Academic CV Template: Examples, Structure, and Tips for 2026
An academic CV is not a standard job application CV. It follows its own conventions, can run to multiple pages, and emphasises publications, research experience, and scholarly achievements over employment history. Yet most students produce their first academic CV by adapting a professional CV template — and the result is a document that fails to communicate what academic search committees, PhD supervisors, and scholarship panels are looking for. This guide gives you a complete, field-tested academic CV template for 2026, with section-by-section examples and the most common mistakes to avoid.
Whether you are applying for a master’s programme, a funded PhD, a postdoctoral position, a research assistant role, or a scholarship, this guide has what you need.
1. Academic CV vs Professional CV: Key Differences
| Feature | Academic CV | Professional / Industry CV |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 2–10+ pages (grows over career) | 1–2 pages maximum |
| Publications section | Central and prominent | Rarely included |
| Objective/Profile | Usually omitted; optional research interests section instead | Often included |
| Teaching experience | Dedicated section; important for academic roles | Rarely relevant |
| Conferences | Listed with paper titles and roles | Typically omitted |
| Grants and funding | Listed with amounts and funding body | Usually not included |
| References | Named at the end (2–3 academics) | “Available on request” standard |
2. Academic CV Template Structure
The standard academic CV for a postgraduate student or early-career researcher follows this order:
- Contact Information
- Education
- Research Experience
- Publications
- Conference Presentations
- Awards, Scholarships, and Fellowships
- Teaching Experience
- Grants and Funding
- Professional Affiliations and Service
- Skills (languages, software, laboratory methods)
- References
Not all sections will be populated for early-career applicants. If you have no publications, omit that section rather than listing a paper “in preparation” (which is rarely convincing). Prioritise sections where you have genuine content.
3. Section-by-Section Guide with Examples
Contact Information
List: full name, email address (professional — ideally your institutional email), phone number, LinkedIn or academic profile (ORCID iD, ResearchGate, Google Scholar), and your city/country. Do not include date of birth, marital status, or photo (standard in UK/US academic CVs; different conventions apply in Germany, France, and elsewhere).
Education
List degrees in reverse chronological order. Include: degree type and full title, institution, dates (month/year), grade or classification (include pending if not yet awarded), and thesis title (if applicable). Example:
Grade: Distinction (expected). Dissertation: “Temporal Graph Neural Networks for Predicting Academic Citation Patterns” (Supervisor: Prof. Jane Smith)
Research Experience
This is the most important section for PhD and postdoc applications. List each research role with: title, institution, supervisor, dates, and 2–4 bullet points describing your contributions, methods used, and outcomes. Be specific about techniques and findings.
Publications
See Section 4 below for full formatting guidance. Even for early-career applicants, a single peer-reviewed publication is a significant differentiator. Under-review papers can be listed clearly marked as “under review” — not “in preparation.”
Conference Presentations
List papers presented, posters, and invited talks separately. Include: presentation title, conference name, location, date. Distinguish between invited and competitive presentations.
Awards, Scholarships, and Fellowships
List all academic awards, prizes, and scholarships with the awarding body, year, and a brief description if it is not self-explanatory. For scholarships, mention the value if significant and competitive. Include undergraduate prizes — a first-year prize from a top university signals early academic distinction.
Teaching Experience
List any teaching, tutoring, or demonstrating roles: course name, institution, your role, and dates. For senior PhD candidates and postdocs, also mention any supervision of undergraduate projects or dissertations.
Skills
List: programming languages and software (with proficiency level), laboratory skills and equipment (for sciences), human languages (CEFR or equivalent level), and statistical methods or analytical frameworks relevant to your field.
References
List 2–3 academic referees with full name, title, institutional affiliation, relationship to you, and contact details. Always obtain permission before listing a referee. For postgraduate applications, all referees should be academics who have supervised your work.
4. How to Format Publications
Use your field’s standard citation format consistently throughout. Separate into sub-sections where relevant:
- Peer-reviewed journal articles
- Book chapters
- Conference papers (peer-reviewed)
- Working papers and preprints
- Under review / revision
Example (APA format, journal article):
Bold your name so it is immediately visible. If a paper is single-authored, note this — it is impressive and less common at early career stages.
5. Tailoring Your CV by Application Type
- PhD application: Emphasise research experience, thesis work, and any publications. A research proposal accompanies the CV — the CV should demonstrate preparedness for independent research.
- Scholarship application: Emphasise awards, academic excellence, and extracurricular leadership alongside research. Read our scholarship application guide for tips on tailoring each component.
- Research assistant position: Emphasise specific technical and methodological skills. Describe previous research projects in terms of methods used and outputs delivered. See section on research funding routes for how RA positions relate to PhD pathways.
- Postdoc application: Publications, grants obtained, teaching experience, and dissertation topic take centre stage. Methodological expertise and independent project management are key.
6. Formatting and Design Tips
- Use a consistent, clean serif or professional sans-serif font (Times New Roman 11pt, Calibri 11pt, or Garamond 11pt are standard)
- Margins should be at least 2cm on all sides; no smaller than 10pt font
- Use bold for section headings and your name in publications; avoid colour, graphics, or icons
- Save and submit as PDF to preserve formatting across different operating systems
- File name should be your full name and the application type:
JohnSmith_AcademicCV_2026.pdf - No photograph, no personal pronoun profile — academic CVs are formal and impersonal in tone
7. Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using a professional CV template — the structure and emphasis are fundamentally different
- Listing publications “in preparation” — only list papers under review or published
- Making the CV too short — for senior PhD and postdoc applications, comprehensiveness matters
- Inconsistent formatting — mixing citation styles within the publications section signals sloppiness
- Burying research experience under employment history
- Omitting key skills (lab techniques, software, languages) that are directly relevant to the role
- Generic skills statements (“excellent communication skills”) without evidence
- Listing referees who have not been forewarned and asked for their permission
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should an academic CV be?
For a final-year undergraduate or master’s student, 2 pages is typical. For a PhD student or recent PhD graduate, 3–4 pages is appropriate. Senior academics and professors may have CVs of 10–20+ pages, including full publication lists, grant histories, and supervision records. Unlike professional CVs, there is no two-page maximum rule for academic CVs — the goal is completeness, not brevity.
Should I include my GPA on an academic CV?
Yes, if applying to US or Canadian institutions, include your GPA. For UK academic positions, include your degree classification (First, 2:1 etc.) and percentage or marks if strong. For international applications, include your grade in the local system plus the equivalent in the target country’s system. Omitting grades is sometimes interpreted negatively. Only omit them if the application instructions explicitly say not to include them.
Can I include my undergraduate dissertation on an academic CV?
Yes, and you should. Include the title, grade (if strong), supervisor name, and one sentence on the topic and methods used. If your dissertation was later published, or if you are currently revising it for journal submission, note this clearly. For recent graduates without other research experience, the undergraduate dissertation is often the centrepiece of the research experience section.
What is the difference between an academic CV and a résumé?
A résumé is a short (1–2 page) document used for industry job applications, emphasising skills and work experience. An academic CV is a comprehensive document that grows over your career and foregrounds research outputs, publications, teaching experience, grants, and scholarly activities. In the US, the word “resume” is used for industry applications while “CV” refers to the academic document. In the UK, “CV” is used for both, though academic positions expect the longer, more detailed format.
How many references should I include on an academic CV?
List 2–3 references directly on the CV. For postgraduate and postdoc applications, all references should be academic — professors or research supervisors who can speak to your intellectual capacity and research work. List their full name, title, institution, relationship to you (e.g. “PhD supervisor”, “honours thesis adviser”), email address, and phone number. Always ask referees before listing them and keep them informed of which positions you are applying for.
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