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In most educational systems, an undergraduate is a post-secondary student pursuing a Bachelor's degree. Students of
higher degrees are known as postgraduates (or often simply graduates).
In the United States, most undergraduate education takes place at
four-year colleges or universities. Students in their first, second, third, and fourth years of study are often called,
respectively, freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors (although some institutions, such as many women's colleges, substitute "first-year" for "freshman" in an attempt to
remain more gender-neutral). Some institutions (liberal-arts colleges) offer primarily or exclusively undergraduate
education, while most universities offer graduate study as well. Successful
completion of undergraduate work generally requires the completion of many courses of varying subject and difficulty, and a
concentration or "major" that focuses on a particular academic
discipline.
In the United Kingdom, undergraduate refers to the first
three or four years of study towards a Bachelor's degree.
See also: Tertiary education -- Higher education -- University -- College
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