complete their university

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "complete their university" is not correct in standard written English.
It is typically used incorrectly when referring to finishing a degree or program at a university. Example: "After four years of hard work, they were finally able to complete their university studies and graduate."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Academia

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

Journalism students will have to complete their university studies before the start of the scholarship year.

Cornell University

All students in Finland receive a free education from when they start at seven years of age until they complete their university studies.

The Guardian

Students with low university entrance scores (which is highly correlated with achievement) are much more likely not to complete their university course (Norton and Cherastidtham 2018) so would not enjoy the labour market benefits of completed degrees.

Journal for Labour Market Research

And of those who complete their university studies, approximately 80percentt will look for opportunities outside of the country.

Huffington Post

Their experiences at DDD help them develop employable skills, earn an income, complete their university education, and go onto promising careers in a variety of fields.

Huffington Post

There were no institutions of higher learning in island at that time, and most families sent their children to Cuba (University of la Habana, founded in 1728), Spain or North America to complete their university education.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

As lecturers frequently remind their social work students, completing their university course marks only the beginning of your learning and development as a social worker.

The Guardian

If a student decided not to be a teacher after completing their university degree, they would have to repay the bursary.

The Guardian

These two specific curricula were selected because, according to Checchi (2010), they are those whose students have the highest probability of successfully completing their university studies.

Evolution: Education and Outreach

Born in Sydney, he was sent back to Tonga to be raised by his grandfather Sione, himself a former Tongan international, while his parents completed their university degrees.

BBC

There is a long history of student activism in Zimbabwe, but this is the first time that young people who have completed their university education have mobilised as graduates.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to the end of university education, prefer phrases like "finish their degree" or "graduate from university" for clarity and grammatical correctness.

Common error

Avoid using "complete their university" as it is not grammatically sound. Instead, use "finish their degree" or "graduate from university" to accurately express the completion of university studies.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "complete their university" functions as a verb phrase aiming to describe the action of finishing university education. However, Ludwig AI identifies it as grammatically incorrect; standard alternatives include "finish their degree" or "graduate from university".

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Academia

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "complete their university" attempts to describe the action of finishing university education, Ludwig AI identifies it as grammatically incorrect. More appropriate alternatives include "finish their degree" or "graduate from university". The phrase appears in various contexts, including news, science, and academia, but its usage is relatively uncommon and not recommended for formal writing. Prioritize grammatically correct and standard alternatives to ensure clarity and professionalism in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

finish their university studies

Replaces "complete" with "finish", emphasizing the act of concluding studies.

graduate from their university

Uses "graduate from" to specify the act of receiving a degree.

conclude their university education

Substitutes "complete" with "conclude", giving a more formal tone.

finalize their university degree

Employs "finalize" to highlight the completion of the degree program.

obtain their university degree

Focuses on the act of acquiring the degree upon completion.

earn their university degree

Highlights the effort involved in achieving the degree.

receive their university diploma

Specifies the receipt of the diploma as proof of completion.

get their university qualification

Uses "get" and "qualification" to broaden the concept of completion.

end their university course

Replaces "complete their university" with "end their university course" focusing on course conclusion.

fulfil their university requirements

Highlights meeting all necessary criteria to finish university.

FAQs

What's a grammatically correct alternative to "complete their university"?

Instead of "complete their university", use phrases like "finish their degree" or "graduate from university" for better grammatical accuracy.

Is "complete their university" considered formal or informal?

While you might encounter "complete their university" in various contexts, it's not considered standard English. It's better to use more formal and grammatically correct alternatives like "finish their studies" or "obtain their degree" especially in academic or professional settings.

How can I use "finish their degree" in a sentence?

You can say, "Many students aim to finish their degree within four years", or "She was proud to finish their degree with honors".

What's the difference between "complete their university" and "graduate from university"?

"Complete their university" is not grammatically sound. The proper way to express the idea of finishing university is to say "graduate from university", which specifically means to successfully finish a degree program.