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Members of the campus community are invited to nominate candidates to receive honorary doctorates from the UMass Amherst. For nominations received by the deadline of Friday, April 18, the earliest an honorary degree could be awarded is 2026.

Candidates for an honorary degree may be nominated by faculty, staff, students or alumni of the UMass Amherst campus. Nominees should be especially outstanding and renowned in their field. Factors that are considered include distinguished intellectual, social or creative achievements in a specific field of endeavor and/or having made extraordinary contributions to the University or to the Commonwealth. We value nominations that reflect the core values and diverse perspectives of our vibrant community. The Board of Trustees policy concerning the nomination and awarding of honorary degrees is available at University of Massachusetts Policy on Awarding Honorary Degrees.

To ensure full consideration, the nomination package must include the official nomination form explaining in detail how the candidate meets the criteria for selection, outline the nominee’s achievements and contributions, and include biographical and other supporting information.

Nominations go through a lengthy selection process with several steps of consideration and approval, including reviews by an internal committee and by the Board of Trustees. Deliberations will remain confidential at all stages, and committee members will not be able to discuss with nominators the status of any nominations once the process is underway. In addition, it is important that nominees not be notified of their nomination. 

For questions regarding the nomination process, contact Michelle Goncalves, Chancellor’s Office chief of staff and chair of the Advisory Committee for Honorary Degrees, at [email protected].