Dr. Banjoko: A Ph. D. candidate at Syracuse University

About my Ph. D.

    The Doctor of Letters (D.Litt. or Litt.D.) stands as one of the most prestigious and misunderstood titles 

in the academic world. While the Ph.D. is the standard "terminal" degree for most scholars, the Doctor of 

Letters often occupies a space beyond it—representing a lifetime of intellectual mastery rather than the 

successful completion of initial research training.

What are "Letters"?

    To understand the degree, one must understand the term "Letters" (Litterae). In a classical sense, it does 

not refer to correspondence, but to belles-lettres: the humanities, philosophy, history, and creative 

literature. To be a "Doctor of Letters" is to be recognized as a master of the written word and the human 

condition.

The Higher Doctorate: A Commonwealth Tradition

    In the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, and other Commonwealth nations, the D.Litt. is classified as 

a higher doctorate. Unlike a Ph.D., which typically requires 3–5 years of supervised study and a single 

dissertation, the D.Litt. is rarely "taught." Instead, it is awarded to established scholars who have already 

earned a Ph.D. and have spent decades publishing a vast body of original, high-impact research.

    To earn it, a candidate submits a "portfolio of sustained scholarship"—a collection of published books 

and peer-reviewed papers—to a committee. This committee determines if the work has significantly 

advanced the field. In this context, the D.Litt. is a "lifetime achievement award" for the world's most elite 

academics.

The American Context: Honor and Achievement

    

    In the United States, the D.Litt. is most frequently seen as an honorary degree (honoris causa). 

Universities bestow it upon distinguished authors, poets, and public intellectuals during commencement 

ceremonies. For example, writers like Mark Twain, Maya Angelou, and J.K. Rowling have all been 

granted the title to honor their cultural impact, however, a few American institutions, such as Drew 

University, offer the D.Litt. as a rigorous earned degree. In these programs, mid-career professionals and 

educators engage in interdisciplinary coursework and produce a doctoral-level dissertation, often focusing 

on how the humanities intersect with modern society.

Global Variations

    The degree's history is particularly deep in France, where the Doctorat ès lettres was once thepinnacle 

of the state education system. It required two massive theses and often took a decade to complete. While 

France restructured its degrees in the 1980s, the prestige of the title remains a benchmark for the "grand 

doctorates" of the past.

Why Pursue It Today?

    

    In an era dominated by STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), the Doctor of Letters 

serves as a vital guardian of the humanities. It asserts that deep thought, historical analysis, and literary 

excellence are as essential to civilization as technical innovation. Whether earned through grueling 

decades of publication or awarded in recognition of a transformative literary career, the degree remains the 

ultimate badge of the "public intellectual."

    It is a title that marks the transition from being a student of culture to 

being a definitive architect of it.