What is the UP Open University?
Why establish the UPOU?
What is the mission of the UPOU?
What are the specific objectives of the UPOU?
What is an open university?
How much are the fees?
What is distance education?
What are the features of distance education (DE)?
What factors should be considered before an individual
seeks admission to a DE program?
What is a learning center?
What are the requirements for admission?
I am currently living outside the Philippines,
can I still apply for admission in any of the program?
Please describe the study sessions.
Do the students have to take examinations?
What is the basis of the student's final grade?
What is the UP Open University?
The UP Open University or UPOU is the fifth autonomous university of the UP System. It was established through a resolution of the Board of Regents in its 1084th meeting on 23 February 1995.
Because of the limited resources of the residential colleges, UP can only accommodate an equally limited proportion of applicants for admission. Through the distance education provided by the UPOU, the University will be able to respond better to the demand for quality higher education especially in areas which do not have a UP campus.
What is the mission of the UPOU?
The UP Open University "seeks to provide wider access to quality higher education." It shall adhere to the highest standards of academic excellence and encourage social responsibility and nationalistic commitment among its faculty, staff and students.
What are the specific objectives of the UPOU?
- To provide opportunities for alternative access to quality higher education by offering degree programs and non-formal courses by distance education.
- To develop a system of continuing education to sustain professional growth and improve technical skills especially for those who can not leave their jobs or homes for full-time studies; and
- To contribute towards upgrading the quality of the educational system of the country.
An open university espouses a philosophy of open learning which differs in degree and dimension from institution to institution. For the UPOU, its philosophy of open learning is evolving. Its emphasis at present is on widening access to quality higher education programs.
Distance education is any of the various forms of study which is not under the continuous, immediate supervision of teachers present with their students in lecture/classrooms. Its main characteristic is the physical separation of the learner from the teacher.
What are the features of distance education (DE)?
- The main feature of DE is a pre-dominance of an independent self-learning style which takes place outside a formal classroom. Students study in their own places of residence using specially designed learning materials.
- While students basically study at their own pace, DE does not mean an open-ended schedule for going through the courses. Learning materials are designed in such a way that these require a specific time period to finish. Thus, students in DE also conform to a semestral schedule.
- Two-way communication between teacher and students exists through such means as mail, the telephone when available, or through electronic communication like the computer, teleconferencing, video or computer conferencing.
- Examinations are given in the Learning Centers under the supervision of trained tutors.
- Willingness to undertake independent, self-motivated study.
- Possession of good time management which includes daily study hours.
- Ability to contend with many hours of studying alone with occassional interaction with "classsmates" and peers.
A learning center is a place where DE students come together for study sessions (also called tutorials) facilitated by a trained tutor. The center may be located in one of the UP campuses or in a cooperating institution like a state college or university.
A learning center is equpped with library and other facilities which the students can use to enhance self-learning.
The learning center serves as a venue where students register and receive their learning packages, avail of counseling service, submit their assignments and take supervised examinations.
What are the requirements for admission?
Requirements
- Undergraduate program
Form 137 or the result of PEPT examGraduate program
Transcript of records (TOR) for highest degree earned (original and duplicate) PhD program applicants are required to submit TOR for both Bachelor's and Master's degrees;
- Correctly and completely accomplished application for admission form;
- Letter of recommendation from employer/supervisor and former professor (please use UPOU for 1a);
- Two identical 2"x2" photos and four identical 1"x1" photos;
- Proof of payment of application fee Undergraduate program P250.00 Graduate program P 100.00 (duplicate copy of PNB validated deposit slip);
- Photocopy of board exam result (if applcaible);
- Self addressed stamped envelope;
- Other requirements:
- Photocopy of latest Income Tax Return (ITR) (for scholarship purposes);
- PRC license (if applicable);
- Certificate of teaching load (for teacher applicants)
Deadline for applications for admission: January 15, 2001 - programs that require examinations (PhD, MPM and AA programs) Ø Diploma programs are post-baccalaureate. This means that only those who have completed and earned a bachelor's degree can apply.
I am currently living outside the Philippines, can I still apply for admission in any of the program?
For most courses, face-to-face study sessions are conducted four to five times per semester. Hence, proximity to the Learning Center is essential. To date, we have Learning Centers in the Philippines and in Hong Kong.
With the advent of online tutorials, it now becomes possible to do course work even if you are in another country. Please check with your Dean whether the courses in your Program can all be taken online. It is possible that some courses require face-to-face tutoring (e.g., laboratory work or field practice).
Please describe the study sessions?
The study session is an opportunity for DE students to interact with each other, to raise questions regarding the modules assigned for study, and to seek clarification on points they find difficult to comprehend.
The tutors are not there to lecture but they try to help the student with his or her learning and to encourage the student to succeed as a learner.
The frequency and length of study sessions vary depending on the requirements of the course. In some, these are held once a month, for three hours, usually on a Saturday.
Online study sessions are a bit different. For the most part, students and tutors communicate asynchronously, meaning not in real-time. A tutor or student leaves messages on a discussion board and the rest of the class interacts by replying to these messages.
Do the students have to take examinations?
Yes, the students need to take examinations. The students sit for supervised examinations in the learning centers. All exams are taken in this setting, whether the student is part of a face-to-face or online tutorial class.
The number of examinations per course varies but all courses require a final examination.
What is the basis of the student's final grade?
The assignments and examinations form the basis for students' final grade. These assignments are marked by the tutor and the results are reported to the faculty in charge. The faculty in charge marks the examinations and computes the final grade of the students on the basis of the scores for the assignments and the examinations.
