Nominations for Honorary Degrees, Fellowships and the Queen Mary medal can be submitted at any point throughout the year to councilsecretariat@qmul.ac.uk using the relevant nomination form below. Please ensure that you have read the guidance and eligibility criteria before submitting a nomination.
The Honorary Degrees and Fellowships Committee, which recommends approval of awards to Senate and Council, meets once a year in the autumn, therefore it may be several months before your nomination is considered. A nomination may be considered by correspondence if it has been identified as time sensitive.
All nominations are confidential so please do not discuss the nomination with the nominee at any point. Successful nominees are invited by the Principal's Office to receive their award at an appropriate ceremony. This is normally a relevant graduation ceremony or a dedicated event.
These awards seek to build the profile and reputation of Queen Mary, to engage with individuals who can enrich the lives of students and staff, and to honour those who have made a significant contribution to their chosen field and have achieved national or international standing. Recipients of Honorary Degrees and Fellowships should exemplify in some way Queen Mary's values.
An important role of Honorary Graduates and Fellows is to actively promote Queen Mary's reputation and profile on a national and international level, thereby contributing to the university's mission. It is expected that Honorary Graduates and Fellows will enter into a mutually-beneficial relationship with Queen Mary and actively contribute to the life of the Queen Mary community.
All staff, students and alumni of Queen Mary are encouraged to submit a nomination. Please read the criteria and eligibility requirements for the awards before submitting a nomination form.
An honorary degree is one of higher education's most significant accolades.
The categories of persons who are normally considered for the award of Honorary Degrees include:
An honorary degree will not be conferred on a person who has already been awarded an honorary degree of the University of London or Queen Mary, on a serving Chairman of the governing body of a College, or on a person currently employed by Queen Mary.
Fellowships of Queen Mary University of London are conferred on persons of distinction or persons who have, in the opinion of Council and Senate, rendered significant service to Queen Mary or to the community, or with a demonstrable connection or affiliation to Queen Mary. A Fellowship will not be conferred on a person currently employed by Queen Mary or a member of Council.
A Queen Mary Staff Medal may be awarded on or following retirement to any employee of Queen Mary who, in the opinion of Council has made an exceptional, sustained contribution to Queen Mary. For this purpose, Council will judge an exceptional and sustained contribution as being more than long service alone, and will look for performance and commitment beyond the normal requirements of the post held by the individual concerned.
Honorary Degrees and Fellowships guidance and eligibility criteria 2024-25 [PDF 222KB]
Honorary Degrees and Fellowships nomination form 2024-25 [DOC 46KB]
Queen Mary Medal nomination form 2024-25 [DOC 46KB]
A list of previous recipients of Honorary Degrees and Fellowships is available here:
Information about the Honorary Degrees and Fellowships Committee can be found here.