Honorary Degree?

[! B L U E WAR R I O R..!]

seasons greetings,

i'm in the process of filling out my application.

my question is:

do you know the part that asks, where did your parents go to school and what degrees do they have??

well, my parents did not go to school = no degrees.

but. my dad has an honorary doctorate.  do i put that???

i figure its better than leaving the space empty right?

[!закон и право!]

I wouldn't list it.

An honorary degree does not hold the same substantive merit as an earned degree. Certainly your father couldn't justifiably refer to himself as "doctor" despite having been conferred an honorary doctorate.

It's really an award for life/professional, rather than academic, achievement.

[!закон и право!]

Anyway, keep application questions to the application forum...

[! B L U E WAR R I O R..!]

I wouldn't list it.

An honorary degree does not hold the same substantive merit as an earned degree. Certainly your father couldn't justifiably refer to himself as "doctor" despite having been conferred an honorary doctorate.

It's really an award for life/professional, rather than academic, achievement.

originally this post was to direct some information for three friends...but subsequentially aye think it triggers unique thoughts on the merits of an honorary doctorate...since the award represents and is, a token for reaching a certain accumulation in and or of one's life work...is it not greater than a doctoral diploma in that the award IS, in fact...acedemic...since the achievements in one's life are a concrete representation of acedemia or a cultural accumulation of knowledge...which is what "father" has...no?


to list or not to list is the question...to mark this man or not is the question...


in other words...if he has all the knowlege attainable...ready at his fingertips...what does it matter if it is honorary or not?

[!закон и право!]

I agree that life achievement is frankly, qualitatively "better", or at least, the "equivalent" of formal academic recognition viz. a research doctorate. However, the honorary degree in itself is still not, technically, the equiavlent of an earned academic diploma and therefore, cannot be listed as such.

For example, it is generally recognized as bad practice to list honorary doctorates as forming part of one's formal academic training in an employment CV, etc.

in other words...if he has all the knowlege attainable...ready at his fingertips...what does it matter if it is honorary or not?

Indeed, there are certainly many traditionally "erudite" individuals who have not earned formal academic recognition for "research", or a substantive "academic" contribution, per se. However, this is entirely beside the point. Doctorates are not conferred for knowledge alone, but rather, for achievements in knowledge through the "appropriate channels" (i.e. many years of time spent in service to the ivory tower).

This is excluding the fact that universities often give away honorary doctorates like candy - usually annually.

[! B L U E WAR R I O R..!]

I agree that life achievement is frankly, qualitatively "better", or at least, the "equivalent" of formal academic recognition viz. a research doctorate. However, the honorary degree in itself is still not, technically, the equiavlent of an earned academic diploma and therefore, cannot be listed as such.

For example, it is generally recognized as bad practice to list honorary doctorates as forming part of one's formal academic training in an employment CV, etc.

in other words...if he has all the knowlege attainable...ready at his fingertips...what does it matter if it is honorary or not?

Indeed, there are certainly many traditionally "erudite" individuals who have not earned formal academic recognition for "research", or a substantive "academic" contribution, per se. However, this is entirely beside the point. Doctorates are not conferred for knowledge alone, but rather, for achievements in knowledge through the "appropriate channels" (i.e. many years of time spent in service to the ivory tower).

This is excluding the fact that universities often give away honorary doctorates like candy - usually annually.

on spot...some honorary degrees are "publicity" for acedemic forums...still...it provides  an opening for conversation and connections...


...aye let the moderators move things around on the board...but aye enjoy our confabs...no matter what the topic heading.

[MCB]

i figure its better than leaving the space empty right?

Even assuming that an honorary doctorate would be viewed as a similar achievement to an earned degree, isn't it 'better' in terms of applications when your parents aren't as educated?  I mean, I always assumed that ad coms saw it as a (minor) positive soft factor, and a mark of greater achievement for you personally, that you had made it to where you were despite your parents' lack of education.  I mean, wouldn't a student whose parents had only finished high school be more impressive than an identical applicant who has two parents with phd's? 

[NYCFed]

i figure its better than leaving the space empty right?

Even assuming that an honorary doctorate would be viewed as a similar achievement to an earned degree, isn't it 'better' in terms of applications when your parents aren't as educated?  I mean, I always assumed that ad coms saw it as a (minor) positive soft factor, and a mark of greater achievement for you personally, that you had made it to where you were despite your parents' lack of education.  I mean, wouldn't a student whose parents had only finished high school be more impressive than an identical applicant who has two parents with phd's? 

I agree with this.  They aren't evaluating applicants on the basis of pedigree or genetic stock (I hope).