Curriculum Vitae, C.V., Vita, or Vitae
Internship/
Professional Practice
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Student & Alumni Responsibilities
Student Expectations of Career Center Staff
There is no one perfect way to construct a Vitae or one perfect way for it to look, but there are a few agreed-upon guidelines:
Should be on first page; the following pages should include name and page number.
There is no need to type Vitae on first page.
Can be brief (one sentence stating general goals) or as long as a paragraph (both short-term and long-term goals).
Names of universities, colleges, and professional schools attended. List these in reverse chronological order, most recent first and/or most important first. Include degrees, diplomas, certificates, dates of graduation and/or attendance,
major, minor, emphasis, concentration, and GPA(s). High school omitted.
Brief description of a thesis or dissertation, full title, and date (term) of completion. Consult with an academic
advisor regarding appropriate wording of this statement. Some disciplines (chemistry or psychology) have specific editorial formats for abstracts.
List and describe departmental, athletic, and dean’s awards; scholarships and fellowships; and community and professional
awards. In reverse chronological order or in order of importance, may briefly describe what the award is based upon.
Lists courses in groups, with course titles and descriptions where appropriate. Do not list course numbers or
abbreviations.
Be as specific as possible regarding the description of research interest(s).
Provide detailed descriptions of experience, and the ways in which experience fits into a profession or a laboratory’s ongoing research. Give the title of each project and information concerning its actual or potential publication. List the names and titles of professors or individuals supervising.
Describe teaching, tutoring, and group learning experience. Include writing the syllabi, text used, level of class (freshman,
sophomore, graduate level, etc.).
Include computer hardware, photographic, or audio-visual programs.
Foreign language, computer software, leadership, organizational, and/or analytical skills.
Works authored or co-authored with faculty or other colleagues. Provides appropriate bibliographic descriptions (list unpublished manuscripts only if they are being considered for publication). Artists and musicians should provide descriptions of works-in-progress. Provide detailed descriptions of presentations, particularly for being academic societies and professional associations. List title, organization name, location, and date.
American Chemical Society, Modern Language Association, American Psychological Association, etc. Include role, level of involvement, offices held.
This can include full-time, part-time, internship, volunteer, summer, and on-campus experiences—listed together or separated into each area. You may also separate by types of activity, or by order of importance. Include job title, company or organization name, location (city and state), type of organization, dates, job duties and responsibilities, and promotions.
Memberships, volunteerism, role, level of involvement, offices held.
Usually for graduate and professional school applications (e.g., prolonged residence abroad and/or unusual educational
work experiences). Do not include information on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, or political preference.
Campus programs; may include role, level of involvement, offices held.
Avocations; do not get too personal.
Usually international or extensive throughout the United States. Include descriptions and length of visits.
May include hardware and software.
Psychology; tests you can administer and interpret.
Optional. References should be those willing to be contacted directly without direct communication from you.