U.P. College Admission Test (UPCAT)

Required to take UPCAT are all applicants for freshman admission. These include honor graduates and recipients of scholarships, public and private, freshman applicants who wish to avail of the Iskolar ng Bayan (IB) Program or Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP) as well as Filipino and foreign applicants who are graduates of secondary schools abroad.

The only exception to this rule are applicants for admission into the Certificate in Forestry Curriculum in the College of Forestry and Natural Resources.

There is no minimum high school grade requirement in taking the UPCAT. Eligible to take the UPCAT are students who have not taken the UPCAT previously and who are:

• high school seniors who expect to graduate at the end of the school year; or
• high school graduates who have not taken and are not taking any college subject in any school, college or university.

The UPCAT consists of a Verbal Test (VT) and a Quantitative Test (QT), mostly in English with some items in Filipino. The VT consists of English proficiency and reading comprehension. The QT consists of mathematics and science.

Specific test dates for the first and second semester admission are announced each year.

Certificate in Forestry Program

The following are the admission requirements of the program:

1. a high school diploma from any recognized institution of secondary education;
2. a general weighted average of 88 percent or better in high school or belonging to the upper 30 percent of the graduating class, and has passed the NSAT; and
3. evidence of physical fitness.

Application to this program should be made directly to the College of Forestry and Natural Resources.

PEPT Certificate Holders

Applicants who are holders of the Philippine Educational Placement Test (PEPT) Certificate, in lieu of a high school diploma, may be admitted to the University provided they qualify in the UPCAT.

Quota Programs

Due to limited facilities, the colleges at UP Los Baños which offer the programs below are constrained to limit the enrollment for new freshmen:

• BS in Computer Science
• BS in Economics
• BS in Chemical Engineering
• BS in Civil Engineering
• BS in Electrical Engineering

Admission into any of these programs requires qualifying in the UPCAT.

Deferment of Enrollment

A qualified freshman applicant who, for a valid reason, cannot enroll during the semester originally applied for may apply for deferment of enrollment to the next succeding semester by writing to the University Registrar. Such applicant must not have taken any college academic subject prior to enrollment.

Advanced Credits

An admitted undergraduate transfer student must validate all subjects he is offering for advanced credits at the rate of at least 18 units a semester from the date of his admission. His admission will be on a probationary basis until he shall have validated or repeated, in accordance with this rule on validation of courses, all subjects taken outside UP which are required for his program, The student will not be allowed to enroll in a subject the prerequisites of which, taken elsewhere, have not yet been validated, or repeated, as the case may be.

Application for advanced credit should be made on the prescribed form to the Dean of the college where he has been admitted. Validating tests begin two weeks before the first day of registration. There is no fee for validating tests during this period. A validating test may be held outside of this period with the consent of the department and approval of the Dean and upon payment of a required fee per subject.

A student transferring from any recognized institution who possesses an Associate in Arts or its equivalent of 66 units or work may be enrolled without validation. Before a student is allowed to major in any discipline, however, the major discipline may prescribe additional courses up to 18 units of general education courses and/or preparatory courses for the major.

The grant of advanced credits for courses which are completed in other institutions but which have no equivalent in this University, shall be left to the faculty of the unit concerned.

Advanced standing may also be granted by the University Registrar to students who graduated from an institution recognized by the University Council for subjects listed in the course or course duly recognized. Advanced credit for work constituting only part of courses recognized by the Council shall be awarded by the department or division concerned in accordance with the above provisions on application for advanced credits.

Transfer Within UP System units

A student who wishes to transfer from one UP campus to another should file at his current college an application for transfer. His application is referred to the accepting college together with his true copy of grades. If the action of the accepting college is favorable, the student gets a college clearance which he presents to the accepting college together with the permit to transfer and the true copy of grades.

Students from another unit of the university who have completed at least 30 collegiate academic units may be admitted as transfer students subject to the rules of the admitting college.

Shifting to the Bachelor of Science in Forestry Curriculum

Students starting with 1972-1973 Certificate in Forestry Curriculum may be allowed to transfer to the Bachelor of Science in Forestry course by complying with any of the following conditions:

• Completing all the requirements for the Certificate in Forestry with a weighted average of 2.5 or better in all the academic units earned; or
• Completing at least all the requirements in the first year program of the Certificate of Forestry curriculum with a weighted average of at least 2.0 in all academic units.

Students admitted to the Certificate in Forestry curriculum who did not qualify for admission on the basis of the admission test and their high school grades may not be favorably indorsed to transfer to any degree program.

Advanced Placement Examinations

A qualified freshman applicant who has taken courses at the advanced level will not be given advanced credits for these subjects. However, he may apply to take the Advanced Placement Examinations.

Diploma or certificate holders of the International Baccalaureate may be granted advanced credits for certain subjects provided that the total credits including automatic credits granted do not exceed 15 units per subject area.

Foreign Transfer Admission

A foreign student with credits for college work should meet the University requirements for transfer students.

A TOEFL score of 500 is required of an applicant whose medium of instruction in school/s he attended is not English. If the applicant is transferring from another Philippine school, he should secure a permit to transfer from the DECS.

Regulations for Foreign Applicants

English Proficiency Test

A foreign applicant whose native language or whose medium of instruction in secondary school is not English should arrange to take the TOEFL. Information about this test, including the places and dates of administration may be obtained by writing directly to:

The applicant must request that a copy of his scores be sent to:

To satisfy the English proficiency requirement, an applicant must be able to present a minimum score of 500.

Non-Quota Program

Foreign freshman applicants who qualify under automatic admission as well as qualified transfer applicants may choose a degree program only from the non-quota programs.

Special Students

A mature student, even if he does not fully satisfy the entrance requirements, may be admitted as a special student and may enroll for such subjects which, in the opinion of the instructor and the Dean, he has the necessary information and ability to pursue profitably. He shall not be allowed to enroll for more than 9 units a semester or to register for more than two years, except by special permission of the Dean. Subjects taken shall be non-credit although his work may be reported at the end of each semester as "satisfactory" or "unsatisfactory".

Readmission

Rejoining students (those not enrolled during the immediately preceding semester, excluding summer vacation and who did not obtain clearance from the University) should first secure written permission from the college where they were last enrolled. They would then proceed to the University Health Service for a physical and medical examination before registering in their respective colleges.

Former students who secured clearance from the University must reapply for admission at the Office of the University Registrar. Students who have attended another institution since attending the University of the Philippines must qualify on the same basis as new transfer students.

University Scholarship

Any undergraduate or graduate student who obtains at the end of the semester a weighted average of 1.45 or better, or 1.25 or better, respectively, is given this honorific scholarship. University scholars are listed in the Chancellor's List of Scholars.

College Scholarship

Any undergraduate or graduate student who, not being classed as University scholar, obtains at the end of the semester a weighted average of 1.75 or better, or 1.5 or better, respectively, is given this honorific scholarship. College scholars are listed in the Dean's List of Scholars.

Additional Requirements for Honorific Scholarships

In addition to the general weighted average prescribed, a student must have taken during the previous semester at least 15 units of academic credit or the normal load prescribed (in the case of graduate students, not less than 8 units); must be up-to-date with all the non-academic requirements (PE and MS); and must have no grade below 3 in any academic or non-academic subject. Honorific scholarships do not entitle the holders to any tuition fee waiver, either partial or full.

Cross-Registration

Within the University

No student shall be registered in any other college of the University System without the permission of the dean or director of the college or school in which he is primarily enrolled. UPLB Form 5-B is accomplished for cross-registration purposes. A student who requests permission to cross-register for courses in another college should first complete his registration (including payment of fees) in the college where he is primarily enrolled. The total number of units of credits for which a student may register in two or more colleges in this University should not exceed the maximum number allowed in the rules on academic load.

From Another Institution

A student who registered in another institution and who wishes to cross-register in UP must present a written permit from his Dean or Registrar. The written permit should state the total number of units for which the student is registered and the subjects that he is authorized ta take in the University.

To Another Institution

The University gives no credit for any course taken by any of its students in any other institution unless taking such course was duly authorized by the Chancellor upon recommendation of the Dean concerned. This written authorization is to recorded by the University Registrar and should specify the subjects authorized.

Waiver of Prerequisites

Courses approved by the University Council as prerequisites to other courses may not be waived. However, in meritorious cases, a student who has 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.

The permission which may be granted under these rules does not apply to courses in the General Education Program.

Changing of Matriculation

All transfers to other classes shall be made only for valid reasons. No change of matriculation involving the taking of a new subject shall be allowed after 6% of regular class meetings have been held. The UP Form 26 is filled out for a change of matriculation.

Dropping of Courses

A student may, with the consent of his instructor and the Dean, drop a course by filling out the prescribed UP Form 26 before 3/4 of the hours prescribed for the semester term have elapsed, and not later. Any student who drops a course without the approval of the Dean shall have his registration privileges curtailed or entirely withdrawn.

If a course is dropped after the middle of the 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.

Substitution of Courses

Every substitution of subjects must be based on at least one of the following:

1. when a student is pursuing a curriculum that has been superseded by a new one and the substitution tends to bring the old curriculum in line with the new;
2. conflict of hours between two required subjects; or
3. when the required subject is not offered during the semester when the students needs it.

Every petition for substitution:

1. must involve subjects within the same department, if possible; if not, the two subjects concerned must be allied to each other;
2. must be between subjects in which the subjects substituted carries a number of units equal to or greater than the units of the required subject.

All petitions for substitution must be submitted to the Office of the Dean concerned before 12 percent of the regular class meetings have been held. Any petition submitted thereafter shall be considered for the following semester.

No substitution shall be allowed for any subject prescribed in the curriculum in which the student has a failing grade, except when, in the opinion of the department offering the prescribed subject, or of the faculty in units without any department, the proposed substitute covers substantially the same subject matter as the required subject.

All applications for substitution shall be acted upon by the Dean concerned. In case the action of the Dean is adverse to the recommendation of the adviser and the head of the department concerned, the student may appeal to the Vice Chancellor for Instruction whose decision shall be final.

Removal of Grades of INC or 4.00

There shall be a regular period for removing grades of 4 and Inc. before the start of each semester.

Examinations for the removal of grades of Inc. or 4 may be taken without fee: (1) during the regular examination period, if the subject is included in the schedule of examinations, and (2) during the removal examination period, vis., the period covering ten days preceding the registration in each semester during which period, the examination is taken at the time that it is scheduled.

Removal examinations may be taken at other times on the recommendation of the Dean and upon payment of a required fee per subject. Student not in residence shall pay the registration fee on top of the examination fee (where required) in order 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.

Removal of 4 in a Language Sequence Course

A student who obtains a grade of 4 in a basic sequence in languages (English, Filipino, Spanish) may enroll in the next higher course, subject to the following conditions:

1. If he passes the higher course, he automatically removes the 4 in the lower course. His teacher in the lower course submits a removal grade of 3 for him.
2. If he fails in the higher course, he may still remove the 4 in the lower course.
3. If he gets a 4 in the higher course, he should take first a removal examination in that course before taking a removal examination in the lower course. If he fails the removal examination in the higher course, he may take the removal examination in the lower course.

Change of Grades

A student who has received a passing grade in a given course is not allowed 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 University Registrar. In exceptional cases, as where an error has been committed, the instructor may request authority from the faculty of his 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 University 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 his professor/s 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/s 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.

Submission of Grades

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 five days is ordinarily allowed for each section for the grading of papers and the preparation of the report of grades. In case an instructor handles several sections and the interval between the examinations is less than five days, he shall submit the reports of grades for the various sections at the rate of one report at the end of every five-day period after each examinations, provided, that all reports of grades must be submitted not later than seven 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 Academic Affairs.
Penalties for Late Submission of Grades

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:

1. Since the prompt submission of grades is in large part a matter of good management, discipline and enforcement of university regulations, Department Chairmen, College Secretaries and Deans are enjoined to bend all efforts towards compliance with codal provisions regarding deadlines for submissions of grades as well as recommendations for graduation of students.
2. Faculty members who fail to meet deadlines for the submission of grades should be reported to the appropriate authorities in the University. The delinquencies should be entered in the personnel records of the erring faculty members.
3. Upon a recommendation of the Dean and subject to the approval of the Chancellor, a faculty member who, without justifiable cause, fails to submit grades on time, shall be liable to any of the following penalties:
   • Warning;
   • Reprimand;
   • Fine of not more than his salary per day for each of delay; or
   • Suspension without pay for a period not exceeding one semester in case of repeated delinquency.
4. The procedure for the imposition of any penalty shall consist of the following steps:
   1. Notification of deadline, including request for an explanation
   2. Report of delinquency; and
   3. Order imposing the penalty.

Graduation Requirements

No student shall be recommended for graduation unless he has satisfied all academic and other requirements prescribed thereto.

Candidates for graduation who began their studies under a curriculum which is more than 10 years old shall be governed by the following rules:

1. Those who had completed all the requirements of the curriculum but did not apply for, nor were granted the corresponding degree or title shall have their graduation approved as of the date they should have originally graduated.
2. Those who had completed all but two or three subjects required by a curriculum shall be made to follow any of the curricula enforced from the time they first attended the University to the present.

During the first three weeks after the opening of classes in each semester, each Dean or his duly authorized representative shall certify to the University Registrar a list of candidates for graduation at the next commencement. The University Registrar, in consultation with the chairmen of divisions or departments concerned, in the case of students majoring in their respective departments or divisions, shall then inquire into the academic record of each candidate with a view to ascertaining whether any candidate in such a list has any deficiency to make up for and whether he has fulfilled all other requirements which qualify him to be a candidate for graduation. However, footnotes to that effect should be given. Ten weeks before the end of a semester, the Registrar shall publish a complete list of duly qualified candidates for graduation for that semester.

All candidates for graduation must have their deficiencies made up and their records cleared not later than five weeks before the end of their last semester, with the exception of those in academic subjects and work in Physical Education and Military Science, in which the student is currently enrolled during that semester.

No student shall graduate from the University unless he has completed at least one year of residence work which may, however, be extended to a longer period by the proper faculty. The residence work referred to must be done immediately prior to graduation.

Guidelines in Connection with Graduation

The requirements for graduation include the completion of all academic as well as non-academic requirements such as submission of bound copies of the thesis, if thesis is required.

Students who have completed all requirements for graduation on or before the deadline set for this purpose are listed as candidates for graduation at the end of that semester.

If however, some graduation requirements are completed beyond the deadline, the student must register during the succeeding semester in order to be considered a candidate for graduation as of the end of that semester. The deadlines for completion of the requirements for graduation are:

1. For those graduating as of the end of summer, the deadline is the day before the first day of regular registration for the first semester.
2. For those graduating as of the end of the first semester, the deadline is the day before the first day of regular registration for the second semester.
3. For those graduating as of the end of the second semester, the deadline is the day before the college/school faculty meeting to decide the graduation of the students.

All candidates for graduation must have their deficiencies made up and their records cleared not later than five weks before the end of their last semester except those in academic subjects and in Physical Education and Citizen Military Training in which the student is currently enrolled during that semester.

No student who fails to pay the required graduation fee within the specified period set by the University Registrar shall be conferred any title or degree. such a student may, however, upon his request and payment of the necessary fees, be given a certified copy of his credentials without specifying his completion of the requirements toward any title or degree.

Graduation with Honors

Students who completer their courses with the following absolute minimum weighted average grade shall graduate with honors:

All the grades in all subjects prescribed in the curriculum, as well as subjects that qualify as electives, shall be included in the computation of the weigthed average grade.

Furthermore, in cases where the electives taken are more than those required in the program, the following procedure will be used in selecting the electives to be included in the computation of the weighted average grade:

1. For students who did not shift programs, consider the required number of elective in chronological order.
2. For students who shifted from one program to another, the electives to be considered shall be selected according to the following order of priority:
   • Electives taken in the program where the student is graduating will be selected in chronological order.
   • Electives taken in the previous program and acceptable as electives in the second program will be selected in chronological order.
   • Prescribed courses taken in the previous program but qualify as electives in the second program will be selected in chronological order.

Additional Rules

Candidates for graduation with honors must have completed in the University at least 75 percent of the total number of academic units or hours for graduation and must have been in residence therein for at least two years immediately prior to graduation.

In the computation of the final average of candidates for graduation with honors, only resident credits shall be included.

Students who are candidates for graduation with honors must have taken during each semester not less than 15 units of credits or the normal load prescribed in the curriculum. In cases where such normal load is less than 15 units, unless the lighter load was due to justifiable causes such as health reasons, unavailablity of courses needed in the curriculum to completer the full load, or the fact that the candidate is a working student, students cannot be considered for graduation.

To justify underloading, the submission of the following documents is required:

1. For the health reasons - medical certification to be confirmed by the University Health Service.
2. For unavailablity of courses - certification by the major adviser and copy of schedule of classes.
3. For employment - copy of payroll and appointment papers indicating among others duration of employment.

It is the responsibility of the student to establish beyond reasonable doubt the veracity of the cause(s) of his light loading. It is required in this connection that documents submitted to establish the cause(s) of his loading, such as certificate of employment and/or medical certificate, must be sworn to. These documents must be submitted during the semester of underloaading.

Commencement Exercises

Attendance in the general commencement exercises shall be optional. Graduating students who choose not to participate in the general commencement exercises must so inform their respective deans or their duly designated representatives at least ten days before the commencement exercises.

Graduating students who absent themselves from the general commencement exercises shall obtain their diplomas, or certificates and transcript of records from the Office of the University Registrar provided that they comply with the above provision and upon presentation of the receipt of payment of the graduation fee and student's clearance.

Academic Costumes

Candidates for graduation with degress or titles which require no less than four years of collegiate instruction shall be required to wear academic costumes during the baccalaureate service and commencement exercises in accordance with the rules and regulations of the University.

Transcript of Records

Student records are confidential and information is released only at the request of the student or of appropriate institutions. Partial transcripts are not issued. Official transcript of records obtained from other institutions and submitted to the University for admission and/or transfer of credit become a part of the student's permanent record and are issued as true copies with the UP transcript.

Application for transcript of records shall be filed at the Office of the University Registrar upon presentation of the student clearance. The fee for transcript preparation is P10.00 per page. Graduates are encouraged to request for their transcripts as early as possible to avoid unnecessary delay.

University Policy on Student Records

The University maintains various records of students to document their academic progress as well as to record their interaction with University staff and officials. Student's records are generally considered confidential except the directory of currently registered students which is open to the public. The directory provides information on each student's name, I.D. number, college, course, classification and college address.

The following policies govern access to student records which are confidential in nature:

1. Each type of student record is the responsibility of a designated University official, and only that person or the dean, director or vice chancellor to whom that person reports to has authority to release the record.
2. Confidential educational records and personally identifiable information from those records will not be released without the written consent of the student involved. However, it shall be released to the University personnel in connection with the student's application for financial aid or in response to a judicial order or subpoena, or in a bonafide health or safety emergency.
3. The responsible official may release records to the University personnel who legitimately needs the information.
4. University personnel who have access to student educational records in the course of carrying out their University responsibilities shall not be permitted to release the record to person outside the University, unless authorized in writing by the student or as required by a court order. Only the official responsible for the records has the authority to release them.
5. All personal information about a student released to a third party will be transferred on condition that no one else shall have access to it except upon the student's consent.

Withholding of Records

When a student has pending financial obligations to the University, or when he has been charged with an official disciplinary action, the appropriate University official may request that the student's records, e.g., transcripts,registration forms, be withheld. Departments and offices for example, submit before the end of each semester the names of the students with financial accountabilities to the students' respective College Secretaries so that the action may be rescinded. The Office of the College Secretary concerned or Univesity Registrar must receive written authorization from the official concerned or University Registrar must receive written authorization from the official who originally requested the action, indicating that the student has met the obligation.

Release of Grades

Report of students' grades are routinely released to the student and mailed to his/ her parents at the end of every semester.