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Postgraduate

UK //ˈpəʊstˌɡrædʒuət//US //ˈpoʊstˌɡrædʒuət//

Definition

A student who continues education after earning a bachelor's degree.

In simple words: A person studying after getting their first degree.

Examples

She decided to become a postgraduate and study for her master's degree.
Many postgraduate programs require prior research experience.
Postgraduates often have more specialized knowledge in their field.
He met many inspiring postgraduate students at the conference.
The university offers several bursaries for postgraduate research.

Usage notes

Used in academic contexts to refer to advanced study, not commonly used in informal conversations.

Grammar pattern

standalone noun

Memory hint

Think of 'post' as 'after' and 'graduate' as 'degree'.

Collocations

postgraduate studies
postgraduate degree
postgraduate programs
postgraduate courses

Synonyms

graduate student
advanced student
master's student
doctoral student

Common mistakes

Confused with 'graduate' which refers to anyone who has completed a degree.
Misunderstanding the level of study; postgraduate refers to master's or doctoral degrees, not undergraduate.