How to List Relevant Coursework on a Resume (With Examples)

Highlighting relevant coursework on your resume is an effective way to demonstrate transferable skills and experience. In this article, we explain when you should list coursework on your resume and provide several examples.

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When to include relevant coursework on a resume

You should include relevant coursework on your resume in these situations:

If you’ve recently graduated or will graduate soon

The best time to include relevant coursework on your resume is if you’re a high school student or recent college graduate.

If you’ve spent the last few years studying and completing difficult assignments, you can show the skills you’ve developed from that experience on your resume.

Including relevant coursework is especially important if you’re writing a resume with no work experience, because your coursework shows that you have key skills and knowledge, even if you haven’t held a formal job yet.

If you’re a grad student changing careers

To write a great career change resume, include relevant graduate coursework on your resume to demonstrate the skills and knowledge you’ve acquired that apply to your new career field.

When you don’t yet have work experience in the industry, your coursework helps bridge the gap between your past roles and your new direction.

When not to include related coursework on a resume

If you already have several years of experience in your field and your resume fills a full page, you don’t need to include coursework from your studies. The perfect resume should prioritize your most relevant work experience over your coursework.

How and where to put relevant coursework on your resume

The most effective placement for your coursework is in your education section or work experience section.

Example of relevant coursework in an education section

Most people include coursework in the education section of their resumes.

If you want to expand your education section, write “Relevant Coursework” under your degree name and list 3-6 relevant courses, using commas to separate the names of the courses. For example:

To improve readability, simplify or rebrand academic course names. For example, list “Microeconomics” rather than an official registrar title like “Introduction to Microeconomic Theory.”

If you have plenty of space, turn your relevant coursework into a bulleted list so each course is on its own line:

Alternatively, consider formatting your relevant coursework like a work experience section. Include specific academic projects to provide evidence of your applied skills, like this:

Example of relevant coursework in a work experience section

Including coursework in your work experience section allows you to share detailed information about what you did for each course.

In this instance, you should pick the courses most relevant to the job you’re applying for, create a bulleted list for each, and format them as you would past jobs you’ve had.

Ideally, your course descriptions should include quantifiable information. For example: