The list of honorary degrees includes persons awarded their honorary degree by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and its predecessors the Norwegian Institute of Technology, (honorary degrees 1935–1967) and the University of Trondheim (honorary degrees 1968–1995).

Important scientific contribution or outstanding work for the benefit of science, or outstanding work for the benefit of art or culture, are conditions for the appointment of honorary doctors.

2024

Richard Spontak, dr.h.c.
Distinguished Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Professor of Materials Science & Engineering, at North Carolina State University.

2023

Roland Span, dr.h.c.
Professor and Head of the Chair of Thermodynamics, at Ruhr University Bochum.

Trond Petersen, dr.h.c.
Professor in Sociology, at University of California, Berkeley.

Carla J. Shatz, dr.h.c.
Professor at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, and chairman of the Kavli Institute Scientific Advisory Baard (SAB).

2022

Patricia Lago, dr.h.c.
Professor, Computer Scientist and leader of the Sofware and Sustainability Research Group, at Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam.

Stephen Harrison, dr.h.c.
Professor in Latin and Classical Studies, Oxford Universiy, Oxford.

Dierk Raabe, dr.h.c.
Professor in Materials Science, RWTH Aachen, and Director at the institute Microstructure Physics and Alloy Design, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Düsseldorf.

2021

Toru H. Okabe, dr.h.c.
Professor, Director of Integrated Research Center for Sustainable Energy and Materials, and Vice-President of the University of Tokyo, Japan.

Paul Hebert, dr.h.c.
Professor and Director of Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph, Canada.

Gilbert Laporte, dr.h.c.
Professor emeritus and Canada Research Chair in Distribution Management, Department of Decision Sciences, HEC Montréal, Canada.

James A. Robinson, dr.h.c.
Professor and Director of Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts, University of Chicago.

2019

Vishanthie Sewpaul, dr.h.c.
Professor emerita in Social Work, University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in South Africa.

2018

James E. Young, dr.h.c.
Distinguished University Professor emeritus and Founding Director, Institute for Holocaust, Genocide, and Memory Studies at University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Jean-Marc Triscone, dr.h.c.
Professor Jean-Marc Triscone, Department of Quantum Matter Physics at University of Geneva.

2017

Charis Thompson, dr.h.c.
Chancellor's Professor and Chair of Gender & Women's Studies, and Associate Director and a former founding director of the Science, Technology and Society Center at the University of California Berkeley.

Kristina Edström, dr.h.c.
Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at Uppsala University, Sweden.

Robert Jackson, dr.h.c.
Professor at University of Warwick, UK, and Visiting Professor at Stockholm University, Sweden.

2016

Ottoline Leyser, dr.h.c.
Professor and Director at Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University.

Sir Michael Marmot, dr.h.c.
Professor in Epidemiology and Director at the Institute of Health Equity, Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University College London (UCL).

Artemis Alexiadou, dr.h.c.
Professor in Theoretical and English Linguistics and Vice Director of Center for General Linguistics (ZAS) in Berlin.

Miguel Rubi, dr.h.c.
Professor in Physics at the University of Barcelona.

2015

Michael Elmgreen, dr.h.c.
Artist, Elmgreen & Dragset.

Ingar Dragset, dr.h.c.
Artist, Elmgreen & Dragset.

Susan Lynn Cutter, dr.h.c.
Carolina Distinguished Professor, Director, Hazards & Vulnerability Research Institute and Director of the IRDR Center of Excellence in Vulnerability and Resilience Metrics (ICoE-VaRM), Department of Geography of South Carolina Columbia, USA.

Bruce Alan Beutler, dr.h.c.
Professor, Director of the Center for the Genetics of Host Defense at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2011, shared with Jules A. Hoffmann and Ralph M. Steinman).

2014

Suresh Raj Sharma, dr.h.c.
Former president and founder of Kathmandu University, Nepal.

Donald R. Sadoway, dr.h.c.
John F. Elliott Professor of Materials Chemistry, MIT, USA.

2013

Sergio Paoletti, dr.h.c.
Professor of Biochemistry, University of Trieste, Italy.

2012

Donald Glenn Byrne, dr.h.c.
Professor of Psychology, Australian National University.

Jens K. Nørskov, dr.h.c.
Professor of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, USA.

2011

Eric Kandel, dr.h.c.
Professor of Neuropsychology, Columbia University, USA.

Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, dr.h.c.
Architect, Snøhetta, Norway.

2010

Chick Corea, dr.h.c.
Pianist and Composer, USA.

Ingrid Daubechies, dr.h.c.
Professor of Mathematics, Princeton University, USA.

Ilkka Hanski, dr.h.c.
Professor of Zoology, Helsinki University, Finland.

Anne-Sophie Mutter, dr.h.c.
Violinist, Munich, Germany.

Preben Terndrup Pedersen, dr.h.c.
Professor of Maritime Engineering, Technical University of Denmark.

2009

Piers Blaikie, dr.h.c.
Professor of Geography, School of Development Studies, University of East Anglia, UK.

Thomas J.R. Hughes, dr.h.c.
Professor of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, University of Texas, Austin, USA.

2008

Fred Kavli, dr.h.c.
Sivilingeniør (Master of Science in Technology NTH 1955), Entrepreneur and Innovator, USA.

Elinor Ostrom, dr.h.c.
Arthur F. Bentley Professor of Political Science and Co-Director of the Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA.

2007

David John Embury, dr. techn. h.c.
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, McMaster University, Canada.

2006

Liv Ullmann, dr. philos.h.c.
Norwegian actress and film director.

Professor Hans Mooij, dr. techn. h.c.
Professor of Physics, Technical University of Delft, The Netherlands.

2005

Professor Chris Jenks, dr. philos. h.c.
Professor of Sociology, Brunel University, London, UK.

2004

Professor Elizabeth Barrett-Connor, dr. med. h.c.
Director for the Division of Epidemiology, Dept. of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, USA.

Professor Claus Michael Ringel, dr. techn. h.c.
Professor of Mathematics, Bielefeld University, Leader of "Fachkollegium Mathematik" of the German Research Council (DFG).

2003

Professor Carmen Andrade, dr. techn. h.c.
Center for Research in Security and Durability of Structures and Materials, Madrid, Spain.

Professor Jon Elster, dr. philos. h.c.
Professor of Social Sciences, Columbia University, USA 

2002

Sc. D. Suzanne Lacasse, dr.techn. h.c.
CEO at the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute.

Professor Toril Moi, dr. philos. h.c.
James B. Duke Professor of Literature and Romance Studies, Duke University, USA.

Professor Yuki Ueda, dr. techn. h.c.
Professor of Construction Engineering, CEO at Joining and Welding Research Institute, Osaka University, Japan.

2001

Professor Joseph V. Bonventre, dr. med. h.c.
Professor of Molecular Medicine, Director of Harvard-MIT HST Division, MIT, USA.

Professor David Hendry, dr. philos. h.c.
Professor of Economics, London School of Economics, UK.

Professor Hiroyuki Yoshikawa, dr. techn. h.c.
Professor of Production Technology, President of The University of Tokyo, President of AIST, Japan.

2000

Professor David Mumford, dr.philos. h.c.
Professor of Mathematics, Brown University, USA.

1999

No honorary doctors appointed at NTNU in 1999.

1998

Professor Thomas Luckmann, dr.philos. h.c.
Professor of Sociology, New School for Social Research, New York, USA.

1997

Professor Liv Hatle, dr. med. h.c.
Professor of Cardiology, Linköping University, Sweden.

Professor Frederick William Gehring, dr. philos. h.c.
Professor of Mathematics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.

Professor Torsten Hägerstrand, dr. philos. h.c.
Professor of Geography, Lund University, Sweden.

Sivilingeniør, SINTEF CEO Karl Stenstadvold, dr. techn. h.c.
Master of Science in Electronics (NTH 1938), first CEO of SINTEF in Trondheim, Norway.

Professor Jürgen Warnatz, dr. techn., nat., h.c.
Professor of Physics, Ruprecht Karls University of Heidelberg, Germany.

1996

Professor Arve Tellefsen, dr. philos. h.c.
Professor of Violin, Norwegian Academy of Music.

Professor Raymond Ian Page, dr. philos. h.c.
Professor of Anglo-Saxon, Parker Librarian at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, UK.

1995

Civ.ing. Helmer Dahl, dr. techn. h.c.
Electronics Engineer (NTH 1931), Chief Scientific Director of Chr. Michelsen Institute, Bergen, Norway.

1994

Professor Robert Glaser, dr. philos. h.c.
Professor of Educational Psychology, Director for Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, USA.

Professor Mats Hillert, dr. techn. h.c.
Professor of Metallography, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.

1993

President Vigdis Finnbogadottir, dr. philos. h.c.
President of the Republic of Iceland 1980–1996.

Professor Knut Schmidt-Nielsen, dr. philos. h.c.
Professor of Zoology, Duke University, North Carolina, USA.

Professor Marshall B. Stranding, dr. techn. h.c.
Professor of Chemistry, Stanford University, USA.

Professor Ernst H. Beutner, dr. med. h.c.
Professor of Microbiology, University of Buffalo, New York, USA.

1992

Professor Walter Eversheim, dr. techn. h.c.
Professor of  Production Technology, Aachen University of Technology, Germany.

Professor K. Alex Müller, dr. techn. h.c.
Professor of Physics, University of Zürich and Researcher at the IBM Zürich Research Laboratory, Rüschlikon, Switzerland. Nobel Prize in Physics 1987.

Professor John Nicolas Newman, dr. techn. h.c.
Professor of Naval Architecture, MIT, USA.

Professor emeritus Kenneth W. Hedberg, dr. philos. h.c.
Professor of Chemistry, Oregon State University, USA.

Professor Robert Ader, dr. med. h.c.
Professor of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, USA.

1985

Ph.D. Ivar Giæver, dr. h.c.
Sivilingeniør (Master of Science in Technology, NTH 1952). Professor of Physics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA. Nobel Prize in Physics 1973.

Professor Edwin N. Lightfoot jr., dr. h.c.
Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of Wisconsin, USA.

Professor Olgierd C. Zienkiewicz, dr. h.c.
Professor of Numerical Methods, International Centre for Numerical Methods in Engineering at CIMNE, Barcelona, Spain.

1982

Professor James William Fulbright, dr. h.c.
Lecturer in Law and President, University of Arkansas, USA.

Professor James Hamilton, dr. h.c.
Professor of Theoretical Nuclear Physics, Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Professor Lars von Haartman, dr. h.c.
Professor of Zoology, Helsinki University, Finland.

Professor John W. Kanwisher, dr. h.c.
Senior Scientist, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA.

Professor Lars Y. Terenius, dr. h.c.
Professor of Pharmacology, Uppsala University, Sweden.

Professor Gunnar Kullerud, dr. techn. h.c.
Professor of Geoscience, Purdue University, Indiana, USA.

Professor Olof E. H. Rydbeck, dr. techn. h.c.
Professor of Physics, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, and founder of Onsala Space Observatory, Sweden.

Professor Ray William Clough, dr. techn. h.c.
Elvira E. Nishkian Professor of Structural Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, USA.

1976

Professor Theodore Theodorsen, dr. techn. h.c.
Professor of Physics, The Johns Hopkins University, USA.

1972

Professor John H. Argyris, dr. techn. h.c.
Professor of Aeronautical Engineering, Imperial College, London and Director of the Institute for Statics and Dynamics of Aerospace Structures at the University of Stuttgart, Germany.

Professor Aage Bohr, dr. philos. h.c.
Professor of Physics and director of Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen University, Denmark.

Professor Matts Bäckstrøm, dr. techn. h.c.
Professor of Refrigeration Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden.

Professor Cornelis Jacobus Gorter, dr. techn. h.c.
Professor of Solid-state Physics, University of Amsterdam, Director of the Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory in Leiden, The Netherlands.

Professor Knud Grue-Sørensen, dr. philos. h.c.
Professor of Education, Copenhagen University, Denmark.

Professor Einar Ingvald Haugen, dr. philos. h.c.
Professor of Scandinavian Languages, Harvard University, USA.

Professor Lipke Bijdeley Holthuis, dr. philos. h.c.
Director Section for Crustacea, National Museum of Natural History, Leiden, The Netherlands.

Professor Knud Winstrup Johansen, dr. techn. h.c.
Professor of Construction Engineering and President of the Technical University of Delft, The Netherlands.

Professor Ralph Kronig, dr. techn. h.c.
Professor of Physics and President of the Technical University of Delft, The Netherlands.

Professor Atle Selberg, dr. philos. h.c.
Professor of Mathematics, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, USA.

1960

Professor Anker D. Engelund, dr. techn. h.c.
Professor of Building Engineering, Denmark Technical University, Lyngby, Denmark.

Professor Paul Hermann Scherrer, dr. techn. h.c.
Professor of Physics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ).

Architect Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto, dr. techn. h.c.
Architect, Helsinki, Finland.

Professor Ragnar Lundholm, dr. techn. h.c.
Professor of Electronics, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, dr. techn. h.c.
Pilot, Aeronautical Engineer and inventor of the jet engine, UK.

Professor Ragnar Woxén, dr. techn. h.c.
Professor of Mechanical Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.

Professor Lars Onsager, dr. techn. h.c.
Gibbs Professorship of Theoretical Chemistry, Yale University, USA.

1935

Professor Sir Raymond Unwin, dr. techn. h.c.
Chief Technical Officer for Housing and Town Planning, UK Ministry of Health, Visiting Professor of Town Planning, Columbia University, USA.

Professor Ludwig Prandtl
Professor of Aerodynamics and Director for the Institute of Technical Physics, University of Göttingen, Germany.

Civilingenjör Ragnar Liljeblad
Technical Director, ASEA, Sweden.