An honorary degree is one of higher education's most significant accolades.
Each year we award honorary degrees to distinguished individuals who merit special recognition for genuine achievement and distinction in a field or activity, not only to acknowledge and celebrate their success but also to provide our students with inspiration role models, prompting further determination to succeed and achieve.
In 2022 the University refreshed its process for awarding honorary degrees to reflect the ambitions of Aberdeen 2040.
Nominations for honorary degrees can be made by any serving member of University staff. More information on the process can be found here.
- 2024
-
May 2024
- The Most Reverend Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury – Awarded DD
Find out more about May 2024 Graduates.
July 2024
- Sir Peter Bruce – Awarded DSc
- Jonathan Wilks – Awarded DUniv
- Professor Jeremy Begbie – Awarded DD
- Phil Astley – Awarded MUniv
Find out more about July 2024 Graduates.
- The Most Reverend Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury – Awarded DD
- 2023
-
June 2023
- Kathryn McPhail – Awarded DUniv
- Dr Grahame Davies – Awarded DLitt
- Professor Andrew Morrisson – Awarded DMus
- Jeanette Forbes - Awarded MUniv
Find out more about July 2023 Graduates.
November 2023- Dorothy Bain KC – Awarded LLD
- Hugh Dan MacLennan – Awarded DUniv
- Sonita Alleyne – Awarded DUniv
Find out more about November 2023 Graduates.
- 2022
-
July 2022
- Professor David Croisdale-Appleby - Awarded LLD
- Lord Berkeley of Knighton - Awarded DMus
- Professor Katherine Sonderegger - Awarded DD
- 2020
-
- HRH The Princess Royal
- Professor Janet Darbyshire, CBE
- 2019
-
June 2019
- Professor Sally Mapstone BA, DPhil, FRSE - Awarded DLitt
- Sir Tony Robinson - Awarded DLitt
- Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser DBE, FRS - Awarded DSc
- Professor Dame Susan Black DBE - Awarded DSc
- HE Sheikha Aisha bint Faleh Al-Thani BEd, BA, MBA, PhD - Awarded LLD
- Ronald Watt OB - Awarded MUniv
- John McLeod CBE FRAM - Awarded DMus
- Dame Carolyn Fairbairn DBE, BA, MA, MBA - Awarded DHC
- Professor Fiona Alison Steele OBE FBA - Awarded DSc
- Professor Sir John Stewart Savill, FRSE FMedSci FRS - Awarded DSc
- Professor Michael Greaves MBChB, MD, FRCPath, FRCP - Awarded DSc
Find out more about our June 2019 honorary graduates.
January 2019 (Principal’s Installation)- Eddie Stevenson MBE - Awarded MUniv
- 2018
-
November 2018
- The Rt Hon. the Lord Darling of Roulanish PC, LLB - Awarded LLD
- The Most Rev and Rt Hon Justin Welby MA -Awarded DD
- Gladys Sangster - Awarded MUniv
- Micheal O’Siadhail BA, MLitt, DLitt -Awarded DLitt
Find out more about our November 2018 honorary graduates.
June 2018
- Sheena Booth Blackhall Dip Ed, BSc (Hons Psychology), MLitt (Distinction) - Awarded MUniv
- Professor Gordon Marshall CBE, FBA, BA, DPhil - Awarded DSc
- Stanley Jack -Awarded MUniv
- Robert Gordon Lovie - Awarded DHC
- Michael Zaugg BM, MM - Awarded DMus
- Professor Ruth Khasaya Oniang’o DSM SS - Awarded DSc
- Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak DBE, MD, FRCP, FAHA, FRSE, FMedSci - Awarded DSc
- 2017
-
November 2017
- Anita Margaret Frew BA, MRes - Awarded DHC
- Professor Deborah Terry AO, BA, PhD, FAPS - Awarded LLD
- Professor Mihai G. Netea MD PhD - Awarded DSc
- Professor Simon Halsey CBE, BA, MA, MA, DUniv, DMus, DMus - Awarded DMus
- Professor John Michael Kosterlitz BA, MA, DPhil - Awarded DSc
- Judith Bingham BMus - Awarded DMus
- The Revd Canon Stephen John Evans BA, MA, MPhil, Cert Theol - Awarded DHC
- Francis Rolleston Gardner OBE, BA, LLD, FRGS - Awarded DLitt
Find out more about our November 2017 honorary graduates.
June 2017
- Donald Alexander Lamont MA - Awarded LLD
- David Strachan BD, Diploma in Pastoral Studies - Awarded DHC
- Ms Margaret Carlaw BSc - Awarded MUniv
- Kim Alison Little BSc - Awarded MUniv
- Dame Katherine Grainger DBE - Awarded DHC
- Sir Moir Lockhead Kt, OBE, DBA, DHC - Awarded LLD
- Professor Stanley Hauerwas - Awarded DD
- Brian Sidney Pack OBE, SDA, Dip.FBOM, MSc, FRAgS - Awarded DHC
- David Andrew Steyn LLB - Awarded DHC
- Jennifer Ann Brown MA, DUniv - Awarded DLitt
- Isobel Yule MA - Awarded MUniv
- George Adam DA - Awarded LLD
- 2016
-
November 2016
- Professor Nyovani J Madise BSc, MSc, PhD - Awarded DSc
- Nicholas Andrew Argyll Campbell MA, DLitt - Awarded DHC
- Sara Lamb Parkin OBE, LLD, DSc - Awarded DHC
- Judith Murray BA, DHC - Awarded DHC
- Elly Barnes MBE, BMus(Hons), MA - Awarded DHC
- Lesley Scott Dent Glasser MBE, BA, PhD, DSc, FRSE, FInstP - Awarded DSc
- Professor Fredrik P Glasser, BA, PhD, DSc, IOM3, FRSE - Awarded DSc
- Very Rev John Chalmers BD QHC - Awarded DSc
Find out more about our November 2016 honorary graduates.
June 2016
- Nicola Dandridge - Awarded DHC
- Professor David Ford - Awarded DD
- Professor Frances Cairncross - Awarded LLD
- Suzy Digby - Awarded DMus
- Samuel Jackson - Awarded DMus
- Nanette Milne OBE - Awarded DHC
- George Yule - Awarded MUniv
- Professor Alice Brown CBE - Awarded LLD
- Professor Lesley Yellowlees - Awarded DSc
- Anne Harper - Awarded MUniv
- Professor Teresa Rees - Awarded DSc
- Dame Anne Begg DBE - Awarded DHC
- Professor Pamela Gillies - Awarded DSc
- Alison Skene MBE - Awarded MUniv
- Rt Hon Baroness Tessa Jowell - Awarded LLD
- Lady Joan Catto - Awarded MUniv
Find out more about our June 2016 honorary graduates.
March 2016 (Special Ceremony)
- President John Dramani Mahama - Awarded LLD
- 2015
-
November 2015
- Zainab Hawa Bangura - Awarded LLD
- Christopher Philip Bell - Awarded DMus
- Very Rev Dr Graham John Thomson Forbes CBE - Awarded DD
- Malcolm Webb LLB DBA - Awarded DHC
- Marc Floyd Ellington - Awarded DHC
Find out more about our November 2015 honorary graduates.
June 2015
- Iain James Mackay MA, CA - Awarded DHC
- The Hon Lady Wise LLB (Hons), DLP, LLM - Awarded LLD
- Air Commodore R W Joseph CBE BSc RAF (Retd) - Awarded MUniv
- Yasmin Rahman Seyal MA MS CPA - Awarded DHC
- Professor Richard William Rylance BA PhD FRSA - Awarded LLD
- Professor David William Rhind CBE, FRS, Hon FBA - Awarded DSc
- Frances Guy MA - Awarded LLD
- Frederick George Scott Dalgarno LLB, CA - Awarded MUniv
- Professor Douglas Bruce Kell CBE, MA, DPhil, DSc, FIBiol, FLSW, FAAS - Awarded DSc
- Graham John Siddall BSc, MSc, PhD - Awarded DSc
- David Walker MA - Awarded DHC
- Professor Louise Richardson BA, MA, PhD, FRSE - Awarded LLD
- Alistair Gerould Macdonald MA - Awarded MUniv
- Professor Stephen D Logan BSc PhD - Awarded LLD
- 2014
-
November 2014
- Professor James Jordan MMus PhD - Awarded DMus
- John Edward Kitson Smith CBE BA LLD CPFA FCA FRSA - Awarded LLD
- Sir Leszek Krzysztof Borysiewicz Kt PhD FRCP FRCPath FMedSci FRS - Awarded DSc
- Professor Albert Alexander Rodger FREng BSc (Eng) PhD CEng FICE FGS - Awarded DSc
- Professor Frances Mary Ashcroft BA PhD ScD DSc DUniv FMedSci FRS - Awarded DSc
Find out more about our November 2014 honorary graduates.
July 2014
- Dr Adam Watson, FSocBiol, FArcticINorthAmer, FRSE, FCEH, FRMetSoc, BSc, PhD, DSc, DUniv - Awarded DSc
- Robert Grant Macfarlane BA, MPhil, PhD - Awarded DLitt
- Christopher Rush MA - Awarded DLitt
- Dr Alice Marjorie Sheila Prochaska D Phil, FRHist.S - Awarded LLD
- Professor Hayman Russel Botman BA, BTh, MTh, DTh - Awarded LLD
- Michael David Loggie BA MA - Awarded DHC
- Professor Witold Zatoński MD DSc - Awarded DSc
- Professor David Alexander Syme Fergusson DPhil, FBA, FRSE - Awarded DD
- Professor Anna Frances Glasier OBE, BSc, MBChB, MD, DSc, LLD, FFSRH, FRCOG, FRSE - Awarded DSc
- Reverend Professor Clifford James Green - Awarded DD
- 2013
-
November 2013
- Archbishop John Sentamu - Awarded DD
- Juliette Paton - Awarded MUniv
- Karen Darke - Awarded DHC
Find out more about our November 2013 honorary graduates.
July 2013
- Professor Terence Charles Daintith - Awarded LLD
- Professor David Noel Livingstone OBE - Awarded DLitt
- Professor Dame (Susan) Jocelyn Bell Burnell FRS, FRSE - Awarded DSc
- Steven John Cannon - Awarded LLD
- Ralph Allwood MBE - Awarded DMus
- Justice Albert Louis Sachs - Awarded LLD
- James Anthony O'Donnell KCSG - Awarded DMus
- Professor Emmanuel Adow Obeng - Awarded DHC
- Professor Dominic Frances Joseph Houlihan OBE - Awarded DSc
Find out more about our July 2013 honorary graduates.
June 2013 - Chancellor's Installation
- HRH The Duchess of Rothesay
-
Sir Eric Anderson
-
Sir Ronald Harwood
-
Professor Philip James
-
Dr Audrey Dawson
-
Frank Mulholland
-
Neil Fachie
- 2012
-
November 2012
- Peter James Stephen OStJ - Awarded DHC
- The Hon Lord Bracadale - Awarded LLD
- Rev Dr Alan David Falconer- Awarded DD
- Sir John Rex Beddington CMG- Awarded DSc
- Sir (William) Roland Cedric Jackson Bt - Awarded DHC
- Jane (Jean) Mitchell Hamilton - Awarded MUniv
Find out more about our November 2012 honorary graduates.
July 2012
- Professor Christopher Bones FRSA - Awarded DHC
- Dr Jonathan M Daube- Awarded DHC
- The Hon Lady Dorrian- Awarded LLD
- Professor Lisa Jardine CBE- Awarded DSc
- Dame Emma Kirkby- Awarded DMus
- Duncan Macniven TD- Awarded LLD
- Sir Adam Roberts KCMG, FBA- Awarded LLD
- David Sweeney- Awarded DHC
- The Hon Lord Woolman- Awarded LLD
- Colin W McKerracher CBE QPM- Awarded LLD
- Ian A Suttie- Awarded DHC
- 2011
-
November 2011
- Jennifer Shirreffs - Awarded MUniv
- Lord Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi - Awarded LLD
- Dr Michael Wyllie - Awarded DHC
- Jeremy Huw Williams - Awarded DMus
- Dame Hazel Genn - Awarded LLD
Find out more about our November 2011 honorary graduates.
July 2011
- Professor C Duncan Rice - Awarded LLD
- Alan Amoore - Awarded DHC
- Richard Thomson OBE - Awarded DHC
- Professor William Saunders - Awarded DSc
- Dame Carol Black - Awarded DSc
- Professor Michael Gazzaniga - Awarded DSc
- Professor K Srinath Reddy - Awarded DSc
- John Manzoni - Awarded DSc
- Dr Roger Williiams - Awarded DMus
- Sir Paul Nurse - Awarded DSc
- 2010
-
November 2010
- Sir Mark Walport - Awarded DSc
- Lord Carter of Barnes - Awarded LLD
- Diane Morgan - Awarded MUniv
- Clare Russell - Awarded MUniv
- Christopher Cusiter - Awarded DHC
Find out more about our November 2010 honorary graduates.
July 2010
- Daniel Wegner BS, MA, PhD - Awarded DSc
- Lord Robert Winston - Awarded DSc
- James Douglas Craig OBE MA CA - Awarded DHC
- Lord John Krebs Kt, FRS, FMedSci, BA, MA, DPhil - Awarded DSc
- Professor John Hughes FRS, BSc, MA, PhD - Awarded DSc
- Erwin Neher - Awarded DSc
- Anthony Victor Hilton MA - Awarded DHC
- Andrew Douglas Fyfe Lewis MBA FInstD - Awarded DHC
- Neal Ascherson MA - Awarded DLitt
- Michael Lewis Shattock OBE, BA(Oxon), MA(Oxon) - Awarded LLD
- James Loy MacMillan CBE, BMus, PhD, FRSAMD - Awarded DMus
- John Edward Tooke MA, MSc, BM, BCh, DM, DSc(Oxon) - Awarded DSc
- 2009
-
November 2009
- Professor Richard Dawkins FRS - Awarded DSc
- William Edgar CBE - Awarded DSc
- Professor Zygmunt Bauman - Awarded DLitt
- Dr John Purser - Awarded DHC
- Laurie Taylor - Awarded DHC
Find out more about our November 2009 honorary graduates.
July 2009
- Geoffrey Dennis MacCormack BA, LLB, MA, DPhil - Awarded LLD
- William James Maclean MBE, RSA, DLitt - Awarded DLitt
- Sir Moir Lockhead OBE - Awarded DHC
- Edi Stark MA Hons ALA - Awarded MUniv
- Martin James Gilbert MA, LLB, LLD, CA - Awarded LLD
- John Stewart Spence - Awarded DHC
- Professor William Horbury FBA, MA, PhD, DD - Awarded DD
- Peter W Mills QHC, BD, CPS RAF - Awarded DD
- Victoria Elizabeth Crowe MA (RCA), RSA, RSW, OBE - Awarded DHC
- Morten Johannes Lauridsen - Awarded DMus
- 2008
-
November 2008
- William Stanley Robertson (deceased) - Awarded MUniv
- Susan Rice CBE, FRSE, BA, MLitt, DHC, DB - Awarded LLD
- Sir Roy Anderson FRS, FMedSci - Awarded DSc
- William J L Buyers FRSC, FInstPhys - Awarded DSc
July 2008
- Ferran Adrià - Awarded DHC
- Kenneth Hunter BA - Awarded DHC
- Sir David Frederick Attenborough OM CH CVO FRS - Awarded DSC
- Medbh McGuckian - Awarded DLitt
- Semir Zeki BSc PhD FMedSci FRS - Awarded DSc
- John Sievwright MA CA - Awarded DHC
- Ian Trevor Russell MSc PhD FSS MIMgt FRCP - Awarded DSc
- John Anthony Pickett CBE DSc FRS - Awarded DSc
- James Matheson Smith BSc - Awarded DSc
- Bridget McConnell MA Med PgDip FRSA - Awarded DHC
- Alexander McLeish - Awarded DHC
- John Buttifant The Lord Sewel CBE BA MScEcon PhD - Awarded LLD
- Matthew M MacIver CBE MA Med FEIS FRSA - Awarded DHC
- Ernest McAlpine Armstrong CB BSc MB ChB FRCSEd FRCP(Glas, Ed) FRCGP FFPH - Awarded LLD
- James Smith Milne DL CBE DBA (Hon) - Awarded DHC
- 2007
-
November 2007
- David Carry - Awarded MUniv
- David B Craig (Deceased) - Awarded DHC
- Allan George Shiach - Awarded DHC
- Derek Tucker - Awarded DHC
September 2007 (in Hong Kong)
- Fong Yun-wah MBE
July 2007
- Sir Steve Redgrave - Awarded LLD
- Lord Laidlaw of Rothiemay - Awarded DHC
- Professor Quentin Skinner - Awarded DLitt
- His Excellency Archbishop Faustino Sainz Munoz (Deceased) - Awarded LLD
- Professor Paul Thompson - Awarded DLitt
- Elish Angiolini QC - Awarded LLD
- Ali Smith - Awarded DLitt
- Professor Zhu Zuoyan - Awarded DSc
- Dr William Edelstein (Deceased) - Awarded DSc
- Athole Stil - Awarded DHC
- Dr Lilian Leong - Awarded DHC
- Dame Suzi Leather - Awarded DHC
- Iain Gray - Awarded DHC
- Professor Elmer Rees - Awarded DSc
- Professor Derek Ogston - Awarded LLD
- Professor Lap-Chee Tsui - Awarded DSc
- Professor Anthony Seaton CBE - Awarded DSc
- 2006
-
November 2006
- Dr Ian Olson - Awarded DHC
- Sir Tom Hunter - Awarded DHC
- Mr Roddy Begg - Awarded DHC
July 2006 / July 2006
- Brian Binnie - Awarded DHC
- John Lawton - Awarded DSc
- Audrey Baxter - Awarded DHC
- W F H (Bill) Nicolaisen - Awarded DHC
- Andrew Motion - Awarded DLitt
- David Irvine-Halliday - Awarded DHC
- Robert May - Awarded DSc
- Daleep Mukarji - Awarded LLD
- Donald Macdonald - Awarded DHC
- David Reid - Awarded DHC
- Sandy McCall Smith - Awarded DLitt
- Andrew Salvesen - Awarded LLD
- Peter Boyle - Awarded DSc
- JK Rowling - Awarded LLD
- Bernard Aubertin - Awarded DHC
- Alan Main - Awarded DD
- Nicola LeFanu - Awarded DMus
- John Wallace - Awarded DMus
- Michael Tunstall - Awarded DSc
- Angus Grossart - Awarded LLD
- 2005
-
November 2005
- Tracey Robb - Awarded DHC
- Robert Sinclair - Awarded DHC
- Bryan Dargie - Awarded MUniv
- George S Stevenson - Awarded DHC
- Colin Blakemore FRS - Awarded DSc
- James Boyle - Awarded LLD
July 2005
- Alan G Campbell CBE - Awarded LLD
- Loretta Brennan Glucksman CBE - Awarded LLD
- Denis Law - Awarded DHC
- John Houston OBE (Deceased) - Awarded DHC
- Professor Sally Macintyre OBE - Awarded DSc
- Professor Ian Simmons - Awarded DSc
- Douglas Paterson - Awarded LLD
- Sir Timothy Clifford - Awarded LLD
- Professor Iain Torrance - Awarded DD
- Professor Stephen R Reid - Awarded DSc
- Professor William M Gordon - Awarded LLD
- Sir Kenneth Calman - Awarded LLD
- Professor Valerie Beral - Awarded DSc
- Professor Elizabeth Russell CBE FRSE - Awarded DSc
- 2004
-
November 2004
- Winifred Ewing - Awarded LLD
- Rae Angus - Awarded LLD
- Derek Giles - Awarded MUniv
July 2004 / July 2004
- Robert Black - Awarded LLD
- The Hon A Gail Prudenti - Awarded LLD
- Iain Glen - Awarded LLD
- Margaret Smith - Awarded LLD
- Sir Mark Moody-Stuart - Awarded LLD
- Malcolm Brinded - Awarded LLD
- Alistair Mair MBE - Awarded LLD
- Professor William Stevely - Awarded LLD
- Professor Michael Thompson - Awarded DSc
- Bertie Ahern - Awarded LLD
- Sir George Radda - Awarded DSc