2006-06-23 12:31:55 · 8 answers · asked by jengyk 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Higher Education (University +)
At one time an honorary degree was given to someone who had never earned a degree from a college or university but who had distinguished themselves in a certain field in such an exemplary manner that a school would choose to honor that person by granting them a degree based upon their life work.
Sadly, today many honorary degrees are motivated by politics and money as schools seek to win favor with special interest groups and generate publicity for themselves by granting a degree to someone who hasn't really demonstrated the degree of understanding that the average graduate from the school system was required to possess to pass their finals.
To answer your question more specifically, an honorary degree will not allow someone to engage in work like medicine or any other field that is regulated by the law and that requires certain educational standards to be met. It just gives a person a prestigious title.
2006-06-23 12:50:56 · answer #1 · answered by Martin S 7 · 5⤊ 2⤋
If you mean situations such as where the speaker at a college graduation is given an honorary doctorate, no, that isn't a real degree, and the person would be laughed at for wanting to be known as Dr. X.
Only those who earn PhD or medical degrees should be called Dr. X.
2006-06-23 19:49:10 · answer #2 · answered by Mama Pastafarian 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Let's break your question into 2 parts. About the Dr. X, I don't know. But for a honor bachelor degree, it just means you have different class of honor when you graduate. In Hong Kong, most of the bachelor degrees are honor degree, so hard to tell the differences. But I'm here in US, and most of the degrees ain't honor (guess it's more UK thing), and there are a few degrees that you can meet some requirement to get the honor. Cuz I'm not at undergrad level anymore, so I didn't look into too details. But in short my answer to the 1st part of your question is, it's just something on your certificate, but not really anything to do with your title.
2006-06-23 19:41:21 · answer #3 · answered by criswcliu 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Whether or not it is proper for someone with an honorary doctorate to call themselves "doctor," there are many who do use that title. I sometimes hear those who have an actual degree emphasize that they got it the hard way...they earned it.
2006-06-23 23:53:03 · answer #4 · answered by Irish1952 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are "Thank-you's" for speaking at commencement ceremonies or giving large sums to the university. Once in a while they are recognition of a life well led. You could call yourself "Docotor" if you had one, but, to use a phrase made popular by Wally, the older brother in "Leave It to Beaver", the guys would give you the business if you did. Most of the PhD's I know go by "Mr. Smith" or "John".
2006-06-23 20:17:49 · answer #5 · answered by Stuart King 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Kinda real you can call yourself Dr, but there are no honour degrees in science, which should tell you how much respect to pay to them
2006-06-23 19:35:11 · answer #6 · answered by pj2024 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No.
It's called an Hon. Dr. and it does not count the same.
2006-06-23 19:35:28 · answer #7 · answered by Dr. Brian 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good question, I think it does.
2006-06-23 19:34:20 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋