To: Bureau Directors, Regional Directors
Heads of State Colleges and Universities
Heads of Private Schools, Colleges and Universities

1. Statement of Policy. It has been DECS policy to provide greater flexibility and encourage greater innovation in curriculum planning and design by individual educational institutions. It has also been DECS policy to avoid imposing mandatory specific subject requirements upon individual schools for the various courses of study.
2. Revised and Simplified Minimum Standards. In furtherance of these policies, the attached set of minimum standards for graduate education for both the master’s arid doctoral levels are hereby issued, taking into consideration the suggestions of the Philippine Association of Graduate Education (PAGE), as well as consultations made at the PAGE annual conference held last February 14, 1994. These minimum standards embody the revised general principles for the operation of gradu¬ate programs. The specific requirements for each discipline should be formulated by the individual graduate school taking into account these minimum characteristics. In addition, graduate schools may wish to take into consideration and apply the higher academic and administrative standards that have been established for graduate education by the various accrediting agencies as well as by PAGE.
3. Exceptions. Certain degree-granting tertiary programs are not covered by these new standards, either partially or fully. For example, the guidelines governing the Master in Business Administration program (MBA) as contained in DECS Order No. 97 issued December 29, 1993 as well as those graduate programs for which other than an initial Bachelor’s program is a prerequisite (such as in law and in medicine) remain valid, in those cases where their specific requirements may differ from those contained herein.
4. Effectivity. Compliance with these revised and simplified policies and standards by all concerned is required. These standards will take effect beginning with the school year 1994-95, although there are grace periods for compliance with certain of the minimum standards, and a good number of existing graduate schools have already complied with these standards. This Order supersedes MEC Order No. 7, s. 1982 and other related rules on graduate education.

Incl.:
As stated
References:
DECS Order: (No. 97, s. 1993)
MEC Order : (No. 7, s. 1982)
Allotment: 1-3-4-(M.0.1-87)

To be indicated in the Perepetual Index under the following subjects:
Course of Study, COLLEGIATE
CURRICULUM
SOCIETY or ASSOCIATIONS

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