An
honorary degree[1] or a degree
honoris causa (
Latin: "for the sake of the honour") is an
academic degree for which a
university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived the usual requirements, such as
matriculation, residence, study and the passing of examinations. The degree is typically a
doctorate or, less commonly, a
master's degree, and may be awarded to someone who has no prior connection with the academic institution.
Usually the degree is conferred as a way of honoring a distinguished visitor's contributions to a specific field, or to society in general. The university often derives benefits by association with the person in question.
Notable people using the honorary prefix include:
- Benjamin Franklin, who received an honorary master's degree from The College of William and Mary in 1756, and doctorates from the University of St. Andrews in 1759 and the University of Oxford in 1762 for his scientific accomplishments. He thereafter referred to himself as "Doctor Franklin." [3]
- Peter Hollingworth, AC, OBE, Governor-General of Australia from 2001 until 2003, styled himself as "Dr Hollingworth" whilst holding that office. This was one of several controversies attending his tenure as Governor-General, since, although he held six honorary doctorates from Australian universities, it was (and remains) contrary to Australian tradition for the grantee of an honorary doctorate to use the title in public life. If there was any justification for this departure from convention, it lay in the fact that most persons previously appointed to the position already held a formal title - such as a British knighthood or peerage, or a military rank - whereas Hollingworth's previous title, "Most Reverend", derived from his former position as the Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane, and was considered inappropriate for a person holding an official position in a country which maintains a formal separation between Church and State. In any event, the situation was regularised on 21 May 2001, when Hollingworth was awarded the Lambeth degree of Doctor of Letters (DLitt) by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, in recognition of his research, publications, teaching and achievement in the field of Christian social ethics, social welfare and poverty in Australia and episcopal leadership.[4]
- Billy Graham is regularly addressed as Dr. Graham, though his highest earned degree is a BA in anthropology from Wheaton College.[5] He holds 20 honorary doctorates and has turned down nearly twice as many.[citation needed]
- Ian Paisley holds an honorary Doctor of Divinity awarded by Bob Jones University, a conservative evangelical Christian college in Greenville, South Carolina.
- Maya Angelou who calls herself and is referred to by many as Dr. Angelou despite holding no undergraduate or advanced (non-honorary) degree.[6]
- Booker T. Washington is often referred to as "Dr. Washington" after receiving an honorary doctorate from Dartmouth College.
- The University of Exeter has awarded honorary D.Litt degrees and subsequently referred to the recipients as Doctor.[7]
- Terry Wogan has received an honorary doctorate from the University of Limerick, and refers to himself as "Doctor" on air.
- Judy MacArthur Clark CBE (Chief Inspector of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate, former President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, and former Chair of the Farm Animal Welfare Council[8]) received an honorary doctorate of veterinary medicine and surgery (DVMS) from the University of Glasgow,[9] and refers to herself professionally as "Doctor".[10]
- Ralph Stanley, the bluegrass artist, is referred to by many people[citation needed] and refers to himself as "Doctor" after being awarded an honorary Doctorate of Music from Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee, in 1976.
- Hunter S. Thompson, journalist and creator of Gonzo Journalism, received an honorary doctorate from the Universal Life Church in the late 1960s.[11] Thompson often insisted on the title, as did his alter ego Raoul Duke in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas who claimed to be a "Doctor of Journalism".
- Stephen Colbert received an honorary doctorate of fine arts from Knox College in 2006. Since then, the credits of The Colbert Report jokingly refer to him as "Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, D.F.A." (which uses both the title "Dr." and a postnominal, which is improper). The same title is used in a recurring segment on the show, in which Colbert dispenses dubious medical advice despite his degree being Doctor of Fine Arts.
- Mirza Ahmad received an honorary Doctor of Laws from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2007. Since then, the credits of every document produced by Birmingham City Council refer to him as "Dr. Mirza Ahmad LLD (hon), MBA., LL.M, Barrister."
- Rachel Carson received four honorary degrees after her best selling "The Sea Around Us" from: Pennsylvania College for Women; the second from Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio; the third from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts; and the fourth from Drexel Institute of Technology in Philadelphia.[12]
- Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, the current President of The United Republic of Tanzania, has often been referred to as Dr. Kikwete for his Honorary Degree received from the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) in Tanzania.
In the United Kingdom the author and lexicographer Dr
Samuel Johnson, who had some years earlier been unable (due to financial considerations) to complete his undergraduate studies at
Pembroke College, Oxford, was awarded the degree of Master of Arts by diploma in 1755, in recognition of his scholarly achievements. In 1765,
Trinity College, Dublin awarded him the degree of
Doctor of Laws, and in 1775 Oxford bestowed upon him the degree of
Doctor of Civil Law by diploma. It is unclear how much these degrees count as "honorary", though, as they were bestowed in recognition of a specific, undoubtedly substantial and original scholarly work, and one that was arguably far more deserving than many other doctoral theses submitted at the time.[
citation needed]
The recipient of an honorary degree may add the degree title
postnominally, but it should always be made clear that the degree is honorary by adding "honorary" or "honoris causa" or "h.c." in
parenthesis after the degree title. In many countries, one who holds an honorary doctorate may use the title "doctor"
prenominally, abbreviated Dr.h.c. or Dr.(h.c.). Sometimes, they use "Hon" before the degree letters, for example, Hon DMus.
In recent years, some universities have adopted entirely separate post nominal titles for honorary degrees. This is in part due to the confusion that honorary degrees have caused. It is now common in certain countries to use certain degrees, such as LL.D. or Hon.D., as purely honorary. For instance, an honorary doctor of the
Auckland University of Technology takes the special title
Hon.D. instead of the usual
Ph.D. Some universities, including the
Open University grant Doctorates of the University (D.Univ.) to selected nominees, while awarding Ph.D. or Ed.D. degrees to those who have fulfilled the academic requirements.
Most American universities award the degrees of LL.D. (
Doctor of Laws), the Litt.D. (
Doctor of Letters), the L.H.D. (
Doctor of Humane Letters), the Sc.D. (
Doctor of Science), the Ped.D. (
Doctor of Pedagogy) and the D.D. (
Doctor of Divinity) only as honorary degrees. American universities do not have the system of "higher doctorates" used in the UK and at other universities around the world.
Source:
Honorary degree - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia