How to Say “Undergraduate” in Spanish

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estudiante universitario no licenciado
/estudjante unibeɾsitaɾjo no liθenθjado/from spelling rulesfeminine, masculine
The English word "undergraduate" can be translated into Spanish as estudiante universitario no licenciado.
The term refers to a student at a university who has not yet received a degree. In many Latin American countries, the noun pregrado is used to refer to the undergraduate level of study or the undergraduate program itself.
Meaning: student at a university who has not yet received a degree (noun)

Which one should you use?

While estudiante universitario no licenciado is a literal way to describe the status, other formal phrases are often used depending on the context and region. Estudiante universitario is a formal way to say undergraduate student, and estudiante de pregrado is also a formal option. In many Spanish-speaking countries, particularly those following the Bologna Process, the standard way to refer to an undergraduate is estudiante de grado.

Is it said differently in some regions?

The term estudiante de grado is the standard in many Spanish-speaking countries that follow the Bologna Process.

How does it change in a sentence?

To make the phrase estudiante universitario no licenciado plural, both the noun and the adjectives must change to their plural forms: estudiantes universitarios no licenciados.

Did you know?

  • In some academic contexts, a student who has completed all their coursework but has not yet defended their final thesis is called a pasante.
  • While grado refers to an undergraduate degree in Spain, in some Latin American countries it commonly refers to a primary school grade.
  • The term pregrado is a calque, which is a direct translation of the English word 'undergraduate' that gained popularity due to the influence of the US education system.

Examples in context

  • Mi hermano es un estudiante universitario en Madrid.
    My brother is an undergraduate student in Madrid.
  • Los estudiantes de pregrado están obligados a completar ciertos requisitos académicos.
    Undergraduate students are required to fulfill certain academic requirements.
  • ¿Eres estudiante de grado o posgrado?
    Are you an undergraduate or graduate student?

Example conversation

Sofía and Alejandro are talking about their studies at the university library.

  1. Sofía

    Hola Alejandro, ¿ya terminaste tu tesis?
    Hi Alejandro, have you finished your thesis yet?
  2. Alejandro

    No, todavía soy un estudiante universitario no licenciado.
    No, I am still an undergraduate student.
  3. Sofía

    Entiendo, yo también sigo estudiando.
    I understand, I am still studying too.
  4. Alejandro

    Es difícil ser estudiante universitario no licenciado hoy.
    It is hard to be an undergraduate student today.

Sources

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Jeanette Erin
Jeanette ErinHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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