Honorary doctorates sold online promise to ‘enhance reputations’

A growing number of online businesses are offering to secure customers honorary doctorate degrees in exchange for fees of up to £10,000, a Times Higher Education (THE) investigation has found.

Companies involved stress the service can “enhance the reputation” of those purchasing the degrees but critics say the “pay-to-play model” is devaluing the accolade, more commonly awarded to the great and the good in recognition of their professional achievements.

One company, QAHE, which bills itself as the “International Association for Quality Assurance in Pre-Tertiary and Higher Education”, says its “selection committee” would assess a CV, make a decision based on “the candidate’s exceptional achievements”, and bestow the qualification in exchange for an “awarding, processing, and shipping” fee of $1,300 (£982.73), plus a 5 per cent “payment service charge”.

The company, which appears to be based in Portland, Oregon, in the US, is distinct from QAHE Limited – a legitimate UK-based private higher education provider. QAHE Limited, which trades as QA, was contacted for comment regarding whether it was aware of the similarly named organisation.

According to the US-based QAHE, its honorary doctorate would be jointly awarded by itself and its partner, the American University of Business and Social Sciences (AUBSS) – an institution that claims to be “fully accredited” by authorities in the Kyrgyz Republic, in Central Asia. The university did not respond to requests for comment. 

In an email sent to THE after enquiring about the service, the purchasable degree is described as an “esteemed” qualification which will “enhance…credibility and reputation”.

“The honorary doctorate is a professional recognition for highly qualified professionals from various fields,” the email states. “It is not an academic degree and does not require the usual academic requirements. Recipients may choose to use the title of ‘doctor’ if they wish.”

The message continues: “By joining our global network of like-minded institutions and individuals, you will have the opportunity to foster collaborations and promote your offshore programmes worldwide.”

THE sent a fake CV to several companies offering to help candidates attain honorary doctorates in exchange for cash.

One firm, Aimlay, which offers “edtech-based expert guidance and counsellor services for higher education aspirants”, set up a call to discuss its “honorary doctorate programme”, including the eligibility criteria, process, and the “esteemed universities” supposedly involved.

Aimlay does not award the degrees itself but instead provides “end-to-end nomination support” for candidates seeking them from an institution. In a disclaimer on its website, it says the degrees are “conferred solely at the discretion of the respective university”, with Aimlay providing “nomination support, documentation guidance, and coordination services only”.

The company is based in India, although its website also identifies offices in Texas and in Dubai.

In the call with THE, an Aimlay adviser said the company had relationships with “numerous universities across the globe” its team could approach on behalf of those seeking honorary doctorates, in countries including the US, France, Mexico, Russia and Denmark. They did not name any example institutions.

“Coming to the pricing part, it starts from £2,000 and goes up to £10,000 to £11,000,” the adviser said. When asked whether this was the cost of Aimlay’s consultation process, or the cost of securing the qualification itself, the adviser said it was “for the whole degree”.

Aimlay maintains candidates need at least seven years’ experience in the working world to qualify for the service.

Another honorary doctorate service is being advertised by an organisation calling itself the London Institute of Sustainable Development (LISD).

The organisation is not registered with the Office for Students, although it claims to be recognised by Ofqual – the exams regulator which has no jurisdiction over university qualifications – and the “Ministry for Education”. It is separate from an institution with the same name based in the Queen Mary University Enterprise Zone. 

Its website advertises honorary doctorates in humanities, arts, science, and business administration. It lists the names and academic titles of people it maintains it has awarded degrees to.

THE contacted one academic listed on the website to ask whether they were aware of LISD using their name and picture. The scholar, who asked to remain anonymous, said they were “shocked” to discover their profile featured on the website. The person said they had not received a doctorate from the organisation and had not authorised the use of their likeness.

Representatives for LISD failed to answer THE’s questions regarding the cost of its honorary doctorate degree service. The LISD website, which also claims to offer undergraduate degrees at British universities “for less than 50 per cent” of the usual fee, does reassure customers: “We are using safe payment.”

David Palfreyman, a higher education policy expert and bursar of New College, Oxford, told THE he hadn’t encountered these kinds of businesses, but that it appeared to be “a whole industry that’s partly based on ignorance”.

The awarding of honorary degrees has proven controversial in the past, with questions over whether some recipients are deserving of the honour and other universities having to strip degrees from people who later become embroiled in scandals. Several commentators have suggested universities ditch the pageantry.

Andrew Monk, executive director of global engagement at the University of Bristol, said: “For us, an honorary doctorate is pretty much the highest recognition we can offer as a university.

“There’s a number of different factors at play. Most importantly, it’s about recognising outstanding achievement. That can be academic or in a particular field or industry. Most of our candidates, I’d say they tick all of those boxes. It has to be about a connection to the city and region as well.”

Although he also hadn’t come across services offering to help secure honorary doctorate degrees online, Monk suggested such activity was concerning.

“At Bristol, we take really good care over [awarding them],” Monk said. “There is a very robust process for selection of honorary graduates – we take it very seriously. Any organisation that is doing it as a sort of pay-to-play model really devalues what that is.”

A spokesperson for Aimlay said: “Aimlay facilitates honorary doctorate recognition through a range of international universities and institutions, with multiple options depending on an individual’s professional achievements, background and recognition objectives.

“The value of an honorary doctorate is primarily in recognising an individual’s established professional contribution, leadership and achievements. It can also support professional positioning, personal branding and recognition within relevant professional networks. However, it is important to distinguish this from an earned PhD or DBA, as an honorary doctorate is an honorary recognition rather than an academic qualification earned through doctoral study and research.

“Depending on the selected university and package, the recognition may include the honorary award and certificate along with professional-profile services such as biography preparation, e-profile development, publication and promotional support. Fees vary according to the university and services included.”

QAHE and LISD did not respond to requests for comment. 

georgia.luckhurst@timeshighereducation.com