Academic Regulations

The academic courses in Ateneo de Manila University are numbered as follows:

Catalogue Number Level

1 - 99 Undergraduate, lower division

100 - 199 Undergraduate, upper division

200 - 299 Graduate, Master’s

300 - 399 Graduate, Doctoral

Graduate Education students are classified as follows:

Degree Students. These are students who meet the specific admission requirements upon registration.

The following are temporary statuses given to students who, upon registration, were unable to comply with the admission requirements and/or had incomplete admission credentials. 

Provisional Status. Status given to students who have been admitted into a degree program but, for good reasons, cannot submit the complete admission credentials in time for registration. Students are given a deadline to submit their official admission credentials to the Office of the University Registrar. Failure to do so may result in the cancellation of enrolment.

Probationary Status. Status given to students who have been admitted into a degree program but did not meet some of the academic requirements of the department. Students must fulfill the academic requirements within the period set by the department for regular classification to degree status. Failure to comply will result in ineligibility to continue the program.

Students are given a degree status after submitting the required admission credentials on time and/or after meeting the specific admission requirements of their chosen program of study.

Non-Degree Students. These are students who are admitted to take courses for credit with the approval of the Department Chair/Program Director but, are not working toward any degree program.

Auditors. These are students who are admitted to take courses on a non-credit basis, subject to the approval of the Department Chair/Program Director.

Cross-Registrants. These are students from other schools who are taking courses on a credit or audit basis, subject to the approval of the Department Chair/Program Director. Cross-registrants must secure a Cross-Registration Permit from the Registrar of their home school granting them permission to cross-enroll at Ateneo de Manila.

Registration is the process that provides the student with an official capacity in the university. It is held during a designated period prior to the beginning of each semester. Registration information is issued by the Office of the University Registrar.

Students should complete the registration process to be considered officially enrolled. The complete registration process involves:

• Enlistment in advised classes

• Assessment of Tuition and Fees

• Payment of Tuition and other assessed fees

A student’s list of officially registered courses on the Ateneo Integrated Student Information System (AISIS) or the Registrar’s copy of the registration form is the official record of courses in which the student is enrolled. Changes must be accomplished by the student on the official Load Revision Forms at https://loadrev.ateneo.edu/.  

Only when students completed their registration process and are considered officially enrolled that they are able to:

• participate in classes (e.g., join groups, submit papers, or take exams)

• access Canvas, the official Learning Management System of the university

• receive grades at the end of the semester or term

• use the services of the university, including accessing books and other online resources of the Rizal Library

If there are any special circumstances that prevent students from completing their registration, they should immediately see the University Registrar.

Registration of international students is subject to the rules and regulations of the Bureau of Immigration and the Commission on Higher Education.

Links:

• AISIS

• Academic Calendar

• Ateneo Registration Committee (RegCom):

• http://regcom.ateneo.edu

• Facebook

• Twitter

Full Time- status of a student enrolled with a minimum of 9 credit units in a regular semester and a minimum of 6 credit units in intersession.

Part Time – status of a student enrolled with less than 9 credit units in a regular semester and less than 6 credit units in intersession.

Credit - A course that the student enrolls in and is given a grade after completion of all course requirements.

Audit - A course that has no corresponding units, except for tuition assessment purposes, and is not graded at the end of the semester. 

Online Load Revision is the official record that documents the changes requested by the student after the registration period. The Load Revision process must be completed for the changes to be in effect. Information about load revision is issued by the Office of the University Registrar at https://www.ateneo.edu/registrar/registration.

Addition of Course(s)

The process in which a student registers for an additional course or courses after the official registration period.

Substitution of Course(s)

The process in which a student substitutes a course(s) for another course(s) after the official registration period.

Withdrawal from a Course(s)

A process that a student undertakes to withdraw from a course/s registered in. 

Cross Registration

A process that a student undertakes to enroll in a course/s in another university while enrolled in a degree program of the Ateneo de Manila University.

Transfer of Credits – refers to the crediting of graduate courses previously taken from another institution towards the degree program that the student currently pursues, provided that the courses have not been counted toward any previous degree.

Validation of Courses – refers to the process of crediting of graduate courses, taken within the Ateneo de Manila University (i.e., shiftees and subsequent graduate degree) or outside (i.e., cross-register, dual degree, outbound student exchange, and transferees), recognized as equivalent or substitute of courses required for the current program.

The academic year is divided into two semesters of 18 weeks each and an Intersession of six weeks. Classwork in the intersession term is equivalent to classwork for one semester. The school year begins in June for the intersession. The first semester begins in August while the second semester begins in January of the following year.

Link: https://www.ateneo.edu/registrar/academic-calendar 

Learning hours

Learning hours refer to the total time a student devotes to fulfilling the learning outcomes of the course. It encompasses

both the assigned contact hours and the preparation time the student spends for the class hour or for an assessment.

Students are expected to attend at least 80% of the total contact hours per course. A grade of W will be given to those

who are unable to do so.

For every 1 credit unit:

Total Learning Hours 30

Total Contact Hours 15

Minimum In-person Contact Hours 8

Minimum Expected Attendance Hours 12

Note: In-person contact hours may be subject to change depending on changes in CHED regulatory requirements.

Suspension of Classes

As mandated by the President of the Philippines through Executive Order No. 66 Series of 2012, automatic suspension of classes applies when:

• Signal No. 3 or higher is raised by Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

• Localized cancellation or suspension of classes is implemented by local government chief executives.

Students change degree programs under two general circumstances:

● They voluntarily want to change programs.

● Their home department asks the student to change degree programs because of failure to meet the department/program’s retention requirements.

Shifting to another degree program does not restart the residency count.

Students must complete all academic requirements specified in their curriculum program of study. In general, these include the completion of the coursework units, passing the comprehensive examinations, submission of the final revised copies of the thesis/dissertation/capstone project, and complying with dissemination/publication requirements.

The grading system for graduate programs:

Letter Grade Point     Description

Mark     Equivalent (GPE)

A 4.00     Excellent Performance

A-   3.67     Very Good Performance

B+   3.33     Good Performance

B   3.00     Satisfactory Performance

C   2.00     Unsatisfactory Performance

  (This grade does not entitle students to any graduate credit for the course)

F   0.00     Failure due to academic deficiency

  (This grade does not entitle students to any graduate credit for the course)

WP   -     Withdrawal from class with the permission of the Department Chair/Program Coordinator,

  AVP for Graduate Education, and the University Registrar

INC   -     Incomplete grade given at the discretion of the instructor owing to failure to submit course requirements.

W   -     Number of allowable cuts for a graduate course exceeded

  (This grade does not entitle students to any graduate credit for the course)

Additional notes on grades:

1. Grades of C, F, & W. Students who receive any of these grades in a required course must retake the course and obtain a grade of at least “B”. If the course happens to be an elective, students must repeat the course or substitute another in its place. No grade below “B” will be accepted for degree credit.

2. Computation of the Grade Point Average (GPA). The GPA will only be computed based on the GPE of all courses taken beginning Intersession Term SY 2018-2019.

Completion of an Incomplete Mark

Students who receive a grade of “INC” are required to complete the requirements within the deadline set by the instructor or at least one month before the end of the one-year grace period if the instructor sets no deadline. 

If the requirement is not completed at least one month before the end of the one-year grace period or by the deadline set by

the instructor, the grade will be automatically changed to an F (Failed). (See Academic Calendar for the deadline for completion

of incomplete grades.)

The Comprehensive Exam is generally a two-part examination that the student takes after completion of certain courses as prescribed in the program’s curriculum and CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) and prior to the commencement of his/her thesis/dissertation/capstone project. The comprehensive exam aims to test the student’s knowledge, competency, and/or expertise in his/her field. It typically covers all core courses and may include some pre-identified major and specialized courses. The exam may be conducted orally, written, or both. Students should confer with their Department Chair/Program Director concerning the type of examinations required by their program.

When is the schedule of the exams?

The exams are offered each semester and intersession term. The exams are generally given in two parts on two successive Saturdays in the months of November, April, and July as scheduled by the Office of the Assistant Vice President for Graduate Education (OAVP-Grad-Ed).

How will the Comprehensive Exam be administered this school year given that in-person exams are not yet allowed? 

Comprehensive Examinations will be held either fully online or on-site depending on the concession to be made between the department/program and the students. The exams will be administered by each Department/ Program. Departments and Programs were given options to determine the most effective way of delivering the exam based on the circumstances of their students. Ultimately, the goal is to maintain a healthy balance between the integrity and authenticity of the assessment vis-a-vis the realities of the students. The Comprehensive Exam may come in the form of written, oral, or a combination of both. Various technological platforms are used to ensure that exams are valid and reliable.   

Can I request a deferment?

Requests for cancellation or deferment must be made in writing endorsed by the Department Chair/Program Director and approved by the OAVP-Grad-Ed at least one week before the examination date. Students automatically fail the Comprehensive Examinations if they do not appear on the scheduled date(s), except in cases of medical or other emergencies for which proof must be submitted, (e.g., medical certificate).

If I fail the exam, am I allowed a retake?

Students are allowed only one retake of the Comprehensive Examinations in case of failure on the first attempt. Students who fail the retake are automatically dropped from the degree program. The grade of “F” (Failed) is reflected in the Transcript of Records.

To learn more about the Comprehensive Examination, kindly refer to the guidelines released by the OAVP-Grad-Ed.

There are three kinds of culminating requirements that a graduate student will have to deliver and pass in order to be granted the degree.

• Thesis. This is a student-conducted research that aims to reflect the student’s mastery of a relevant specialized area of his/her discipline. It also demonstrates the student’s ability to critically engage the topic through the conduct of a scientifically and ethically sound research process.  A thesis marks the culmination of the student's master's program.  

• Dissertation.  A dissertation aims to contribute new knowledge, theory, or practice in his/her field or discipline.  It demonstrates the student’s ability to produce an original body of work by using previous research as a guide. The dissertation marks the culmination of the student's doctoral program.

• Capstone Project.  This refers to an investigative project, action-based research, or an integrative paper on a social problem that culminates in the production of knowledge, or the implementation of a project.  This encourages students to apply what they have learned to real-world issues or problems. This is taken at the end of their academic program, after passing the Comprehensive Exam, or after passing all academic course requirements, in the absence of a Comprehensive Exam.

Enrollment in Thesis, Dissertation, and Capstone Project is allowed after the student completes all coursework and passes the Comprehensive Examination.  The assigned course codes for the thesis and dissertation are 299 and 399 respectively.  On the other hand, the course code 298/398 is assigned to the Capstone Project.

 Thesis, Dissertation, and Capstone Project Guidelines

Graduation Requirements

In order to be officially considered graduates of the Ateneo de Manila University and obtain official academic records from the Office of the University Registrar, students must have:

a. completed all the academic requirements in their curriculum program of study. In general, these include:

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. completing all the coursework units

                  2. passing the comprehensive examinations or their equivalent

                  3. defending the thesis/dissertation successfully

                  4. submitting and approval of the final revised copies of the thesis/dissertation/capstone project

                  5. complying with Ateneo de Manila University's and their program’s dissemination and publication requirement

b. submitted the admission credentials required by the Office of the University Registrar,

c. settled all financial and other obligations to the Ateneo de Manila University, and;

d. obtained clearance from offices in the Ateneo de Manila University.

Academic Clearance

Definition – Clearance is the process by which students are made to ensure that they have settled all hold orders, accountabilities, and/or financial liabilities. 

Students must undergo the clearance process if they:

• • Would like to voluntarily cease studies without completing the requirements of their degree program

  • Failed to comply with retention requirements 

  • Exceeded the maximum residency time limit

  • Is dismissed due to disciplinary reasons

  • Plans to transfer to another school

  • Is graduating

Upon the completion of the clearance process, students are entitled to:

• • Academic transcripts

  • Certifications

  • Diploma (for students who graduated)

Once completed, the student will be released from all academic, property, and financial accountabilities with the institution.  

The time limit policy ensures all graduate students' timely completion of their degrees in the Ateneo de Manila University.

Residency

This refers to the maximum number of years specified for completion of a program.  All work for the master’s degree must be completed within five (5) years and the doctoral degree within seven (7) years from the date of first enrollment. This is inclusive of leaves of absence and suspension due to disciplinary reasons. Specific rules on residency may apply to certain degree programs with special arrangements. 

Leave of Absence (LOA)

Students who are temporarily separated from the university for non-academic and/or non-disciplinary reasons may be granted an LOA status.  Those who wish to separate themselves from the university for a semester or more must file a Request Form for Leave of Absence subject to the following conditions:

1. They should be in good academic and disciplinary standing at the time when the request is made.

2. They may not study or enroll in another school during the Leave of Absence.

Extension

Refers to the additional time given to students who have exceeded their residency in the university in order to complete their degree program.

A maximum of 5 years’ extension may be granted.  

Reinstatement

Refers to the process undertaken by students who wish to be reinstated at the university after having been unable to enroll for at least two consecutive semesters without an approved leave of absence.

If students applying for reinstatement have also exceeded or are about to exceed their residency limit, they must also apply for an extension.

The deadlines and processing time for reinstatement and extension are set by the Office of the University Registrar and the Office of the Assistant Vice President for Graduate Education.

Students are ineligible to continue their studies in the university beyond the specified residency period and/or extension period.

Graduate students will be automatically dropped from:

• the Ateneo de Manila University if they:

  • • Incur any of the following:

      • •  2 Fs

        •  3 Cs

        •  2 Cs and 1 F

    • Fail the oral defense of thesis/dissertation twice

  • Exceed the maximum residency time limit.

•  the Program if they:

  • • Fail to comply with the probationary requirements set upon admission

    • Fail the comprehensive examinations twice.

Master’s degree students who are dismissed from the university after failing to comply with the retention policy may apply to the  Doctoral programs, provided that:

1. they complete their master’s degree in another higher education institution, and

2. pass all doctoral admission requirements of Ateneo de Manila University.