The University of Iowa, with the approval of the Board of Regents, confers honorary degrees to individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary achievements in such areas as research, scholarship, education, artistic creation, social activism, human rights, humanitarian outreach, or as recognized by the faculty as being consistent with the values of higher education.

Honorary degree recipients must go through a nomination process and be approved by a selection committee.

In its history, the College of Public Health has conferred two honorary degrees:

• John W. Colloton
• Martín-José Sepúlveda