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(NAR) VOL. IV NO. 3 / JULY - SEPTEMBER 1993

[ DECS ORDER NO. 3, s. 1993, January 06, 1993 ]

PROVIDING FOR NEW MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS IN THE GENERAL EDUCATION AND OTHER COMPONENTS OF INITIAL BACHELOR'S LEVEL COURSES OF STUDY



1.  It is the policy to further liberalize the regulatory framework governing tertiary educational institutions, both public and private, including its academic aspects, so as to enable the institutions to exercise greater flexibility, innovation and perceptions of relevance in their curricular offerings.  At the same time, promising students should be permitted to complete the bachelor's course in a shorter period of time.

2.  The minimum requirement for graduation with an initial bachelor's degree shall now be 126 units, so that students may graduate within three school years either through overloads and/or summer courses, should they be so qualified as determined by the institution.  The minimum shall not apply in those cases where the prescribed professional subjects or components for a particular course required for a subsequent board examination are such that the minimum cannot be met within 126 units.

3.  The minimum requirements for the mandatory general education component of tertiary courses of study leading to an initial bachelor's degree covering four curriculum years shall now be 63 units, distributed as follows:

English
18 units
 
Filipino
6 units
 
Mathematics
9 units
 
Natural Sciences
6 units
 
Social Sciences
15 units
 
General education electives
9 units
 
-----------
 
Total
63 units
 

4.  The choice of the specific subjects comprising the general education requirements will be left to the individual institution, and may vary for different courses of study.  It is suggested however that they include the necessary introductory courses, and are in proper sequence where desirable (see below for suggested subjects). Topics mandated by law, such as Rizal, land reform, taxation and drug prevention must be covered, either in the general education component or elsewhere.  Subjects credited for the general education component may also be credited for major requirements.  Neither Physical Education nor military training shall be counted for purposes of complying with the new minimum general education requirement.

5.  The minimum requirement for a major field shall now be 24 units.  Subjects may form part of the general education requirement and also be credited for major field requirements.

6.  The minimum requirement for the professional component of a course of study shall now be 18 units, where applicable, since certain courses such as liberal arts do not require a professional component.

7.  Individual institutions desiring to make changes in their curricular requirements in conformity with these revised policies should so provide the appropriate Regional Offices with their revised requirements, for record purposes, before the opening of classes in June 1993.  Institutions are free to set their own minimum requirements greater than those set forth in this issuance.

8.  These new minimum requirements are effective with the school year 1993-94. Candidates for graduation before then must comply with presently existing minimum requirements. Institutions have the option to adopt any or all of these new minimum requirements with the coming school year, phase out or modify their present requirements on a gradual basis, retain their present requirements, or develop their own new requirements.  Those courses of study which may have been approved previously with less than the new general education requirements shall now be required to comply, starting in SY 1993-94.  In any case, each institution should indicate the method of compliance with these new minimum requirements in the appropriate school bulletins and bulletin boards before the beginning of enrolment; otherwise, it will be assumed that the old requirements will have been retained.

9.  All previous DECS issuances or provisions thereof which are inconsistent with this Order are hereby revoked.

Adopted: 6 Jan. 1993

(Sgd.) ARMAND V. FABELLA
Secretary

SUGGESTED SUBJECTS FOR THE GENERAL EDUCATION COMPONENT

1. English (18 units)
Grammar and Composition American/English Literature Essay Writing

2. Filipino (6 units)
Balarila Panitikan

3. Mathematics (9 units)
College Algebra Statistics

4. Natural Sciences (6 units)
Introductory Natural Science

5. Social Sciences (15 units)
Economics Philippine Government Sociology Rizal's Life and Times

6. Electives
Survey of Fine Arts Foreign Languages
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