Ad eundem degree

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For other degrees, see Academic degree

An ad eundem degree is a courtesy degree awarded by one university or college to an alumnus of another.

Before the advent of modern means of transportation had shrunk the world, it was common, when a graduate from one American college moved into the neighborhood of another, for his new college to admit him as a courtesy "to the same degree" (in Latin, ad eundem gradum). Thus if he was a bachelor of arts in the college he had attended, he was likewise a bachelor of arts in the eyes of his new local college. (Not every college extended this courtesy to all other colleges, however.)

The practice generally died out in the early 19th century. However, it continues at the University of Cambridge, University of Oxford and Trinity College, Dublin where the process is known as "incorporation". At several Ivy League universities, including Harvard, Yale, Brown and Penn, faculty appointed or promoted to the rank of associate professor or professor are awarded a master's degree (an AM at Harvard and Brown; a MAH at Yale) if they do not already hold a degree from the respective university.

At Amherst College a similar custom is followed, with the granting of a master of Arts degree by the college to its faculty even though the college grants only a bachelor's degree (AB) to its own matriculated students. Dartmouth College confers an MA degree on faculty members promoted to full professor.

It is an earned degree, not honorary, because it recognises formal learning. It is acceptable to list both the original degree(s) and the incorporated ("ad eundem") degree when listing post-nominals.^[1]

N.B.: this article uses "college" in its American sense. See college, §2, for details.

External links

• "Profs' degrees are relics of old University tradition. Full professors are still required to have a Yale degree." — Yale Daily News, Thursday, March 23, 2006

1. ^ See, The Oxford University Calendar, "Notes on Style - "In the case of incorporated degrees, the original degree and the incorporated degree should be shown: e.g. ‘MA Dub, MA Oxf’."