When you’re a college student or a recent grad working on your resume, sometimes your most related experiences are from your college courses. If that’s the case, then it’s totally acceptable and easy to list your relevant coursework on your resume.
The goal of your resume is to show off how your experiences and knowledge come together to make YOU an excellent candidate. So, it’s important to be strategic when you put your relevant coursework on your resume.
Let’s dive into the most common questions about listing classes on a resume, then how to put relevant coursework on your resume!
“What is relevant coursework?”
Relevant coursework on your resume is the classes and projects that relate to the jobs you’re applying for.
We’ll go into more details later, but this section is usually for advanced or niche classes- not super general or intro level. Instead of using it to prove you took the basic classes of your program, you should show off the specific industry knowledge you have.
For example, if you’re a photography major who took a few advanced classes on editing or portrait photos. Or, if you’re a marketing major whose program dove deep into crisis communication or PR for celebrities.
Basically, any impressive or industry specific classes should be listed on your resume.
You can also use this section if you have classes with related transferable skills. For example, if you took an advanced course on leadership or small group communication, and the job description lists those as qualifications.
Alright, now that we know what relevant coursework is, let’s go into if you should put college classes on your resume!
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“Should I put relevant coursework on a resume?”
If you’re in college or recently graduated and have little or no experience related to the position, then a relevant coursework section is a great solution.
It takes up space, shows off your industry knowledge, and lets them see the value of your education. As long as you use it strategically, instead of just throwing up all the classes you can think of.
However, if you have a ton of related experience on your resume and you’re choosing between putting your classes or another relevant position, then ditch the related coursework section.
Wondering how to format the experience on your resume? Check out The Best Resume Format
Your goal with your resume is to stand out and show you have the skills and knowledge they’re looking for. So, if you don’t have direct experience in the field, then a related coursework section is your BFF. If you do have experience, then go with the experience.
Another great way to use your related classes strategically is if you’re changing careers and don’t have much experience in the field- so, you’d use this section to emphasize your transferable skills.
If you’re not sure whether you should change careers, this video has great advice on how to know if it’s time for a career change!
“Where do I put relevant coursework on my resume?”
Well, it depends. Btw, if you’re searching for a resume template with a related coursework section, you’ve gotta hop over to my guide to the best resume templates (the answer WILL surprise you!)
When you’re putting college classes on your resume, you might be asking “Should I have a relevant coursework section on my resume?”
- If you have just a couple of solid, relevant courses to list, then just put them in your education section.
- If you have 3 or more classes that work (or need to add space to your resume), then you can list them in their own section labeled “Relevant Coursework.”
So, depending on the number of relevant classes and the space you have on your resume, you can either add them under education or create a new section for them.
Alright, now that I’ve answered the most common questions about it, let’s get into exactly how to list courses on your resume!
Are you wondering how to format the rest of your education section? Check out Expert Tips to Write & Format Your Resume Education Section
How to Write a Resume with Relevant Coursework
1. Keep it related
You might’ve already figured this out, but the college courses you put on your resume must be related to the job you’re applying for.
Since employers spend an average of 7 seconds reading your resume, it’s important you grab their attention with relevant courses.
If you’re applying for a marketing job, they’re not going to care if you took classes on human anatomy. Instead, focus on courses that show how your education has prepared you for this job specifically.
Keeping the coursework listed on your resume relevant to the job also shows them you’re paying attention to the company and the job description.
So, when you’re listing coursework on your resume, keep it relevant!
2. Use ones that stand out
In addition to being related, you also want the college courses on your resume to help you stand out.
If your college offers a class that’s given you a unique perspective on a topic, then listing it would help you get noticed. This also goes for classes gave you specific skills or knowledge.
As an example of relevant coursework on my resume, since I was a Communication Studies major, two classes I think stand out are Gendered Blackness and Rhetoric of Religion. They were both advanced classes in my program and neither of them are a standard part of a communications program.
If you’ve taken a niche/ advanced, technical, or unique course, then it would definitely help your resume stand out- so include it when you’re listing relevant coursework on your resume.
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3. NO intro levels
This ties in with the last one, but it’s worth saying on its own: you shouldn’t include intro level courses on your resume.
Why? Here’s the example I always said to my clients…
Let’s say you’re an accounting major applying for an accounting job. Even though it’s relevant, listing “Introduction to Accounting” is unnecessary. Employers know you took intro to accounting- it’s standard and beginner.
Your goal is to show them the amount of knowledge you’ve gained through your coursework: listing beginner classes doesn’t give them an idea of your growth and experience.
Remember, when you list classes on your resume leave intro level classes off.
4. List 3-6(ish)
You might also be wondering how many courses you should list on your resume.
A good rule is around 3-6 classes, depending on (again) your space and amount of related classes.
If you only have one or two relevant classes, then it’s probably better to just leave them off or put them in your education section. However, if you have 10+ related classes, then you should get more selective about which to include.
Essentially, you want your resume to have a good balance between courses and experiences. Sticking to 3-6 college classes on your resume makes sure you keep that balance.
5. Use the course’s name
Finally, here’s the last rule of putting relevant coursework on your resume- and it’s important.
Although your school uses an internal system to number your courses, only list the name of your classes on your resume. Since the system for numbering courses is internal, employers won’t know or care what the numbers mean.
By listing only the course names on your resume, the information is clearer and easier for employers to understand. You can also use a short bulleted list to describe each class and the work you did, especially if you need to take up more space on your resume.
Adding relevant coursework on a resume is a great way to show your knowledge about a subject and make up for a lack of work experience on your resume. When listing college classes, make sure to keep them related, use ones that stand out, avoid intro levels, add them to the right spot, list 3-6, and use the course names. With these simple rules, it’s easy to add your college courses to your resume!
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