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General Admission Requirements

1. The Faculty of Philosophy is primarily open to future members of the diocesan clergy. However, they are also open to religious men and women, provided that they meet the required qualifications (General Statutes, Art. 19.1; Veritatis Gaudium, Art. 31).
2. To be admitted to the Faculty, clerics and religious must present a written permission from their respective Ordinary or Superior (General Statutes, Art. 19; Veritatis Gaudium, Art. 31 and its Norms of Application, Art. 26, §1.1). Diocesan seminarians must also pass through the screening committee of the UST Central Seminary. Diocesan seminarians who are not residents of the UST Central Seminary may not be entertained for admission.
3. All applicants must present valid credentials of their having satisfactorily completed the civil requirements for admission to the University, aside from possessing a working knowledge of Latin. All new students must submit upon admission, other than the written recommendation from the Major Superior or Ordinary, the following documents:

   a. Certificate of graduation from at least Senior High School;
   b. Certificate of Good Moral Character or Certificate for Valid Transfer from the previous school;
   c. Official copy of Academic Records (Form 138 or the Original Transcript of Records);

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4. All applicants to the Faculty of Philosophy, except those who graduated from any degree from the other two Ecclesiastical Faculties of the University, must take and pass the entrance examination. The entrance examination is normally composed of the Mental Ability Test, Mathematics Test, English Test, Latin Test, and Essay Test. Other items may be added depending on the recommendation of the Faculty Council and/or Admission Committee.
5. No student may be admitted into the Faculty of Philosophy to work for a degree simultaneously with another academic degree from another faculty (General Statutes, University of Santo Tomas, 2014, Art. 47, no. 4). However, in the Licentiate program of the Faculty of Philosophy, the students may be allowed to enroll in a dual program done in collaboration with the UST Graduate School where they may simultaneously apply for the MA Philosophy program of the UST Graduate School on the condition that they meet all the requirements for the said civil degree (cf. 2019 General Statutes, Art. 21).
6. Normally, the Faculty of Philosophy does not accept transferees. However, should the Admission Committee decide favorably on requests for admission of a transferee, the student should complete at least 50% of the units required in the program applied for.
7. The admission of students to the Faculty is processed by the Admission Committee, whose functions are the following (see 2019 General Statutes, Art. 19, no. 3):

   a. To evaluate the academic records and other pertinent credentials of applicants;
   b. To recommend the administration of the entrance examination;
   c. To propose to the Dean who, among the applicants, may be admitted after due verification of their qualifications.

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8. The Admission Committee is composed of the Dean of the Faculty as Chair, the Secretary of the Ecclesiastical Faculties and, if needed, another professors, as members. In the admission of diocesan resident seminarians, the Rector of the Central Seminary should also be a member of this Committee.

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Specific Admission Requirements for Programs and DegreesÌý

A. Preparatory Program for S.T.B or J.C.L

This is the program advised to those students who intend to enroll either in the Faculty of Canon Law or Faculty of Sacred Theology but are not yet able to meet the required units of philosophy courses. Enrollment in these courses has to be guided by the requirements of the Faculty to which the concerned students are applying.

• Must satisfy the requirements of the particular degree to which they are applying, or must at least have the recommendation of the Admission Committee;
• Written Recommendation/Permission from the Ordinary or Major Superior;
• International students must accomplish all the legal requirements to pursue their studies in the University;
• Must have a working knowledge in Latin or must at least be willing to learn Latin;
• Must take and pass the entrance examination.

NOTES:

• It is recommended that applicants shall enter the preparatory program on the first semester of a particular academic year. If a student enters on the second semester, he must have the pre-requisite before he could validly enroll in the available courses. Otherwise, he must wait and first complete the pre-requisites before he enrolls in the desired course/s.
• All students in the preparatory program are subject to the laws and regulations of the Faculty especially on the rules about promotion and disqualification.
• After completing the preparatory program, all applicants must take another entrance examination required by the Faculty and the degree which they wish to pursue.

  B. First Cycle: Bachelor in Philosophy (Ph.B)

This is a two-year course which is an organic presentation of the various parts of philosophy, and exposes the student to the different philosophical systems and introduces him/her into the method of scientific research.

• At least, the completion of a Secondary Education or its equivalent;
• Written Recommendation/Permission from the Ordinary or Major Superior;
• International students must accomplish all the legal requirements needed to pursue their studies in the University;
• All applicants must have a working knowledge in Latin;
• Must take and pass the entrance examination.

NOTES:

• It is recommended that applicants shall enter the preparatory program on the first semester of a particular academic year. If a student enters on the second semester, he must have the pre-requisite before he could validly enroll in the available courses. Otherwise, he must wait and first complete the pre-requisites before he enrolls in the desired course/s.
• All students in the preparatory program are subject to the laws and regulations of the Faculty especially on the rules about promotion and disqualification.
• After completing the preparatory program, all applicants must take another entrance examination required by the Faculty and the degree which they wish to pursue.
  
  C.ÌýSecond Cycle: Licentiate in Philosophy (Ph.L)

This is a two-year course which is the beginning of specialization whereby special disciplines and seminars are offered. This cycle ends with the conferment of the degree of Licentiate in Philosophy (Ph.L.). Besides, the students are required to learn and use the method of scientific research in the preparation of a written thesis.

• Applicants must have a Bachelor in Philosophy degree or its equivalent. It belongs to the Faculty to determine under what conditions students who have done a six-year philosophy-theology course in an ordinary seminary or equivalent school may be admitted to the second cycle, taking into account their previous studies and where necessary, prescribing special courses and examinations (Norms of Application, art. 62);
• Written Recommendation/Permission from the Ordinary or Major Superior;
• International students must accomplish all the legal requirements needed to pursue their studies in the University;
• All applicants must have knowledge in Latin;
• Must take and pass the entrance examination. Any applicant who has already graduated from any degree conferred by any of the other two Ecclesiastical Faculties of the University must still take and pass a qualifying examination.
  
  D. Third Cycle: Doctorate in Philosophy (Ph.D)

This is a two-year course of deeper philosophical study and research leading to the degree of Doctorate in Philosophy (Ph.D.), which is conferred after the applicant has successfully defended a doctoral dissertation which must be the product of scholarly work and a contribution to the progress of the science of philosophy.

• Only those who have obtained a Licentiate degree in an Ecclesiastical Faculty with a grade of above average will be accepted for the third cycle;
• Written Recommendation/Permission from the Ordinary or Major Superior;
• International students must accomplish all the legal requirements to pursue their studies in the University;
• All applicants must be knowledgeable in Latin;
• Must take and pass the entrance examination unless the applicant has earned his Licentiate degree from the Faculty. Applicants who have already graduated from any degree conferred by any of the other two Ecclesiastical Faculties of the University must still take and pass the qualifying examination before admission.
  
  E. Civil Degrees: Bachelor of Arts Major in Classical Philosophy (AB Classical)

This is a four-year course which is available for all those enrolled in the Faculty either as an ordinary or extraordinary student. This however requires that the students must have fulfilled all the requirements of the Commission on Higher Education of the Republic of the Philippines.

• Completion of a Secondary Education or its equivalent;
• Written Recommendation/Permission from the Ordinary or Major Superior;
• International students must accomplish all the legal requirements to pursue their studies in the University;
• All applicants must have a working knowledge in Latin;
• Must take and pass the entrance examination.
  
  F. Master of Arts in Philosophy (c/o UST-Graduate School)

This is a special agreement between the UST Faculty of Philosophy and the UST Graduate School whereby those students who obtain the Ecclesiastical Licentiate degree could have their courses credited at the UST Graduate School so that they may be able to pursue the M.A. in Philosophy degree. Graduates of AB Philosophy or any other four-year Baccalaureate course may simultaneously enroll in the Licentiate and Master of Arts in Philosophy after their completion of the Bachelor in Philosophy (Ph.B.) course or its equivalent. They must however comply with the requirements set by the UST Graduate School.

Application Procedure

1. All applicants to the Faculty of Philosophy must submit the necessary documents for application.
   
   a. He must accomplish the application form (Link to: Or migrate the file to a new address? Kindly include also in downloadables. Actually po kung kaya magpapagawa na rin po sana ng new form na mas professional and pagkalayout and kaya po mafillout electronically)Ìý and submit a letter of application addressed to the Dean of the Faculty.
   b. He must also submit a written recommendation from the Major Superior or Ordinary.
   c. He must furnish the office a photocopy of his complete academic records. All these documents should be submitted to the office of the Ecclesiastical Faculties before the applicant is scheduled to take the entrance examination.
2. Once the above-mentioned documents are cleared by the Admission Committee, the applicant shall be scheduled for an entrance examination. Only applicants who have successfully passed the entrance examination may be admitted to the Faculty.
3. The entrance examination is scheduled by the UST Office for Admission through the coordinator of the Ecclesiastical Faculties. Qualified applicants shall be notified by the Office of the Ecclesiastical Faculties about the venue, date and time of the examination. The office of the Ecclesiastical Faculties shall also inform the applicants of the things that would be needed for the examination. No applicant shall be allowed to take the entrance examination unless he is properly endorsed by the office of the Ecclesiastical Faculties.
4. All international applicants are required to secure the legal documents necessary for their studies in the University. They are also required to submit a certificate of their having completed the English proficiency examination from either IELTS or TOEFL.Ìý
5. Applicants who passed the entrance examination must submit the original documents of their academic records (and other legal documents when specifically required) before the date of enrollment. No applicant shall be allowed to enroll unless these documents are submitted. These include:
   
   a. Form 138 (Report card) for those who have just completed their Senior High School studies;
   b. Official Transcript of Records (for those who have finished their previous degree abroad)
   c. Certificate for Valid Transfer (for those who came from another school within the country)
6. Applicants who are also seeking admission to the Central Seminary would need to undergo and pass the Orientation Seminar conducted by the Seminary administrators.

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Fees and Discounts

Students are given appropriate scholarship for their studies. All are however required to pay full miscellaneous and other fees. Moreover, additional courses no longer required for their respective degree shall be charged with fees similar to those in the Civil Faculties.

1. For Bachelor in Philosophy (Ph. B.) and Bachelor of Arts major in Classical Philosophy (A.B. Classical), the following discounts are applicable:
   
   a. For students residing in the Central Seminary, 100% discount on tuition fees.
   b. For students residing outside the Central Seminary, 20% discount on tuition fees.
   
   
2. For students in the Licentiate in Philosophy (Ph.L.) and Master of Arts in Philosophy programs, the following discounts are applicable
   
   a. For students residing in the Central Seminary, 100% discount on tuition fees for courses leading to the Ph.L. degree, and 50% discount on tuition fees for the additional courses required by the Graduate School for the M.A. degree in Philosophy.
   b. For students residing outside the Central Seminary, 20% discount on tuition fees for courses leading to the Ph.L. and M.A. Philosophy degrees.
   
   
3. Students will also be required to pay other fees which include examination fees, thesis defense fee, adviser’s fee, and others.
4. Tuition, miscellaneous, examination and other fees vary from year to year and are based on the University’s computation of the charges.

1. Students admitted to and are enrolled in the Faculty of Philosophy are bound by that token to abide by and comply with all rules, regulations, policies and requirements of the institution. Students found wanting in the observance of rules, regulations, policies and requirements, particularly the observance of the study program, the attendance at classes and the taking of examinations shall be subject to commensurate disciplinary action as decided by the Dean or the Faculty Council.
2. In cases of grave violation of regulations, students may be suspended or even expelled from the Faculty. However, the students involved shall always be given the chance to defend themselves and thus, to safeguard their rights in accordance with the procedure established in the Student Handbook of the University.Ìý
3. All complaints against students’ misdemeanor should be formally forwarded to the Office of the Dean who shall initiate the investigation, and possibly determine the proper disciplinary action whenever applicable.Ìý

1. To provide the students with an adequate forum for student dialogue, with a venue to exercise co-responsibility in their formation and with a representative body for their participation in the life of the Ecclesiastical Faculties, they shall have a Student Council (Faculty of Philosophy Students’ Forum) to be governed by the rules of the Church and the University.
2. Through the Student Council and its various commissions, the students shall be encouraged to organize academic, cultural, liturgical and community-service activities. These and other related activities, particularly the academic, are to be supervised by the Administration of the Faculty according to the principles of solidarity and subsidiarity.

The official student organization of the Faculty of Philosophy is known as the Faculty of Philosophy Students’ Forum. (Link to