How to List an Unfinished Degree on a Resume (With Examples)

Not sure if you need to list your unfinished degree on your resume? Let’s examine what an unfinished degree is why you should list it.

An unfinished degree can be anything from an in-progress bachelor’s degree on a student’s resume to incomplete coursework on the resume of a worker who dropped out of college. You may even have multiple degrees in different states of completion listed on your resume.

The first step is determining whether your degree is relevant to the role. When listing degrees on your resume, think of how your degree qualifies you for the role. If you have a completed bachelor’s degree, you may not need to list an associate degree. But what if your associate is for a much more relevant major?

There is no single right answer to what information your resume should include, so be sure to look closely at the role and at your own experience to decide how to proceed with your unfinished degree. Resumes are all about making sure that your qualifications shine as much as possible.

For an unfinished degree, you should generally list it if:

• It’s relevant to the role you’re seeking.
• It’s your highest level of education.
• It meets a requirement of the job.

For example, say you’re pursuing a role as a data entry administrator. The job listing states that the ideal candidate should have a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications. You have an associate degree in business administration but completed about 75% of the coursework for a telecommunications bachelor’s degree before dropping out to care for your family.

Your incomplete degree might not match the requirements perfectly, but it’s close and can demonstrate to the employer that you have the professional skills they seek. In this scenario, you should absolutely list the degree but also be prepared to answer questions about your unique circumstances.

Now that we’ve uncovered a scenario when you should include an incomplete degree, you might be wondering whether it’s ever a bad idea to list your incomplete degree in your education section. Knowing how to add an unfinished degree to your resume is great, but will an incomplete degree make you look bad?

The short answer is no. If you’ve determined that the incomplete degree is relevant to the role, it shouldn’t hurt your chances. But there are plenty of situations where you’re better off not listing it.

An unfinished degree should not be listed on your resume if you have completed a degree at the same level or higher unless the unfinished degree is much more relevant to the role. For example, if a job listing requires education in telecommunications and you have an incomplete associate degree in telecommunications and a bachelor’s degree in performing arts, it may be appropriate to include both, even though your incomplete telecommunications degree is at a lower level.

An unfinished degree on a resume can also be harmful if you’re dishonest. An employer who reads your resume will ask questions about your degree and is going to expect you to actually have the credentials you claim. If you started a bachelor’s degree but didn’t finish it, presenting it as a completed degree will hurt your integrity as a candidate and may ruin your chances.

Now that we’ve covered when and why you might choose to list an unfinished degree, let’s look at how to do so on your resume.

Example of an unfinished degree on a resume:

This is a complete example of an unfinished degree on a resume, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add more information if you want to. If you received honors or awards during the time that you pursued this degree or if your GPA was 3.5 or higher, feel free to include this information as bullet points beneath your degree. You may also wish to highlight relevant coursework or academic projects that are relevant to the role you’re pursuing.

Just keep in mind that resume space is limited and if you have work experience or on-the-job achievements that are more relevant to the role, you might be better off using that space to highlight them instead.

We’ve covered how to list an incomplete degree on your resume, but as a student, how do you list your in-progress degree? Fortunately, this one is pretty easy.

An in-progress degree follows the same format as any other degree, except that instead of listing a graduation date, you include an expected graduation date indicating when your degree should be completed.

Example of an in-progress degree on a resume:

As a student, you probably don’t have a ton of actual work experience. As a result, your education will probably play a bigger role on your resume now than it will in the future when your career history is longer.

Because your education is so important to your resume as a student, you may want to add extra context to your in-progress degree to show off the expertise that you’ve gained so far.

Example of an in-progress degree on a resume that emphasizes academic achievements:

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