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 the pinnacle 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.