Current Students at IDMG

Academic Year is divided into semesters of at least 16 weeks, exclusive of registration and final examinations periods. A summer session of 6 weeks follows the second semester. Class work in the summer session is equivalent to class work in one semester. The first semester usually begins in June, the second semester in November, and the summer session in April.

In general, courses in the lower division (freshman and sophomore years) are numbered 1 to 99, courses in the upper division (junior and senior years) are numbered 100 to 200, and graduate courses are numbered 201- 400. Courses numbered 301 and above are generally professional courses in the doctoral program.

The unit of credit is the semester hour. Most classes taught at the University meet 3 hours a week. These classes carry 48 hours of instruction for an equivalent of 3 units of credit. Each unit of credit covers at least 16 semester-hours of instruction in the form of lecture, discussion, seminar, tutorial, or recitation, or any combination of these forms within a semester. Laboratory, field, or shop work is credited 1 unit for each three-hour week period.

Full-time graduate student are allowed to register a normal load of 12 units or a maximum load of 14 units during a semester. During the summer session, the normal load is 6 units.

The dean of the Graduate School is empowered to limit the academic load of students who are employed, whether full-time or part-time, outside the University. No graduate student who is employed on a full time basis shall be allowed an academic load of more than 10 units, whether in formal courses, in any semester unless he/she has the prior approval of the dean.

A regular graduate student is a prospective candidate for the master’s degree. He may be either be a part-time or full-time student.

A nonregular student may be (1) a nondegree, with credit; (2) a cross-registrant, with credit; and (3) a special student, without credit.

A nondegree student is one who is allowed take courses for credit in the University on the graduate and/or undergraduate levels provided that he satisfies the appropriate requirements for admission. He is not allowed to enroll for more than one semester except by special permission of the director and/or the registrar. He is a degree holder or undergraduate student who is not currently enrolled in any other institution of higher learning.

A cross-registrant is a student of the University who concurrently is a student of the University who concurrently takes courses for credit in his mother unit and in some other units of the University. Cross-registration is allowed only for justifiable reasons, and must have the approval of the dean of the college where the student is primarily enrolled.

A special student is one who is allowed to take courses for non-credit. He is not allowed to enroll more than 9 units a semester or for more than two years except by special permission from the dean. He may register any time, subject to other regulations of the University.

Courses approved by the University Council as prerequisites to other courses may not be waived. However, in meritorious cases, a student who is previously enrolled and fully attended a course that is a prerequisite to another may be allowed to enroll and attend the latter course for credit, without having passed or earned credit for the prerequisite course.

Permission shall be granted only upon application by the student. The application shall be accompanied by a certification from the student’s instructor in the prerequisite course that the student had fully attended the said course. The application, furthermore, shall be accompanied by a certification from the Dean of Students that the student’s failure to pass or earn credit in the prerequisite course was not due to disciplinary action imposed upon him.

Each college shall be authorized to grant the permission, and shall act through a dean’s committee which shall determine the merit of the application.

The student who is granted permission under these rules is required to enroll in the prerequisite course simultaneously with the course to which the former is a prerequisite, or immediately in the next semester.

Changes in matriculation (after the registration fees had been paid) for addition and/or dropping of subjects shall be made only for valid reasons. Such changes are allowed only after the student has registered or wrote-in. UPLB Form 26 is filled out for a change of matriculation and processed at the Office of the College Secretary. The form, after being duly accomplished, shall be submitted to the Registrar for assessment of fees and notation.

Change in matriculation becomes official only after payment of change of matriculation fees.

A student, with the consent of his instructor and dean, may drop a subject by filling out the prescribed UPLB Form 26-A before three-fourths of the hours prescribed for the semester has elapsed, and not later. If a subject is dropped after the middle of the semester term, the faculty member concerned shall indicate the date and the class standing of the student at the time of dropping as either “Passing” or “Failing”, solely for administrative guidance.

Any student who drops a course without the approval of his dean shall have his registration privileges curtailed or entirely withdrawn.

A student who does not register in the current semester without an approved leave of absence or does not return from an approved leave of absence is considered to have withdrawn without official leave from the Graduate School.

Leave of Absence. Leave of absence (LOA) should be requested in a written petition to the dean. The petition should state the reason for which the leave is desired and should specify the period of leave. The leave should not exceed 1 year but may be renewed for at most another year. When not taken in 2 successive years, the aggregate LOA should not exceed 2 years.

A student who needs to go on leave of absence beyond the allowable period of 2 years should apply for an honorable dismissal without prejudice to readmission.

The college, through the dean or his duly authorized representative shall inform the University Registrar and the parent/guardian of every student granted the leave of absence about such leave, indicating the reasons for the same and amount of money refunded to the student.

For leave of absence availed of during the second half of the semester, the faculty members concerned shall be required to indicate the class standing of the student (passing or failing) at the time of the application for the leave. No application for leave of absence shall be approved without indicating the student’s class standing by the instructors concerned. This, however, will not be entered in the official Report of Grades.

If a student withdraws after three-fourths of the total number of hours prescribed for the course has already elapsed, his instructor may give him a grade of “5” if his class standing up to the time of withdrawal is below “3”.

No leave of absence shall be granted later than 2 weeks before the last day of classes during the semester. If the inability of the student to continue with his classes due to illness or similar justifiable causes, his absence during this period shall be considered excused. In such case, the student shall be required to present an excuse slip to the faculty members concerned.

A student who withdraws from the college without formal leave of absence shall have his registration privileges curtailed or entirely withdrawn.

A graduate student whose degree status was discontinued may petition the dean of the Graduate School to be reinstated for the semester in which the decision to discontinue his status was taken. Such a petition requires a reinstatement fee.

The costs of attending UPLB fall into two categories: (1) tuition and related fees for services provided by the University; and (2) living costs and personal expenses.

Since the University is supported by the State, part of educational costs is subsidized by the government. The charges to be borne by the student may be substantially reduced by socialized tuition and the financial assistance program. Enrollment privileges are also provided by the University. Private scholarships, fellowships, and other grants also cushion the costs of education.

The following semestral fees are charged to all students enrolled in graduate programs in UP Los Baños.

Tuition (per unit)		P 1,000
Miscellaneous Fee		P 1,015
	Library Fee	P 800
	Athletic Fee	P 75
	Medical Fee	P 50
	Registration Fee	P 40
	Cultural Fee	P 50
	Student Fund	P 45.50
Laboratory Fee		P 200-600

All foreign students shall be charged the Education Development Fee (EDF) according to the following schedule:

		Non Resident	Resident
		Aliens	Aliens
Graduate
	Per Semester	US $ 500	US $ 250
	Per Summer	200	100
	For Residency Only	100	50

In addition to the matriculation fee, the following financial obligations should be taken into account in the student’s budget of expenses for the semester or academic year.

1. Entrance				P 30 (new students only)
2. Deposit (refundable when the student leave the University)				P 100 (new students only)
3. I.D. Card				P 130
4. Graduation Fee
	First UP degree			P 300
	Second UP degree			P 280
5. Application (Transferee)
	Filipino
		Graduate		P 250
	Foreigner
		Graduate
			Resident	P 200
			Non-resident	$ 25

1. Fine for late registration	P 50
2. Change of matriculation (enrollment in additional subject, substitution of one subject for another, or cancellation of a subject)	P 10/subject
3. Validation test (per unit)	P 50
4. Removal examination (per subject) taken outside the regular period for removal tests	P 20
5. Dropping of subject	P 10 (per unit)
6. Leave of Absence	P 150
7. Fine for absence without leave	P 225
8. Fine for late application for graduation	P 100
9. Certification	P 20
10. Transcript of Records	P 30/page

Graduate Education Development Fee (GEDF):
	Summer	US $ 200
	Semester	$ 500
For Residency Only		$ 100
Alien Certificate (paid upon arrival in the Philippines)		P 875
Visa (paid every six months)		P 375

A student who has paid his matriculation fees and who withdraws his registration or is granted honorable dismissal or leave of absence shall be entitled to a refund of his matriculation fees, except entrance and registration fees, in accordance with the following schedule:

Laboratory Fees will not be refunded after 1 week from the opening of classes where voluntary change is made from one course to another. Refund of tuition for a subject may be allowed only in the case of forced dropping of subjects.

All full-time university personnel shall be entitled to 100% waiver of tuition and miscellaneous fees (except student fund fees) in any U.P. College or unit. This applies to full-time personnel - permanent or temporary, regular incumbents or substitutes, casual or contractual, including project personnel, regardless of source of funds for their salaries as long as the funds either belong to the regular budget of the University or are institutional grants to the University, provided only that their appointments issue by the University are at least coextensive with the semester or term.

All regular part-time faculty (with at least 1 year of continuous service) shall be entitled to 100% waiver of tuition and miscellaneous fees (except student fund fees) in any U.P. College or unit provided that field of study is one of the academic thrusts of the faculty member’s home department or college. This applies to all part-time faculty - permanent or temporary, regular incumbents, or substitutes.

Faculty fellowships are created based on the greatest need of and usefulness to the University. The appointment of fellows is limited to the most able, promising and deserving in the line of study selected on the basis of the qualifications.

Teaching Associates refer to M.A./M.S./PhD. students who are assigned to teach six (6) to nine (9) units of undergraduate courses. They are required to enroll in six (6) to nine (9) units of graduate course work or six (6) units of thesis work in addition to their teaching assignment.

Faculty members whose departments do not have M.A./M.S./PhD. programs may be appointed as Teaching Associates/Fellows provided they enroll in six (6) units to nine (9) units of graduate course work or six (6) units of thesis work towards an M.A./M.S. degree in addition to their teaching load of 6 to 9 units in their home departments. They should enroll in graduate programs that are in accordance with their home department’s priority fields of study and subject to the recommendation of the Department Chair and approval by the Dean.

Teaching Associates are entitled to the following compensation, benefits and privileges: a stipend, a book allowance, a waiver of tuition and miscellaneous fees except student fees, a thesis grant of P 10,000.00.

Teaching Fellows refer to Ph.D. students who are assigned to teach six (6) to nine (9) units of undergraduate courses. Teaching Fellows are required to enroll in six (6) to nine (9) units of graduate course work or twelve (12) units of dissertation work.

Faculty members whose departments do not have Ph.D. programs may be appointed as Fellows provided they enroll graduate programs in accordance with their home department’s priority fields of study and subject to the recommendation of the Department Chair and approval by the Dean. They are required to enroll in six (6) units to nine (9) units of graduate course work or twelve (12) units of dissertation work (towards the Ph.D. degree) in addition to their teaching load of six (6) to nine (9) units in their home departments.

Teaching Fellows receive a stipend, a book allowance, a waiver of tuition and miscellaneous fees except student fees and a dissertation grant of P 10,000.00.

A teaching associate/teaching fellow is entitled to a book allowance of P 3,000 per semester, a waiver of tuition and miscellaneous fees except student fees and a thesis/dissertation grant of at least P 10,000 but not more than P 50,000 to be paid in accordance with University regulations. He will also receive a standard summer honoraria based on his equivalent rank, in case they are given teaching assignments during summer session.

A faculty member on part time privilege gets a reduced rate for matriculation fees, book allowance proportional to the number of units registered (e.g. P 125 for six units) and thesis allowance.

Graduate student assistantships which pay P42.00 per hour are available to bonafide graduate students who show very satisfactory academic work and whose academic load is not less than 6 units and not more than 8 units during the semester he is working. The maximum working hours per month is 100 hours.

The UPLB has several graduate assistantships/fellowship programs which are open to deserving graduate students who are expected to participate in undergraduate teaching or research activities.

Prudenciano U. Gordoncillo, Director, Institute of Agrarian and Urban Development Studies

Graduate students who do not avail of reduced fee privileges carry their own source of financial support or grant. For details of Scholarship Grants you can inquire at the Office of the Student Affairs, Student Union Building, UPLB.

It is the student’s responsibility to become familiar with the academic regulations and degree requirements of the Graduate School as well as the special requirements of his academic programs. A manual on the policies, rules and regulations is available for a minimal fee at the Graduate School. Other information may be obtained from the Graduate School Catalog or the UPLB Catalog.

The University has the right and the responsibility to exercise academic freedom. Academic freedom is both institutional and individual. Institutional academic freedom of the university from intervention and control in the conduct of its affairs as a university. Individual academic freedom is the right of the academic staff and students to conduct academic and scholarly inquiry and to discuss and publicize the results of such inquiry unhampered by prior restraint or subsequent punishment.

Every student shall, upon admission, sign the following pledge: “In consideration of my admission to the University of the Philippines Los Baños and of the privileges of a student in this institution, I hereby promise and pledge to a abide by and comply with all the rules and regulations laid down by competent authority in the University and in the college or school in which I am enrolled.” Refusal to take this pledge or violation of its terms shall be sufficient cause for summary dismissal denial of admission.

Graduate credits may be earned in courses numbered 201 to 399; those numbered 301 t0 399 are for PhD students only. Courses numbered 300 are for master’s thesis while those numbered 400 are for PhD dissertation. Advanced undergraduate courses numbered 100 to 199 may be taken for graduate credit only upon recommendation of the student’s guidance or advisory committee, endorsed by the director, and approved by the dean of the Graduate School.

The performance of students shall be rated at the end of each semester in accordance with the following grading system:

1	-	Excellent
1.5	-	Very Good
2	-	Good
2.5	-	Satisfactory
3	-	Passed
4	-	Conditional Failure
5	-	Failed
DRP	-	Dropped
INC	-	Incomplete

Grades of 1.25, 1.75, 2.25 and 2.75 may also be given but in no case shall they be more detailed than in multiple of 0.25.

A grade of “4” means conditional failure. It may be made up for by successful repetition of the course or by passing a reexamination. If the student passes the reexamination, he is given a grade of “3”, but if he fails, a “5”. Only one reexamination is allowed which must be taken within the prescribed time. If a student does not remove the grade of “4” within the prescribed time, he may earn credit for the courses only by repeating and passing it.

A grade of “4” given for the first semester work of a two-semester course shall be converted to a grade of “3” if the student passes the second semester part of the same course in the same academic year; if he fails, the grade of “4” which he received for the first semester work shall be converted to a grade of “5”.

The grade of “INC” is given if a student whose class standing throughout the semester is passing, fails to take the final examination or fails to complete other requirements for the course, due to illness or valid reasons. In case the class standing is not passing and the student fails to take the final examination for any reason, a grade of “5” is given. Removal of the INC must be done within the prescribed time by passing an examination or meeting all the requirements for the course, after which, the student shall be given a final grade based on his overall performance.

Removal of grade of “INC” or “4”. There shall be a regular period for removing grades of 4 and INC before the start of each semester.

Examination for the removal of a grade of INC or 4 may be taken without a fee: (1) during the regular examination period, if the subject is included in the schedule of examinations, and (2) during the removal examination period, viz., the period covering 10 days preceding the registration in each semester during which period the examination is taken at the time that it is scheduled.

Removal examination may be taken at other times on the recommendation of the instructor and approval of the dean and upon payment of a required fee per subject. Students not in residence shall pay the registration fee on top of the examination fee (where required) to be entitled to take the removal examination.

A grade of 4 or INC may no longer be improved after the end of the third regular removal period immediately following the semester/term in which the grade was incurred. A grade of “4” received after removing a grade of INC, however, must be removed within the remaining portion of the prescribed period for the removal of the original grade of INC.

Change of Grades. A student who has received a passing grade in a given course is not allowed to take a reexamination for the purpose of improving his grades.

No faculty member shall change any grade after the report of grades has been filed with the secretary of the college or with the UPLB Registrar. In exceptional cases, as where an error has been committed, the instructor may request authority from the faculty of the college to make the necessary change. If the request is granted, a copy of the resolution of the faculty authorizing the change shall be forwarded to the Office of the UPLB Registrar for recording and filing.

Notwithstanding the foregoing provision and to avoid any injustice, the grade on a final examination paper may be revised by a committee of the Dean of the College if it should clearly appear, on the basis of the quality of the scholastic record of the student, that such grade is the result of an erroneous appreciation of the answers or of an arbitrary or careless decision by the faculty member concerned. Should the change of the grade on said paper affect the final grade of the student, the committee may request authority from the faculty of the college to make the necessary change in the final grade. The request for reconsideration shall be made within 30 days after the receipt of the final grade by the student concerned.

No student shall directly or indirectly ask any person to recommend him to hic professor for any grade in his class record, examination paper, or final report of grades. Any student violating this rule shall lose credit in the subject where such recommendation is made. The fact that a student is thus recommended shall be prima facie evidence that the recommendation is made at the request of the student concerned.

Every faculty member shall submit his report of grades as soon as possible after the final examination at the end of each term. A period of 5 days is ordinarily allowed for each section for the grading of papers and the preparation of the report of grades for the various sections at the rate of one report at the end of every 5-day period after each examination, provided that all reports of grades must be submitted not later than 7 days after the last day of the examination period. In justifiable cases, deviation from the above rules may be authorized by the Vice Chancellor for Instruction.

Penalties for late submission of grades shall be imposed on faculty members who, without good reason, fail to submit grades of students within the prescribed deadline.

The following implementing rules and regulations shall govern penalties applicable to faculty members who, without good reason, fail to submit grades of students within the deadline prescribed above:

d. Suspension without pay for a period not exceeding one semester in case of repeated delinquency.

A regular graduate student must maintain a weighted average grade of 2.00 or better in all courses prescribed in his approved plan of course work. Failure to do so disqualifies the student form earning the degree to which he was admitted.

A graduate student on provisional admission status must obtain an average of 1.75 or better in at least 9 units of graduate courses during his first semester of admission to have his status changed to regular. Failure to meet this criterion disqualifies the student form admission to the intended degree program.

If the student fails to obtain grades which carry graduate credit as required by the Graduate School, the university rules on scholastic delinquency shall be applied.

A duly matriculated graduate student may apply for advanced credits or transfer credits for work done in another institution upon:

a) presentation of credentials showing that he has passed, in another institution, courses fully equivalent to those given in the UPLB Graduate School for which credit is sought; and,

b) passing the validating test given, if necessary, by the department concerned.

Not more than 9 units of advanced credit or transfer credit may be granted a student for course work done towards the graduate degree, unless course work is done in another institution of higher learning with prior approval of a duly constituted guidance or advisory committee. Application for advanced credit should be filed with the Graduate School during the first semester of residence.

No transfer of credit shall be given for work that has been credited to any other degree.

The University Council of UP Los Baños voted on December 17,1988 for a gradual implementation of the policy towards the full use of Filipino as a medium of instruction for undergraduate courses within a period of ten (10) years beginning June 1989.

On the graduate level, Filipino is initiated and/or sustained as a non-exclusive medium of instruction. English is maintained as a medium of instruction.

The modes of degree program offering at UPLB are characterized according to where they will be offered, how they will be offered, and who will offer the program. These are:

In-campus Program. The program is instituted, administered, and implemented at UPLB. The students are admitted by, registered at, take academic residency in, and receive their degrees from UPLB. Classes are held at UPLB.

Intercampus Program. The program is initiated and administered by UPLB but is implemented in another campus of the UP autonomous unit. The rules governing the implementation of the program are embodied in a memorandum of agreement signed between the UPLB Chancellor and the Chancellor of the other campus. The students are admitted by UPLB, register and take academic residency in the other campus, but receive their degrees from UPLB. Classes are held at the other campus.

Off-campus Program. The program is instituted, administered, and implemented at UPLB but classes are held outside of UPLB or any other UP autonomous unit. The students are admitted by, register at, take academic residency in, and receive their degrees form UPLB. The rules governing the holding of classes outside UPLB or any other UP units are embodied in a memorandum of agreement signed between the UPLB Chancellor and the Head of the unit or agency where classes will be conducted.

Faculty members of the above programs are those who have been issued appointments by the UPLB Chancellor, upon recommendation of the department chair or institute director offering the program as endorsed by the UPLB dean of the college where the department or institute director offering the program as endorsed.

The thesis of a candidate may be done in absentia with the approval of the guidance committee if his research can be better done outside UPLB. In such cases, the candidate working in absentia shall make periodic reports of his progress to his thesis adviser.

Clearance may be obtained by accomplishing U.P. Form 13a. Students who have completed all academic and other requirements including submission of required clearance forms and fees qualify for graduation. Students who have completed all academic requirements for their respective degrees may be recommended for graduation even if they have not processed their clearance. However, granting of honorable dismissal and the issuance of the transcript or checklist and diploma shall be withheld pending submission of clearance by the student.

Application for transcripts of records should be filed at the Office of the University Registrar upon presentation of the clearance slip. Graduates are encouraged to file their requests for transcripts as early as possible to avoid unnecessary delay.