What is an Honorary Doctorate Degree?
An honorary degree (Latin: honoris causa ad gradum) is an academic degree awarded to an individual as a decoration, rather than as the result of matriculating and studying for several years. Institutions may and often do award an honorary degree to a recipient who has never attended the institution. Usually, the degree is awarded with great solemnity as a way of honoring a famous or distinguished visitor’s worthy contribution to the society. An honorary degree is a slightly misleading: honoris causa degrees, which means for the sake of the honour, are degrees that PHAU formally awards under the terms of its charter. They are different from earned degrees as in those PHAU decides to waive the usual study, research, residence and examination requirements. While popularly used, honoris causa degrees are often not considered on the same standing as substantive degrees. Though appropriate to do so, honorary doctorate recipients normally do not adopt the title of “doctor, even though in most
