Last updated 23 September 2026
Every Fellowship rests on an honorary doctorate from an institution that is officially recognised in its own country. This page explains how we confirm that, and where we look.
The rule itself is in section 4 of the Fellowship terms. An institution is recognised when the country's education ministry, or the authority it designates, has granted or confirmed its power to award degrees, or has accredited it as a higher education institution. Where a country relies on accrediting bodies approved by the state, the institution must be accredited by one of those bodies.
What we check
For every application we confirm two things. The first is that the institution is recognised. The second is that it awarded the honorary doctorate. This page covers the first. We confirm the award itself with the institution directly or from its published conferment records.
We check the institution against the official register kept by, or for, the government of the country where it is established. Registration as a company or a charity is not recognition, and neither is quality certification or accreditation by a body without state standing.
Where we look
| Country | The official source we check |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | The UK Government's list of recognised bodies, which are the institutions with their own degree awarding powers |
| Ireland | Institutions established in Irish law as Universities or technological Universities, and other bodies with degree awarding powers, as listed by Quality and Qualifications Ireland |
| United States | Accreditation by an agency recognised by the US Department of Education or by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, checked in the Department's Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs |
| Canada | Degree granting authority from the provincial or territorial government, checked in the directory of the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials |
| Australia | The National Register of higher education providers kept by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency |
| New Zealand | Universities established under New Zealand law and other degree awarding institutions, as listed by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority |
| India | The list of Universities kept by the University Grants Commission, and Institutes of National Importance |
| Nigeria | The list of approved Universities kept by the National Universities Commission |
| South Africa | Public Universities and registered private higher education institutions, as listed by the Department of Higher Education and Training |
| Switzerland | Institutions accredited under the Higher Education Act, as listed by swissuniversities and the Swiss Accreditation Council |
| Germany | State recognised institutions, as listed in the Hochschulkompass of the German Rectors' Conference |
| France | Institutions authorised by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research |
| Anywhere else | The register kept by that country's education ministry. The World Higher Education Database of the International Association of Universities is a useful starting point |
When the answer is not clear
Institutions merge, change their names and move between registers. Some honorary doctorates were awarded by institutions that have since closed. Where the position is not clear, we look at the institution's standing on the date of the award, and we decide. We tell you what we found and how we reached the decision.
If you think we have got it wrong, reply to the email that told you, and the founder will look at it again himself.
Questions
Write to info@societyofhonorarydoctors.org.