Nobleman’s degree

At the University of Oxford, a degree awarded to a nobleman under special arrangements, without the ordinary examinations required of other undergraduates. In the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, noblemen could proceed to a BA and MA by privilege, provided they had fulfilled the prescribed period of residence and other requirements. The arrangement reflected the special status traditionally accorded to peers and their sons within the University. The term is historical and should not be confused with an honorary degree.