How to Write Degrees and Majors

Formatting is the key to success when dealing with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). If you do not format sections properly, the ATS may instantly reject your application. Pay attention to even the smallest of details when writing your resume, including how to write a degree and major. This article discusses how to properly write your degree and major to ensure that the ATS parses your resume:

One degree and one major 

University Name, College Name

Degree, Major

Two degrees or two majors

Incorrect education information on your resume can lead to many false positives. For example, let's say a student wrote Bachelor of Arts, Psychology and Marketing on their resume. The ATS cannot assume the and means two different majors because some majors contain that word. If you had two separate degrees attached to your two separate majors, they couldn't be lumped together under one educational experience. 

In some applications, degrees and majors are very important. If you format them incorrectly, an ATS may not identify your major or degree which could be crucial to moving on to the next step of the interview process.

Every degree should be explicitly associated with a school name, degree type, major, and year obtained. Follow this format if you have two degrees or majors:

Degrees

University Name, College Name 
Degree 2, Major

University Name, College Name 
Degree 1, Major

Majors

University Name, College Name 
Degree, Double Major in Major 1 and Major 2 

University Name, College Name 
Degree, Major: Major 1 and Major 2

It may seem a bit redundant, but this format is the clearest to the ATS.

Degree type name

ATS can detect many different formats of accreditation (or degree type), so long as it is written in a commonly acceptable way. Here are the different variations of writing a Bachelor of Arts degree: 

• BA
• B A
• B.A.
• B. A.
• Bachelor in Arts
• Bachelor of Arts

You can pick whichever format you prefer, so long as it is commonly acceptable. 

Reach out to our support team if you have any additional questions!