Education is often a key asset to your job search, so it’s important to list your academic credentials on your resume correctly. First, give the name of your degree, followed by your major if it relates to your target job. Next, write the full name of your school as well as the city, state, and (optionally) your graduation date. In this guide, we’ll show you how to properly feature your associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees on your resume.
Write the Full Name of Your Degree
Provide the full name of your degree followed by its abbreviation in parentheses. This ensures your document will achieve Applicant Tracking System (ATS) compliance for either “Bachelor of Arts” or “B.A.” when the software parses your document for keywords. Regarding the use of periods in degree abbreviations, standards differ among the Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), and other academic institutions. But whether you choose to write “Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)” or “Bachelor of Arts (BA),” stay consistent for all degrees in your education section.
List Multiple Degrees in Reverse-Chronological Order
When citing multiple degrees on your resume, put them in reverse-chronological order, or newest to oldest. If you’ve earned a master’s, bachelor’s, and associate degree all within the same major, feel free to leave off your associate to save space.
Example
Master of Science (M.S.), Information Technology
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL | 2020
Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Information Technology
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL | 2018
Recent Graduates Should Feature Extra Information
If you’re just out of school and don’t have relevant work experience to highlight, you can compensate for this by noting the stronger aspects of your education. These extra details may include your grade point average (GPA), academic awards, associations, or even coursework.
Example
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Philosophy
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA | 2021
GPA: 3.92/4.0
- President, Continental Philosophy Association, 2020 – 2021
- Member, Harvard Diversity Student Coalition, 2018 – 2021
- Editor, Harvard University Literature Magazine, 2017 – 2019
- Summa cum laude
- Dean’s List, 2017 – 2021
How To List an Associate Degree on Your Resume
Write out the full name of your associate degree followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. If your work experience is limited, flesh out your education section with any academic honors or awards you’ve won.
Example
Associate of Science (A.S.), Nursing
University of Syracuse, Syracuse, NY | 2021
GPA: 3.8/4.0
How To List a Bachelor’s Degree on Your Resume
Follow the same format when detailing your bachelor’s degree. Keep your years of experience in mind here, as you won’t need to include details such as your GPA, academic awards, or an associate degree if you already have substantial hands-on experience in your field.
Example
Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Software Engineering
University of Seattle, Seattle, WA | 2021
How To List a Master’s Degree on Your Resume
In most cases, show both your master’s and bachelor’s degrees on your resume. Although hiring managers will likely assume you’ve earned a bachelor’s, failing to cite this degree could hinder your resume during the initial ATS scan. As previously mentioned, order your degrees from newest to oldest. You can also leave off additional academic achievements unless you lack relevant work experience to feature on your resume.
Example
Master of Science (M.S.), Chemical Engineering
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI | 2021
Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Chemical Engineering
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI | 2019
Education Section Frequently Asked Questions
Should my degree be at the top of my resume?-
Not usually. As a general rule, order your resume sections by relevance. For most job seekers, that means putting the work experience section first and education second. But you may opt to reverse this order if, say, you just graduated, and your degree program speaks strongly to your target job.
How do I list an unfinished college degree? -
Although you may be tempted to leave your college experience off your resume if you didn’t finish your degree, it is helpful to include. Having some higher-level education is better than none, and may help you avoid being rejected by ATS if the company scans for a particular word or term like “bachelor's degree.” Write "Coursework toward" before the degree name, and list the dates you attended and the number of credits you earned so you don’t give the wrong impression that you graduated.
If you’re still completing the degree in question, put "Candidate" in front of the title, as in Candidate: Bachelor of Science (BS).
Example
Coursework toward: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), English Literature
University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA | 2016 – 2018
- Completed 40 credits in English literature
Does it ever make sense to omit degrees on my resume? -
Yes, but rarely. As mentioned above, you might leave out an associate degree to save space. In rare cases, you may also choose to omit an advanced degree if it would overqualify you for the job opening at hand.
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