How To Put Study Abroad On Your Resume
Adding a study abroad semester or year to your resume can show employers that youre a go-getter. This information doesnt need to take up much space and should be included in the education section as well.
The correct place to put study abroad on your resume is just below the university you graduated from. You can format it the same way as you format the other institutions attended. For example:
DePaul University, Chicago, IL, December 2009-March 2013
Bachelor of Arts, Major English Composition, Minor Journalism
Università degli Studi di Firenze, Florence, Italy September 2010-December 2010
- Completed coursework in journalism and international affairs.
- Became fluent in the Italian language
Everything you include in your resume should relate back to the job youre applying for. Its good to mention coursework and other activities that apply to that job when including your study abroad experience.
Why Include An Education Section On A Resume
Theres a good chance that every resume youve ever seen had an education section. But why?
Examples Of Study Abroad On Cover Letters
Need ideas on how to phrase your international study in your cover document? Check out these excellent examples:
- During my time as an international student at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, I learned the advantages and obstacles of working within a culturally-diverse team.
- My studying experience in Austria helped me cultivate an open-minded approach to global social issues.
- As a summer exchange student in China, I learned how to adjust to new places as well as collaborate with individuals of different backgrounds.
- My time in Germany helped me gain effective communication skills in a culturally-diversified environment.
The best place to include this info is after the first two sections of your letter. By this time, you have already introduced yourself and given the purpose of your letter. So, you can start describing the qualities that make you an ideal fit for the open role. Think of anything that you feel will give you an edge over the rest. However, make sure that what you list is relevant.
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Leverage Your Language Skills
If you are in a non-English speaking country, your language skills are an incredibly valuable commodity. You could find yourself a huge range of opportunities, on-campus and off, paid and unpaid, which could put your skills to use and result in great resume experience. Some ideas:
-
Tutor fellow students in English
-
Volunteer in English classrooms in local schools
-
Help edit written English
-
Translate materials into English
Tip : Bulletpoints Matter

When describing points of your study abroad experiences it is important to use your resume real estate most effectively. I like to describe things with numerical values and lots of action verbs to help computer programs flag my resume for the most applicable content. This includes discussing how I was involved abroad. So, did you join any student organizations at your CAPA program abroad? Did you join CAPA student council or have an experience that supplied you with transferable skills? Anything like this can and should be used on your resume to set yourself apart.
Heres an example:
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If Youre Currently Employed In A Related Field
If you currently work or are applying for a job in the same field, listing an unfinished degree can help illustrate relevant technical skills. This is especially true if you completed any noteworthy research, projects, or volunteer work as part of your degree and are still in the early stages of your career.
List the unfinished degree in your education section to give context for your achievements. The accomplishments themselves should be listed in the relevant section of your resume for example, the experience section for paid or volunteer experience, or a projects or additional section for research or publications.
Examples:
Internships and other work experience should be listed in your work experience section.If youre including accomplishments from university projects or other activities, list these in their own section and include your unfinished degree in the education section.If you picked up relevant technical skills or certifications as part of your unfinished degree, list these in your skills section and include the degree for context.
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What Is The Difference Between A Ged And A High School Equivalency Diploma
The difference between an HSED and a GED is not hugely significant, but there are cases where the HSED is preferred. Though both credentials are technically the same, a GED only indicates that youve passed a test, whereas an HSED indicates that youve passed a test and completed some other coursework.
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What Not To Mention About Study Abroad
When you mention study abroad on a resume, you want to think carefully about your key takeaways from the experience.
As mentioned before, hiring managers and recruiters dont want to know about all your late-night clubbing experiences in Prague or afternoon safaris in the Outback. They want to know how these experiences shaped you to become a better person, a better employee.
So lets try a brief exercise. Take a minute to think about your favorite parts of your study abroad experience.
If you found yourself reminiscing about late nights at clubs or bars, the thrill of drinking under 21, or any other similar escapades, dont mention it on your resume. Instead, think about the skills you used to navigate the more difficult situations while studying abroad.
You are probably annoyed at this point that everything in the job search seems to be related to skills. But when it comes to studying abroad, highlighting skills gained or improved while studying abroad looks a lot better on a resume than mentioning a class you took.
If you are having trouble thinking about the skills you gained while studying abroad, dont worry. You used a lot of very important, job-related skills while studying abroad.
To help get you into the skills zone, think about these questions:
Now, well use those types of experiences to figure out what skills and key takeaways from your experience that you can put on your resume to make your study abroad experience look amazing.
In Your Education Section
The education section of your resume is a natural fit for study abroad experience. Here’s how:
Here’s an example you can copy and paste:
RESUME WORDED UNIVERSITY
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Focus On Your Positive Attitude
If you really want the position youre applying to but dont possess enough of the required experience, you could put the focus on your attitude and the traits required for the position. This sort of skill is generally referred to as soft skills.
Lets look at some highly sought-after soft skills:
So when you really want that position, think of all the reasons why an employer should want to hire you. Emphasize your strengths all through your resume and dont pay attention to your lacking experience. Just emphasize why the employer should interview you and that youre worth the job!
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How Do You Put Study Abroad On A Resume
A study abroad experience is most often included in the education section. It should be placed in its own line for experiences of 1+ years, or as a bullet point beneath the main school for shorter experiences. Include the country, school name, and length of study.
Because study abroad is an educational experience, it makes the most sense to put it in the education section on a resume.
Depending on the length of time studied abroad, the formatting will be different for each instance.
Short-term overseas studied experiences are often done under the guidance of a main school in ones home country.
These examples include summer/spring study experiences, single semester experiences, or 9-month experiences.
Educational systems, such as Japanese education, may have different calendar years than that of your home university or high school.
Keep the dates in mind when formatting, it may be best to refer to an experience as the dates, rather than as fall semester which can differ around the world.
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What Employers Are Looking For In Your Resume Education Section
This depends on the job requirement. If the recruiters hiring the person for an entry-level position they will basically be looking for your degree or relevant coursework. If they are looking for an executive or managerial role they prefer masters qualifications or relevant certifications to be on your resume education section.
But in this case you should be honest. If you cheat on your resume you will not be able to prove yourself at the interview. And keep in mind that the interviewers can easily confirm whether the information provided by you is true or false.
How Do You Format A Study Abroad Experience Of More Than One Year

Study abroad experiences of more than one year should be listed as their own school in the education section. List the school title, specify the location, and include the degree only if the degree was completed abroad. You may list the topic of study if it is relevant.
A year or more is an exceptionally long and impressive duration to have undertaken in a new country.
It shows independence, drive, and flexibility. For this reason, you want to make sure it stands out on your resume as its own section.
Keep the educational experiences in reverse chronological order, and if there is an ongoing education, it should be listed at the top.
Include the graduation date, or include the expected graduation date if you are still in school.
Lets try an example of a two-year study abroad program:
Mt. Everest University
BA in Engineering, Minor in interior design
La Universidad de Madrid
Completed a year-long program abroad focused on Spanish language and engineering
Formatted version
Once professional experience has been gained, the description can be left off a resume for the study abroad program.
For newer graduates, this experience is particularly impressive and is best outlined to help them gain an edge over their peers.
If your resume is well-filled out with working experience and it has been at least a few years since you graduated university, it may be best to simplify your education section.
Abbreviations are recommended for the degree type.
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Tailoring Your Resume For Each Application
How To Include Study Abroad On A Resume
March 22, 2021 | By Burke Arielle Roberts| Reviewed by Conrad Benz
Study abroad experience can look great on your resume if youre a young candidate looking to get into the workforce or if your experience is related to the job. Use our examples and writing tips to learn how to put study abroad on your own resume.
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Places To List Study Abroad Experience On Your Resume
1). Educational Qualification
This is the best place to add your international experience. Include study abroad in your resume work experience section to help the recruiter understand your subject knowledge and technical skills.
If you went abroad as a part of a student exchange program, specify it under the university name that you enrolled in for the course. Make it clear that it is a student exchange program. Other details regarding your graduation such as the location of the university, name of the course, year of passing, etc. should also be specified clearly.
If you enrolled for a university abroad and completed your entire course there, enter it as a separate sub-section. This is also the best part where you can show your academic excellence and your hold on the field of study. Mention all the awards, meritorious ranks, and specifical accreditations you earned during the course of study.
2). Internship Experience
If you have done any internships during the course of the study, add a new section, and specify it. Mention the name of the company and the department you were working for. Mention the responsibility and your daily tasks in bulletin points to make them easy to grasp. If you learned a new software or technique, mention that as well. If you are fresher, this will help you to cover up for your lack of experience and certainly highlight your resume.
3). Skills
Lastly Italicize The Names Of Latin Honors
Since cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude are Latin phrases, you should use italics when listing these honors. These phrases should also be lowercase. You may find some examples and style guides that do not require you to italicize Latin honors, but using italics is the safer option. Plus, italics will help these words stand out.
If your school uses English instead of Latin phrases, the rules are different. English honors should not be italicized, and they should be capitalized. English honors are typically listed as with Honors, with High Honors or with Highest Honors. The word Distinction may be used instead of Honors. Always use the exact wording adopted by your university.
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Resume Education Section Examples
No matter which school you attended or degree you received, one of the following eight resume education section examples should be able to point you in the right direction when updating your resume.
- Bachelor of Applied Sciences , International Business, 2013Illinois State University, Bloomington, IL
- Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business, 2010-2014Bachelor of Arts, Accounting/Finance
- Miami University, Coral Gables, FLBachelor of Arts Social Psychology, 2013
- Doctor of Pharmacy , Magna Cum Laude, 2015Butler University, Indianapolis, IN
- Bachelor of Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering, 2009Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- University of Cattolica, Milan, ItalyBachelors Degree, Marketing and Finance, 2011
- Purdue University, West Lafayette, INBachelors Degree, Hospitality Tourism Management, 2012Activities: Intercollegiate Quidditch Association
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