TWO degree programs of the University of the Philippines-Los Baños received certification as accredited programs under the ASEAN University Network Quality Assurance.

The BS Chemical Engineering and the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree programs had been added to the other seven degree programs in the university which received AUN-QA certification.

Accreditation with AUN-QA signifies that a program adheres to international academic standards and is at par with its counterparts in other ASEAN universities.

Director of the Academic Assessment and Development Unit Dr. Nina Cadiz said the accreditation gives the UPLB degree programs an edge in terms of competitiveness in the ASEAN and facilitates mobility of students in universities in the region.

Cadiz said it also gives UPLB graduates an advantage in the job market and shores up the university’s world ranking as a higher education institution.

Cadiz stressed the next programs to be prioritized are the renewal of certifications of BS Biology, BS Agricultural Biosystems Engineering, and BS Development Communication.

Assistant Dean of College of Veterinary Medicine Dr. Jovencio Hubert Abalos said several factors went into the successful bid for an AUN-QA certification.

“The DVM program learning outcomes are consistent with the learning outcomes of the Committee on Higher Education and were developed in consultation with stakeholders. It was also assessed to be comprehensive and to have covered the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes of graduates,” Abalos explained.

“The DVM program was also evaluated as having rigorous selection standards for its students, monitoring their progress up to the licensure examination as the final assessment, and has the strong complement of academic staff who are actively doing research and publishing internationally, a competent support staff, and adequate facilities,” Abalos said.

“Similarly, the BS Chem Eng PLOs were assessed to be comprehensive and to have covered the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes of graduates. The strengths of the program are its outcomes-based education orientation, courses that have been introduced to enhance students’ capability in innovation and industry research, and academic staff who have mastery in teaching and are productive in research,” Abalos added.

Abalos also pointed out that CVM will capitalize on the strengths of the DVM program to address what it needs to become the premier veterinary institution in Asia-Pacific.

AUN-QA is a group of Chief Quality Officers appointed by the AUN member universities as the focal point for coordinating activities to realize the mission of harmonizing educational standards and seeking continuous improvement of academic quality of universities in ASEAN.