What Should You Put on Your Resume When You Didn’t Finish Your Degree? (And Don’t Plan to Finish)

Great Resumes Fast » Resume Writing Tips » What Should You Put on Your Resume When You Didn’t Finish Your Degree? (And Don’t Plan to Finish)

going back to schoolHow do you address your incomplete education on your resume? Many people choose to not complete their degrees or return to school. The reasons are as varied as the job seekers themselves. Whatever your circumstances—whether you’ve been forced to withdraw from classes, or if you’ve simply chosen to leave, there are ways to still include your education on your resume. I personally think it’s important to do so, especially when it’s related to your current or desired career field. There are two ways I would suggest tackling this:

1. List the college you went to, the program area you studied, and dates you attended school. You’re not including a degree here because one was not awarded. But you are showing that you did attend school and receive some formal education. You can also include how many credit hours you completed.

2. State the university you attended, relevant courses you completed (especially if they’re related to a position you’re pursuing), credit hours completed and dates you attended the school. Again, a degree is not included because one was not awarded.

You have to be careful how to incorporate this information into your resume. You never want to mislead an employer into thinking you have a degree that you don’t have. This can come back to bite you if you’re offered the position and they fact check. Plus, the goal here isn’t to deceive anyone into thinking that you have a degree you don’t actually have. The goal is to include any education you have received—which, in my opinion, is very important to show and will be valuable to employers.

If the courses you completed aren’t required or directly related to the position, put it at the end of the resume. This is also the case if you want to share with the employer that you have some education but you don’t want to advertise that you didn’t complete your education. I wouldn’t list an incomplete degree at the top of the resume if you’re not planning to finish it.

I recommend reading my recent article: 5 Things Every Prospective Employer Wants to Hear. It has some great advice about interviews that you’ll really want to know, especially as your resume starts generating call-backs.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for more great job search and resume advice.

About Great Resumes Fast Product Templates MRP-3882

About the author

Jessica Hernandez, President, CEO & Founder of Great Resumes Fast

Hi, I’m Jessica. I started this company back in 2008 after more than a decade directing hiring practices at Fortune 500 companies.

What started as a side hustle (before that was even a word!) helping friends of friends with their resumes has now grown into a company that serves hundreds of happy clients a year. But the personal touch? I’ve kept that.

You might have seen me featured as a resume expert in publications like Forbes, Fast Company, and Fortune. And in 2020, I was honored to be named as a LinkedIn Top Voice of the year!

I’m so glad you’re here, and I can’t wait to help you find your next perfect-fit position!

9 Comments

  1. Resume Blog on December 6, 2016 at 4:09 am

    Resumes That Knock Em Dead

    […] xperience directing hiring practices for Fortune 500 companies, Jessica’s innova […]



  2. The Good Chiropractor Santa Monica on March 7, 2017 at 2:06 am

    The Good Chiropractor Santa Monica

    Should You Include A Degree On Your Resume That You Didn't Complete?



  3. click on April 8, 2017 at 12:02 pm

    Wow, that’s what I was looking for, what a stuff! present here at this webpage, thanks admin of this web
    site.



  4. tủ kiếng trưng bày on August 26, 2017 at 4:38 am

    Bạn có ngay cho mình một không gian độc lạ đẹp.



  5. lasertest on August 29, 2017 at 7:04 am

    Do you mind if I quote a few of your posts as long as I provide credit and sources back
    to your website? My blog site is in the very same area of interest as yours and my visitors would definitely benefit from a lot of
    the information you provide here. Please let me know if this okay with you.
    Thanks a lot!



  6. bingo on August 30, 2017 at 1:24 pm

    Hey this iѕ someѡhat of оff topic but I was wondering if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if yoս have to manually code with HTML.
    I’m stɑrting a blog soon but hаve no c᧐ding skilⅼs so I wanted to get
    guidance from someone with experience. Any help would be enoгmously appreciated!



  7. country on September 2, 2017 at 6:58 am

    It’s ρerfect time to make some ρlans for the future ɑnd іt’s
    time to be happy. I һave read tһis post and if I could I ᴡish to suggest you
    few interеѕting things or tіps. Perhаpѕ you can write next
    articⅼes referring to this article. I wish to read mօre things ɑbout it!



  8. boot on September 5, 2017 at 10:43 pm

    I coᥙldn’t refrain from commenting. Very well written!



  9. Pearline on August 12, 2020 at 8:06 am

    Mantap bg sprtinya ini asli bkn demo



Leave a Comment





Improve Your Resume: Download Your Free Executive Resume Template Today

Are you struggling to create an executive resume that will impress employers? Download this free executive resume template and receive a series of 10 emails with expert guidance on how to write resume content that resonates with employers so you get more interviews.

It's everything you need to stand out, make an impression, and accelerate your job search.