Yay or nay on including coursework/blog contact in a CV

[MyNamesNotRick]

Just a general question about CVs included in applications.

I've seen people mention that they have put relevant coursework in their CV.

And it was justified as:

- making transcripts easier to read and reference

- creating a heartier CV for those who have not attended conferences or do not have a high amount of extracurricular activity

Just wanted to get an overview on the consensus of whether this is a good idea from the board.

I personally think its a great idea particularly because those justifications will work well for me but I wanted to hear what others had to say about it.

Also, I have a blog that I have been keeping semi-current.

Much of what I've written is connected to my academic interests.

Should I include it on my application somewhere? If so, where (also on the CV)?

Here is the link: http://timelydonut.com/

And just to be clear I'm applying to PhD Sociology and Cultural Studies programs.

Edited July 25, 2011 by sagelike

[lyonessrampant]

I would definitely not put your blog link in your application materials. There may be information in it that isn't going to benefit you. It is likely you don't spellcheck and edit your blog posts like you do the SOP and writing sample, so don't give them material that isn't your absolute best. It also looks a little. . .unprofessional in my opinion. I also wouldn't put coursework in the CV, unless that coursework resulted in you learning some specific set of skills. Even then, I probably wouldn't put the coursework in personally, but others in your field may advise you better in that regard.

[MyNamesNotRick]

I would definitely not put your blog link in your application materials. There may be information in it that isn't going to benefit you. It is likely you don't spellcheck and edit your blog posts like you do the SOP and writing sample, so don't give them material that isn't your absolute best. It also looks a little. . .unprofessional in my opinion. I also wouldn't put coursework in the CV, unless that coursework resulted in you learning some specific set of skills. Even then, I probably wouldn't put the coursework in personally, but others in your field may advise you better in that regard.

Much appreciated.

Sound advice on the blog.

I would be willing to hear what others have to say on the coursework and or the blog being included.

[jendoly]

I took my coursework off my resume/CV after getting my BS. It's relevant somewhat to internships that might not know the sequence of your curriculum and want to know what you've taken already (especially in engineering), but it's sort of generic after graduation, especially since curriculums are pretty typical across the board. Unless you have something really different (like a custom degree program where you mix and match majors), it will just look like filler I think.

As for the blog, I would not include it unless you have been accorded some sort of award or recognition for it in the context of your career or research interests. On first look, it looks like there are a lot of posts that are not particularly relevant to an overarching theme, in which case you don't want a POI to go look at your blog and then feel like you've wasted their time with something irrelevant.

[eco_env]

I took my coursework off my resume/CV after getting my BS. It's relevant somewhat to internships that might not know the sequence of your curriculum and want to know what you've taken already (especially in engineering), but it's sort of generic after graduation, especially since curriculums are pretty typical across the board. Unless you have something really different (like a custom degree program where you mix and match majors), it will just look like filler I think.

It really depends, i think- I had a non-ecology/biology major in undergrad, so I listed relevant coursework to show that I had some background in ecology and general biology.

[Guimauvaise]

I think you also need to keep your audience and degree in mind. I just finished an MFA in creative writing this spring, and when I was applying to the PhD in English Lit. program (at the same school), I was asked to prepare a CV after being nominated for a fellowship. I included three of my lit-based classes in my CV to back up my GPA. I graduated with a 4.0, and I was encouraged to include electives outside of the MFA courses (which are ridiculously easy workshops and how-to-be-a-writer courses) to demonstrate that my GPA was not high simply because I took easy courses.

So if you're worried that your audience may not fully appreciate your academic background w/o a representative sample of coursework, or that they may brush off (for lack of a better phrase) your previous degree, I'd recommend putting two or three courses on there. You might even consider listing the titles of research papers you've written.

[jblsmith]

I would defintely include relevant coursework. With so much disparity between degree requirements from one school to the next I think it is important that you let prospective schools and/or employers know exactly what you've studied. For instance, my UG major was economics. At my institution the economics degree was quite rigorous, requiring a several upper-level math courses. However, at other institutions the economics degree may be more applied and policy based. I wanted to let schools/employers know that I had more rigorous training. Moreover, I took additional advanced math classes which schools/employers whould not have known about had I simply stated "Degree in Economics." This paid off, for once I entered thesis-stage with my MA program I took a job as an analyst doing heavy statistical work. My director explicitly told me that it was the "Relevant Coursework" section on my resume that caught his eye and got me an interview. He went on to say that he interviewed a number of other candidates who graduated with degrees in econ but that they did not have the mathematical background I had.

As far as the blog, I would leave that out. I feel that it is too informal for a CV. While it shows initiative and an interest in writing, there is no peer-review of blog-enteries so adcomms cannot know the quality. Plus, blogging is still in its infancy, I don't think it garners the respect to make its way onto a CV.

[e i j i]

I've seen a few CVs from previous students from my school. After seeing three or four CVs with the same course sequencing for our closed major listed, in my opinion it looked like a filler. I think if you have taken classes related to research interests or classes that are somewhat unusual to take for your major, it might be relevant to include. I noticed in the ones that included coursework sections, the list itself was probably the length of several sections in length.

Blogs, I don't know... I think a personal blog might be a bit too informal for a CV, but if you are a contributor or something to an established blog such as a student organization, I could see that as being possibly relevant.

Edited July 30, 2011 by eijp