upon graduate

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "upon graduate" is not correct in standard written English.
It seems to be an attempt to convey a meaning related to graduation, but it is not a recognized expression. Example: "Upon graduation, I plan to travel abroad for a year."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Yamamoto agreed with Stephan that the current training system provides incentives for PIs to rely upon graduate students and postdocs as workers, not trainees; students go along, he said, because this is seen as the default career path.

Science Magazine

In a country wherein the university climate sees violations of Title IX on a daily basis and at a University where many of us recently discovered that a former professor allegedly used his position to prey upon graduate students, we cannot ignore the need for further education about the protections provided by the law and the resources available.

Huffington Post

We had hoped that, on the basis of the information conveyed by the panelists, the students would realize that a career built upon graduate research training in STEM would be compatible with having a family; that is, it would not be easier or more difficult than if they were in other professions that were also based on advanced degrees.

CBE Life Sciences Education

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Upon graduating from the academy, he entered Harvard University in 1833.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Upon graduating, Comey continued to voice political opinions.

The New Yorker

Upon graduating from West Point, McMaster joined the armored cavalry.

The New Yorker

Upon graduating in 1958, Stella moved to New York City.

The Guardian - Arts

Upon graduating, he was offered a permanent position.

The New York Times

Upon graduating he joined THC Systems where he and his brother Eugene revolutionized the tabletop industry.

The New York Times

Upon graduating from high school, he began working at the Isaacs Center.

The New York Times

Upon graduating Mr. Fleischer moved in the late 1990s to San Francisco and bused tables.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use grammatically correct phrases such as "upon graduating" or "upon graduation" to clearly indicate events or actions occurring after the completion of studies.

Common error

Don't use "upon graduate" as it's grammatically incorrect. Always use "upon graduating" or "upon graduation" to ensure clarity and correctness in your writing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "upon graduate" is intended to function as a prepositional phrase, attempting to indicate a point in time immediately following graduation. However, it is grammatically incorrect, as noted by Ludwig. A correct alternative would be "upon graduating" or "upon graduation".

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

0%

News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Less common in

Science

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "upon graduate" is grammatically incorrect. As Ludwig AI indicates, the proper forms are "upon graduating" or "upon graduation". These alternatives function as prepositional phrases, indicating actions or events occurring immediately after graduation. Due to its incorrectness, "upon graduate" should be avoided in all contexts. Instead, use the corrected phrases or alternatives like "after graduating" or "following graduation" to ensure clarity and grammatical accuracy. Remember to choose the phrasing that best suits the formality and context of your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

after graduating

This alternative replaces "upon" with "after" and uses the gerund form of "graduate" for grammatical correctness.

upon graduation

This alternative uses the noun form of "graduation", making the phrase grammatically sound.

on graduating

This alternative uses "on" in place of "upon", creating a grammatically correct prepositional phrase.

following graduation

This alternative uses "following" to indicate the sequence of events after graduation.

subsequent to graduation

This is a more formal alternative that emphasizes the temporal relationship after graduation.

after degree completion

This alternative uses more formal vocabulary to indicate the completion of a degree.

once graduated

This alternative employs "once" to establish a time-based condition upon having graduated.

with degree in hand

This phrase is more figurative, suggesting the possession of a degree as a starting point.

post-graduation

This is a concise, hyphenated adjective indicating something occurring after graduation.

after earning a degree

This alternative explicitly mentions earning a degree, clarifying the condition.

FAQs

How do I properly use "upon" in the context of graduation?

The correct phrases are "upon graduating", as in "Upon graduating, I plan to travel", or "upon graduation", as in "Upon graduation, there will be a ceremony".

What are some alternatives to "upon graduating"?

You can use phrases like "after graduating", "on graduating", or "following graduation" depending on the desired level of formality and context.

Is there a difference between "upon graduating" and "upon graduation"?

While both are grammatically correct, "upon graduating" uses a gerund and emphasizes the act of graduating, whereas "upon graduation" uses a noun and refers to the event itself. Choose the one that best fits the flow of your sentence.

Why is "upon graduate" considered incorrect?

The phrase "upon graduate" is grammatically incorrect because "upon" requires a noun or gerund phrase. "Graduate" needs to be in the form of a noun ("graduation") or a gerund ("graduating") to be grammatically correct after "upon".