How to Add Relevant Coursework on a Resume [Examples + Tips]

You’re hoping to land an entry-level job so you can get professional experience, but every entry-level job seems to require some experience. Frustrating, right?

Yet employers hiring for entry-level roles likely don’t expect you to have full-time work experience. Instead, they’re looking for experience that relates to the role you’re applying for—whether that’s previous internships, part-time work, volunteering, extracurriculars, or coursework.

This guide discusses how to add coursework to your resume, including why you should include it, what courses to include, and how to format this additional experience.

Need to add coursework to your resume? Make a free resume in Teal today. 

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What is considered relevant coursework?

Relevant coursework on a resume refers to academic classes you’ve taken that align with the focus, requirements, and skills needed for a particular job. 

For example, if you’re applying for a software engineering role, you might list coursework that you took at a reputable computer science university that demonstrates your experience with programming. Or, if you’re applying for a public relations role, you might list coursework in communications and English to show both your interpersonal and writing skills.

If you’re unsure what coursework is relevant to the role you’re applying for, Teal’s AI Resume Builder can help you match your qualifications to the job description. Simply add a job description to the resume builder and use Teal’s Job Matching Tool to identify the most important keywords, hard skills, and soft skills the company is looking for. Then, add any relevant coursework that demonstrates those skills.

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Listing relevant coursework on a resume is an effective way to show you’re qualified for the role with the right skills and experience—especially if you don’t have professional experience yet. 

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How to list relevant coursework on your resume

There are a few different ways to add relevant coursework to your resume, but all involve adjusting your Education section.

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1. Add a new line in your Education section

The most straightforward way to add relevant coursework on your resume is to simply list out your classes underneath your degree information. Simply add a line called “relevant coursework,” then write a list of the courses you’d like to include.

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Course titles should be capitalized; however, you don’t need to include the full or exact name of the class you took. For example, if you took “Computer Science III: Data Structures and Algorithms,” you can shorten it to “Data Structures and Algorithms” or change it to “Advanced Data Structure and Algorithms” to show the level of the course. Your goal is to best illustrate the overall topic of the course you took.

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2. Include a bullet point list of your relevant coursework

If you have room to include a bullet point list, adding relevant coursework to your resume in this format can be more readable and bring further attention to the courses you’ve listed. 

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3. Add descriptions to your coursework

While you don’t need to add descriptions when listing relevant coursework on a resume, it can be a helpful way to draw the lines for the recruiting or hiring manager who’s wondering how your classes stack up against the job requirements. To do this, create a relevant coursework resume section within your Education section.

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To add descriptions, share a brief sentence or two about what you learned, including any hard or soft skills. If there are skills mentioned in the job description that apply to the course, be sure to name them.

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Relevant coursework resume examples

Now that you know how to add coursework, here are a few relevant coursework resume examples that put those steps into practice. 

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Relevant coursework template

Ready to add your relevant coursework to your resume? Here’s a relevant coursework template to copy and paste and fill out with your own qualifications:

Education

[Degree Name] in [Major]
[University Name], [University Location]

[Graduation Month and Date]

Relevant coursework:
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[Course name 1]: [One-sentence description of what you learned in the course, including any topics or skills relevant to the job description]
[Course name 12]: [One-sentence description of what you learned in the course, including any topics or skills relevant to the job description]
[Course name 3]: [One-sentence description of what you learned in the course, including any topics or skills relevant to the job description]

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Where to list coursework on a resume

There are several places where you can list coursework on a resume, depending on your level of experience and the type of job you’re applying for. Here are some options:

• Education section: You can list relevant coursework in the education section of your resume, either in a separate subsection or as part of your degree information. This is the most common approach and keeps your academic achievements organized.
• Separate section: If you have a lot of relevant coursework or if you’re applying for a job that requires a strong academic background, you can create a separate section for your coursework. Label it “Relevant Coursework” to draw attention to your academic qualifications.
• Skills section: You can also list relevant coursework in the skills section of your resume, especially if you’re applying for a job that requires specific technical skills. This approach can highlight your practical knowledge and how it aligns with the job requirements.

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When to include relevant coursework on your resume 

Adding relevant coursework on your resume can demonstrate additional ways you’ve built skills and experience relevant to the job search. However, you don’t always need to include this section to your resume.

You should include relevant courses on your resume when you’re:

• Early career: If you’re a recent graduate with limited professional experience, highlighting relevant coursework can help demonstrate you have the skills and knowledge you need to do the job.
• Going through a career transition: While career changers have more professional experience than early career applicants, you’re still new to the field you’re applying to. Coursework can prove you have the right knowledge and skills, even if you don’t have all of the relevant previous positions. (Resume certifications can be effective for this purpose, too—but these typically go in a “certifications” section.)
• Trying to demonstrate specialized skills: Relevant coursework can be an additional way to prove you have valuable skills—especially ones you haven’t used in your professional experience yet (and therefore would not belong in your work experience section).

Generally, you should include relevant courses on a resume when you’re about to graduate or have recently graduated and worked professionally for less than a few years. It can also add value to your resume if you need to demonstrate expertise or skill that’s not otherwise listed on your resume.

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How to choose relevant coursework for your resume

You’ve likely taken dozens of courses in your time at school. So how do you know which ones to add to your resume?

First, make a list of all the relevant classes you think could apply to the roles you're evaluating. Then, for each role, consider:

• Relevance to the required job experience: Does the course demonstrate you have the expertise the recruiter or hiring manager is looking for?
• Relevance to the required skills: Did any of these courses teach you skills listed in the “requirements” section of the job description?
• Impact and achievements: Are there specific projects, research, or presentations that you did as a part of the course that are relevant to the role?

Relevant coursework on your resume should be additive to the value of your resume. Each course serves a purpose—whether that’s demonstrating a specific expertise, skill, or knowledge gap not otherwise identified in your resume qualifications.

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Benefits of adding relevant coursework

Adding relevant coursework to your resume can have several benefits, especially for students and entry-level professionals. Here are some of the advantages of including relevant coursework on your resume:

• Demonstrates skills and knowledge: Relevant coursework can showcase your skills and knowledge in a particular field, making you a more attractive candidate to potential employers. For instance, listing courses like “Data Structures” or “Marketing Analytics” can highlight your technical and analytical abilities.
• Enhances credibility: Including relevant coursework on your resume can demonstrate your commitment to your field of study and enhance your credibility as a candidate. It shows that you have invested time and effort into acquiring the necessary knowledge.
• Fills gaps in experience: For students and entry-level professionals, relevant coursework can fill gaps in experience and demonstrate your potential to perform well in a particular role. If you lack professional experience, coursework can serve as evidence of your capabilities.
• Shows relevance to the job: Relevant coursework can show that you have the skills and knowledge required for the job, making you a more competitive candidate. Tailoring your coursework to match the job description can make your resume stand out to hiring managers.

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How to select and add relevant coursework using Teal

If you’re unsure if relevant coursework has a place on your resume, including what kind of classes, Teal’s AI Resume Builder can help analyze both your resume and the job description to see if it’s a good fit.

Teal’s Analysis Mode analyzes your resume structure, measurable results, and keywords to ensure your resume is as concise and impact-forward as possible.

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Once you’ve filled out your resume in Teal, the Analysis Mode can help you identify whether you may need to add more information or keywords on your resume. If you have a relevant class that fills that gap, you’ll know to add it to your resume.

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How to tailor coursework to the job description

When listing coursework on your resume, it’s essential to tailor it to the job description. Here are some tips:

• Read the job description carefully: Study the job description and requirements to identify the skills and knowledge required for the job. Pay attention to the keywords and phrases used by the employer. (Pro Tip: Teal automates this step with its Resume Job Description Match feature)
• Identify relevant coursework: Identify the coursework that is relevant to the job and highlight it on your resume. Focus on courses that align with the skills and experience mentioned in the job description.
• Use keywords: Use keywords from the job description to describe your coursework and make it more relevant to the job. This can help your resume pass through applicant tracking systems (ATS) and catch the attention of hiring managers

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4 tips to add relevant coursework on your resume the right way 

Ready to start adding relevant coursework on your resume? Here are some best practices.

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1. Only relevant coursework that matches the job description should be added

Relevant coursework is described that way for a reason—it’s relevant to the job that you’re applying for. That means that the courses you list are related to the role’s required experience and skills. 

Teal’s Job Matching Tool can help you identify gaps between your resume and a given job description. The tool can tell you what keywords you’re missing for both hard and soft skills—which can then help you figure out if there’s a course you can add to fill that gap.

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2. You don’t need to use the official name of the course

College course names have a variety of structures depending on the institution you attend. Don’t worry about including the official name of the course you took; instead, focus on using language the hiring manager is looking for.

For example, if you took “Introduction to Microeconomic Theory,” you may opt to list the course as “Microeconomics.” This is a simpler, to-the-point version that addresses the main focus of the course.

Or, let’s say you took a course with a more poetic title like “Advanced Topics in Artificial Intelligence.” If the job description says they want someone familiar with artificial intelligence, then you may keep as is or adjust to “Artificial Intelligence.” However, if the job description specifies that it wants someone with expertise in machine learning, you could adjust the language to specifically address your experience with machine learning.

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3. Feature academic projects to further highlight your coursework

While relevant coursework on your resume demonstrates you have academic knowledge of the topic, you can highlight specific projects to provide tangible examples of how you put that knowledge into practice.

Again, these projects should be relevant—meaning they align with the job you’re applying for. For example, if you're applying for a data analyst position, you could highlight a data analysis project you completed in a statistics course by adding a project link to your resume. 

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4. Include academic awards and your GPA

To further highlight your coursework and academic achievements, consider including any awards, honors, or scholarships you’ve received, as well as your GPA. This demonstrates not only that you’ve taken relevant courses, but also that you’ve excelled while in school. 

Add your GPA and awards on your resume in the Education section. If you have multiple honors or awards you want to list and add further context to, you can create a separate “Honors and Awards” section.

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Common mistakes to avoid when adding coursework to a resume

When listing coursework on your resume, there are several common mistakes to avoid. Here are some of them:

• Listing irrelevant coursework: Only list coursework that is relevant to the job you’re applying for. Irrelevant coursework can make your resume look cluttered and unprofessional. Focus on courses that directly relate to the job description.
• Not tailoring coursework to the job: Failing to tailor your coursework to the job description can make it seem like you’re not a good fit for the job. Customize your resume for each application to highlight the most relevant courses.
• Not using keywords: Not using keywords from the job description can make it harder for your resume to pass through applicant tracking systems (ATS) and for hiring managers to see your relevance to the job. Incorporate relevant keywords to improve your chances of getting noticed.

By avoiding these common mistakes and following the tips outlined above, you can create a strong and effective resume that showcases your relevant coursework and helps you land your dream job.

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Start adding relevant coursework on your resume with Teal

Adding relevant coursework to your resume can be an effective way to demonstrate skills and expertise—especially when you’re a recent graduate or changing careers.

To add relevant courses, you can add a line, list, or section in your Education section. While you don’t need to add descriptions of each course, you can adjust the course names to match the language the hiring manager is looking for. If you do choose to add descriptions, you can list relevant skills and topics you learned in the course.

Adding relevant coursework to your resume is efficient and effective with Teal’s AI Resume Builder. Not only can you easily format and customize the design of your relevant courses, but you can also ensure  the coursework you’re adding is relevant with Teal’s Analysis Mode and Job Matching tools.

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