Misters or doctors? It’s a question of degree

A LETTER headlined ‘Academic distinction’ (Irish Examiner, September 9) asked why you refer to the Iranian president as Mr instead of Dr Ahmadinejad since he is the holder of a PhD in civil engineering.

Any basic university degree is awarded on merit after four years of study.

Generally, an honours degree is necessary to attain a master’s degree, which is awarded after a period of research in a chosen subject.