Media mogul Oprah Winfrey donned a traditional cap and gown on Thursday (30May13) as she was handed an honorary doctorate at America's prestigious Harvard University.

The U.S. talk show host received a Doctor of Laws degree from the Ivy League college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and she took to the stage to deliver a speech to graduates.

She declared, "Oh my goodness. I'm at Harvard! Not too many girls from rural Mississippi have made it all the way here to Cambridge."

Winfrey also told the Class of 2013, "You now have a chance to better your life, the life of your neighbours and that of your country... When you do that, that's when your story gets really good. You want to max out your humanity."