Honorary Degrees

Each year the University of Chicago seeks to confer a robust number of Honorary Degrees from many areas of inquiry and discovery.  We encourage the receipt of Honorary Degree nominations from every Division and School, to honor the full range of scholarly communities. 

The deadline for nominations of Honorary Degrees to be awarded in June 2026 is October 15, 2025.

HONORARY DEGREE CRITERIA:

The criteria for the awarding of University of Chicago Honorary Degrees are as follows:

  • The recipient should be a leader in the field, with a distinguished record of scholarly accomplishment, and whose holding of an Honorary Degree from the University of Chicago would bring distinction and honor to the University as well. 

  • The primary emphasis is on the original contributions to knowledge for which the individual is responsible.  Other considerations may strengthen the case, but they remain secondary.

  • All other things being equal, the University may prefer to award the degree to persons whose contributions have not yet been extensively recognized by the receipt of major awards and prizes or honorary degrees, though outstanding candidates may well have received several honors before ours, and there is no particular prior recognition that would be disqualifying.

  • Members of our faculty are not eligible for nomination; former faculty members can be considered on the basis of scholarly work done after leaving the University.

HONORARY DEGREE NOMINATIONS - DOCUMENTATION:

An Honorary Degree recommendation dossier should contain the following materials:

  •  A nomination from the faculty sponsor describing the accomplishments of the nominee and the impact of these accomplishments on the development of the scholarly field to which the nominee contributed, as well as a draft citation of one or two sentences that may be used in the event that the nominee is selected for recognition;

  • A brief statement from the Department, Committee, Center, Institute or School indicating approval of the nomination by the academic unit;

  • A statement of concurrence from the appropriate Dean;

  • An up-to-date curriculum vitae, including a full list of publications; the most important contributions may be highlighted;

  • Supporting letters (at least five, but no more than eight) from distinguished scholars in institutions both inside and outside of the University, evaluating the scholarly achievements of the nominee. 

 Honorary Degree nominations should be forwarded to the Committee on Honorary Degrees, in care of Carol E. Wilinski, Secretary of the Faculties, cwilinski@uchicago.edu.