Ex-NBA star Shaquille O’Neal earns doctorate degree in education at Barry University in Fla.

MIAMI – Former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal is a doctor now.

O’Neal received his doctoral degree in education from Barry University alongside 1,100 other students during commencement ceremonies Saturday.

The Miami Herald (http://bit.ly/KCwbej ) reports that O’Neal got on one knee so the chair of Barry’s organizational learning and leadership program could drape a light blue hood around O’Neal’s more-than-7-foot frame.

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O’Neal then high-fived other graduates as he made his way back to his seat along with his manager, Cynthia Atterberry, who also received a doctorate in education.

The former All-Star and MVP earned a cumulative GPA of 3.813 while completing 54 credit hours at Barry, mostly through online courses and video conferencing over the last four years. O’Neal’s doctoral capstone project explored how CEOs and business leaders use humour in the workplace.

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Information from: The Miami Herald, http://www.herald.com