honorary degrees

A who’s who of SFU’s honorary degree recipients

By: Trevor Steele An honorary degree is defined as an academic degree granted to recognize a particular achievement or distinction, without the recipient having to fulfill any of the institution’s typical degree requirements. Students can take some comfort in the fact that recipients of honorary degrees can’t use their degrees as a student who worked towards one could, yet the long tradition of honorary degrees still make them a prestigious award. The practice of handing out honorary degrees originated in the 15th century at Oxford University. They were originally used to honour intellectuals and dignitaries, or as a form of bribery…

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