Program Requirements

Overview of Course Requirements

Students are required to complete the following number of units:

  • Core Courses: 9 units (3 courses)
  • Major Area: 12 units (4 courses)
  • Cognates: 9 units (3 courses)
  • Electives: 6 units (2 courses)
  • Dissertation: 12 units (4 courses)

Core Courses

All PhD students regardless of topic/field/dissertation must take the following courses:

• Philippine Studies (PS) 301
• Philippine Studies (PS) 302
• Philippine Studies (PS) 399

Majors, Cognates and Electives

What these are will depend on, among others, your dissertation topic. In some cases, you may have to take some MA-level courses. You can take them either at the Asian Center, the College of Arts and Letters, and/or the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. Download the PDF listing Philippine Studies courses offered at the Asian Center and detailing the programs of study

Courses @ UP Asian Center

You can view the list of Asian Studies and Philippine Studies courses offered at the UP Asian Center.

Courses @ College of Arts and Letters

View the graduate-level courses (MA and PhD) offered by the following departments within CAL.

• Department of English and Comparative Literature (MA)
• Department of English and Comparative Literature (PhD)
• Department of European Languages (PhD)

Contact the Department of Art Studies, Department of Filipino and Filipino Literature, and the Department of Speech Communication and Theater Arts to inquire about their course offerings.

Courses @ College of Social Sciences and Philosophy

 View the graduate-level courses (MA and PhD) offered by the following departments within CSSP.

• Department of Anthropology
• Department of Geography
• Department of History
• Department of Linguistics
• Department of Philosophy
• Department of Political Science
• Department of Psychology
• Department of Sociology

Academic Requirements: Beyond Coursework

Apart from coursework, the PhD program mandates the following

  • Minimum General Weighted Average. The student must obtain  a general weighted average of 1.75 in the three core courses to be able to take the qualifying examinations.To remain in good standing, the student should maintain a commulative weighted average grade (CWAG) of 1.75 or better at the end of each academic year until completion of the Program of Study

  • Language Examination. When necessary for the research proposal and as determine by the students program committee, the student will take a proficiency examination in a pertinent foreign and / or Philippine language  to be administered by an appropriate language department.

  • Qualifying Examination. The student should pass a qualifying examination after completion of the core courses. Core courses should be taken within the first three semesters following the admission.

  • Candidacy Examination. The student should pass a candidacy examination after completion of all coursework, including units stipulated under Residence Rules and upon satisfaction of CWAG requirements. The candidacy examination is a sit down examination to be taken in two to three sessions based on the students' discipline or area(s) of study jointly prepared by a panel of examiners. A student who fails the candidacy examination shall be allowed to re-take the examination within one year after the first examination. A second failure or failure to re-take the examination within the prescribed period shall  disqualify the student from the doctoral program.

  • Dissertation Proposal Defense. Upon advancement to candidacy, the student shall defend his/her disseratation proposal before the dissertation adviser and two readers of the committee.

  • Oral Defense of Dissertation. The student shall defend his/her dissertation before a committee composed of the adviser, two reader-critics, and two members, at least one of whom was a member of the dissertation proposal committee.

  • Requirements for Graduation. After the student passes the oral defense, the student shall be qualified to apply for graduation.The applicant for graduation must submit five bound copies of the approved doctoral dissertation as a  prerequisite for graduation. The bound copies must conform to the standard format of the PhD program and carry the  approval of the members of the dissertation committee and acceptance of the dissertation by the Chair of the Philippine Studies Council.The applicant for graduation must submit  at least one pre-print paper on the approved doctoral dissertation, where applicable, as another prerequisite for graduation. After the graduation of the student shall have been recommended by the Philippine Studies Council, and approved by the Board of Regents, the student shall be officially conferred the doctoral degree.