学士
xué shì · HSK 7
person holding a university degree
🎓 学 (study) + 士 (scholar) = a studied scholar, i.e. a degree holder
学 — hands 𦥑 + roof 冖 + child 子
Originally 學, depicting two hands manipulating something (often interpreted as counting rods or the 爻 trigram symbols) under a roof, with a child 子 below — a child learning under instruction. The simplified form 学 replaces the top with a stylized 龸. Core meaning has always been 'to study, learn'.