Commencement is a school ceremony for graduates. Graduation means finishing a course of study. Alumni are former students or graduates, based on the school's rules.
"I'm attending my sister's commencement next week."
The speaker is going to a graduation ceremony, not starting her studies. The name may seem odd because commence usually means begin.
Why is the ceremony called commencement?
The old idea is that graduates are starting a new stage. Harvard links the term to a medieval event for new degree holders. It marked their new status and gave them the right to teach.
In current U.S. use, commencement usually means the main graduation ceremony. It may include robes, speeches, a march, and the award of degrees. Each school sets the details for its own event.
Some universities hold one main commencement and smaller events for each school or department. A graduate may therefore attend more than one event.
Graduation versus degree conferral
Graduation is the broad word for finishing a program and marking it:
"Her graduation is on Saturday."
Degree conferral is the school's official award of a degree. A student may attend before all course work is done. Others attend later or get a degree without going to commencement. Each school sets its own rules for these cases.
For job checks, ask for the degree and its conferral date. Do not rely only on whether someone walked at graduation:
"The degree was conferred in May 2025."
Walk at graduation or walk at commencement means taking part in the ceremony, often by crossing a stage.
Alumnus, alumna, alumni, and alum
The traditional forms are:
- alumnus: one male graduate or former student
- alumna: one female graduate or former student
- alumni: plural, traditionally male or mixed-gender
- alumnae: plural female group
In current American English, alum is a common term for one person. It does not mark gender, and alums is its informal plural.
"She is an alum of the university."
"The event brought together local alums."
Official alumni groups may set their own rules for membership. Harvard separates alumni with degrees from some other members and program participants. Do not assume every former student has the same formal status.
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Start a session →What might you hear at work?
"I'm out Friday for my son's high-school graduation."
This note explains time off for a family event.
"The CEO is giving a commencement address."
The CEO will give a speech to graduates at a ceremony.
"We found the candidate through our alumni network."
Staff or recruiters used links among people from the same school.
"She is a fellow alum."
The speaker and the other person went to the same school.
"The diploma has not arrived, but the degree was conferred."
The paper document and the official school record are separate things.
What can you say naturally?
For scheduling:
"I will be offline Friday afternoon for a family graduation ceremony."
For networking:
"I noticed that we are both alums of the same university."
For verification:
"Could you confirm the degree title and conferral date?"
For clarification:
"Is that the university-wide commencement or the department ceremony?"
"Does the alumni program include certificate-program graduates?"
These questions allow for different rules at each school.
Common non-native misunderstandings
Here, commencement does not mean orientation or the first day; it means the graduation ceremony.
Alumni is plural, so avoid an alumni in careful prose. Use an alum, an alumnus, or an alumna for one person. In Alumni Association, the plural form describes another noun.
Graduated and attended commencement are not always the same. On a résumé, list a degree only if the school awarded it.
Recognition versus production
Commencement season is when schools hold graduation ceremonies, often in spring. School calendars still vary.
Use alum when you want a simple form that does not mark gender. In formal school writing, follow the group's house style.
On a résumé, you usually do not need alumnus of. List the degree directly:
"Master of Public Health — Example University, 2024"
Avoid prestige and access assumptions
Alumni networks can provide a community and work contacts. They may also raise concerns about unfair access or hiring based on school status. Going to the same school does not prove good work.
A school link can open a conversation, but hiring should still focus on job skills and a fair process.
Missing a ceremony does not make a degree less valid. Travel, disability, care duties, visa issues, work, or personal choice may keep someone away.
For school reunion language, see what homecoming means in American schools and colleges. For the graduate word family, see graduate, graduation, undergraduate, and postgraduate.