20+ Academic CV Templates | Word, PDF, Google Docs Academic CV Formats
These academic CV templates are professionally designed to work in several formats and help you reach your next academic goal!
Academic CVs are often quite different to workplace CVs -- how can you ensure your CV stands out amongst your peers?
VisualCV has dozens of professionally designed academic CV templates sure to help you reach your next academic goal. Whether you're applying for an undergraduate degree or your next post-doc research position, you'll be able to properly showcase your academic achievements using these academic CV templates!
Best Academic CV Format
Academic CVs require unique templates, focusing on academic background, academic positions, accomplishments, education, research, and publications rather than work history, as hiring committees prefer.
You should still use a reverse-chronological format when preparing your academic curriculum vitae - in each section (awards, publications, bursaries, etc.) begin with the most recent and work backwards. This ensures that hiring managers, boards, and other institutions are able to see your most recent and relevant qualifications quickly and easily.
Academic CV: File Format Considerations
Choose the right file format for your CV to ensure compatibility and easy access. PDF is generally preferred as it preserves the formatting and is universally accessible across different devices and operating systems. Alternatively, Microsoft Word or Google Docs formats can be useful if you anticipate needing to make frequent updates or if the application specifically requests a Word document. Ensure the file name is professional, typically including your name and the term "Curriculum Vitae" (e.g., "John_Doe_Curriculum_Vitae.pdf").
Academic CV Template #1
Air: The Air academic curriculum vitae template seamlessly combines traditional and modern elements with its subtle coloring and timeline-like design.
This academic CV template can be downloaded in Word or PDF format and is easily editable in Google Docs, perfect for tailoring to graduate school applications.
Academic CV Template #2
Arya: The Arya academic curriculum vitae template offers a sleek and stylish design, guaranteed to attract the attention of potential employers. With right-aligned titles and a tasteful utilization of white space, this template is perfect for individuals in search of a clean and straightforward CV to showcase their skills and experience.
Designed for flexibility, this template can be downloaded in Microsoft Word or PDF format, and is editable in Google Docs, offering more examples of professional CV layouts.
Academic CV Template #3
ATS: Ideal for online applications utilizing an applicant tracking system (ATS), this straightforward academic CV template features a sleek design and clear presentation, ensuring excellent readability and efficient CV parsing.
Download this template in Word or PDF, or edit it directly in Google Docs to customize your CV for academic positions or other professional roles.
Academic CV Template #4
Chloe: The Chloe academic curriculum vitae template, with its two elegant columns and customizable color, strikes a balance between being eye-catching and tasteful.
This template is available in Word and PDF formats, with easy Google Docs editing, ensuring your CV is ready for any job application or academic need.
Academic CV Template #5
Clair: The Clair academic curriculum vitae template, featuring scroll-like job titles, customizable color, and a simple design, is ideal for job-seekers aiming to leave a lasting impression.
Seamlessly editable in Google Docs and downloadable in Word or PDF formats, this template is ideal for highlighting your achievements and relevant professional experience.
Academic CV Template #6
Corporate: The Corporate academic curriculum vitae template employs a clear design and classic structure to effectively showcase your skills and experience. It is an excellent choice for both new job seekers and experienced professionals.
Downloadable in Word or PDF and editable in Google Docs, this template helps you create a professional CV with a sleek design that stands out.
Academic CV Template #7
Modern: Stand out with the Modern academic CV template, featuring two distinct columns and a prominent profile image. Customize the color to infuse your unique style into this template.
This versatile template, available in Word and PDF, and editable in Google Docs, is designed to showcase your teaching experience effectively.
Academic CV Template #8
Monaco: While the Monaco academic CV template maintains a traditional design, the customizable color of the headings adds a unique modern flourish to it.
Available in Word and PDF formats, and editable in Google Docs, this template offers a streamlined approach for presenting your language skills and qualifications.
Academic CV Template #9
Monte: The Monte academic CV template is both simple and professional, catering to job-seekers seeking a traditional CV format. Regardless of your industry, this classic template is sure to make a lasting impression.
Download this template in Word or PDF format or edit it in Google Docs to highlight your achievements and prepare a compelling academic CV.
Academic CV Template #10
Nevis: The Nevis academic CV template, with its subtle highlights, clear structure, and two-column format, is an excellent choice for job-seekers aiming to impress their next employer.
Easily editable in Google Docs and downloadable in Word or PDF, this template is ideal for faculty members seeking the right cv format.
Academic CV Template #11
Oak: Ideal for newcomers and experienced academics alike, the Oak academic CV template showcases powerful, solid blocks of color and two differently sized columns, catering to skills and experience in any field.
Academic CV Template #12
Quartz: The Quartz academic CV template, with its two columns, professional colors, and optional logo, is ideal for various applications such as job applications, personal websites, and professional profiles.
Academic CV Template #13
Rosa: Rosa, an academic CV template, offers versatility by allowing you to choose between a background image or a simple splash of color, making it suitable for any field.
Academic CV Template #14
Slate: The Slate academic CV template is a simple and efficient two-column template which enables the creation of attractive one-page CVs that maintain a clean and uncluttered appearance.
Academic CV Template #15
Standard: In our most traditional academic CV template, the Standard format demonstrates that your CV doesn't need to be flashy to stand out. Its tasteful lettering and simple presentation make it an effective choice for any situation.
Academic CV Template #16
Vida: The Vida academic CV template, featuring two even columns and color customization options, is an excellent choice for showcasing your skills and experience in an efficient and stylish manner.
Academic CV Template #17
Vienna: The Vienna academic CV template is a clean and uncluttered option that supports two columns of CV content and offers subtle color customization.
Academic CV Template #18
Baker: The Baker academic CV template stands out with its timeline-like Work History section and subtle colors, making it a stylish choice for any academic.
Academic CV Template #19
Quartz: The Quartz academic CV template, with its two columns, professional colors, and optional logo, proves to be ideal for any position in academia.
Academic CV Template #20
Avant: The Avant academic CV template, a modern and professional option, includes a full column of customizable color. It serves as a great format for academics aiming to inject some character into their CV.
Academic CV Template Tips
Emphasize Your Education: Place a strong emphasis on your educational background. List your degrees, institutions, majors, graduation dates, and any relevant honors or awards.
Highlight Research Experience: Clearly detail your research experience, focusing on the projects that are most relevant to the position or program you're applying for. Highlight your contributions, methodologies, and outcomes.
Showcase Publications and Presentations: Feature your publications, conference presentations, and any other scholarly works. Use a consistent citation style and provide enough detail for the reader to understand the significance of your contributions.
Quantify Your Achievements: Whenever possible, use quantifiable metrics to demonstrate the impact of your research, teaching, or other accomplishments. This could include the number of publications, citation counts, or the impact factor of journals where you've published.
Highlight Teaching Experience: If applicable, showcase your teaching experience. Include information about the courses you've taught, your role (instructor, teaching assistant), and any innovations or improvements you made to the curriculum.
Important Sections of Your Academic CV Template
- Education
- Research Interests
- Research Experience
- Publications
- Conference Presentations
- Teaching Experience
- Grants and Fellowships
- Professional Memberships
Let's take a look at some of these sections in a bit more depth.
Research Experience on Academic CV Template
Why Include Research Experience?
In academia, research experience is the cornerstone of a strong CV. It demonstrates your ability to conduct rigorous investigations, collaborate with institutions, and produce meaningful contributions to your field.
What to Include:
- Research title or focus area
- Institution and collaborators
- Outcomes: publications, patents, or innovative findings
Example Section:
Research Experience
- “AI-Driven Predictive Analysis for Climate Modeling”
- Institution: Stanford University | 2022-2023
- Outcome: Published findings in Journal of Climate Research (Impact Factor: 5.2).
- “Bioinformatics Data Optimization Techniques”
- Institution: University of Oxford | 2021
- Collaborated with faculty and industry experts to improve genome sequencing accuracy by 18%.
Publications on Academic CV Template
Why Include Publications?
Publications validate your expertise and highlight your scholarly contributions. A robust publications section is essential for establishing credibility in research-driven academic roles.
What to Include:
- Properly formatted citations (APA, MLA, IEEE, etc.)
- Peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, or books
Example Section:
Publications
- Smith, J., & Lee, A. (2023). “AI in Modern Pedagogy: Applications in Education,” IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies, Vol. 15, No. 2.
- Doe, R. (2022). “Innovative Signal Processing Techniques,” Journal of Electrical Systems, Vol. 30, Issue 1.
Teaching Experience on Academic CV Template
Why Include Teaching Experience?
Teaching experience highlights your ability to share knowledge, design curricula, and mentor students effectively—core skills in academic careers.
What to Include:
- Course names and levels taught
- Institutions and feedback ratings
- Achievements like course redesign or mentoring
Example Section:
Teaching Experience
- Senior Lecturer, Machine Learning Fundamentals
- University of Cambridge, 2022-Present
- Designed and delivered 30 lectures; received a 4.8/5 average feedback score.
- Assistant Professor, Data Structures and Algorithms
- University of Michigan, 2020-2022
- Mentored 15 graduate students, 3 of whom published peer-reviewed papers.
Grants, Awards, and Fellowships on Academic CV Template
Why Include Grants and Awards?
Grants and awards validate your contributions and showcase recognition from academic bodies, peers, and funding institutions.
What to Include:
- Grant/fellowship name, organization, and year
- Purpose or impact of the award
Example Section:
Awards and Fellowships
- NSF Research Fellowship | National Science Foundation | 2023
- Awarded $60,000 for research in renewable energy optimization.
- Teaching Excellence Award | University of Toronto | 2022
- Recognized for developing an innovative flipped-classroom model for graduate-level engineering courses.
Skills Section on Academic CV Template
Why Include Skills?
Skills showcase your technical and analytical abilities, supporting both research and teaching roles.
What to Include:
- Technical Skills: Tools, software, and programming languages
- Research Skills: Methodologies like data analysis or lab techniques
- Soft Skills: Communication, grant writing, or team leadership
Example Section:
Skills
- Technical Skills: MATLAB, Python, NVivo, LaTeX, SPSS
- Research Skills: Quantitative analysis, experimental design, manuscript preparation
- Soft Skills: Grant writing, collaboration, mentoring students
Conference Participation on Academic CV Template
Why Include Conferences?
Conference participation demonstrates your active engagement with the academic community and thought leadership in your field.
What to Include:
- Conference name, your role (presenter, panelist, organizer), and dates
- Title or focus of presentation/workshop
Example Section:
Conference Participation
- Keynote Speaker: “Advances in AI-Driven Education Technologies”
- International Education Technology Conference, 2023
- Panelist: “Sustainable Engineering Practices”
- Global Engineering Summit, 2022
Professional Affiliations on Academic CV Template
Why Include Professional Affiliations?
Affiliations show your active participation in academic societies and networks, reinforcing your credibility and connections.
What to Include:
- Organization name and membership level
- Roles held (e.g., board member, chapter chair)
Example Section:
Professional Affiliations
- Member, IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) | 2020-Present
- Board Member, American Society for Engineering Education | 2022
Thesis or Dissertation on Academic CV Template
Why Include Thesis/Dissertation?
For graduate-level candidates, including your thesis or dissertation highlights your area of specialization and research contributions.
What to Include:
- Title, focus area, and outcomes
- Institution and completion year
Example Section:
Doctoral Dissertation
- “Optimizing Neural Networks for Energy-Efficient Systems”
- Institution: Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 2022
- Developed algorithms that reduced computational power consumption by 20%.
Academic Metrics on Academic CV Template
Why Include Academic Metrics?
Metrics like H-index and citation counts validate your research impact and academic influence.
What to Include:
- H-index, total citations, and journal impact factors
Example Section:
Academic Metrics
- H-Index: 18
- Total Citations: 2,400+
- Published In: Journals with an average impact factor of 5.0
Industry-Academic Collaborations on Academic CV Template
Why Include Collaborations?
Highlighting industry-academic collaborations demonstrates real-world application of research and innovation.
What to Include:
- Partner organizations, project goals, and measurable outcomes
Example Section:
Industry Collaborations
- Partnered with Siemens Corporation to develop IoT solutions for smart manufacturing, achieving a 25% efficiency improvement.
- Collaborated with IBM Research Labs on AI applications for climate modeling, leading to publication in Nature Climate Change.
Academic CV Tips for Graduate Students
- Highlight Academic Background - Showcase your degrees, institutions, and relevant coursework to establish your foundational expertise.
- Focus on Research Experience - Emphasize research projects, methodologies, and any publications or presentations to demonstrate scholarly activity.
- Include Teaching and Academic Roles - Briefly outline roles like teaching assistantships, emphasizing responsibilities and contributions.
- Quantify Achievements - Use numbers (e.g., publications, presentations) to give a clear picture of your accomplishments.
- Use a Clear Format - Stick to a professional layout with reverse chronological order to enhance readability and impact.
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