| Graduation is the ceremony when qualified students | | | | required to apply for graduation. Graduation does not |
| are conferred an academic degree by their school | | | | come automatically, the student has to file for it at |
| (for primary and secondary education levels), or | | | | least two semesters from the date he or she intends |
| university (for collegiate and post-graduate degrees). | | | | to complete all academic credits and the minimum |
| Different educational institutions practice different | | | | cumulative GPA required. The student usually has to |
| graduation ceremony traditions. | | | | fill out and submit a form for application for |
| Graduation in the United States is also called | | | | graduation (for a fee, in most cases), pass the audit |
| commencement exercise. Students march, the top | | | | check or clearance, buy or rent the graduation |
| students and teachers or professors read speeches, | | | | regalia, and buy tickets for his or her parents or |
| diplomas are handed out to students one by one as | | | | other people who want to see him or her graduate. |
| their names are called, and the university president or | | | | Graduating in Britain is not much different from |
| an important official awards the degrees. In most | | | | graduating in the United States, but the ceremony |
| cases, the diploma given during the actual graduation | | | | itself can be more formal. University graduations are |
| ceremony is not the real diploma. The authentic copy | | | | especially ceremonial. The professors and deans |
| is usually only given after the ceremony in a firm | | | | march while wearing academic regalia. Some |
| envelope for protection. Americans typically do a hat | | | | universities hold graduation ceremonies in either Latin |
| toss after the ceremony. | | | | or Welsh, even when the majority of students do |
| College and post-graduate students are typically | | | | not understand these languages. |