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I don't know If the title is right (feel free to suggest better name). I have to do search for resources write an article and I need to know how to say some expressions:

  • What is the name of the work you do at the end of your degree? Similar to PhD Thesis but before doing a masters degree.

  • Don't know if it exists a specific term to speak of the travel you do with your classmates the year you finish your studies.

  • The same with the subject based on working for a while on some company in order to learn.

This are situations found in Spain so maybe these terms doesn't exist.

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2 Answers

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The thing at the end of your degree is a dissertation or thesis, though I didn't do one until my Masters degree. As you say 'before doing a Masters' we may be thinking of different things. Technically, the thesis is your claim and the dissertation is the reasoning that supports it.

The travel you do with classmates after completing your course is often called a 'gap year'.

Working at a company to learn can be either 'work experience' or 'work placement' if it is part of the course (a 'sandwich course' - study:work:study), or an 'internship' if it is after the course.

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Thanks, I now is quite difficult because plan studies differ a lot. Engineers use to do some kind of work at the end of degree, master and the thesis. Which is three different thinks. About the travel here is a ten day travel at most usually on Easter holidays. Work placement looks good to me because is a subject within the degree. – David Fornas May 29 '12 at 10:00
If that work at the end is a project of some sort, that's sometimes referred to as a capstone or capstone project. If it's done at the end of a 4-year degree program, it's sometimes called a senior project. If the 10-day travel is not a vacation, but working for a company, you might call that a short-term internship. – J.R. May 29 '12 at 10:09
The travel is indeed great vacation, it was going on cruise over Mediterranean Sea :) – David Fornas May 29 '12 at 10:54
Working in a company as a part of your education is also often called a "co-op placement" (at least in Canada). – JAM May 29 '12 at 14:12
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  1. Maybe I'm oversimplifying, but something similar to a "PhD thesis" but done before getting a Masters degree is called a "Masters thesis".

  2. I don't know a specific term for a post-graduation vacation with classmates. In the US it's common to go on a vacation with classmates between terms. This is called "Spring break". I can't think of a comparable term for after getting your degree, though. Maybe because in the US it's not common to go on a vacation with classmates after graduation. I have no idea what the customs are in other English-speaking countries (or non-English speaking countries for that matter).

  3. There are several terms to refer to working at a company as part of an education: "internship", "apprenticeship", and "co-op program". There may be technical differences between these terms, but I think today they're mostly synonymous.

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Thanks a lot. I can't up vote yet. I supouse I can't find the exact term because is not the same education system but, anyway, is good to learn those terms. I'm from Spain so now you now hwat do we do when we finish studies :) – David Fornas May 29 '12 at 21:16

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