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What is An Honorary Doctorate Award?
An honorary doctorate Award is the highest award conferred by a University System. An honorary doctorate award constitutes recognition of distinctive achievement that has added materially to knowledge and to the betterment of society and mankind at large.
To be considered for an honorary doctoral Award, there are specific criteria that individuals must meet, and there are a variety of doctorate that they may be awarded. There are also many non-honorary doctorate options that require advanced education.
Recipients of Honorary Doctoral Awards do not earn the degree through academic achievements; rather they receive these awards based on generous and altruistic actions or lifetime accomplishments that benefit a community, nation, or humanity in general. Some schools allow candidates to apply for consideration for the degree, while others require nomination by a third party. Each university that confers honorary degrees establishes its own criteria for acceptance.
Recipients may receive more than one honorary degree, but never from the same school twice. A candidate does not necessarily have to be an alumnus of the awarding school, though many schools prefer to recognize their own graduates or individuals who have made a contribution to the school. Beneficiaries of the prized degree may use the title of ‘Doctor’ that the degree confers, although they have not completed a doctorate program.
Eligibility For An Honorary Doctorate Award
An honorary doctorate award may be awarded to an individual who has achieved acknowledged eminence in cultural affairs, in public service, business or in a field of knowledge and scholarship, consistent with the ideals and purposes of the awarding university. An honorary doctorate recognizes the extraordinary and lasting distinction. Nominees need not have been educated at or otherwise associated with the awarding University before being conferred with the award.
Honorary Doctorate Awards are not awarded to encourage or reward financial contributions to the universities. However, honorary awards may serve as a way of identifying with or honoring individuals who are highly regarded for achievements in their fields of endeavor. Administrative or Nomination fee may be required from exempt nominees.
Honorary Award Criteria
While many colleges and universities provide their own strict criteria for honorary candidates, an honorary doctoral award may only be given to an individual with sustained lifetime achievement, rather than Candidacy for the degree often represents a school’s prominent vocation or pursuit. However, our partnering universities put more emphasis on the prolonged bearing of an individual’s accomplishment.
MBS require the honoree to be present at the time the award is conferred. MBS and her partnering universities allow honorary doctoral award to be awarded posthumously, and the degree may be accepted by the honoree’s family or colleagues.
Review Process
The nomination and review process is confidential. No disclosure is to be made until after Board of Regents review and the institution’s subsequent invitation to the nominee.
Honorary degrees are to be awarded in person and/or in absentia only in exceptional cases. A degree may be awarded posthumously to a nominee if, after accepting the chancellor’s invitation, the nominee’s death occurs before the scheduled conferral.
In awarding honorary degrees, the MBS Partnering Universities do not assume any legal obligations. The recipients receive no honorarium.
The honoree shall have the right to refer to himself/herself as “doctor” and permit others to do so as well after being conferred an honorary doctoral degree “honoris causa” as evidenced by a Testamur issued under the seal of the University.
Honorary Doctorate Award Types
Depending on the achievement, MBS Partnering universities may present different types of honorary doctoral Awards. They may offer only a Doctor of Philosophy degree, or bestow a degree based on the accomplishments of the recipient. A few examples include:
Award Selection Process
Based on the type of honorary doctoral award being awarded, the Honorary Award Committee reviews nominations. Candidates or nominating parties typically must submit a minimum of a nomination form and biography by a specified deadline through: awards@mbsedu.co.uk.
The Honorary Award Committee reviews all documentation and presents its recommendations to the Board of Regents of the partnering universities through the faculty. The school notifies accepted honorees and confers the awards during regular graduation ceremonies. Meanwhile, the universities also appreciate a sizable donation from honorary degree recipients.
Selection Procedures
At least One month prior to the graduation ceremony at which an honorary award is to be conferred, and at least two weeks prior to a regularly-scheduled Board of Regents meeting of the partnering universities, MBS shall forward to the Secretary of the Board of Regents of the universities: (1) a letter from MBS indicating the name of the nominee(s) and expressing the president approval; (2) the curriculum vitae or resume of the nominee(s); and (3) letters of recommendation and other documentation of the contributions of the nominee and the merits of the nominee as an honorary degree recipient. It is the responsibility of the MBS and the partnering universities to exercise due diligence in ensuring that a nominee is of high moral character.
Upon the timely receipt of an honorary degree nomination from MBS, the partnering university Secretary shall: (1) review nominations to verify consistency with the requirements of this policy and to confirm, to the extent possible, that a nomination poses a low risk of reputation harm to the University; (2) if any concerns are identified, consult with the President of the Board of Regents as appropriate; (3) after any concerns are addressed, place the nomination on the agenda of the Board’s next regular meeting for Board of Regents review; and (4) notify the representative of a favorable review by the Board.
After the Board’s review, the President may invite the candidate to attend the commencement/graduation ceremony at which the award is to be conferred.
If you wish to be considered for the honorary doctoral award nomination, Click Here To Fill out the Nomination Form or kindly send application request email to awards@mbsedu.co.uk
Disclaimer: Honorary Doctorate Awards are not awarded to encourage or reward financial contributions to the partnering universities. It is free of charge for all MBS Alumni and Delegates.