Final answer:
A graduate student is someone who is pursuing a Master's degree or a Doctoral degree, not an Associate's or Bachelor's degree. Advanced degrees such as a PhD are required for certain professional fields, including becoming a college professor.
Step-by-step explanation:
A "graduate student" is what you call someone who is pursuing a degree beyond the undergraduate level. Specifically, graduate students are those who are enrolled in programs leading to either a Master's degree or a Doctoral degree. In contrast, someone pursuing an Associate's degree or a Bachelor's degree is referred to as an undergraduate student.
To illustrate, if someone wanted to become a psychology professor at a 4-year college, they would likely need to pursue advanced degrees in psychology, usually culminating in a PhD. Upper-middle-class individuals often obtain postgraduate degrees in fields such as business, management, law, or medicine, which reinforces the connection between graduate studies and professional advancement.
As per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, while a significant portion of the U.S. population has a high school diploma, fewer possess bachelor's degrees, and even fewer have obtained master's degrees or higher, highlighting the specialized nature of graduate education.