ASSOCIATE OF SCIENCE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Faculty of Information and Communication Studies

University of the Philippines Open University

UPOU’s proposed AADDA program is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed for employment upon graduation. The program has 72 units, 27 of which are concentration or specialization courses. The specialization courses also prepare students to enter a broad range of professions in enterprises, corporations, and in public and non-government organizations. 

In relation to other associate programs, the AADDA program is unique from other UP constituent units' (CU) programs. UP-Diliman, Los Baños, Visayas, and Tacloban College offer Bachelor’s Degrees in Fine Arts (Visual Communication), Broadcast Communication, Communication Arts (only HUM 102 New Media Art), and Communication Studies; most of them still relies on either face-to-face or blended learning. AADDA, on the other hand, would be offered via distance e-learning, generally asynchronous, and would cater to students who are geographically far and are in different time zones. 

AADDA’s curriculum is unique in its structure. During the students' first year, they will take concentration courses on multimedia and new media art, with more emphasis on the GE courses. This would allow students to sample the course, at the same time provide them groundwork for possible ladderization should they decide to proceed to take a baccalaureate degree or shift to other courses. The second year will focus more on its core courses. Another unique feature of the program is its elective concentration courses that would let the student tailor fit the program according to their needs and interests.

What is my career path after going through AADDA?

You can have a career path as Graphic Designer, Art Director, Creative Director, Illustrator, Photographer, Typographer, Multimedia Designer, Corporate Identity Designer, Motion Graphics Designer, Design Manager, Web Designer or User Experience Designer.

Or standout in a related career as Copywriter, Design Curator, Design Educator, Information Designer or Entrepreneur.

What are the enrollment procedures?

Registration is done through the Online Registration System (ORS) found in the Student Portal. To gain access to the Student Portal, follow the procedure below:

1. Wait for the 1st day of the registration period;
2. Click FORGOT PASSWORD;
3. Enter your UP student number, then click REQUEST FOR PASSWORD;
4. Check your email for the system-generated password. 

For login problems, please complete the following form:

http://bit.ly/upou-login-problem or email techsupport@upou.edu.ph

What are the links I can use to help me in other registration-related activities? 

The following sites may also help you:

• The Office of the University Registrar Website
• Transfer of Credits
• Sample assessment of fees
• General Procedures of Payment of Fees
• Academic Calendar
• Course offerings and list of recommended courses for new students

What is my plan of study? 

The regular load for an AADDA student is 12 units per term. Unless given express permission by the AADDA Program Chair, you cannot enroll in more than 12 units. You will be asked to apply for a Change of Matriculation. Otherwise, you will be dropped from extra courses and/or courses you have not satisfied the prerequisite(s) for, once classes start.

As an AADDA student, you will have to take: 

• 10 GE courses equivalent to 30 units in total (7 required, 3 electives)
• 7 government-mandated courses equivalent to 3 academic units (1 PI 100) and 14 non-academic units (4 PE, 2 NSTP) 
• 4 common courses equivalent to 12 units
• 9 concentration courses equivalent to 27 units (6 required, 3 electives) 

The full curriculum is available on the AADDA website, but below is the recommended plan of study for full-time students who want to move on to the BAMS program after completing AADDA:

* Please note that PE and NSTP courses are non-academic units.

** You can choose other elective courses from the AADDA curriculum.

*** Before enrolling in electives offered by other Faculties of Study, i.e. HUM 40, seek permission from your Program Chair first.

You can also download a sample plan of study for full-time students who want to proceed to the BAMS program at the bottom of this page.

What if I don't want to move on to the BAMS program after AADDA, I just want to graduate after 2 years -  do I need to follow the sample Plan of Study above?

No, you do not have to follow the sample Plan of Study above. You do have to take all of the required courses, but you can select different elective GE and elective concentration courses. Please see Using the Planner to Generate My Plan of Study. Map out your plan of study to avoid any delays. 

Note that if you choose different electives than the ones in the sample plan of study, you should be mindful of the terms in which they will be offered. It is your responsibility as an AADDA student to check the schedule of course offerings. We encourage you to update your plan of study every term to make sure that your chosen elective is offered in the term you plan to take it.  

I have enrolled in more than 12 units. What should I do?

Kindly apply for a Change of Matriculation by following the instructions at https://registrar.upou.edu.ph/change-matriculation/. Once classes have started, you will only have a week to do so. Otherwise, you will be given a DRP-U for your extra courses.

Please direct all your other questions about the Change of Matriculation process to the Office of the University Registrar (registration@upou.edu.ph).

I have enrolled in electives offered by another Faculty of Study

If you have not received permission from your Program Chair to take electives from another Faculty of Study, kindly send an email to aaddaprogramsupport@upou.edu.ph.

If I have started a similar course of study at another university and then choose to transfer to the AADDA program, will the courses I took be credited when I enroll at UPOU?

There is a limit to how many courses outside of UPOU can be credited toward your UPOU degree. Please see https://registrar.upou.edu.ph/c/ for details. 

If you took your course from another UP constituent unit (CU), you will still need to apply for a Transfer of Credits. 

Please note that not all courses are eligible to be transferred. Even if a course looks like one of the AADDA required courses, it doesn't mean that you can substitute your previously completed course for the required AADDA course. 

Example: Even if you received transferred credit for a course called "ENG 1", it doesn't necessarily mean that you can use it as a substitute for, say, ENG 11 or even COMM 2. You must still apply for a Transfer of Credits to be sure. You cannot apply for Transfer of Credits for major (MMS) courses.  

However, you can better anticipate the outcome of your Transfer of Credits application if the course is taken from another UP CU unit and has exactly the same name as the one you need. 

When should I apply for a Transfer of Credit?

File your application as soon as you have been admitted to the AADDA Program. You can only apply for a Transfer of Credits once you have been admitted; it is not possible for you to apply for a Transfer of Credit before you have been officially admitted.

As of 11 August 2023, the FICS Faculty Secretary has confirmed that you can only apply for a Transfer of Credit ONCE. You should file this only during your FIRST YEAR in the AADDA Program. Should you have other questions regarding this, please contact the Faculty Secretary directly at fics-secretary@upou.edu.ph.

How do I apply for a Transfer of Credit?

Contact the Faculty Secretary to apply for a Transfer of Credit. As of 12 December 2018, the process is as follows:

1. Apply for a transfer of credit through https://url.upou.edu.ph/FICS-TOC-System
2. Make sure to attach a clear, high-resolution PDF copy of your Official Transcript of Records. Make sure that it is valid for transfer. True Copy of Grades will not be accepted. Keep the file size to 2MB or less or else you might encounter an error.
3. When accomplishing the form, make sure that the Course Code indicated is written in the exact same way they appear on the Transcript of Records. If not, this might get flagged as a discrepancy.
4. Once your Transfer of Credit application has been processed, you must consult the Student Portal to see how your transferred courses will be credited. It will be worded something like "MATH 17: Algebra and Trigonometry (for MATH 11)", meaning that you can use your MATH 17 credits from a previous institution for your MATH 11 requirement for AADDA.

Note: There is a known visual bug in some browsers in which the Transcript file does not appear as attached after selecting. If you encounter this, just proceed to submit your application. If the application goes through, it means your file was successfully attached.

Does the AADDA award Latin Honors?

Latin Honors are awarded to students graduating from a full bachelor's program based on their GWA upon graduation: summa cum laude (GWA of 1.20), magna cum laude (GWA of 1.45), and cum laude (GWA of 1.75).

An AADDA graduate, being a graduate of a pre-baccalaureate or Associate program, is not eligible for Latin honors.

Cum Laude: 1.75

Magna Cum Laude: 1.45

Summa Cum Laude: 1.20

However, you may be awarded with the English equivalents “with honors,” “with high honors,” and “with highest honors.”

AADDA students who are candidates for graduation and aiming for honors must have taken the full load (12 units) each Trimester. The only valid reasons for underloaded terms are: 

1. Health Reasons;

2. Employment; and

3. Unavailability of Courses.

If you are planning to move on to other UP Units (including UPOU) for your bachelor's degree, and if you are aiming to get Latin Honors in your future bachelor's degree, be mindful of your grades, standing, and unit loading in AADDA because your future BS or BA program may be taking your studies in AADDA into consideration.

If you are aiming for Latin Honors in your Bachelor's degree, do the following while enrolled in AADDA: 

• Enroll in 12 academic units per term in the AADDA program. A 12-unit load is considered a regular load in the AADDA curriculum.
• Note that underloading is only acceptable if due to justifiable reasons, being:
  • medical reasons, 
  • employment, and
  • unavailability of courses
• Keep in good scholastic standing at all times.  
• Maintain good moral behavior at all times. Students found guilty of cheating/dishonesty shall be barred from graduating with honors, as well as students who have been suspended for one (1) year or more due to student conduct.

If I have program advising concerns, who should I contact?

Send an email to aaddaprogramsupport@upou.edu.ph. A program support representative will be reviewing your concern/inquiry and will send you a personal response as soon as they can. 

I have a concern about something other than academic advising. Where can I get help regarding a non-program-advising issue? 

Please refer to the table below of whom to contact regarding specific issues: