Creating your academic cv – University of Toronto

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Creating your academic cv

For Masters and PhDs

CAREERCENTRE l St. George campus | www.careers.utoronto.ca

Curriculum vitae

Outlined below is detailed information on the key components of the curriculum vitae (cv), as well as

information on how to develop effective cover letters.

The curriculum vitæ

Overview
A cv provides a complete profile of your academic achievements, publications, and scholarly interests, as
well as skills developed through academic degrees and related teaching or research experience. A cv’s
length is determined by the relevant content it contains and does not have a set page count. As an
academic’s profile develops over time, the cv grows in length, serving as a comprehensive record of one’s
scholarly progress and history. A cv is generally used by those who have completed a master’s or doctoral
program, and who are interested in applying to academic positions, and post-doctoral fellowships.

While there are certain basic style rules, you may in fact have several different versions that you use for

different types of positions: teaching-focused versus research-centred, for example. Furthermore, your cv
will always be a work in progress, and as you add items to various categories or add new categories of
accomplishment, you may find yourself making substantial changes to its overall format and style.

Keep in mind certain visual and layout rules: do not use a font that is too small or difficult to read —
nothing smaller than 11 points. Try not to use too many fonts; instead, use white space to separate the
categories and to highlight the distinct areas your cv covers. Also, use a consistent style or format for
headings and subheadings. And ensure that your name appears in the header of each page subsequent to the
first one, along with a page number.

Every cv will include information found under standard headings such as education, research and teaching

experience and publications. There are however additional headings that may be discipline specific,
therefore it is important to tailor your cv to the position in question, and to individualize it so that the cv
doesn’t appear to be a generic template.

Sections of the curriculum vitæ
The following categories may all appear on a cv, though you may pick categories that are most appropriate
to disciplinary conventions and your experience. When organizing information within each category,
remember to list your information starting with your most recent experience. The first section of any cv
always begins with your contact information. Your name, home address, office address if you have one, e-
mail address, and phone number should all appear at the top of your cv.

Education
Your academic history appears in this section. Begin this section by listing your most recent degree first, then
the institution name, followed by your thesis title and the name of your supervisor. Information on
secondary fields of specialization can also be included in this section, since they suggest your vision, the

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diversity of your work, and a corresponding breadth of teaching ability.

Honours and Awards
This is where you can highlight the fellowships, scholarships, or other honours and awards you have

received that are relevant to your discipline and the position that you are applying to. If the honour or award
will not be familiar to those who read your cv, it is acceptable to include a brief line below the honour or
award name that explains what the award is for or its primary criteria. The dollar value of the honour or
award may also be included in your cv and can be based on the amount, prestige of the award and level of
importance within your field. Finally, this section may also be place towards the end of your cv depending
on how relevant it is to the position you are applying to.

Research and Teaching Interests
This section typically follows the Honours & Awards section of the cv. Your teaching and/or research

interests should be reflective of your areas of expertise and those that you would like to pursue in the future.
Additionally, these interests should also be tailored to the position and department of the academic or
research institution you are applying to.

Experience
This category may be presented in varying ways: research experience; teaching experience; professional
experience; and academic administrative experience. It is important to note that the order of the sections
within the main experience section change depending on the focus on the position you are applying to.

• Research experience — For this section, list all research projects and/or research assistantships worked on
including your thesis, dissertation, any collaborative research in industry or with government and all post
doctoral fellowships. For each experience, include information on the institution, the supervisor of the
project, the research group, the subject, and your specific role.

• Teaching experience — List all relevant teaching experience, including instructorships, teaching
assistantships, or any experience as a marker. Include the course title, the department name and institution
name, your title, and the date for each experience. It is recommended that you indicate the level of each
course you are teaching, (i.e., undergraduate or graduate level course), and a brief description of your role,
such as holding tutorials, or conducting lectures, developing curriculum, holding office hours etc.

• Professional experience — If you have experience outside of academia, in a position relevant to your
discipline, then this should be included in the cv with a similar format of date, title, institution, and brief
description of your role. Including this information demonstrates your continued engagement with your
field and the diversity of your experience.

• Academic and administrative experience — Many faculty appointments involve some administrative and
committee work, and this section can demonstrate to a hiring committee that you will be able to fulfill any
commitments of this nature. It is very useful therefore to list any administrative experience you may have.
Committee work for your faculty — including participation on a hiring committee as a graduate student,
and membership on academic councils. Additionally, if you have done administrative work for any
association or have held positions within a graduate student union or graduate student committees or
government this experience can be listed in this section, since it demonstrates your engagement with your
discipline and your contribution to the wider academic community. Any editorships at journals can appear
here as well, along with conferences you helped organize. This section may also be referred to as
community involvement.

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Publications
The manner in which you order and present your publications varies from discipline to discipline and it is
important to consult with your department for best practices. There are a variety of sub-sections that can be
used in organizing this section to showcase the type and status of each publication, such as, peer-reviewed;
non-peer reviewed; works submitted and works in progress; reports; book chapters; conference papers.

 Peer-reviewed publications—These are papers that have been reviewed by a community of experts in a
given field prior to the work being submitted for publication.

 Non-peer reviewed publications—These are papers that have not been reviewed by a group of experts
prior to publication.

 Works submitted and works in progress—Works submitted and works in progress, demonstrate your
engagement with your field, the currency of your research, and your desire to publish. If you have submitted
a work but it has not yet been accepted, list the title and the journal or press; if you are currently completing
a work that you intend to publish, cite it as a work in progress.

 Reports—Scholarly reports can also be included in the publications section of your cv as a way of
illustrating your written work.

Conferences
 Conference papers, posters, presentations and proceedings—It is important that you separate conference
papers and presentations from published works. An appropriate method of organizing your conference
listings would be to include a subcategory for papers, posters, presentations and proceedings at scholarly
conferences or academic conventions, and a subcategory for public lectures, if you have given any. If you
have given only one or two of each type of paper, poster or presentation, it may be better to group them
together than to create multiple categories.

Academic associations, affiliations, and services
If you are a member of an academic association in your discipline, such as the MLA or APA, you can list
any such professional affiliation.

Languages
This category is most common for scholars in the humanities and social sciences and allows you an
opportunity to specify your reading, writing, and oral fluency in languages.

References
A list of the people who are providing the reference letters that accompany your application is often
included in the cv. When you list your referees, include their title and department, phone number and e-mail
address and relationship (e.g. thesis supervisor).

Closing comments
Upon completing your cv, it is important to have it critiqued by several people such as your supervisor,

members of your committee, colleagues in your field to ensure that your document follows the appropriate
conventions and best practices within your field.

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CV Sample 1

This CV was created by a PhD candidate focusing on a position where the largest component revolves around
teaching. For example, this could be an Associate Professor position at a small, teaching intensive university in
the United States or a Lecturer position at a large university in Canada.

JUANITA DUARTE
j.duarte@utoronto.ca

Temporary address (until 30 August 2010)
Knox College
Box 39
59 St. George Street
Toronto ON M5S 2E6 CANADA
416-921-5478

EDUCATION
2007–present

Permanent address
Box 411
Slave Lake AB T0G 2A0 CANADA
780-421-9875 or 780-734-6792

PhD, European History, University of Toronto
Thesis:

French Military Policy During the Algerian War of
Independence, 1952–62

Supervisor: Dr. Michael Faust

2006–07

Master of Arts, European History, University of Toronto
Thesis:
Supervisor: Dr. Edward Chelin

British Foreign Policy During the Inter-War Period

2002–2006

Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours, History, University of Alberta

HONOURS
2008
2007

Ontario Graduate Scholarship
University of Toronto Open Fellowship

TEACHING AND RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Modern European Military History
• The History of Modern Britain
• The British Military Experience

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Juanita Duarte

TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2007–09

2/3

Teaching Assistant, University of Toronto
Course title: International Relations of Europe in the 20th Century (HIS225)
• Organized tutorial discussions on topics in European international

relations history

• Explained difficult concepts in European history clearly and concisely
• Provided guidance to undergraduate students researching term papers
• Counselled students experiencing difficulties in the course
• Graded term papers, final examinations, and student tutorial

participation

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
2007–present

Doctoral Candidate, University of Toronto
• Examine the French settler society in Algeria during the Algerian War of

• Synthesized some of the latest research on the causes of civil warfare

• Completed a project analyzing British foreign policy during the inter-war

Independence, 1954–62

and strife in Africa

period

• Gained familiarity with the 1994 Defence White Paper and recent

literature concerning Canadian defence policy

2006–07

Graduate Student, Department of History, University of Toronto
• Master’s project examined Anglo-American defence relations after World

War One

• Researched and wrote a term paper analyzing Italian military policy

during the Spanish Civil War, 1936–39

ACADEMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE
2008–09

Treasurer, Graduate Students’ Committee of the Canadian Historical
Association

2008–09

Chair, Scholarship Database Committee of the Graduate History Society,
University of Toronto

2007–08

Organizer, French conversation club for graduate history students

2007–08

Social Convenor, Knox College Association

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3/3

Juanita Duarte

PUBLICATIONS

Duarte, Juanita. “British Armoured Warfare Doctrine During the Inter-War
Period.” British Historical Review 145, no. 5 (2008): 22–39.

CONFERENCES ATTENDED
2009
2008

British History Association Annual Conference, London, England
Canadian Military History Biannual Conference, Vancouver, B.C.

MEMBERSHIPS
2008–present
2007–present

Member, American Historical Association
Member, Canadian History Society

LANGUAGES

Reading knowledge of French, improving writing and speaking abilities

REFERENCES

• Dr. Michael Faust, Department of History, University of Toronto (thesis

supervisor). E-mail: m.faust@utoronto.ca

• Professor Elinor Ritchie, Department of History, University of Toronto

(teaching supervisor). E-mail: e.ritchie@utoronto.ca

• Professor Ron Silverberg, Department of History, University of Toronto

(external examiner). E-mail: rasilverberg@utoronto.ca

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CV Sample 2

This CV was created by a PhD candidate focusing on a position where the largest component revolves around
research, and teaching responsibilities are secondary. For example, this could be a Tenure-track Professor
position at a large, research intensive university in the United States or Canada, or a Postdoctoral position.

Beverly Gilmore
bgilmore@oise.utoronto.ca

Theory and Policy Studies in Education
OISE/UT
252 Bloor Street West
Toronto ON M5S 1V6 CANADA
416-923-6641 ext. 4211

3-650 Runnymede Road
Toronto ON M7A 1T1 CANADA
416-891-9912

EDUCATION
Expected defence PhD candidate (ABD), Ontario Institute for Studies in Education,
in spring 2010

University of Toronto
Thesis title: Under the Microscope: Difference in Medical Laboratory

Science in Canada
Supervisor: Dr. Elizabeth Strom

Master of Education, Higher Education: Health Professional
Education
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto

Bachelor of Education, Adult Education
Brock University

Bachelor of Science, Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of Toronto

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Jan. 2009
to present

Research consultant, Ontario Society for Medical Laboratory
Science
• Conducted research in human resources and education
• Advocated and consulted on emerging issues

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2004

2002

1981

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