Tips for showcasing cum laude honours in your CV

If you graduated summa cum laude or with another major honour, you deserve to show it off. What’s the best way to showcase these types of honours in your CV?

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Cum laude on CV

When writing the education section of your CV, you want to prove to a hiring manager that you really have academic achievements that you can use to benefit the company. Sure, going to Harvard Law School is already quite the achievement, but what else can you do to show off your skills to a potential employer? Should you list your grades? What about other honours and awards? Here’s what you should know about putting cum laude on a CV.

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What are the different types of Latin honours?

There are three common types of Latin honours that you’ll typically see in an honours section. They are:

Cum laude (with honour)
Magna cum laude (with great honour)
Summa cum laude (with the greatest honour)

These are all academic honours that can go in an honours section, and they all show your noteworthy accolades.

How to add Latin honours to your CV?

When listing Latin honours on your CV, there are a few tips you should follow. Here’s how to list Latin honours:

List in all lowercase letters
Add after your degree
Use parentheses
Italicise the honours

Here are a few ways to list cum laude that you might see:

Bachelor of Science in Engineering (cum laude)
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (magna cum laude)
Master’s in Climate Science & Solutions (summa cum laude)

Although they aren’t Latin honours, you can also include Dean’s List and honour societies like Beta Gamma Sigma. It’s all about listing whatever the highest honour is that you received in a specific field. If you have a wide variety of honours, you can create an honours section of your CV. Your job application can typically benefit from including all honours.

However, only add this information if it’s relevant. Although your grade point average is something you might be proud of, most hiring managers are not looking for it on a CV.

Tips for maximising the use of Latin honours on a CV

How do you ensure that your job search actually benefits from your Latin honours? If you feel like these Latin phrases aren’t really helping you find a new job, consider these tips:

List your Latin honour in your education section
Research your field to see whether it’s common to include Latin honours
Include all awards on your LinkedIn profile, especially those not listed on your CV
List other awards in subsections for awards and honours

Typically, Latin honours should stay in the education section on your CV. However, especially if you’re a recent graduate trying to expand your CV, you can create a subsection that includes academic and professional awards. Look at CV examples to see what other people are saying in their CVs.

Even if you are further along in your career, you can still consider including an honours section on your CV, especially if you are continuing your education.

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