An Honorary Doctorate Degree is an academic award that is given to individuals who have helped for the betterment of society and made an impact in any way. Many individuals who work hard to provide better opportunities often forget that they too deserve something to keep themselves motivated. For these individuals, an Honorary Degree has been designed.
It has been also seen that many celebrities and other famous personalities in the past have been awarded the same degree which made many people think that they do not deserve an honorary doctorate too. Whereas some individuals get too caught up with the world that they forget about inquiring about how exactly to obtain an honorary doctorate.
This article talks in detail about the honorary degree and the process to get one. But alongside, it also takes notice of benefits, and their types. So, let’s dive deep into it.
Table Of Content
🔷 What is an Honorary Doctorate?
🔷 Difference between Honorary Doctorate and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
🔷 Types of Honorary Doctorate
🔷 Legal and Ethical Aspects of Honorary Doctorate in India
🔷 Benefits of Honorary Doctorate
🔷 Conclusion
🔷 Frequently Asked Questions
What is an Honorary Doctorate?
An Honorary Doctorate is one of the highest academic awards, which is given to individuals recognizing their contributions, efforts to society, institutions etc. It renders one with a doctoral title (Dr). There is no educational qualification, nor a fixed age group required to be eligible for this degree. It takes almost 3-4 months to get an Honorary Doctorate from any college.
An individual who has made contributions in any field including arts, mathematics, sciences or even is a budding entrepreneurship can get an honorary degree. The only difference is that an individual, someone from the university’s authority, must nominate you. One cannot nominate yourself for the doctorate degree.
Difference between Honorary Doctorate and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Honorary Doctorate and Doctor of Philosophy are two different degrees which are awarded on the basis of two different fields and qualifications. Below mentioned is the difference between Honorary Doctorate and PhD in tabular form:
| Criteria | Honorary Doctorate | Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | This degree is achieved through contributions to society, culture or field. | This degree is awarded to individuals for their original research work. |
| Time Duration | 4 months | 2-5 years |
| Title | One can earn a doctoral title through this. | One can earn a doctoral title through this. |
| Qualifications | No educational qualification required. You should be a changemaker. | Master’s from a recognized university with an aggregate of 50% or more. |
| Recipients | Celebrities, Changemakers, Leaders and Philanthropists | University professors, researchers and scholars |
Types of Honorary Doctorate
An honorary doctorate degree is further branched into different types according to the disciplines and the area of achievement. Below are some types of honorary Degree based on different disciplines:
1.Doctor of Human Letters: An individual who has contributed to the fields relating to humanities, philanthropy, social justice or social public comes under this category. Oprah Winfrey from Harvard received the Doctor of Human Letters.
2. Doctor of Laws: This category specializes in the fields relating to law, governance, or public affairs.
3. Doctor of Letters: An individual who has contributed to the literary or academic field. Margret Atwood received an Honorary Doctorate for Doctor of Letters.
4. Doctor of Fine Arts: It is suitable for individuals who have excelled in visual arts, music, theatre, and dance. Merce Cunningham received a Doctor of Fine Arts from Wesleyan University.
Process of Honorary Doctorate
An Honorary Doctorate is both a degree and an award that is awarded to individuals who perform for the betterment of society. But most of the people wanting to achieve an honorary doctorate achievement are unsure of its process. Below are the steps to help you achieving one:
1.Eligibility Criteria: The only eligibility criteria that one is required to have for an honorary degree award is an exceptional contribution to society or for the betterment of society in any field, technical/ non-technical.
2. Who Nominates? The unique thing is that one cannot self-nominate. An individual can only be nominated by Vice-Chancellors, Executive Council, Scholars or Faculty Members and Government or Private Institutions.
3. Submission of Nomination Proposal: An official and formal nomination document is submitted to the Honorary Degree Committee. It contains CV of the nominee, Statement of contributions and achievements, recommendation letters, other supporting documents like newspaper clipping, awards, citations, etc.
4. Honorary Degree Committee Review: Once all the nomination documents are submitted, checks the authentication of the documents and if they fit within the norms and guidelines of the university.
5. Approval by University Bodies and Chancellor: When the nomination is passed by the Committe, it then reaches the university bodies for academic vetting, and governance approval. Only after this, it goes to the chancellor, i.e., President of India for Central Universities and Governor of the State for State Universities.
6. Interview: Once all the bodies have approved the documents, the nominee is then sent a welcome call where one can schedule an interview. The interview usually lasts 1-1.5 hours.
7. Bestowal at Convocation: Official Convocation Ceremony is held for the nominees for the Honorary Degree Certificate and Award.
Legal and Ethical Aspects of Honorary Doctorate in India
In India, only universities that are recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under the UGC Act,1956, have the power to award degrees under their established statues are legally allowed to award one.
The universities that fall under this category are:
1.Central Universities
2. State Universities
3. Deemed-to-be Universities (under Section 3 of UGC Act)
4. Institutes of National Importance (IITs, IIMs, AIIMS)
It is important to beware of some of the private universities, fake institutions, and NGOs who try to conduct an Honorary Degree luring an individual in with no legal or academic validity.
Benefits of Honorary Doctorate
The Honorary Doctorate Award is one of the greatest prides of the ones who work tirelessly for society. Receiving a doctorate can give you certain benefits and privileges that are stated below:
1.Recognition: An individual earns the much needed and deserved recognition with the help of an Honorary Doctorate. It provides an individual with a validation about how their work is seen and respected.
2. Flexibility: Pursuing an Honorary Doctorate is deemed to be flexible as it doesn’t require time and effort to produce an outcome. Unlike an academic doctorate, there are no prior educational qualifications required.
3. Affordability: In comparison to an individual who wishes to pursue academic honorary can get engulfed in more expenses as research and the degree both require more money. On the other hand, pursuing an Honorary Degree is less costly and viable for most of the people.
4. Career Advancement: Honorary Doctorate Achievement acts as a valuable asset for individuals as it proves their excellence in a specific field of study. It opens doors for newer opportunities and collaborations from bigger industries.
5. Source of Inspiration: An Honorary Doctorate Certificate acts as a source of inspiration for other budding entrepreneurs or individuals who are exploring to help for the betterment of society in any way. It also provides with an opportunity to reflect upon ourselves and how far we have come in our lives.
Conclusion
Honorary Doctorate Degree provides a chance for better recognition and celebrations for the individuals who have worked tirelessly to provide society and their own companions with a better world.
With the newer generations to come who are keener on working in their own space while creating something to help others, Honorary Degree award will make them understand their importance for the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Does an Honorary Degree require coursework and thesis writing?
No, an honorary is based on your achievements and contributions. One doesn’t have to attend classes or do any kind of coursework to receive the degree.
Q2: Can honorary doctorate holders use “Dr.” before their name?
It is not legally wrong to use a doctoral title before your name. But it is beneficial if an individual mentions “Dr. (Hon)” so that one can bifurcate accordingly.
Q3: Am I allowed to nominate someone for a doctorate degree?
No, in India one is not allowed to nominate anyone. Nominations usually happen from the internal bodies like the Chancellor, etc.
Q4: Can an individual with an Honorary Doctorate be an assistant professor and teach in universities?
No, there is a difference between both the degrees. An honorary doctorate is earned based on your achievements. But a PhD is an academically awarded degree gained through research work and entrance exams.
Q5: How can I verify if my Honorary Degree is valid and genuine?
One can verify their honorary degree indirectly with the following steps:
– Check if the awarding university is UGC-recognized from https://www.ugc.gov.in/
– Verify if the degree was awarded in a public ceremony (e.g., convocation)
– Look for a press release or official announcement from the university
