The Doctor of Excellence Award: Purpose, Eligibility and Evaluation

Purpose

The award is an honorary recognition of professional excellence, designed to give highly qualified professionals an independent quality assurance reference. EAHEA describes it as an honorary degree that may be considered to have the same standing as a Doctor Honoris Causa. It also notes that honorary degrees are often not regarded as equal to academic doctorates, and an honest description of the award keeps that difference in view.

Merit may be shown in any field: knowledge, art, culture, a profession, science or sport. The assessment does not discriminate on social, religious, political or citizenship grounds.

Eligibility

• A minimum age of 30 years, or 25 years for a bachelor’s graduate.
• At least 120 HPS™ points, assessed from a critical reading of the CV.
• Endorsement of initial eligibility by the EAHEA Secretary before the fee is paid.

How Points Are Counted

These are the examples published by EAHEA. A candidate can estimate a total from them, but the reviewers’ reading of the CV decides the final count.

Evidence to Prepare

1. The online application form.
2. A curriculum vitae that lists degrees, posts, years in leadership, publications, honors and service in a clear order.
3. Supporting documents in electronic form, uploaded as proof files.

Every claim on the CV should be backed by a document, and dates and titles should match across files.

How the Decision Is Made

1. The EAHEA Secretary checks initial eligibility.
2. If the application is endorsed, the applicant pays the fee.
3. The documents go to Commission members, who reply in roughly two to four weeks.
4. The award is decided by a majority vote of the EAHEA President, the EAHEA Secretary and one Commission member. A tie is settled by the President’s vote.
5. The Secretary registers the decision.

Fees follow the World Bank income classification of the applicant’s country, in euro. Card payments add 3 percent, and VAT of 24 percent applies to applicants in Estonia and EU applicants without a valid VAT number. See the Service Fees page. The award is not issued until the fee is paid.

What You Receive

• The Doctor of Excellence certificate in English and the Doctor Excellentiae certificate in Latin.
• A Degree Verification Certificate.
• A listing in the Certified Members Directory.
• News alerts, the newsletter and discounts on EAHEA sponsored events.

Using the Title Honestly

EAHEA states that a recipient may use the title “Doctor” if the honorary status is stated clearly. In practice, that means writing the award in full, for example “Doctor of Excellence (honorary, EAHEA),” and never presenting it as a research doctorate. A careful reader respects that difference, and an unclear use can damage the credibility of both the person and the award.

See presenting international qualifications on a resume.

Limits

• It is not an academic degree and does not replace one. See certificate of completion vs. certificate of competency vs. diploma.
• Meeting the point threshold is not a guarantee of an award.
• It is not given at the end of a course or training.
• EAHEA does not guarantee any visa, permit or other result. Decisions belong to the authorities of each country.

For practicing professionals, Professional Certification documents competence, and for teachers, Educator Certification does so. Apply online or contact the Secretariat.