The Academic Year is divided into two semesters of at least 16 weeks, exclusive of registration and final examination periods. A summer session of six weeks follows the second semester. Class work in the summer session is quivalent 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 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 to 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 and 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 at one unit for each three-hour period.
For undergraduate students, the academic load is maximum of 18 non-laboratory units, or 21 units including laboratory, except in programs where the normal semestral loas is more than 18 units. However, a graduating student with a very good academic record may be permitted to carry a heavier load in his last year. During the summer session, the normal load is 6 units, but in justifiable cases, the Dean may allow enrollment up to 9 units.
In the graduate level, full-time students are allowed to have a normal load of 12 units or a maximum load of 14 units. During the summer session, the normal load is 6 units.
The dean is empowered to limit the academic load of students who are employed, whether full-time or part-time, outside the University; provided, that 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 or in thesis, in any semester unless he has the prior approval of the Dean or administrative head of the graduate unit to which he belongs.
English is generally used as a medium of instruction.
The University Council of UP Los Baños approved on December 17, 1988 the adoption of the full use of Filipino as a medium of instruction for undergraduate courses which was implemented beginning June 1989 for a period of ten (10) years.
In the graduate level, Filipino is initiated and/or sustained as a non-exclusive medium of instruction. English is maintained as a medium of instruction.
A student, whether undergraduate or graduate, is classified as either regular or non-regular.
A regular undergraduate student follows an organized program of study and complies with requirements leading to the bachelor's degree or undergraduate diploma/certificate. He carries the full semestral load called for by his curriculum. On the basis of units completed, a student may be classified as follows:
Freshman - A student who has not finished the prescribed subjects of the first year of his curriculum or 25 percent of the total number of units required in his entire course;
Sophomore - A student who has satisfactorily completed the prescribed subjects of the first year of his curriculum, or has finished 26 to 50 percent of the total number of units required in his entire course;
Junior - A student who has completed the prescribed subjects of the first two years of his curruculum, or has finished 51 to 75 percent of the total number of units required in his entire course;
Senior - A student who has completed the prescribed subjects of the first three years of his curriculum, or has finished at least 76 percent of the total number of units in his entire course.
A regular graduate student is a prospective candidate for the masteral or doctoral degree. He may either be a part-time or full-time student.
A non-regular student can be any of the following:
A non-degree student is a degree holder or undergraduate student who is not currently enrolled in any other institution of higher learning. He may be allowed to take courses for credit in the University on the graduate and/or undergraduate level provided that he satisifies the appropriate requirements for admission. He is not allowed to enroll for more than one semester except by special permission of the Deab of the college concerned and the Registrar.
Since a non-degree student does not follow any organized program of study, he is not a prespective candidate for graduation for any degree in the University.
A cross-registrant 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 takes courses for non-credit. He is not allowed to enroll for more than nine units a semester or for more than two years, except by special permission of the dean. He may register any time, subject to other regulations of the University.
Any student, who for unavoidable cause, absents himself from class must obtain an excuse slip from the Dean. The slip must be presented to the instructor concerned not later than the second class session following the student's return. In addition, a certificate must be secured from the University Health Service in case the absence is due to illness.
Excuses are for time missed only. All work covered by the class during the absence shall be made up to the satisfaction of the instructor within a reasonable time from the date of absence.
When the number of hours lost by absence of a student reaches 20 percent of the hours of the scheduled work in one subject, he shall be dropped from the subject. However, a faculty member may prescribe a longer attendance requirement to meet special needs.
If the majority of the absences are excused, the student shall not be given a grade of 5 upon being dropped; otherwise, he shall be given a grade of 5. Time lost by late enrollment shall be considered as time lost by absence.
Students absent from classes due to illnesses are required to get excused slips from the University Health Service. These certificates are issued to students who consulted or were confined in the Health Service. Illnesses attended to elsewhere causing absences from classes shall be reported to the Health Service within three days after the absences have been incurred. Excuse slips for the above illnesses as well for other illnesses of which the Heath Service has no records are issued only after satisfactory evidences have been presented to the Health Service.
The maximum period for each final examination shall be four hours.
A division or department chairman, with the approval of the Dean, may authorize any member of his unit to suspend formal classes for a period not exceeding three days before the final examinations to enable students to review. In case of colleges with no divisions or departments, the suspension may be done by any member of the faculty, bu t also subject to the approval of the Dean.
Faculty members who have been authorized to suspend their classes shall keep regular hours for consultation work.
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.
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.
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.
The faculty of each college or school shall approve suitable and effective provisions governing undergraduate delinquent students, subject to the following minimum standards:
Warning. Any student who, at the end of the semester, obtains final grades below 3 in 25 percent to 49 percent of the total number of academic units for which he is registered will receive a warning from the Dean to improve his work.
Probation. Any student who, at the end of the semester, obtains final grades below 3 in 50 percent to 75 percent of the total number of academic units in which he has final grades shall be placed on probation for the succeeding semester and his load shall be limited to the extent to be determined by the Dean.
Probation may be removed by passing with grades of 3 or better in more than 50 percent of the units in which he has final grades in the succeeding semester.
Dismissal
Permanent Disqualification
A grade of Incomplete is not to be included in the computation. When it is replaced by a final grade, the latter is to be included in the grades during the semester when the removal is made.
Required courses in which a student has failed shall take precedence over other courses in his succeeding enrollment.
Students who are dropped for reasons of double probation, dismissal or permanent disqualification must first qualify for readmission before they are allowed to register during the succeeding semester. Application for readmission are processed at the Office of Student Affairs.
No readmission of dismissed students or disqualified students shall be considered by the College deans without the favorable recommendation of the Dean of Students. Cases in which the action of the College Dean conflicts with the recommendation of the Dean of Students may be elevated to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. His decision shall be final.
Leave of Absence 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 the leave. The leave should not exceed one year but may be renewed for at most another year. When not taken in two (2) successive years, the aggregate LOA should not exceed two (2) years.
A student who needs to go on leave of absence (LOA) beyond the allowable period of two years should be advised to apply for an honorable dismissal without prejudice to readmission.
The college, thorough the Dean or his duly authorized representative, shall inform the University Registrar and the parents/guardian of every student granted the leave of absence about such leave, indicating the reasons for the same and the 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, should not be entered in the official Report of Grades.
If a student withdraws after 3/4 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 his withdrawal was below 3.
No leave of absence shall be granted later than two weeks before the last day of classes during the semester. If the inability of the student to continue with his classes is 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 student must finish the requirements of a course of any college within a period of actual residence equivalent to 1 1/2 times the normal length prescribed for the course, otherwise, he shall not be allowed to register further in that college.
This rule shall not apply to graduate students who are covered by specific rules or to students governed by existing rules regarding a maximum period. Furthermore, account shall be taken of the provision of Article 243 of the Revised University Code which states that the members of the faculty, officers and employees of the University have a privilege of enrolling in the University for not more than 6 units a semester at reduced rates of fees.
A student in good standing who desires to sever his connection with the university shall present a written petition to this effect to the University Registrar, signed by his parent or guardian. If the petition is granted, the student shall be given honorable dismissal.
Generally, honorable dismissal is voluntary withdrawal from the University with the consent of the University Registrar or his representative. All indebtedness to the University must be settled before a statement of honorable dismissal will be issued. The statement indicates that the student withdrew in good standing as far as character and conduct is concerned. If the student has been dropped from the rolls on account of poor scholarship, a statement to that effect may be added to the honorable dismissal.
A student who leaves the University for reason of suspension, dropping or expulsion due to disciplinary action shall not be entitled to honorable dismissal. Should he be permitted to receive his transcript of record or the certification of his academic status in the University, it shall contain a statement of the disciplinary action rendered against him.
Students are responsible for fulfilling all requirements of the curriculum in which they are enrolled. They should consult with their adviser, College Secretary or the University Registrar in planning their course work. Students should be familiar with the academic rules and requirements as presented in the UPLB Catalog because the Catalog is the official source of information.
Catalogs are kept for students use in the University Registrar's office, all deans' and college secretaries' offices, the library and all department offices. The catalog is also available online at UPLB Website.
A student must be officially registered in order to receive credit for course work. The official registration form (UPLB Form 5), which is a record of classes for which the students has enrolled, is field in the Office of the College Secretary concerned and in the University Registrar's Office.
No student shall be registered in any subject after one week of regular class meetings have been held, unless the Dean, on the basis of the student's scholastic records, permits his registration.
Special students may register at any time without the payment of fine for late registration, subject to other University regulations.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Every substitution of subjects must be based on at least one of the following:
Every petition for substitution:
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.
The performance of students shall be rated at the end of each semester in accordance with the following grading system:
| Grade | Meaning |
| 1.00 | Excellent |
| 1.50 | Very Good |
| 2.00 | Good |
| 2.50 | Satisfactory |
| 3.00 | Passed |
| 4.00 | Conditional Failure |
| 5.00 | Failed |
| Inc. | Incomplete |
| Drp. | Dropped |
| S | Satisfactory |
| U | Unsatisfactory |
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 multiples of 0.25.
For courses not requiring numerical grades, S or U will be given.
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 prescribe time, he may earn credit for the course 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 other 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.
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:
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.
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:
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:
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.
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:
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.
Instead of a separate application for graduation, graduating students should check the appropriate box in their registration Form 5 to indicate whether they are graduating or not at the end of the term. This information shall serve as the basis for identifying candidates for graduation so that their records can be checked early enough.
Students who have completed all the academic requirements for their respective degrees may be recommend for graduation even if they have not processed their clearance. However, the granting of honorable dismissal and the issuance of the transcript checklist and diploma shall be withheld pending submission of clearance by the student.
Students who completer their courses with the following absolute minimum weighted average grade shall graduate with honors:
| Honor | Minimum GWA |
| Summa cum Laude | 1.20 |
| Magna cum Laude | 1.45 |
| Cum Laude | 1.75 |
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:
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
Report of students' grades are routinely released to the student and mailed to his/ her parents at the end of every semester.