A curriculum vita has almost the same significance in applying for academic or research positions as a resume for job search in business and industry. The main meaning of a curriculum vita is "course of one's life”. This document provides much more details about your academic and professional achievements. Pay attention that in plural this phrase has form “Curricula vitae”.  CV or CVs are the most often used abbreviation of a curriculum vita.

You are required to give a curriculum vita when applying for the following: 
- Admission to graduate schools;
- A graduate assistantship or scholarship. 
- Grant.
- Teaching, research, and upper-level administrative positions in higher education.
- Academic departmental and tenure reviews. 
- College or university service appointments.
- Professional association leadership positions.
- Speaking engagements.
- Publishing and editorial review boards.
- Research and consulting positions in a variety of settings.
- School administration positions at the superintendent, principal, or department head level. 

Vitae haven’t strict limits on length whereas resumes should be kept within 1-2 pages. It is another peculiarity of this document. Bachelor's and master's degree candidates suggest one to three pages curricula vitae. The common length of curricula vitae for doctoral candidates is two to five pages and five or more pages for an experienced academician or researcher. Nevertheless a curriculum vita is rather a long document, it should be written concisely with clean and easy-to-read layout.

Each applicant includes in curriculum vita information about professional publications, presentations, committee work, grants received, and other details based on each person's experience.
Include in your curriculum vita:
- Education
- Master's thesis or project
- Dissertation title or topic
- Course highlights or areas of concentration in graduate study
- Teaching experience and interests
- Research experience and interests
- Consulting experience
- Internships or graduate practice
- Fieldwork
- Publications
- Professional papers and presentations
- Grants received
- Professional association and committee leadership positions and activities
- Certificates and licensure
- Special training
- Academic awards, scholarships, and fellowships
- Foreign study and travel abroad
- Language competencies
- Technical and computer skills.

In some ways, curricula vitae are similar to resumes, but the choice of the style, format, and content depends on the discipline. You can start writing a CV only with the knowledge of your academic field’s requirements. The reliable sources of information are faculty members in your department and professional associations.