a good idea.

While a references section in a regular resume is pretty much redundant, in a CV for PhD application it's a must-have . Why? Well, having a person attest to your skills and achievements is a great way to leverage your professional experience. The person you ask should be articulate and in a reputable position. Your best bet is to ask your dissertation supervisor, a professor you had a good relationship with, or one who taught the subject most relevant for the desired PhD program. Finally, don't forget that your references have to agree with having their contact information shared, first. Read our quick guide on how do you ask someone to be your reference .

Apart from making sure the content of your CV is spot on, you should also follow some well-established formatting tips.

A clear layout and composition ensure your CV is professional and easy to read.

Here are a few tips to help you achieve that:

• Keep the formatting consistent. If you choose a certain font type and size, stick to it. The same goes for margins, spacing, and capitalization.
• Less is often more. It might be tempting to use bolding, italics, or underlining in order to make the document "easy" to read. However, an excessive use of these features actually has the exact opposite effect.
• Avoid long paragraphs. A CV is all about providing objective facts regarding your professional background. Hence, no need to provide generic statements or go into too much detail. And if you happen to write more text, you can always divide it using bullet points.
• Use professional language. It goes without saying, but don't use slang. Similarly, use professional jargon and abbreviations within reasonable limits.
• Don't limit yourself to one or two pages. The length of your academic CV depends on the number of publications, awards, references, and experiences. Unlike a resume, a CV is a complete summary of your academic and professional background.
• Convert your CV to PDF. Doing this considerably reduces the risk of compatibility and formatting issues. A PDF file keeps your formatting intact across various devices.

Too much to keep in mind? Kickresume's CV & resume builder can save you the headache and provides useful templates with appropriate formatting designed by career professionals.

When applying for different PhD programs, it's crucial to tailor your academic CV to suit each specific program. 

This doesn't just improve your chances of catching the eye of admissions committees ; it demonstrates your genuine interest and alignment with their goals. 

To effectively tailor your CV for different PhD programs, follow these three tips:

#1 Understand program requirements and values

How do you do that? Start with in-depth research about the PhD program:

• Visit the program's website
• Look at the curriculum
• Attend open days
• If possible, reach out to alumni 

Once you have a clear picture of the program's values and requirements, you can begin to customize your CV. 

For example: If a program emphasizes community outreach, you might highlight your involvement in science education for underprivileged youths or your participation in community-based research projects. 

This demonstrates not only your alignment with their values but also your active contribution to areas they care about.

#2 Emphasize transferable skills for PhD programs

This applies to people switching fields or applying to a program that isn't a direct continuation of your undergraduate degree. 

Let's say you're moving from a background in chemistry to a PhD in molecular biology. 

It's crucial to highlight how your analytical skills, understanding of chemical processes, and any lab work or research experience directly apply to molecular biology. 

For instance: Discuss your experience with techniques that are common in both fields, like chromatography or spectrometry, and how they've prepared you for the research you aim to conduct in molecular biology. 

Tailoring your CV in this manner demonstrates your ability to bridge different disciplines and apply your skills in new contexts.

#3 Adapt your CV for international PhD programs

Adapting your CV for international programs involves more than just translating it into another language. 

Start by researching the academic culture and CV formats preferred in the country you're applying to. This might include:

• the preferred length
• whether to include personal information such as a photo
• emphasis on certain types of experience or qualifications

For instance: in some countries, a detailed list of courses and grades might be important, while in others, a focus on research experience and publications is key. 

Websites of the target universities, country-specific academic career resources, advice from current international students, or even online forums like Reddit are invaluable for this purpose.

Finally, to help you tie everything we talked about together, we thought one picture is worth a thousand words.

Here's a CV sample from a person who managed to get accepted into a PhD program at the university of Lyon in France.

There are several things Herrera included to ensure her CV was successful:

• A complete professional and academic background. We can see that this section forms the bulk of the resume. As it should.
• Plenty of hard skills. Herrera included 7 hard technical skills and multiple languages. All of these skills are very valuable in academia.
• A succinct description of all projects. She includes the full name of the projects, their duration, and theme.
• References, publications, and certifications. All of these sections are included in the full version of this resume and can be found by clicking the button below the sample CV.

Lyon University PhD Student Resume Sample

This resume sample was contributed by a real person who got hired with Kickresume’s help.

Klara graduated from the University of St Andrews in Scotland. After having written resumes for many of her fellow students, she began writing full-time for Kickresume. Klara is our go-to person for all things related to student or 'no experience resumes'. At the same time, she has written some of the most popular resume advice articles on this blog. Her pieces were featured in multiple CNBC articles. When she's not writing, you'll probably find her chasing dogs or people-watching while sipping on a cup of coffee.

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How to Write a CV for a PhD Application (with free template!)

When you’re faced with writing an academic CV for a PhD application it can be hard to know where to start.

After all, along with your personal statement an academic CV is the heart of your PhD application: essentially acting as a “highlights reel” of your greatest achievements. You need it to be well formatted and engaging, yet concise enough that all of your most relevant experience is unmissable at a glance.

Quite a challenge!

In this post we’ll break down what to include. From the essentials to the nice-to-haves. All quotes are from the CVs I personally used when applying for PhDs.

If you’re just getting started be sure to download my Academic CV Template.

In addition, if you’d like to get some inspiration from active researchers’ CVs, you may wish to check out the repository of example academic CVs I have put together here:

Academic CV Examples From Active Researchers

What should i include on an academic cv for a phd application, contact info.

Name, email address and phone number. Personally I don’t see a need to include your address and certainly not a photo.

Education / Qualifications

List all major grades from aged 16 upwards: GCSE, A-Levels and university degrees.

• Undergraduate (and masters degrees) should include the subject, university and grade. I’ve tended to include the title of any significant research projects and the titles of the most relevant modules.
• For A-Levels you should name each of the subjects you took with the grade. Personally to keep the page more clean I’ve not included the schools I went to: though it may be worth drawing attention if you did well despite attending a particularly poorly performing school.
• GCSEs can just be summarised to the grades. Subjects needn’t be named.

My aim is to apply my skills to improve lives. I have a proven track record of overseeing successful development of innovative medical devices and now desire the opportunity to expand my skills beyond mechanical engineering into biomaterials research.

Sometimes it can be useful to include a few lines about your motivation and aims for your career. Despite currently having a short profile on my own CV I’m not 100% convinced by them: they can sound cliché especially if you’re fresh out of undergraduate . Profiles are most common in industry and it is up to you whether you think you have content worth sharing: do not waffle, and avoid excessive use of the typical buzzwords: hardworking, motivated etc!

University Research Projects

Third year project “3-D printing of multi-scale porous bioscaffolds for ligament attachment” Manufactured novel magnesium calcium phosphate scaffolds to investigate 3-D printing parameters for optimum implant integration Analysed parts under SEM to verify multi-scale porosity and XRD for detecting phase changes and composition Conducted a statistical analysis of variance study in sample porosity using optical microscopy and deduced the optimum printing parameters to maximise porosity Wrote a technical report and presented results during an oral presentation and viva

More than likely the research projects you’ve undertaken during the latter years of your degree will be your most substantial research experience. State the title of the project followed by a few bullet points covering:

• Useful skills and experience you gained such as: experimental & analytical techniques; software; instrumentation; report-writing; presenting
• Any substantial outcomes: prizes; publications & patents

Feel free to also state whether these projects were undertaken as a group or individually but remember to avoid clutter: you can go into more detail for your personal statement.

[Work] Experience

Jan – May 2013 Research Assistant, Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge Developed prototype HIV diagnostic devices for commercialisation within a multi-disciplinary team: Debugged, calibrated and optimised several novel medical devices Produced standard operating procedure and calibration documentation Experienced an audit and developed an appreciation of ISO 13485 and FDA requirements Inspected and tested parts for quality control processing

Whether you include this section will depend on what experience you have outside of the typical university projects. Here you can describe any additional work experience you have had such as: summer internships; research job roles; years in industry plus any potential outreach you’ve taken part in or voluntary work.

The level of detail you go in to will depend on how relevant the work was and how long ago: working in a shop at weekends when you were 17 probably isn’t particularly relevant. Unless you have had a significant amount of relevant (or impressive) work experience I’d keeping this section below University Research Projects .

A keen photographer, my photographs have appeared in the international press and have raised over £5000 for Macmillan Cancer Support. University of Warwick Photographic Society Executive Committee (2010-2012) Positions held: President, Treasurer, First Aider and Equal Opportunities Officer Duties included overseeing the 270 member-strong society’s running and progression – leading to a doubling of active membership over two years, chairing meetings and international trips, implementing new payment methods and securing funding.

Unless extremely relevant or impressive, I tend to not put too much emphasis on extra-curricular activities: no admissions tutor really needs to know that you enjoy cooking or cycling unless to a very high level. Having said that, do be sure to include anything which can show useful transferable skills such as team-work and responsibility.

I like to include any roles of responsibility such as society committee positions with any useful outcomes.

Nice-To-Haves

There are number of other sections which are common among academics further up the ladder. Unless you have more than a couple of pieces of content per category I suggest adding them where relevant elsewhere: for example an undergraduate award could feature under Education . If you have enough relevant content to warrant adding a new section, they can look very impressive.

Publications

It is often said that publications are the currency of academia. If you have managed to get involved with any publications then display them here in your favourite citation style.

If you’ve been involved in a significant amount of scientific outreach: STEMNET; teaching; mentoring; schools events; unpaid tutoring; public events etc.

Other sections sometimes included, and which are pretty self explanatory:

• Awards & Prizes
• Professional Memberships
• Grants/Scholarships

Tips for Writing a CV for a PhD Application

Translate your skills.

Beyond any subject-specific skills that you know will be useful, translate how your previous experience can transfer to your PhD.  Think about things such as:

• Independence
• Problem-solving

Ask yourself: how did your work standout? Use specifics to quantify performance rather than sticking to buzzwords. For example imagine if you’re writing as your role as president of a society:

“Leadership and teamwork experience”

“Overseeing the 270 member-strong society’s running and progression: leading to a doubling of active membership over two years”

Now you don’t need to go to that level of detail for everything, but if you’ve put in the work, make sure you do yourself justice.

Keep Things Concise

Make sure things are understandable but avoid long-winded sentences and especially paragraphs creating big blocks of dense text. Not only are big paragraphs off-putting to read, they make it really difficult for the reader to tease out the crucial information.

Bullet points are faster and easier to read, plus easier on the eye: all things you want to be encouraging! If you can’t succinctly describe a role in a few one line bullet points you’re probably adding too much information.

Don’t forget you can go in to more detail in your personal statement. Don’t waffle on your CV for a PhD application.

Well-Formatted

• Leaving lots of white space around your text keep it easier to read and therefore more likely that someone will continue to read it.
• In Word, zoom out so that you can see the pages of your document at once. If possible format sections so that nothing, and especially sentences, trails between pages: it makes the document look clean and professional. You can accurately play with line spacing by adding blank lines and setting the font size to something small: in my template I use size 3.
• Lead the eye . Make key information bold for it to stand out: though keep it consistent and don’t go too crazy!
• Try and keep your most important information to two pages . Anything beyond that should be supplementary.

If you’d like some guidance with formatting be sure to click  HERE for my downloadable Academic CV Template .

Spelling & Grammar

Nothing can more quickly make you appear incompetent than spelling mistakes, especially near to the top of your CV or in section headings. Once you’ve double checked your spelling take a break and come back to the document with fresh eyes: it’s amazing what you’ll spot. After that, ask a friend to have a read through too.

Save as PDF (if allowed)

Now that you’ve formatted your CV nicely, I suggest saving it as a PDF if the online submission allows. With PDFs the formatting is locked in place and you needn’t worry about the formatting screwing up because of differing versions of Word.

Take Inspiration

Often senior academics will include links to download their CVs from their personal webpages and I keep a folder of them for some inspiration. You can check out my online respository below!

If you’d like personalised help with your PhD application I am now starting to offer a small number of one-to-one sessions. Please contact me to find out more or click here to book a call.

I hope this post has helped with writing your own CV for a PhD application. If you have any tips or advice to share then I’d love to hear them in the comments! You can also subscribe for more content here:

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4 Comments on “How to Write a CV for a PhD Application (with free template!)”

Hey Jeff, great article!!

Any chance you can do one on personal statements?

Thanks, Yusuf

Hi Yusuf. I’m glad you’ve found it useful! Good idea about one for personal statements, I can see that being helpful so I’ll add it to my schedule and hope to get it out in not too long! Best wishes, Jeff.

hi, I cant seem to access the downloadable template! please could you post another link?

Hi Georgia, sorry that you’re having issues accessing the template. I’m tried it on two computers and it seems to work okay for me. Here is the same link again which works for me . Does that work? In case not I can email it to you. Let me know. Best wishes, Jeff

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