Refrain from misusing honorary academic titles — GTEC warns

The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has expressed concern over the increasing misuse of honorary doctoral and professorial titles in Ghana.

In a statement, the commission attributed this to the prevalence of Honorary Doctorate degrees and Professorship titles that are conferred upon individuals by various institutions in Ghana and abroad.

It said these individuals, after receiving the honorary awards, add the titles Doctor (Dr.) and Professor (Prof.) to their names as part of their credentials.

However, according to GTEC, this practice is misleading and unethical which erodes public trust in Ghana’s higher educational system.

“These practices are deemed misleading and serve to misinform both the Academic community and the general public. The appropriation of these honorary titles as part of the name of any recipient is deemed unethical and contravenes several provisions of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), as well as other pertinent laws governing higher education in Ghana,” it said.

While GTEC acknowledged the recognition of distinguished individuals by higher education institutions, it stated that such honours should only be conferred by accredited and duly recognised institutions.

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The commission also reminded the public of its mandate under Section 8 (3)(d) of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, which empowers it to regulate the use of academic titles and terminology, including terms such as “Doctor”, “Professor”, “University”, and “Emeritus”.

“To safeguard the integrity of Ghana’s higher education system and to uphold its deserved credibility and respect, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission demands that all stakeholders refrain from the misuse of honorary academic titles,” a part of the statement read.

It further cautioned that, should this practice persist, the Commission shall reserve the right to evoke its regulatory functions to sanction the individuals and/or institutions found in violation.

Read the full statement below

[gview file=”https://www.theghanareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Press-Statement-April-25-3.pdf”]