How To Add Cum Laude To Resume

"Cum laude" seems like a worthwhile resume detail to impress hiring managers, but how exactly should it be listed on your resume? And is information technology always a good idea to include Latin honors? Resume.io is here with practical advice in plain English.

Cum laude. Magna cum laude. Summa cum laude. It might sound like all Greek to the uninitiated, even in halls of learning where these academic distinctions don't be. But for chore seekers who have been awarded such Latin honors, the mystique commonly centers around when and how they should appear on your resume .

Nosotros'll embrace these topics:

Three basic types of Latin honors and levels of distinction
Reasons to listing cum laude on your resume
When you should listing cum laude on your resume
Two ways to list cum laude on your resume — tips and examples

What does cum laude mean?

Variations of the post-obit tri-level Latin honors organisation typically apply in some colleges and universities, primarily in the U.Southward. and several southeast Asian countries.

Latin Honour	Significant	Typically awarded to graduates in the top class range of:
cum laude kuːm ˈlaʊdeɪ	with honor (praise)	twenty%, 25% or 30%
magna cum laude ˈmæɡnə kuːm ˈlaʊdeɪ	with swell honour (praise)	five%, ten% or 15%
summa cum laude ˈsuːmə kuːm ˈlaʊdeɪ	with highest laurels (praise)	1%, ii% or five% if awarded at all, or simply in boggling circumstances

Criteria for students to accomplish these honour levels — for example past course signal average, class standing, honors thesis evaluation or early graduation — are set by private institutions and therefore not consequent from one higher to the next.
Some institutions grant equivalent (or additional) non-Latin honors to undergraduates, or none at all.

Why list cum laude on your resume?

Yous've come up past your Latin bragging rights honestly. So why not include these noteworthy honors on your resume — especially if it sets you apart in the eyes of hiring managers?

First and foremost, cum laude demonstrates your work ethic and commitment to excellence, which could give you an border over chore candidates whose work experience may be equally impressive.
Task candidates with high bookish achievements may be preferred or required past some employers.
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) might fifty-fifty be screened to pick upwards these keywords and rank your resume higher confronting others as a result.
Although a resume's employment history department generally gets the most attention from recruiters, adding your Latin honors can rightly shift the focus to proven strengths that are relevant in some industries and positions, or when you lack piece of work experience.

When is cum laude on a resume appropriate?

HR experts recommend listing cum laude on your resume if you lot:

Accept niggling or no work experience
Are a college student or recent graduate
- Seeking a job
- Applying to graduate school
Are applying for jobs in academia , law , finance or other fields where your educational achievements count significantly.

Expert tip

What if your honors are not Latin?

Never change the wording of whatever special distinctions yous received as a graduate from institutions that don't use the Latin honors scheme. Plain English language equivalents such as "with High Honors" or "with Highest Honors" are no less honorable. The diction on your resume should match exactly what appears on your diploma. The same advice applies in reverse — don't convert Latin honors into English.

When should you lot non include Latin honors on your resume?

Unless educational excellence is straight relevant to your qualifications for a particular job or industry, in that location's no point list cum laude on your resume if:

Your job-related employment history is extensive
You graduated from higher more than three to five years agone.

Expert tip

The more work experience you acquire over time, the more relevant and influential this section of your resume becomes. Except for some occupations where academic credentials remain important, yous can gradually devote less attention and infinite to the education section, including details such as GPA and Latin honors. The relative emphasis on employment history and teaching in your resume should reflect what hiring managers are most interested in.

Two options for listing Latin honors on your resume

There are two possible places to list cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude on your resume.

The education section

There are two slightly unlike variations in the way Latin honors can appear in your resume'due south education section.

Either way, make sure cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude is italicized simply not capitalized.

In the first example, cum laude appears on the same line beside the name of your degree, separated past a comma. See the examples below.

In these adjustable resume education examples, cum laude appears on the same line every bit your degree.

Pedagogy

St. Louis University

Main of Scientific discipline in Chemical science, magna cum laude

Instruction

Vanderbilt Academy
Bachelor of Applied science in Civil Engineering, summa cum laude

The other style to listing cum laude in your resume's education section is on a divide line beneath your degree, as in the following examples.

These resume education examples tin be adapted for listing cum laude on a separate line below your degree.

EDUCATION

University of Chicago

Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature

magna cum laude

Didactics

University of Florida
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
cum laude

In a dissever honors department

Under a divide "Honors" heading — perhaps an education subsection — list your Latin honors as a bullet bespeak, along with other special distinctions. Apparently, you need more than than i honor or accolade — three to five is ideal — to justify creating this section or it would non be a list.

In this instance, cum laude does non need to be italicized but should still be all lowercase.

These examples bear witness what cum laude looks similar when listed in a separate "Honors" department:

HONORS

Graduated magna cum laude
Figurer Science Scholarship Award
Phi Beta Kappa Honors Order, President 2017-2018
Dean's List (last iii semesters)

HONORS

Graduated summa cum laude
top prize, 2019 Undergraduate Educatee Poster Competition
Sigma Xi Affiliate Circumvolve Member
Student Affiliate, American Order of Civil Engineers, President 2018-19
Dean'south Listing, 2018,

Other options

Other than list cum laude in the education or honors resume sections every bit outlined in a higher place, at that place are 2 additional means you might describe an employer'southward attention to these special distinctions in appropriate circumstances:

In your resume summary (profile or personal statement)
In your cover alphabetic character

However, Latin honors should not exist listed in your resume'due south employment history or skills section.

Expert tip

Maybe skip the GPA

As a resume clutter-proofing mensurate, consider omitting your GPA if y'all do listing cum laude. Hiring managers can have for granted that your GPA would be loftier enough to earn the Latin award. Exceptions — if the employer requests GPA information or if the application schoolhouse has particularly loftier requirements for Latin distinctions.

Key takeaways

Including Latin honors on your resume could set y'all apart from other chore candidates by demonstrating a commitment to excellence and strong work ethic.
Including cum laude on a resume is most advisable for entry level task seekers lacking piece of work experience, for college students or fresh graduates , or in some professions where high academic achievement is always relevant.
In that location are two slightly unlike ways to list cum laude in your resume'south instruction section, and another choice if it includes a split honors section.