On your CV, should you mention your BS/MS if you have a PhD?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around whether individuals should include their B.S. and M.S. degrees on their CVs if they already hold a PhD. The scope includes considerations of academic presentation, relevance of educational background, and the differences between CVs and resumes.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants argue that it is typical to include all post-secondary education on a CV, regardless of higher qualifications.
  • Others suggest that including all degrees is beneficial as the work accomplished during a PhD may not be directly related to previous degrees.
  • One participant expresses the view that as one accumulates qualifications, less relevant degrees like a B.S. may be omitted since a PhD implies the completion of a B.S.
  • Another participant emphasizes the distinction between a CV and a resume, noting that a CV allows for more detail and can convey important information about a candidate's background and skills.
  • It is mentioned that including details such as the topic of an honors thesis or the institution attended can be valuable for networking and context.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing opinions on the necessity and relevance of including B.S. and M.S. degrees on a CV when a PhD is present. No consensus is reached, with multiple competing views remaining.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the importance of context in determining what to include on a CV, suggesting that relevance may vary based on individual circumstances and career goals.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals preparing academic CVs, those transitioning from graduate studies to professional roles, and anyone interested in the nuances of academic versus professional documentation.

Omega Force
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Hi,

On your CV, should you mention your B.S. and/or M.S. if you have a PhD?

Thanks in advance for your answers.
 
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On a CV, yes. It's typical to include all post-secondary education.
 
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Omega Force said:
Hi,

On your CV, should you mention your B.S. and/or M.S. if you have a PhD?

Thanks in advance for your answers.
As Choppy said above, works accomplished in PhD are not necessarily related fully to your previous certified degrees. You could graduate from a computer science department but your PhD might be about computational physics, chemistry or biology, for example. So enlisting them all is better.
 
I would have thought that at a certain point in your life when you become old enough you would have too many things to put on your CV and so you would need to remove the useless things like the fact that you have a B.S. : if you have a PhD it's obvious that you also have a B.S., and since your PhD is much more important than your B.S. you should not mention the fact that you have a B.S..
 
Remember that a CV is different from a resume. The purpose of a resume is to generate a concise document that outlines your qualifications for a certain position. You need to pay a lot of attention to relevant vs irrelevant information. So there you might not list education if it's not relevant.

A curriculum vitae is more academically-oriented. You have more space to include details. And information like the details of someone's bachelors degree can tell a story about that person and imply certain skills. Not everyone who has a PhD did their undergraduate studies in the same field. And often it can be important to include details such as the topic of an honours thesis. Or what about networking? People will naturally notice someone who went to the same school they came out of.
 
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