What purpose do Honorary Degrees serve, and sometimes, don’t they make a mockery of the collegiate system? Also, does the degree carry any weight, or is the honorary document physically identified as being a fake degree?
The document doesn’t matter. Anybody wanting to check your academic credentials is going to get a transcript from the institution, at which point they would find out if you were trying to pass off an honorary degree. Often, when you see somebody’s degrees listed, honoraries are noted, as in “Phd (hon)”. I suspect this is simply a matter of courtesy on part of the person listing their degrees.
As for the purpose, it gives the school a little publicity, and probably doesn’t cheapen much of anything since the honorary degree will be awarded to somebody who has visibly accomplished something, even if that something is only status as a celebrity. For that reason also, I seriously doubt that the question of the individual trying to use the “degree” as a bona-fide credential is likely to arise - the recipient usually doesn’t need a degree as a job credential at that point.
I make those observations even considering that I went to a school that gave an honorary Doctor of Laws to “Dandy Don” Meredith. It got the school mentioned a lot on Monday Night Football.
The document doesn’t matter. Anybody wanting to check your academic credentials is going to get a transcript from the institution, at which point they would find out if you were trying to pass off an honorary degree. Often, when you see somebody’s degrees listed, honoraries are noted, as in “Phd (hon)”. I suspect this is simply a matter of courtesy on part of the person listing their degrees.
As for the purpose, it gives the school a little publicity, and probably doesn’t cheapen much of anything since the honorary degree will be awarded to somebody who has visibly accomplished something, even if that something is only status as a celebrity. For that reason also, I seriously doubt that the question of the individual trying to use the “degree” as a bona-fide credential is likely to arise - the recipient usually doesn’t need a degree as a job credential at that point.
I make those observations even considering that I went to a school that gave an honorary Doctor of Laws to “Dandy Don” Meredith. It got the school mentioned a lot on Monday Night Football.
“Pass off” isn’t exactly an accurate description of an honorary degree unless, of course, you’re describing those issued by diploma mills. The rationale behind an honorary degree is (supposedly) recognition for contributions in the field concerned. “Status as a celebrity” is certainly not the only criteria.
I imagine that if you didn’t have a degree at all, a honorary degree from a real school (i.e., not a diploma mill) could be used as some type of credential. “Hey, look, this applicant doesn’t have a degree, but U of Michigan thinks highly enough of him to give him an honory degree, we won’t discount him immediately.”
In my experience in academia, honorary degrees fell into 2 categories:
Folks with money (or at least fame) and who can give a good graduation speech. Oprah class is desired. The goal is to get them (or their rich friends) to donate. So, maybe Al Gore may not be a good target for upping the endowment, he presumably has contacts with people who do. There’s a lot of jockeying among colleges to get certain celebs at their graduation each year. The admin “presents” the names to the faculty who vote 100% (in my exp.*) to approve the degree. If the rich person backs out, they don’t get the degree.
People that actually did something worth honoring. (The two groups are not mutually exclusive, but the intersection is tiny.) Most schools prefer someone with a connection to the school: an alumni, prof, trustee, etc. But note that any school would give an honorary degree to someone that is noted for not generally accepting them regardless of connection to the school. J.D. Salinger could write his own ticket. These can be handed out anytime, just an auditorium full of people, without a commencement. The faculty of a college can select such people on their own.
I doubt if anyone would try to pass off an honorary degree as an earned one. For one thing, don’t HD’s tend to have different titles from earned ones? Like Litt.D. and LL.D? I don’t know of any universities where you can earn those exact degrees.
I attended a school that refuses to give honorary degrees (or pay money) to its graduation speakers, precisely because it’s a ridiculous status symbol that means absolutely nothing. I would have to agree with the OP on this matter. Real accomplishments can be honored in so many more productive ways: establishing a scholarship, foundation, etc.
If you have to give out phony degrees to attract graduation speakers, then you get what you pay for.
A lady I knew received an Honorary Doctorate. For about a year or two after that, she would sometimes go by Dr. That annoyed me. She is a super lady and did accomplish a lot, but spending 8-10 years in post secondary is not one of them.
The commencement speaker at my graduation was changed last-minute to some local nobody, because someone on the faculty pointed out that Anna Quindlen (the original choice) was pro-choice. I don’t think that they gave her a degree quietly, either.
Wow, that’s harsh. So much for the free-thinking liberal university. Did you go to a religious school (meaning it has an official relationship with a church)? Or just a conservative school?
bernse: That you’re annoyed by the fact of it doesn’t negate that the person received a degree. Honorary or not, it’s still a doctorate. And, as you said, she accomplished a lot.
For all those who think that honorary degrees granted in recognition of accomplishments are meaningless: How many credits did you get in college for things other than courses taken in college? If you don’t see the relevance there, you’re a lost cause on this issue.
I don’t understand, how do you get credit for something other than taking a class? Did you get course credit for working or something? Where did you go to school?
I’m still in school (commencing this August my Junior year at UC-Davis after graduating with high honors from Monterey Peninsula College); however, I did get college credit granted for certain life experiences. Among those were 11 months at the Defense Language Institute, a stint in Basic Combat Training, credit for military experience to include certain credit for reaching PO1. There are plenty of things colleges recognize as deserving of college credit. Even the world of academia knows that not everything’s in a book.
I remember years ago on a late night talk show, a comedian (I think it was Buck Henry, but I might be wrong) was talking about an honorary degree he had just received. He claimed the conversation between him and the university chancellor went something like this:
BH: Is this legal?
uc: Of course, absolutely.
BH: I mean, can I use it? This is a degree in cardiac surgery. I don’t know anyhing about that.
uc: You know how to use a carving knife, don’t you?
BH: Sure.
uc: So there. Do what you’re comfortable with. We understand. Someone else will finish up for you.
Psst: You can get credit in some universities if you do some research or work in a job related to your field of study.
There are two kinds of honorary degree:
A major donor or; occasionally, someone who has done a lot for the school in some other way (chair of the board of trustees or the like).
Someone that honors the school by accepting the honorary degree. When I graduated college the president of the Ivory Coast (Felix Houphuet-Boigny, IIRC) got an honorary degree and gave a talk (in French) and McGill just gave a degree to the president of Latvia (who already had a PhD).
Anyone who tried to use it as a qualification for anything should have it taken away, but that seems unlikely. In general, it seems like a harmless practice to me.
One other thing. I have been informed that Penn gives an honorary master’s to every professor they hire. I am not sure what the reasoning is, but it still seems harmless.
Honorary degrees are usually listed on your resume or CV under “awards and honors,” not with your other degree(s). Some employers, and some professional licensing boards, make their requirements specific by stating that you must hold an earned degree that meets their requirement.
“Diploma mill” degrees represent a straight exchange of cash for degree. In some professions, it’s considered unethical or illegal to list a diploma mill degree as a qualification.
If you have an honorary doctorate, it’s considered pretentious to use the title “doctor”. One exception may be among the clergy, where senior prelates who have only an honorary DD may still be called “doctor”.
Yeah, Villanova University, which is a Catholic school.
As for the honorary master’s degree at Penn, it may be that they have a requirement that all professors have at least a master’s degree (such a requirement is not uncommon at universities). Given that, in certain circumstances, a person may be qualified to teach a college course without holding an advanced degree, they might use honorary degrees as a loophole.