School of Arts, Sciences and Education

The Graduate School of the Divine Word College of Laoag envisions itself as Northern Luzon’s leading institution in the development of globally competitive but locally responsive leaders through graduate education that is functional, value-oriented and responsive to the needs of the individual, the community, the nation and the world.

Mission

As the apex of the College, the Graduate School showcases the best of the academic and intellectual products and processes of the Divine Word College of Laoag. Specifically, it commits itself to:

• Serve as an instrument to the promotion of a better quality of life through research, instruction and community service.
• Provide the foundation of the formation of the professional dedicated to regional development and human development.
• Prepare and form the researcher, the scholar and the leader and thus, turn over to society the efficient student, educated in the real sense, sufficiently aware of his potential role and commitment to the progress of his chosen field; and
• Produce students who shall assume major responsibilities in the transformation for a better society through task specialization and differentiated role contribution.

The Graduate School commits itself to the transmission and extension of human knowledge by means of quality education that is functional, value that is functional, value-oriented and responsive to the needs of the individual, the community, the nation and the world.

It further dedicates itself to the task of serving as an instrument to the promotion of a better quality of life through research, instruction and community service.

As the apex of the College, it provides for the formation of the professional dedicated to the regional development and human advancement.

The goal of the Graduate School is to prepare and to form the researcher, the scholar and the leader. Thus, it turns over to society the efficient student, educated in the real sense, sufficiently aware of his potential role and commitment to the progress of his chosen field

Moreover, it shall produce students who shall assume major responsibilities in the transformation for a better society through task specialization and differentiated role contribution in order to achieve the optimum of a quality life.

Ph. D. DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

The Ph.D. Development management program focuses primarily on the formation of leaders dedicated to regional development and human advancement. Its objectives are to provide the student with advanced management skills in the following areas:

• Skills in solving problems related to development, development planning; initiating; implementing, and adapting to change.
• Knowledge of development research theory and method; economic, social, political and other environmental systems, ethics in organizations, information, behavior and other subordinate systems; and
• Attitudes toward one’s self as a person and as a development manager.

Ph.D. DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION PROGRAM

The Ph.D. Development Education program focuses primarily on the formation of educators dedicated to regional development and human advancement. Its objective is to train top-level educational managers who are research-oriented and development conscious. Through the promotion of advanced studies, practicum and research, the program seeks to help educational institutions in their human resource development program and provides opportunities for school administrators to enrich their leadership capabilities and management skills, thus, becoming responsive agents of socially transforming education.

MASTER IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM

The Master in Business Administration (MBA) program of the Divine Word College of Laoag prepares professional managers for positions in a wide variety of business, industrial, educational and service organizations. The learning process revolves around the following thrusts: the manager as a decision-maker, the manager as a strategist, and the manager as a leader, visionary and implementor.

The program aims to:

• Provide the students with cognitive knowledge and skills necessary to become effective managers which include lessons in planning, organizing, leading, controlling, and decision-making.
• Acquaint the students with general principles drawn from the various disciplines (e.g., economics, statistics, the behavioral sciences, etc.) to help solve managerial problems;
• Show students how to make strategic decisions, operationalize strategic plans and provide strategic leadership in increasingly complex and dynamic environments.
• Provide an insight into the Filipino socio-cultural, economic, political values that play a vital role in interpersonal relationships and
• Heighten the students’ awareness of their significant roles, and responsibilities in their respective organizations and in effecting a sustainable socio-economic development for the Republic of the Philippines.

In effect, the program is geared towards developing multi-skilled managers who are generalists rather than technical specialists.

MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATION PROGRAM

The Master of Arts in Education (M.A. Ed.) program of the Divine Word College of Laoag prepares professional teachers for more responsible positions in educational institutions. It helps educational institutions in their human resource development programs and provides teachers opportunities to enrich their leadership capabilities, skills and knowledge thus becoming more responsive to the challenges of socially transforming education.

The Graduate School seeks students possessing distinctive academic promise, high standards of personal conduct, and a sense of professionalism. These factors are considered in the evaluation of each applicant.
To be admitted in a masterate program, an applicant must meet the following requirements:

1. Transcript of Records containing a bachelor’s degree.
   An applicant whose undergraduate work is different from the indicated masterate program will be required to finish at least eighteen (18) units of major undergraduate courses in the area of specialization before proceeding to graduate work. An applicant in the MBA program whose undergraduate degree is not Business or Economics must take twelve (12) units of Pre-MBA or foundational courses.
2. A minimum grade average of 2.00 / 85% / B at the undergraduate level.
   A student who does not meet these requirements may be admitted on a probationary status upon approval of the Dean. A student on a probationary status can change to a regular status after initially completing eighteen (18) units (or 6 courses) of graduate studies, the general average of which should both be lower than 1.8. The student should not have incurred, in any of these six (6) subjects, a grade lower than 2.00 for the masterate program.
3. A properly accomplished Application Form accompanied by a recommendation letter from the applicant’s employer (if applicable) and two 2” x 2” pictures.
   Discovery of false information written in the Application Form is, at the School’s discretion grounds for withdrawal of the offer of admission or for immediate dismissal at any point in the student’s course of study. Dismissal shall result in forfeiture of all fees paid and academic units earned.

• Passing a National Graduate Record Examination (GLT).
  To be admitted in a doctorate program, an applicant must meet the following requirements.
• A master’s degree as evidenced by an Official Transcript of Records.
  An applicant who wishes to pursue a Ph.D. degree other than the masterate degree he has earned shall take twenty four (24) units of courses in the required masterate degree as a foundation courses for the Ph.D. degree. This shall be equivalent to no nine (9) units of core/basic courses and fifteen (15) units of major subjects.
• A minimum grade average of 1.7 / 88% / B at the masteral level.
  A student who does not meet this requirement may be admitted on a probationary status upon approval of the Dean. A student on a probationary status can change to a regular status after initially completing eighteen (18) units (or 6 course) of graduate studies, the general average of which should not be lower than 1.7. The student should not have incurred, in any of these six (6) subjects, a grade lower than 1.7.

Retention

To be in good standing, a graduate student must maintain a minimum weighted average of 2.00 for Masterate & 1.7 for Doctorate programs. Grades lower than 2.00 shall not receive credits.
A student who passes less than 50% of his total units during the academic term shall be automatically dropped from the roll of students in the Graduate School.

Readmission

1. A student who has attended other institutions since leaving DWCL Graduate School, or who has been absent for three trimesters (or one school year) must reapply for readmission.
2. Once his application for readmission is approved, the student will be permitted to reenroll. The readmission process includes getting an academic and financial clearance.
3. Academically, a student who has been readmitted is subject to fulfillment of all program curriculum changes and degree requirements which have been instituted during the student’s absence.
4. If a returning student wishes to change his original degree objective, he must file a new application with the Graduate School Office.
   If a student has completed all academic requirements but he has not written/defended his thesis and did not enroll for more than two years, he is required to enroll in 3 refresher subjects.

Written Comprehensive Examination

1. A student (MBA/MA or Ph.D.) is required to take the Written Comprehensive Examination (WCE) prior to his enrolment in Thesis Writing I or Dissertation Writing I.
2. To qualify, a student must have earned the following academic requirements.

For masterate programs:

• All pre-requisite courses (if applicable)
• 9 units of core subjects
• 15 units of major subjects

For doctorate programs:

• All philosophy courses
• 24 units of major subjects

3. A student on probation must apply for a change to a regular status before taking the WCE.
4. The WCE shall be of sufficient length and complexity. Its contents shall cover the following:

For masterate programs:

• 5 major subjects

For doctorate programs:

• 8 major subjects

5. The passing averages in the WCE are 2.00 for a masterate degree and 1.7 for a doctorate degree candidate. A student who fails in the WCE is permitted one “re-take” within a period of one year after the first WCE. Failure to pass the second WCE terminates candidacy for an applied degree.

Oral Comprehensive Examination

The Oral Comprehensive Examination (OCE) is a final requirement of the MBA program (Plan C) where the student opts not to do a Thesis or a Management Research Report.
Its objectives are:

• To measure the ability of the MBA candidate to relate and apply the theories and principles learned in the various courses in the program to practical and real business situations.
• To gauge the ability of the MBA candidate to establish and employ a framework for analyzing and explaining a given business or management situation.
• To test the integrative ability of the MBA candidate in relating various business functions to a coherent business strategy in determining the implication of external events to management decision-making;
• To confirm the communicative skills of the MBA candidate.
  The OCE is on two topic materials: one is a business article and another is a term paper (Re-entry Plan) done by the candidate. The panel is composed of two (2) MBA professors and one expert from business and industry.

Thesis / Dissertation Writing

1. A master’s thesis is required for the masterate programs while a dissertation is required for all doctoral programs.
2. As a way of exception the MBA program does not require a thesis as a requirement for graduation (per DECS Order #97, s. 1993). In lieu of the thesis, however, the student has the option of:
   • Writing a formal research project about his own organization called management research report (MRR) which shall be orally defended before a Panel of Examiners to be attended by at least one (1) expert from business and industry; or
   • Completing satisfactorily fifteen (15) more units (or 5 major subjects) in the program. In addition to the WCE, he has also to undergo and pass an oral examination by a Panel of Examiners to be attended by at least one (1) external expert from business and industry. Questions shall relate to the five (5) subjects in the WCE but shall focus more on the current issues.
3. Faculty who will act as a research adviser in Thesis/Dissertation Writing shall be appointed on the bases of their (a) line of expertise, and (b) quality of their published works in peer-reviewed professional journals.

Manner of Enrolment in Thesis and Dissertation Writing

Thesis/Dissertation Writing I

1. A student enrolled (first enrollment) in the subject Thesis/Dissertation Writing I must pay the enrollment dues in full (i.e. the tuition fees, miscellaneous fees and other fees) for that particular trimester. Should the student fail to finish and submit a thesis/dissertation proposal within the first trimester, the coverage of the enrolment payment may be extended to one (1) year to include therefore, the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. However, he shall for that 2nd and 3rd trimesters, pay the miscellaneous fees only. Should the student still fail to finish the thesis proposal within one year or three trimesters, he shall be given a final grade of “Incomplete” (INC) which eventually will be reflected in his Transcript of Records.
2. A student who fails to submit a thesis/dissertation proposal after the first enrollment (which covers three previous trimesters) shall be permitted to enroll a second time. The mechanics of such an enrollment follows that of the first enrollment. Should he still fail to finish the thesis/dissertation proposal, in this second enrollment, he shall be given another grade of “Incomplete” in his Transcript of Records.
3. Thereafter, and should the student wish to continue writing a thesis proposal he shall be required to change the thesis/dissertation proposal and pay the enrollment dues in full just as in the first enrollment above. In this particular case, the previous proposal is disapproved and a new one must be submitted.

Thesis/Dissertation Writing II

1. A student enrolled for the first time in the subject Thesis/Dissertation Writing II must pay the enrollment dues in full (i.e. the tuition fees, miscellaneous fees and other fees) for that particular trimester just like in Thesis/dissertation Writing I. Should the student fail to finish and submit a thesis/dissertation proposal within the first trimester, the coverage of the aforesaid enrollment payment may be extended to one (1) year to include therefore, the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. He shall, for those 2nd and 3rd trimesters, pay the miscellaneous fees and other fees only.
2. Immediately upon enrollment of the student in the subject, Thesis/Dissertation Writing I, the Dean shall designate a thesis-adviser to guide, supervise, monitor and facilitate the thesis writing of the student. The adviswer must be a faculty member of the DWCL Graduate School who is competent in the field of specialization called for by the topic of the thesis/dissertation proposal. In extreme cases, an outsider, competent and very much qualified, may be permitted to assume the function.
3. A “Progress Report” is required on the development of the thesis/dissertation writing as well as recommendation for oral defense at the end of the trimester or year as the case may be.
4. Should the student fail to finish the thesis/dissertation after the first enrollment shall be given a final grade of “in Progress” to be eventually reflected in his Transcript of Records.
5. A student who fails to finish a thesis/dissertation after the first enrollment shall be permitted to enroll for a second time, the mechanics of which follows that of the first enrollment, i.e., subject to his obligatory payment of the miscellaneous and other fees. Should he still fail to finish his thesis/dissertation within a year, he shall be again be given another grade of “In Progress” in his Transcript of Records.
6. A student who fails to finish a thesis/dissertation after the second enrollment shall be permitted to enroll for a third time, the mechanics of which follows the two previous enrollments. His third enrollment shall be reflected in his Transcript of Records. Should he still fail to finish the thesis/dissertation within a year, he shall be again be given another grade of “In Progress” in his Transcript of Records.
7. After the third enrollment for a masteral student and fifth enrollment for a doctoral student, a student who wishes to continue writing a thesis/dissertation shall be required to change the thesis/dissertation proposal and pay the enrolment dues in full just as in the first enrolment above.
8. All in all, the student has a maximum period of three (3) years within which to submit a dissertation.
9. After the successful defense of the thesis/dissertation, the student revises the manuscript according to the comment and suggestions of the Oral Defense Tribunal members. He gets an approval sheet from the Dean’s Office and asks his adviser to sign it. The Dean signs the same only after the Chairman and the panel members have signed the already bound thesis/dissertation. Submission of the revised manuscript for the Dean’s should not take more than two (2) months after the oral defense.

Maximum Academic Load

The maximum load of graduate students during the regular trimester term is 12 units for regular students and 9 units for those who are working.

Residence Requirements

The residence requirements for graduation excluding the units of thesis shall be at least three consecutive trimesters or the equivalent of 18 units. Transfer from one Graduate school to another is discouraged. However, in exceptional cases where a transfer is unfavorable, all the academic units earned by the student from the last school attended, excluding thesis units; may be accepted, subject to the following conditions:

• The subject taken in the school last attended is substantially the same in content in the graduate school curriculum.
• The residence requirement shall have been complied with; and
• The approval of the Dean upon the recommendation of the Admission Committee is needed.
  Grading System

Students are graded in this manner:

Doctoral:

Masteral: