Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2025
Abstract
This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the graduate education sector, revealing that it is highly privatized, NCR-centric, and dominated by enrollment in Education and Business/Administration fields. The analysis confirms that the primary driver for this high demand, particularly in teacher education (which accounts for over half of all enrollment), is the use of graduate degrees as a key requirement for career advancement and promotion within agencies like the Department of Education (DepEd). This policy-driven demand, however, is linked to systemic issues, including the proliferation of “diploma mills” that undermine quality, extremely low on-time completion rates (averaging 18.77% for Master’s students), and an uneven regional distribution that limits access to specialized fields, notably STEM. Consequently, the study recommends structural reforms, such as reviewing the impact of rigid vertical alignment policies, creating a tiered regulatory approach for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) offering graduate programs, and strengthening CHED’s oversight to promote quality, regional balance, and gender equity, thus ensuring graduate education contributes meaningfully to national development goals.
Recommended Citation
Candelaria, Anne K.; Dio, Eric Arthur N.; and Delosa, Jovelyn G., (2025). Investigating the State of Graduate Education in the Philippines: Challenges, Opportunities, and Policy Implications. Archīum.ATENEO.
https://archium.ateneo.edu/polsci-faculty-pubs/57
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Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Education Economics Commons, Education Policy Commons, Gender Equity in Education Commons, Higher Education Administration Commons, International and Comparative Education Commons, Online and Distance Education Commons, Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation Commons, Public Administration Commons, Public Policy Commons
