An honorary doctorate is a high level academic honorary degree. A university confers honorary degree, or honoris causa, to a recipient and exempts them from the normal requirements for that academic degree. The degree is given to honor the recipient and also benefits the university or degree-giving institution by association. Recipients' qualifications may range greatly. They can have no relationship to the school, no prior degrees, and no formal higher education, or they can already have substantial substantive education and other honorary or substantive doctorates. An honorary degree usually takes the form of an honorary doctorate but may also be an honorary masters.

In most countries, a doctorate is the highest level of academic degrees. An honorary doctorate can be given for a variety of reasons decided upon by the university. The first recipient of an honorary degree on record was issued by Oxford University to Lionel Woodward in the 1470s. The practice became much more common, however, in the 1600s in England when royalty would visit universities.

The recipient of an honorary doctorate may use the degree in the same manner as a substantive degree, except under certain circumstances where the formal academic background is required. The recipient typically will not begin using the prenominal title of doctor, though there is no rule against it. Honorary doctorate recipients Benjamin Franklin, Maya Angelou, and Billy Graham, amongst others, have used the title pre- or postnominally. Many universities that award honorary degrees will refer to their recipients as “doctor.” Whether the title is used prenominally or postnominally, honaris causa or h.c. should be parenthetically added after the degree title.

The university usually awards the degree at a regular graduation ceremony and an accompanying speech is traditionally expected. Typically, several people are nominated for the degree and a university panel decides who deserves it most. In some places, however, an honorary doctorate can be applied for. This is common in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland, and frequently requires a relationship with the university. The recipient usually has a rigorous academic record and is often a member of the university staff.

The conferring of honorary degrees may cause considerable controversy for the university, especially if the recipient is political. Former U.S. President George W. Bush’s honorary doctorate from Yale University, where he had previously earned his bachelors degree in 1968, made waves with faculty and students alike, causing a boycott of the 2001 commencement. Likewise, the 2007 protests of Robert Mugabe’s honorary doctorate from Oxford University in 1984 eventually culminated in the stripping of the Zimbabwean leader’s award. A degree awarded in a particular matching field, however, does not tend to make a stir, as seen with Joni Mitchell’s unopposed honorary doctorate of music.

Critics also worry that the degree and the title of doctor could be used to mislead others about the recipient’s qualifications. Others claim that honorary degrees are often given with the motive to secure large donations for the university, not to celebrate outstanding achievements. Because of this, many universities are tightening their requirements and raising their standards for honorary degree nominees.