What is an Academic Curriculum Vitae?

An academic curriculum vitae (CV) is a document used as a means of illustrating a person’s professional and academic experience for prospective employers. In some respects it is similar to a résumé, though it often is of greater length and may include a great deal more information and detail than a standard résumé often contains. Someone typically uses a CV, rather than a résumé, in countries other than the US, or in the US when applying for work in education or research. An academic curriculum vitae usually focuses primarily on someone’s education and professional background in education or research.

While in many respects similar to a standard résumé, there are a number of aspects to an academic curriculum vitae that set it apart from a résumé. A résumé is typically expected to be rather short, and is usually restricted to a single page, or two pages if someone has extensive background in a particular topic. In contrast, an academic curriculum vitae may be three or more pages in length, and may include additional pages with references and contact information, as well as the inclusion of samples of professional writing or research.

An academic curriculum vitae is typically longer due to the amount of information often provided in the CV. Much like a résumé, a CV indicates the educational and professional experience a person has, but frequently includes greater detail regarding that experience. An academic curriculum vitae might, for example, include the names of theses or dissertations presented by an individual, as well as the subject area of such work. This allows the reader of a CV to potentially find and read the work an individual has done, or to recognize work that he or she has already read.

Since an academic curriculum vitae is typically written by someone interested in working in research or education within the academic community, there is often an emphasis placed on experience a person has in such fields. This is common for those who have received a postgraduate degree, such as a master’s degree or doctorate. An academic curriculum vitae often highlights academic work a person has done, such as schools at which he or she has taught or performed research. The purpose of the CV is to give a reader a large overview of the work, education, and interests a person has, with sufficient detail to provide the reader with a sense of who the applicant is, beyond the more narrow scope of a résumé.