Academic Standards and Regulations

A. Admission Requirements

To qualify for admission to the Graduate School the applicant must satisfy the following general and specific requirements:

1. Doctoral Programs. All applicants to the doctoral programs must meet the following requirements:
   • An average rating of at least 1.25 in the relevant master’s degree. Students with lower general average than the prescribed rating may be admitted to the doctoral program on probation. While on probationary status, they are allowed to carry the maximum load of only six (6) units per term. They will be placed in full standing status after having obtained an average rating of 1.25 or better in the first 12 units.
   • Non-educational management graduate may be admitted to the Ed. D and Ph. D. programs provided that s/he completes eighteen (18) units in major subjects in the master’s program. While earning these units, s/he may enrol any two major subjects in the Ed. D or Ph. D. programs.
   • Applicant to DPA should be employed in the government agency/instrumentality or government owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) or non-government organization (NGOs).
2. Master’s Program. All applicants to the master’s programs must meet the following requirements:
   • An undergraduate average rating of at least 85 percent or 2.0 in the entire course (except NROTC). Students with lower general average than the prescribed rating may be admitted to the master’s program on probation. While on probationary status, they are allowed to carry the maximum load of only six (6) units per term. They will be placed in full standing status after having obtained an average rating of 1.5 or better in the first 12 units.
   • Applicants to the master’s programs must meet the specific program requirements, to wit:
     • Master of Public Administration
       • At least a year of government service in any capacity
     • Master of Business Administration
       • BS Commerce/Business Administration graduate
       • Non-business course graduate must finish tool courses. While earning these units, s/he may enroll any two major subjects in the MBA program.
     • Master of Arts in Education
       • Should be an education graduate
       • For non-education graduate, at least 18 units of professional education in the undergraduate level
3. Pass the qualifying written examination
4. Pass the qualifying interview
5. All applicants for admission must submit the following:
   Original copy of the transcript of record
   Two ID pictures (2x2)
   Certificate of Employment
   Two long brown envelops

B. Registration and Enrollment

1. Students who have been admitted to the Graduate School must register and pay their fees during the regular registration periods. Fine is imposed on the late enrolees.
2. Late registration may be allowed provided it does not exceed seven (7) hours of class work starting from the official opening of classes in the Graduate School.
3. Only students who have paid the required fees and submitted the enrolment forms to the different offices concerned are considered officially enrolled.
4. Only officially enrolled students are entitled to the class cards, which should be submitted to their respective professors immediately.

C. Transfer Credit

1. Graduate credit from any public college or university may be accepted only under the following conditions: the credit is applicable to those that are required in the student’s program of study;
   • the subject in question was taken not more than three (3) years on the date of enrolment in the Graduate School; and
   • the grade in the subject is at least 1.25.
   • with transfer credit the student must earn a total of 24 units excluding dissertation requirements for doctoral program, and 12 units excluding thesis requirements for the master’s program in the Graduate School. The Graduate School may grant exceptions to these limits when justified by inter-institutional collaborations.
2. Graduate credit from private college or university may be accepted only under the following conditions:
   • the credit is applicable to those that are required in the student’s program of study;
   • the subject in question was taken not more than three years on the date of enrolment in the Graduate School;
   • the grade in the subject is at least 1.25; and
   • the transfer credit granted is not more than one-third (1/3) of the total number of credits required in the student’s program of study in the Graduate School.

D. Changing, Adding, and Dropping of Subject

1. Students may be allowed to change and/or add subject provided that the class that they intend to join has not held classes for more than seven (7) hours. This must be made official by accomplishing and submitting the required form.
2. Students who wish to drop subject(s) must accomplish and submit the required official form.
3. Students will be automatically dropped from the rolls in any subject when they incur 10.5 hours of unexcused consecutive absences. In no case shall a student be allowed more than fifteen (15) hours of absences during the term or he/she will be dropped from the rolls or given a remark of no credit.
4. SDF

E. Academic Load

1. Part-time graduate students who hold a regular full-time job are allowed a maximum load on nine (9) academic units per trimester. However, subject to prior approval of the dean, a maximum load of twelve (12) academic units may be allowed of students who are to complete the academic requirements during the trimester.
2. Full time students are allowed a maximum load of twelve (12) academic units.

F. Cross Registration

1. Subject to the written permission of the Dean and the registrar’s office, students who are to complete their academic requirements may be allowed to cross enrol in another institution the subject(s) not offered in the Graduate School.
2. The total load a student may cross enrol shall not exceed the maximum academic load allowed by the Graduate School during the trimester.
   

G. Grading Sheet

1. The Graduate School adopts the following numerical grading system:

   1.0 = Excellent
   1.25 = Very Good
   1.50 = Good
   1.75 = Fair
   2.0 = Pass
   Lower than 2= No credit
   Inc. = Incomplete

2. Incomplete (Inc.) mark is given to students whose class standing is at least passing but have not yet complied with all the requirements of the course.
3. The student must remove a mark of Incomplete within one year. Otherwise s/he shall be required to retake the same subject or its substitute, if any.

H. Academic Honors and Special Awards

Graduate students are expected to finish a master’s degree within five (5) years and a doctorate degree within seven (7) years. No honors will be given if the candidate (a) finish the degree beyond its residency limit; and (b) incurred incomplete mark that was not completed within the specified period or failing grade in any subject or research requirements.

Candidate may be given academic honors based on the following ranges of grade point average (GPA) provided s/he obtained marks of high pass in comprehensive and in the final thesis/dissertation oral examinations:

1.0 – 1.09 - Summa Cum Laude
1.10 – 1.15 - Magna Cum Laude
1.16 – 1.25 - Cum Laude

Subject to the recommendation of the Dean and approval of the Graduate School Council, special awards may be given to students who demonstrated excellence in leadership and exemplary performance in extension and co-curricular activities that significantly enriched students life in the Graduate School.

I. Disqualification and Dismissal

Student who obtains a grade lower than 2.0 in any two (2) subjects is automatically disqualified/dismissed from graduate program.

J. Comprehensive Examinations

1. The Graduate School administers the regular comprehensive examinations three times a year.
2. Students who have completed all academic requirements may take the comprehensive examinations.
3. Passing the comprehensive examinations is a prerequisite for enrollment in thesis/dissertation writing.
4. The passing mark for the comprehensive examinations for the program areas (basic, major, and cognate) is 2.0. The Graduate School has the following grading system for the comprehensive examinations:

   1.0 – 1.25 - High Pass
   1.50 – 1.75 - Pass
   2.0 - Low Pass
   below 2.0 - Failure

5. Student who failed the comprehensive examinations in any program area shall be allowed up two (2) re-takes. A special examination may be scheduled for this purpose or s/he may take the re-examination during the regular schedule of comprehensive examinations.

K. Time Limit

1. Student must take the comprehensive examinations within three (3) years after completing the academic requirements of his/her program of study; otherwise s/he will be required to enroll on audit in at least nine (9) units of his/her course before he/she is allowed to take the examinations.
2. Student must defend his/her master’s thesis within three (3) years or his/her doctoral dissertation within five (5) years after passing the comprehensive examinations; otherwise s/he will be required to enroll on audit in nine (9) units of his/her course. Having completed this requirement s/he is given only two (2) years within which to defend his/her dissertation/thesis.
3. Student who took a leave of absence for more than three (3) years from the last term of enrolment without completing the academic requirements may be readmitted to the program subject to the evaluation of the courses taken against the existing curriculum.

L . Thesis/Dissertation Requirements

1. Every candidate for graduation must submit a research paper in the form of thesis for the master’s degree or dissertation for the doctoral degree.
2. Before conducting a study the candidate must submit research title/proposal for an oral examination before a thesis/dissertation committee created by the dean of the Graduate School. The candidate is given the option to choose from among the members of the thesis/dissertation committee his/her research adviser.
3. When the study is completed the candidate must submit his/her work to a thesis/dissertation committee for a scheduled public oral examination at which the candidate must satisfactorily defend the thesis/dissertation. At least one week before this final oral examination, the candidate should submit an acceptable thesis/ dissertation draft to the committee members.
4. A final copy of the thesis/dissertation accepted and signed by the oral examination committee members and accompanied with notes on incorporated suggested corrections/revisions indicating therein the page(s) where such could be found should be submitted to Graduate School office before it is reproduced and bound into a book.
5. The official color of the cover of the thesis/dissertation is cardinal red and the letters are gold.
6. The thesis/dissertation is expected to be available to other scholars and to the general public. To facilitate its distribution to libraries seven (7) bound copies of thesis/dissertation should be submitted to the Graduate School office not later than two (2) months after the final oral examinations.
7. The Graduate School reserves the right to reject submitted bound copies of the thesis/dissertation if the work does not meet the standard requirements for an acceptable research work.