Honorary Doctorate

Hi...Greeting from Malaysia.

Can a person who receive a Honorary Doctorate (honoris causa) use the designation of Dr. in front of their name? Please advise.

Thank you.

 

Many people do, mostly (perhaps entirely) in the business world. I've cited the example of Edwin Land, founder of Polaroid, whose only doctorate was honorary. The company public relations department sent out a stern letter to anyone who referred to him as "Mr. Land" stating that he was to be called "Dr. Land."

This is very rarely done in the academic world.

Laws vary locally. There have been cases where someone calling himself "Doctor" based on an honorary degree was felt to be misleading or defrauding the public, as, for instance, when offering health or nutrition advice.

Alternatively, often one can call oneself by any title, without benefit even of an honorary degree. Doctor Seuss. Doc Martin. Doctor Dre. Doctor Julius Erving.

 

Actually, Klaus Maertens, M.D., was co-inventor of the (crudely anglicized)
"Doc Martens" shoe.

 

IMHO, a good discussion on this subject is at www.honorarydegrees.org.

In the interests of full disclosure, I have been a paid consultant for them in the past.

 

the cultural matrix

My sense is that an honorary doctorate, unsolicited by the recipient and awarded for great accomplishment, is a mark of distinction. However, using the title "PhD" in a signature, or requesting to be addressed as "Dr." will make the honorary degree recipient look foolish: it is immodest and slightly ridiculous.

G

 

Wow!

That is one CREEPY website!

 

Hmmmm. They "work with marketing representatives from around the world," but they limit their business to 6 to 8 clients a year.

So it costs $2,500 to discover which properly accredited school will offer the degree. I don't have that in my petty cash envelope . . . but the next time a reporter calls wanting to do a story on the world of questionable doctorates, I shall send them to that site. Wouldn't it be interesting if a dog or pigeon or whatever could get such a degree?

 

If I felt like turning loose of $2500, the Rev Dr Quigley (my bulldog) could get a second Doctorate.

 

Actually John, the reporter would be wasting his or her money. The online application is just be beginning of the process.

The $2,500 application fee is only accepted after a review of the information on the online form. After the candidate makes this first cut, additional background information is required along with character references. The application fee is used to pay for the most comprehensive background check I’ve ever seen. Background checks are even made on the character references.

Assuming everything comes up clean, then and only then does American Education Foundation approach a college or university. Keep in mind that the $2,500 is only the application fee. The contribution to the college or university is much, much more.

While they get hundreds of inquiries each year, only about a couple dozen or so make it past the first step.

You might look at American Education Foundation as a matchmaker.

 

Randy: "...Keep in mind that the $2,500 is only the application fee. The contribution to the college or university is much, much more..."

John: Yes, but if the purpose of the exercise is to find out which university or universities are selling their honorary doctorate in this way, then a smart news medium, such as the one I've spoken to this week, would put up a beyond-reproach candidate with superb qualifications, and learn the name of the school for the $2,500 investment, at which time they might decline to make the requested "donation."

 

When one smells something fishy, one can usually count on there being something fishy going on.

 

The client is required to sign a confidentiality agreement in the early stages calling for major damages in the event either party discloses to any third party the terms of the agreement.

But I'm still confused as to why to think such an arrangement is in any way improper. The degrees are clearly labeled “honorary.” If I recall, your book lists a history of donations for honorary degrees going back two or three hundred years. Look at most world class universities. It doesn’t take a scholar to connect
the dots between donations and honorary degrees.

The school gets the funds, the donor gets the honorary degree. Everyone’s happy except possibly you. But I can’t understand why.

 

Because it's smarmy. Quid pro quo. It's one thing for a school to recognized a donor with an honorary degree. Ostensibly, nothing is expected by the donor. (If it is, it is implicit, and the donation isn't made with the honorary degree as a condition of the donation, and the school isn't obligated to award the degree. There is no contract.)

Selling honorary degrees is sleazy. And not very "honorable."

 

So you are saying that the Universal Life CHURCH is not very "honorable? My bulldog would be very disappointed to read that!

 

Right. Selling degrees, even by ULC, is sleazy.

 

Now Dr. Douglas, all these degree sellers are doing is finding a market need and filling it. It's the American Way!

 

As soon as the government stops its ridiculous "war on drugs," I'll go for this.

 

My father got one from a well respected four year school in the UK (it was either Durham or York; can't remember which); he never used the title, but used to get mail addressed to "Dr. Jouster Sr," so I guess they didn't mind.

I don't think there should be any objection to using the title if you want; if they didn't want you to, wouldn't they say so?

 

Sick

I have been reading this board for over a year and have never felt the need to post. I enjoyed the banter and have been intriqued by Degree Mills...disgust mainly.

Now, however, I feel the need to vent.

This is disgusting and worst than any mill. OMG, these are apparently accredited schools!!! When will it stop?

 

Augghh! Still venting.

So, these colleges, who look down at those who sell or buy mill products, will sell their ACCREDITED degrees to those worthy only of having $50,000 to play with? I'm sick right now. The admin at KW (hell St Regis too) should be able to stand tall next to the admin of these colleges and universitys. And that my friends is sad. At least a KW grad did SOMETHING, if not much!

And this company...WTF. They think this is ok? Shame on them and every school involved.

Dr. Bear, Give the reporters the site address, sit back, and we will all watch the sparks fly.

I will pipe down now.