Honorary Degree Nominations
About
The honorary degrees awarded annually at the university’s Commencement are intended to be the most significant recognition conferred by the board of trustees, known as the Yale Corporation, to signal pioneering achievement in a field or conspicuous and exemplary contribution to the common weal. Yale honorary degree recipients serve as models of excellence and service to students, graduates, the community, and to the world.
Process
Any member of the Yale community may submit nominations for honorary degree candidates. Nominations are considered by the Yale Corporation Committee on Honorary Degrees, which is composed of trustees, faculty, and alumni. The Committee reviews candidates and makes recommendations to the Yale Corporation, which considers the candidates and casts a formal vote. Per tradition, the identities of the honorands are not revealed until Commencement day.
Qualifications
Before submitting a nomination, please review the list of Yale’s honorary degree recipients.
(Read more here).
Please also note that the university does not award degrees posthumously.
The honorary degrees available for award are as follows:
DISCIPLINE | CRITERIA |
Divinity | Clergy, scholars in the areas of religious studies |
Engineering and Technology | Engineers/applied scientists/technologists who have achieved high distinction by reason of accomplishing technological innovation, and/or producing transformative applied or basic research while making science useful; and/or exercising exceptional and visionary administrative or institutional leadership in engineering/applied science/technology |
Fine Arts | Artists with careers in painting, sculpture, drama, architecture, photography, dance, graphic arts, design; on rare occasions administrators in these areas have been included |
Humane Letters | Persons who have made contributions to society and do not fit other categories |
Humanities | Scholars in the humanities |
Laws | Jurists, legal scholars, diplomats, public statesmen |
Letters | Writers (fiction, poetry, drama), editors, journalists |
Medical Sciences
| Scholars in biomedical sciences; practitioners of health sciences; health care administrators/policy makers |
Music | Musicians (performers, conductors, composers) |
Science | Scholars in science fields other than medicine; science administrators |
Social Science | Scholars in the social sciences; administrators in related fields |