Relevant Coursework on a Resume: Examples & How to List

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What Counts as Relevant Coursework?

Relevant coursework, like relevant experience, can be identified by considering the nature of the job you are applying for. For example, if you are applying for an entry-level job in retail then there may not be any particular coursework that will be relevant. If you are applying for a nursing position, however, your coursework and academic achievements will be crucial, especially if you are a recent graduate. Relevant coursework is academic work that:

In some cases, this is very clear, as with nursing, law, dentistry, social work and other professions. In other situations, however, it can be less clear. For example, you don’t need a degree in historical research to work in HR, but the report writing skills that most bachelor of arts degrees instill can be relevant to many different roles. Likewise, if you have a bachelor of science, you may find that some of your coursework is relevant to different research roles. If you want to figure out whether your coursework is relevant to a specific job, consider the job description and highlight any skills from the posting you use in your academic life.

So, how to make a resume that shines? Let’s discover it.

When To Include Relevant Coursework on Your Resume

There are some situations where it is best to list relevant coursework. The most common is when you are a recent graduate from college or high school and have little to no work experience. Another example of a situation when relevant coursework can be useful is when applying for entry-level jobs. If you are in the middle of a career change, listing coursework can also be very helpful. If you have a lot of work experience and are applying for a job in the same field, it is unlikely that you will need to list coursework unless it directly enhances your ability to do the job.

How To Put Relevant Coursework on a Resume

If you know that adding relevant coursework to a professional resume will be helpful, you need to identify what you want to list and include it properly. First, you should read the job posting carefully and highlight the core competencies and skills it requires. Use this to help you identify coursework that a potential employer will find interesting. For example, job seekers looking to work in public relations, good communications skills, risk assessment and teamwork will be key. Then pinpoint coursework you’ve had that displays these skills (e.g., group projects). Likewise, if you want to work in marketing, creative skills will be all-important. Examples of relevant coursework for a marketing role include visual design projects. If you are still uncertain, consider resume examples in your field that have relevant coursework sections. Once you know what coursework you want to list, it’s time to write your perfect resume. There are a few ways to list relevant coursework on a resume; the most effective is to create a specific relevant coursework section. A resume format with this feature will make it clear to a recruiter that you are a student and may lack professional work experience. When listing your coursework you can use one of these formats.

Simple

This format is simple—a simple bullet list of relevant coursework. For example, when applying to be an editor this column might look like:

Relevant Coursework: Editorial

Categorized

Slightly more complex, this format breaks down coursework into different areas of expertise. For example:

Relevant Coursework: Digital Marketing Graphic Design

SEO

Detailed

A detailed layout provides more information about the coursework and can be useful when the coursework is not obviously relevant. For example, if you want to work in data analysis, but if you have a degree in historical research, a detailed outline might be useful because it allows for more explanation of skills learned and used. For example:

Relevant Coursework: Data Analysis

Historical Research, UCLA

Fall 2018 – Present

Alongside these specific resume writing tips, you should also consider the overall layout of your resume. Choose a professional font like Arial or Calibri, ensure there is enough white space on the page, and keep your margins between half an inch and one inch. If you do this, you will create a professional resume that reads well and has a good chance of impressing hiring managers.