In American English, graduate can be a verb meaning complete a program, a noun meaning someone who completed it, or an adjective describing study after a bachelor's degree. Undergraduate means study at the associate or bachelor's level. Postgraduate exists, but Americans more often say graduate or graduate school for master's and doctoral study.
The three uses of “graduate”
As a verb, graduate means complete a school or degree program:
"I graduated in 2022."
"She graduated from college with a degree in physics."
In standard American usage, graduate from is common when naming the institution. Graduate college without from occurs informally but may sound less standard to some speakers.
As a noun, a graduate is someone who completed a program:
"The firm recruits recent graduates."
As an adjective, graduate refers to advanced education after a bachelor's degree:
"graduate student"
"graduate degree"
"graduate school"
The pronunciation can vary by grammatical role. The verb often ends like -ate, while the noun and adjective often end with a softer -it sound.
What is graduation?
Graduation can mean completing the academic requirements or the broader milestone and celebration.
"Her graduation is in May."
This may refer to the ceremony, the completion date, or both. The formal ceremony may be called commencement.
Completion, degree conferral, and ceremony attendance do not always occur on exactly the same date. If the distinction matters for employment or verification, ask when the degree was officially awarded.
What is an undergraduate?
An undergraduate is generally a student pursuing an associate or bachelor's degree. The informal form is undergrad.
"I studied abroad as an undergrad."
"The role is open to undergraduate students."
Undergraduate degree usually means an associate or bachelor's degree. EducationUSA identifies those as the two main U.S. undergraduate degree types.
Graduate versus postgraduate
In many countries, postgraduate is the standard word for education after a first degree. In the United States, graduate education is more common for master's and doctoral programs.
EducationUSA notes that postgraduate may refer to graduate education, but it can also refer more narrowly to study after someone has completed a graduate degree. Because usage varies, the word can be ambiguous in an international team.
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Start a session →If you mean a master's degree, say so:
"I completed a master's degree in finance."
If you mean postdoctoral research:
"I completed a postdoctoral fellowship after my PhD."
Those descriptions are clearer than postgraduate studies alone.
What might you hear at work?
"We are hiring new grads for the rotational program."
New grads or recent grads usually means people who recently completed college or another relevant program.
"She is in graduate school part time."
The colleague is pursuing a degree after a bachelor's while possibly continuing to work.
"The benefit covers undergraduate and graduate tuition."
This is a broad category statement. Certificate, professional, non-degree, and postgraduate programs may have separate rules.
"He graduates this spring."
The speaker expects him to complete a program, but the exact degree is not stated.
"We need proof of graduation before the start date."
The employer may require an official transcript, degree verification, or another document—not a photo from the ceremony.
What can you say naturally?
On a résumé:
"Master of Science in Information Systems, awarded May 2024"
In small talk:
"I went to graduate school after working for three years."
In benefits communication:
"Does the policy cover graduate certificates, or only master's and doctoral degrees?"
For clarification:
"When you say postgraduate, do you mean a master's program or study after a graduate degree?"
That question is especially useful across different national education systems.
Common non-native misunderstandings
Graduate student does not mean a student who has already finished the current program. It means a student enrolled in advanced education after a bachelor's degree.
College graduate does not necessarily mean someone with a graduate degree. It usually means someone who completed college, often a bachelor's program.
Graduated in economics identifies the field in some varieties of English. Americans more commonly say:
"I graduated with a degree in economics."
or:
"I majored in economics."
Avoid status assumptions
Graduate education can be relevant to a role, but it does not automatically establish competence, seniority, or income. People may also delay or avoid advanced study because of cost, caregiving, immigration, disability, or career priorities.
In networking, a broad question leaves room for different paths:
"What brought you into this field?"
For degree structure, see major, minor, and degree meaning. For ceremony vocabulary, see commencement, graduation, and alumni meaning.