Is a Master’s Degree Work Experience on a Resume? Answered

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Achieving a master’s degree is a feat that takes years on top of the years spent obtaining a bachelor’s degree.

Having one is an extremely important fact to include on your resume, so you must be sure to include it in the proper place.

Can you include a master’s degree in the experience section?

 

Does a Master’s Degree Count as Work Experience on a Resume?

A master’s degree should not be included in the work experience section. Master’s degrees are educational feats, therefore fit best in the education section. Work that one had completed as a part of research or study may be included as experience, but the actual degree should never be included.

The work experience section should include professional work only, though some exceptions are made for new graduates or those with little working experience.

Things such as volunteering, research, or even babysitting on a resume could be included in the work experience section in certain cases. 

A master’s degree, however, has a designated space in the education section.

There is no exception to this rule, even for new graduates.

There is no format that would allow a master’s degree to fit into the work experience section, and it would come off as strange to an employer to drastically go against traditional formatting for resumes.

 

Master’s degree on resume — How to include it

University degrees are always included in the education section, and every resume should include such a section. Include both the bachelor’s degree and the master’s degree in this section, noting the degree type and course of study. 

If using abbreviations, master’s degrees are typically written as M.A. or M.S., the exception being for rarer degree types. 

If the master’s degree is particularly relevant to the desired job, you may include a bit of information about your studies in the education section.

Once you are an established professional, however, the education section should always be kept brief and without extra information. 

 

Does research for a master’s degree count as work experience?

Research is sometimes permissible in the work experience. If one is lacking in other professional work experience, and the research was done in a professional and monitored setting, then it may be included in this section. 

Because Master’s degree research is extremely intensive and often done alongside a professional in the field, it is closer to a “real-life” job than undergraduate research is.

It is also often a paid experience, which further solidifies it as being deemed work experience. 

 

Do classes taken for a master’s degree count as work experience?

Classes are not often included in the work experience section, and this is because they are quite different than the type of experience in a professional setting that an employer wants to see. Classes should be included in the skills section or should not be included at all.

If a class taught a particular skill, such as a computer programming language, then you may mention this in the skills section.

You may choose to include only the name of the proficiency, or you may also include the name of the class and the dates on which the class occurred.