UPLB Graduate School Information

At present, it offers 92 graduate degree programs, including the Straight PhD and PhD by Research programs. At present, only the UPLB Graduate School offers the MS in Wildlife Studies program in the country. Also, there are some areas of specialization in botany (plant systematics) and entomology (systematics, acarology and aphidology) which are unique to UPLB. UPLB has strong graduate programs in Environmental Science, Community Development, Development Communications, Forestry, Agricultural Economics, and Agricultural Engineering, among others that consistently have a high rate of enrollment. About 40% of those conferred graduate degrees at UPLB came from foreign countries. Many of them were from Asia, such as Thailand, Indonesia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Vietnam and China and many specialized along the areas of Agronomy, Agricultural Economics, Forestry, Nutrition Planning, Community Development, Animal Science and Soil Science. Many of these graduates are now holding key positions in their respective countries and are now in the forefront of development initiatives, policy formulation and implementation. The UPLB Graduate School is a founding member of the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources, launched on September 1989 through the initiative of SEARCA to foster collaborative efforts to enhance graduate education in agriculture, environment and natural resources in the region. As such, it shares resources and expertise, and engages in student/faculty exchange, and research fellowships with other members of the consortium namely Institut Pertanian Bogor (Indonesia), Universitas Gadjah Mada (Indonesia), Universiti Pertanian Malaysia, Kasetsart University (Thailand), University of Queensland (Australia), University of British Columbia (Canada) and Tokyo University of Agriculture (Japan). Graduate studies are supervised by about 500 graduate faculty members from the nine different colleges and one school of UPLB. It is headed by the dean who, with the assistance of the college secretary, implements the policies, rules, and regulations of the graduate faculty. The dean is advised by the Graduate Academic Advisory Council composed of the deans of the different colleges and the chairs of the standing committees of the Graduate School. Graduate students constitute about 10% of the student population. Graduate programs at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) started as early as 1913 under the College of Agriculture. One graduate student of the College was awarded the degree of Master of Science in Agricultural Chemistry during that year. Graduate studies in the University of the Philippines was then supervised by the University Graduate Committee which administered the graduate programs of all the units of the University. Realizing the need for more adequate instruction on the graduate level, the Board of Regents established the University Graduate School headed by the Dean on October 26, 1950. Under this set-up, the U.P. Graduate School administered the graduate program at Los Baños through a Sub-Committee for the Los Baños unit. The Dean of the College of Agriculture was the ex-officio chairman of this sub-committee. Within the next few years, the curricular offerings at Los Baños continued to expand and enrollment increased. To cope with the expansion, the Office of the Director of Graduate Studies was created in January 1970. The field of higher education took a higher step on November 20, 1972 when Presidential Decree No. 58 was issued. This decree authorized the U.P. Board of Regents to establish a University of the Philippines System, including an autonomous University of the Philippines at Los Baños. Consequently, a full pledged and distinct UPLB Graduate School was established on December 21, 1972. Graduate Studies at UPLB aim to develop the ability of students for critical inquiry and independent research towards the advancement of knowledge as well as to develop professional leadership. Besides paving the way to specialization in selected fields, graduate work is designed to encourage independent work and to promote research. Graduate students, therefore, are admitted to candidacy for a degree only after demonstrating distinct ability in graduate work. The UPLB Graduate School integrates and administers graduate programs in agriculture, forestry, the basic sciences (e.g. biology and chemistry), mathematics and statistics, development economics and management, agrarian studies and human ecology. It also caters to the increasing demands for graduate offering in other disciplines like agricultural engineering, land and water resources engineering and agrometeorology. Graduate programs in food science and technology, food and nutrition planning and veterinary medicine are likewise offered. The graduate programs cover a wider array of specialization. However, the main thrust of the Graduate School offering is still in the agricultural and closely allied fields of specialization for it is these areas where the UPLB faculty is particularly strong and physical resources are adequate. The UPLB graduate programs lead to any of the following degrees:Master of Agriculture (MAgr)Master of Arts (MA)Master in Communication Arts (MCA)Master of Forestry (MF)Master of Information Technology (MIT)Master of Management (MM)Master of Professional Studies (MPS)Master in Public Affairs (MPAf)Master of Science (MS)Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)Regular PhDStraight PhDPhD by ResearchThe UPLB Graduate School was established on 21 December 1972 to administer all graduate programs of the campus. At present, it offers 92 graduate degree programs, including the Straight PhD and PhD by Research programs. At present, only the UPLB Graduate School offers the MS in Wildlife Studies program in the country. Also, there are some areas of specialization in botany (plant systematics) and entomology (systematics, acarology and aphidology) which are unique to UPLB. UPLB has strong graduate programs in Environmental Science, Community Development, Development Communications, Forestry, Agricultural Economics, and Agricultural Engineering, among others that consistently have a high rate of enrollment. About 40% of those conferred graduate degrees at UPLB came from foreign countries. Many of them were from Asia, such as Thailand, Indonesia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Vietnam and China and many specialized along the areas of Agronomy, Agricultural Economics, Forestry, Nutrition Planning, Community Development, Animal Science and Soil Science. Many of these graduates are now holding key positions in their respective countries and are now in the forefront of development initiatives, policy formulation and implementation. The UPLB Graduate School is a founding member of the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources, launched on September 1989 through the initiative of SEARCA to foster collaborative efforts to enhance graduate education in agriculture, environment and natural resources in the region. As such, it shares resources and expertise, and engages in student/faculty exchange, and research fellowships with other members of the consortium namely Institut Pertanian Bogor (Indonesia), Universitas Gadjah Mada (Indonesia), Universiti Pertanian Malaysia, Kasetsart University (Thailand), University of Queensland (Australia), University of British Columbia (Canada) and Tokyo University of Agriculture (Japan). Graduate studies are supervised by about 500 graduate faculty members from the nine different colleges and one school of UPLB. It is headed by the dean who, with the assistance of the college secretary, implements the policies, rules, and regulations of the graduate faculty. The dean is advised by the Graduate Academic Advisory Council composed of the deans of the different colleges and the chairs of the standing committees of the Graduate School. Graduate students constitute about 10% of the student population. e -FORMS