View source for Graduation

{{Short description|Bestowing of a diploma}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Redirect|Commencement}}
{{multiple issues|{{Cleanup rewrite|date=September 2024}}
{{more citations needed|date=June 2013}}
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 |image1=Line of young people at a commencement ceremony.jpg
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 |caption1=Students lined up at a graduation ceremony in the United States in the early 20th century
 |caption3=[[Square academic cap|Graduation hats]] being tossed by fresh graduates of [[Indian School of Business|ISB]] ([[Hyderabad]], India)
 |caption4=Medical student graduation in [[Avicenna Mausoleum]], [[Hamedan]], Iran
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[[Academic dress of King's College London|academic dresses]] without caps
 |caption6=Susquehanna University Graduation, 1951
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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}A '''graduation''' is the awarding of a [[diploma]] by an [[educational institution]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-24 |title=Definition of GRADUATION |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/graduation |access-date=2024-01-09 |website=www.merriam-webster.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite OED|term=graduation|id=1631505398|access-date=9 January 2024}}</ref> It may also refer to the ceremony that is associated with it, which can also be called '''[[Commencement speech|commencement]]''', [[Congregation (university)|'''congregation''']], [[Convocation#University use|'''convocation''']] or '''invocation'''. The date of the graduation ceremony is often called ''graduation day''. Graduates can be referred to by their year of graduation.

==History==
Ceremonies for graduating students date from the first universities in Europe in the twelfth century. At that time, Latin was the language of scholars. A ''[[Medieval university|universitas]]'' was a guild of masters (such as MAs) with license to teach. The etymology of "degree" and "graduate" originates from {{Lang|la|gradus}}, meaning "step". The first step was admission to a bachelor's degree. The second step was the masters step, giving the graduate admission to the {{Lang|la|universitas}} and license to teach. Typical dress for graduation is a [[Academic dress|gown and hood]], or hats adapted from the daily dress of university staff in the [[Middle Ages]], which was in turn based on the attire worn by medieval [[clergy]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Graduation through the ages|url=http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/graduation/grad-history.shtml|access-date=31 December 2018|archive-date=25 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171025211350/http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/graduation/grad-history.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The tradition of wearing graduation hats in Sweden has been in place since the mid-eighteenth century. The cap is typically a white sailor hat with a black or dark blue band around it, a crown motif, and a black peak at the front. The graduation hat tradition was initially adopted by students at [[Uppsala University]]. The headgear then became popular across several other European nations as well.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.academia.edu/8202511|title=Swedish high school graduation day|author=Elin Olsson|journal=Academia.edu}}</ref>

==Ceremony==
Usually, the ceremony and name apply to [[university]] or [[college]] degrees: [[Associate's]], [[Bachelor's]], [[Master's]] and [[Doctoral]] degrees.

In a graduation ceremony for a college or university, the presiding officer or other authorized person formally confers degrees upon candidates, either individually or ''[[en masse]]''. However, some graduates may physically receive their diploma later at a smaller college or [[academic department|departmental]] ceremonies, or even through the mail.{{cn|date=September 2024}}

Ceremonies often include a procession of some of the academic staff, candidates, and a [[valediction]]. The students typically wear formal [[academic dress]], such as [[square academic cap]]s and gowns. The academic staff will usually also wear academic dress at the ceremony, as will the [[trustees]] (if applicable).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=D. Joshua |date=2015-06-18 |title=The History of Graduation Ceremonies and Other School Rituals |url=https://daily.jstor.org/the-history-of-graduation-ceremonies-and-other-school-rituals-of-our-ancestors/ |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=JSTOR Daily |language=en-US}}</ref> 

===Graduation ''in absentia''===
When a student graduates without attending the graduation ceremony, then it is called graduation {{Lang|la|in absentia}}.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-04 |title=Information for those not attending a ceremony |url=https://www.ed.ac.uk/student-administration/graduations/grad-info-absentia |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=The University of Edinburgh |language=en}}</ref>

===Non-tertiary graduations===
In the [[United States]] and [[Israel]], completing high school is also referred to as "graduating", with a [[high school diploma]] or [[Bagrut]] certificate, respectively.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lomsky-Feder |first=Edna |date=2012-12-01 |title=High School Graduation Ceremonies: Intergenerational Relations and Models of Social Order |url=https://www.berghahnjournals.com/view/journals/social-analysis/56/3/sa560304.xml |journal=Social Analysis |language=en-US |volume=56 |issue=3 |pages=49–68 |doi=10.3167/sa.2012.560304 |issn=0155-977X|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title="Bagrut" Matriculation Exams |url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/quot-bagrut-quot-matriculation-exams |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-17 |title=Turnitin account |url=https://lucidgen.com/mua-tai-khoan-turnitin/ |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=lucidgen.com |language=vi}}</ref> Graduations from [[high school]] typically occur between the months of June and August. Oftentimes, completing [[middle school]] or [[kindergarten]] is also marked by a graduation ceremony.
==By country==
{{Further|Academic graduation by country}}
[[File:Suomalaisia naisylioppilaita 1906.jpg|thumb|200px|Female [[Finland|Finnish]] students graduating from high school, in 1906]]
The procedures and traditions surrounding academic graduation ceremonies differ around the world. In the United Kingdom a graduation usually only occurs at university level. Whereas in the United States and many other countries, graduations also occur at high schools where no higher education qualifications are awarded to the graduates.

In [[Sweden]], most universities are research-oriented and may present their students with bachelor's, master's, and doctor's degrees covering all academic streams. Universities across the country are based through the Higher Education Ordinance. Most of the national programs provide Swedish, English, math and science among degree courses.

In India, nowadays, a passing out ceremony or a promotion ceremony from one level to another starting from preschools like from Nursery to Junior is also referred to as a Graduation Ceremony.

In [[Zimbabwe]], graduation ceremonies are often associated with the guest of honor who most often is the ceremonial head of the institution. At state universities the president of the country officiates as chancellor and guest of honor. Every graduate of a state university in Zimbabwe can claim to have shaken the President's hand. The person most associated with graduation at those institutions is Zimbabwe's late ex-president [[Robert Mugabe]]. At other state institutions of higher learning, the vice presidents or other senior government officials may preside.<ref>{{Cite web|title = President Mugabe caps 1 986 at Nust {{!}} The Herald|url = http://www.herald.co.zw/president-mugabe-caps-1-986-at-nust/|website = www.herald.co.zw| date=7 November 2014 |access-date = 2015-08-01}}</ref>

Otherwise, in countries like [[Argentina]] and [[Uruguay]], enthusiasm prevails over moderation, as well as taking part in an authentic [[carnival]] as part of the celebration that is mostly spontaneous, anarchic, and barely planned in the middle of the streets: hundreds of graduates, familiars and friends gather in an open place, carrying alcoholic drinks, eggs, flour and other messy food; pelting it all over the graduates; whereas the party is public and open to excesses that carry the complaints of all sorts of commerce, neighbours and authorities in the zone due to the concentration of public disorder and filth that lasts until the aftermath and overwhelms the municipal services.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.subrayado.com.uy/polemica-vecinos-y-egresados-medicina-festejo-mercado-del-puerto-n539285 | title=Polémica entre vecinos y egresados de Medicina por festejo en Mercado del Puerto | date=19 July 2019 }}</ref>

==See also==

* {{Annotated link |Academic dress}}
* {{Annotated link |Commencement speech}}
* {{Annotated link |Encaenia}}
* {{Annotated link |Exit examination}}
* {{Annotated link |Honorary degree}}
* {{Annotated link |Matriculation}}

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090622032741/http://blogs.static.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/25453.html?cnn=yes The Stories Behind Graduation Traditions] by Ethan Trex, ''Mental Floss''

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[[Category:Graduation| ]]
[[Category:Educational stages]]
[[Category:School terminology]]
[[Category:Ceremonies]]