Graduating with academic honors signals dedication and high performance to potential employers, especially for recent graduates. Showcasing these achievements on a resume can be a differentiator. Presenting this information with clear formatting is important, as proper placement helps recruiters quickly recognize your academic success.
What Qualifies as an Academic Honor
To feature your achievements, it is helpful to first identify what counts as an academic honor. The most recognized are Latin honors, awarded based on a student’s final Grade Point Average (GPA). These include summa cum laude (with highest honor), magna cum laude (with great honor), and cum laude (with honor).
Another common distinction is the Dean’s List, an award for students who achieve a high GPA during a specific semester or academic year. Membership in honor societies, such as Phi Beta Kappa, also falls into this category. A consistently high GPA, even without a formal Latin honor, can also be presented as an academic achievement.
Where to List Honors in Your Education Section
For most job seekers, the education section of the resume is the most logical place to list academic honors. This placement keeps all your educational details consolidated, allowing hiring managers to see your qualifications at a glance. When formatting, the goal is clarity.
A common method is to place the Latin honor on the same line as your degree. It should appear in lowercase and italics. This formatting helps it stand out without cluttering the section. For example, you would list your degree as “Bachelor of Arts in Communications, summa cum laude.”
Below this line, you can add other relevant details, such as your GPA or specific academic awards. For instance, if you made the Dean’s List multiple times, you could add a line stating “Dean’s List: 6 semesters.” This approach ensures the information is easy to find.
Here is a complete example of a well-formatted education entry:
University of Anytown, Anytown, USA May 2024
Bachelor of Science in Biology, magna cum laude
GPA: 3.8/4.0
Dean’s List: 2022-2024
Creating a Dedicated Awards and Honors Section
While the education section is the standard location, a separate “Awards and Honors” section can be a strategic choice. This approach is effective for candidates who have accumulated three or more accolades that might overwhelm the education section. Creating a dedicated space prevents a cluttered appearance and draws focused attention to a long list of achievements.
This separate section allows you to provide more context for each honor if needed. For instance, you could briefly mention the criteria for a specific scholarship or award. This strategy is useful for new graduates whose academic achievements are their most substantial qualifications.
An example of this section might look like this:
Awards and Honors
Presidential Scholar, 2023-2024
National Merit Scholarship Recipient, 2020
First Place, Annual Research Symposium, 2023
When to Remove Honors from Your Resume
As your career progresses, the emphasis on your resume shifts from academic achievements to professional experience. While graduating with honors is a commendable accomplishment, its relevance diminishes over time. The space on your resume should be dedicated to showcasing qualifications most pertinent to your current career goals.
A guideline is to consider removing academic honors after you have gained three to five years of relevant professional experience. By this point, your work history and on-the-job accomplishments will speak more directly to your capabilities than your college GPA. Your resume should evolve with your career, prioritizing professional success over past academic performance.