The honorary doctorate degree is the most well-known and least understood of all the academic honors given out by universities. The honorary doctorate is given to someone without them having to take an exam or finish a credit hour, unlike the earned doctorate, which takes years of hard work, research, and defending a dissertation. This difference often makes people wonder: what is the real purpose of this honor, and why do universities, which are supposed to be places where people earn their degrees, keep giving them out?
There are many reasons why an honorary doctorate degree is given. It is not only a way to honor outstanding people, but it is also a way for the university to further its own mission, values, and connection to the world at large. It is a meaningful symbolic gesture, a link between the “ivory tower” and society, and a way to inspire, connect with, and strive for something.
The Historical Pedigree: From Ecclesiastical Honor to Academic Ritual
The practice of giving honorary degrees goes back to the Middle Ages. In the late 15th century, the University of Oxford gave out some of the first known honoris causa degrees. These degrees were often given to clerics, nobles, and diplomats who had done a lot of good work or given money to the school. These degrees were a kind of religious and academic blessing in a time when universities were closely connected to the church. They helped build ties with powerful people.
This historical origin shows a main goal that is still important today: making connections with others. At first, these relationships were with the wealthy and the religious. Today, they are with the visionary, the good, and the life-changing in all areas of human activity.
The Core Purposes of the Honorary Doctorate Degree
A high-level committee of faculty and administrators usually makes the decision to give someone an honorary doctorate degree. The selection process is tough, but not in an academic way. The university wants people whose lives and work reflect its deepest values. There are several main areas that the purposes can be broken down into:
1. Recognition of Extraordinary Achievement Beyond Academia
The most obvious reason is to honor people who have reached the top of their field and made a difference that is on par with the work of a great scholar. This acknowledgment encompasses fields where conventional PhDs do not constitute the standard of success.
- Arts and Literature: A novelist whose work has changed culture, a musician whose songs will always be popular, or a visual artist who has changed the way people think about art. Giving an honorary doctorate degree to these people shows that deep knowledge and contributions go beyond peer-reviewed journals.
- Public Service and Social Justice: A humanitarian who has worked for peace all their life, a civil rights leader who has fought for equality, or a public servant whose policies have made millions of lives better. This honors a different kind of “doctorate”—one earned in the school of moral courage and human experience.
- Science, Innovation, and Business: A tech entrepreneur whose inventions have changed the way people talk to each other, a medical researcher who found a vaccine that saves lives, or a business leader who has pushed for ethical behavior and giving back. The university connects theoretical science and economics to real-world uses that change the world here.
The university sends a strong message by giving these people an honorary doctorate: that the search for truth, beauty, and justice in the world outside its walls is just as important as the search for knowledge inside its walls.
2. Inspiration for the Graduating Class
The start of the ceremony is a very important time of change. Students are about to start their own journeys to make a difference in the world now that they have finished their formal studies. The presence of an honorary graduate and their speech afterward are the most important parts of this ritual.
The person who gets the honorary doctorate degree is a living example of what can be done. Their story of hard work, creativity, failure, and eventual success is a real-life example for graduates. When a student hears a famous activist talk about how to fight injustice or a groundbreaking scientist talk about how to learn from a failed experiment, the vague ideas of “making a difference” become real and possible. The person who received an honorary doctorate is living proof that the degree the students just earned is not the end, but a set of tools for them to start making their own amazing contributions.
3. Forging Strategic Alliances and Enhancing Institutional Prestige
Universities are not isolated entities; they are intricate institutions vying for resources, talent, and authority. Giving someone an honorary doctorate degree is a strategic way to show that you are affiliated with them. By linking the university’s name to a well-known person, it borrows and reflects some of that person’s fame.
This association can yield tangible benefits:
- Fundraising: A philanthropist or affluent business executive conferred with a degree may be more predisposed to allocate their generosity towards the university.
- Partnerships: Honoring a top scientist from a major research institute or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company can lead to joint research projects, internships, and the sharing of knowledge.
- Profile Raising: When a university gives an honorary doctorate to a well-known artist or public intellectual, it gets a lot of media attention, which raises its own profile and draws in new students and faculty.
In this way, the honorary degree is a kind of academic diplomacy that connects the school with the people who have power, money, and influence in society.
4. Affirming and Projecting Institutional Values
The university’s choice of who to honor says a lot about what it stands for. Giving honorary doctorate degrees to environmental champions on a regular basis is a good way for a university that cares about sustainability to strengthen its brand and mission. A religious school that honors theologians and humanitarian workers shows that it is true to its religious and moral values.
A university can shape its public image through this selective recognition. It tells the world and its community, “These are the people we look up to, these are the causes we support, and this is the change we want to see.” It is a very clear and symbolic way for them to live out their mission statement.
The Etiquette and Controversy of the Honorary Doctorate Degree
The honorary doctorate degree has its critics and controversies, even though it has good goals. To get the full picture, you need to understand these small differences..
The “Doctor” Title: People are still confused about whether an honorary graduate can call themselves “Doctor.” The consensus and established etiquette stipulate that they should refrain, particularly in academic or professional settings where it may cause confusion. The diploma may say “Doctor of Laws” (LL.D.) or “Doctor of Humane Letters” (L.H.D.), but the person who gets it should not use the title to protect the integrity of the degree. There are some notable exceptions, like Benjamin Franklin, who was widely known as “Dr. Franklin” after getting an honorary doctorate degree. However, modern convention discourages the practice.
Controversial Recipients: The process of choosing can go wrong. People have criticized universities for giving degrees to politicians who are seen as divisive, business leaders with questionable morals, or celebrities whose accomplishments seem shallow. These kinds of controversies show how dangerous the practice is: if the recipient’s legacy is seen as bad or unworthy by the academic community and the public, the university’s reputation can suffer as a result.
The “Vanity” Degree: People have always worried that donations could be used to “buy” honorary degrees. Reputable universities have strict firewalls between their development offices and their honorary doctorate degree committees to protect the integrity of the award, even though major donors are often considered for the honor. But the perception can last, making people doubt the true reasons behind some awards.
The Evolving Landscape and Future of the Honorary Doctorate
The idea of an honorary doctorate degree is changing in the 21st century. Some colleges are rethinking the practice, while others are changing it to fit modern values.
- A Shift from Power to Purpose: More and more people are starting to recognize unsung heroes like the community organizer, the dedicated teacher, and the grassroots environmentalist. Their impact may not be as well-known, but it is just as important.
- Diversity and Representation: Universities are becoming more aware of how important it is for their honorary doctorate degree graduates to come from a wide range of backgrounds, fields, and experiences. This is because their student bodies and society as a whole are very diverse.
- The Decline of the Tradition: A few well-known schools, like the University of Oxford, have stopped giving out honorary doctorate degree or cut back on how many they give out. They think that their earned degrees should be the only sign of academic affiliation. This shows a strict view of academic honor.
Conclusion: More Than Just an Honorary Title
An honorary doctorate degree is not just a piece of paper or a plaque for a famous person’s wall. It is a very meaningful act with a lot of different meanings. It is the university’s way of connecting with the larger world outside of its campus.
It knows that genius, leadership, and contribution can show up in many different ways. It shows the faces of a life well-lived to inspire a new generation. It builds strategic partnerships that help the university achieve its goals. And, most importantly, it lets the institution tell the world what its core values are.
The honorary doctorate degree is a reminder that a university’s job is not just to teach people, but also to celebrate the amazing variety of human potential. It shows that knowledge is gained in school, but wisdom is often gained outside of school, and both are deserving of the highest praise.