About
Vision and Mission
Our Vision
A world of global citizens in solidarity and community, inspired by their faith, working for peace, social justice, democracy, and sustainable development.
A nation rooted in God-centered values and empowering culture, with democratic leaders and engaged citizens forging a just, prosperous, sustainable, and peaceful society.
A Mindanao that enjoys sustainable peace and development, thriving in the diversity of its cultures and faith traditions.
Our Mission
We in the Ateneo de Davao University educate students through excellent academic instruction, robust research and innovation, and vibrant community engagement and advocacy for social transformation.
Our education is rooted in the formation of values that are based on our Christian, Catholic, Ignatian, and Jesuit tradition.
We aim to produce discerning leaders and citizens distinguished by their character, competence, compassion, conscience, courage, cultural-rootedness, and commitment to community and the common good.
Dean's Message
Dean of the Graduate School
Comprising five schools – the SAS Graduate School, SBG Graduate School, SEA Graduate School, SON Graduate School, and SOE Graduate School – the AdDU Graduate School is the largest and most diverse graduate institution in the Davao Region in terms of degree offerings. We offer more than 50 graduate programs, including both master’s and doctoral degrees, spanning a wide range of disciplines. These include practical fields such as engineering, business, IT, health sciences, education, and the natural and social sciences, as well as the more reflective disciplines of philosophy and theology.
Our vision is to establish the AdDU Graduate School as the premier center for graduate education in the Davao Region and, ultimately, throughout Mindanao.
At the heart of graduate education is the production of knowledge. As a vibrant community of scholars, faculty, and students, the AdDU Graduate School is committed to advancing research, publication, innovation, and other scholarly endeavors that contribute to human and social development.
As a Jesuit institution of higher learning, however, our mission extends beyond producing competent and highly skilled professionals. We are equally committed to forming leaders grounded in Ignatian spirituality. What distinguishes our curriculum is the inclusion of Ignatian Leadership as a core course, reflecting our belief that graduate education must also work towards character formation.
Renante D. Pilapil, PhD
Dean of the Graduate School
Ateneo de Davao University
A meaningful societal transformation, particularly in the Philippine context, can only be achieved when our leaders embody the Ignatian values of discernment, humility, magnanimity, and transcendence. These values enable and inspire them to serve others, make wise and ethical decisions, and work tirelessly for the common good.
Join us at AdDU Graduate School, where academic excellence, transformational leadership, and service come together.
Let us work hand in hand to shape your future – and, through it, help build a better future for our communities and for humanity.
History
A Brief History of the Graduate School
The Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) Graduate School was formally established in 1968, twenty years after the founding of Ateneo de Davao University in 1948. It produced its first batch of graduates in 1970 through the College of Arts and Sciences.
In 2000, the School of Business and Governance (SBG) was established as a separate academic unit, spinning off from the College of Arts and Sciences, which was subsequently renamed the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS). With this reorganization, graduate programs were offered separately by the two schools and administered by their respective Assistant Deans for Graduate Programs.
AdDU continued to expand with the establishment of three additional Schools: the School of Nursing (SON) in 2006, the School of Engineering and Architecture (SEA) in 2010, and the School of Education (SOE) in 2012. In line with the University’s vertical articulation, these schools assumed responsibility for their respective graduate programs, which had previously been housed under the SAS. Beginning in 2012, graduate programs across the University were managed by the deans of the five Schools, with the SBG continuing to have its own Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs.
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Office of the Graduate School
Ateneo de Davao University
In 2025, recognizing the need for strategic leadership and a unified vision for graduate education, the AdDU Board of Trustees approved the creation of the position of Dean of the Graduate School. Dr. Renante D. Pilapil, who had served for many years as Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, was appointed as the University’s first Dean of the Graduate School, effective 1 June 2025.
Structurally, the AdDU Graduate School is not a stand-alone academic unit. Instead, it works closely with the deans of the University’s five schools, where all graduate programs are housed and delivered. While the Dean of the Graduate School provides overall leadership and oversight to ensure the consistent implementation of academic and administrative policies across all graduate programs, the Graduate Program Coordinators, in collaboration with their respective School Deans, are responsible for the day-to-day management and operations of their programs.
Today, the AdDU Graduate School offers a total of fifty-five (55) graduate programs. In Academic Year 2026–2027, it is set to launch three new programs: the Doctor of Social Work (DSW), the PhD in Social Work – the first of its kind in the Philippines – and the PhD in Philosophy, the first doctoral program in Philosophy to be offered in Mindanao.
Facts and Figures
Statistics
| Year Graduate School Established: | 1970 |
| Doctoral Programs: | 10 |
| Masteral Programs: | 49 |
| Graduate Students: | 829 |
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Office of the Graduate School
Ateneo de Davao University
Leadership
Dean of the Graduate School
Dean of the Graduate School
PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT
- PhD Philosophy, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium)
- MA in Philosophy, Ateneo de Manila University
- MA in Philosophy, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
- Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy, Hermeneutics
OICs / Assistant Deans / Program Heads / Coordinators
School of Business and Governance
OIC – Dean of the Graduate School
/
Business and Governance Graduate Program Coordinator
School of Arts and Sciences
Information Technology Graduate Program Coordinator
Tropical Risk Management Graduate Program Coordinator
School of Nursing
School of Engineering and Architecture
Engineering and Architecture Graduate Program Coordinator
School of Education
Graduate Programs
Doctoral Programs
Masteral Programs
Admissions
Guidelines for Graduate Program Enrollment
For New Students and Transferees
01. Click Apply Now to access the enlistment portal.
02. Sign in using your Google account.
03. Fill out the enlistment form, upload necessary documents, and submit duly accomplished form.
04. Receive and read an email about the payment of the entrance exam.
05. Pay the entrance exam.
06. Receive and read an email about the confirmation of your payment of the entrance exam.
07. Take the exam.
08. Receive and read an email about the result of your entrance exam and whether you are eligible for the next step such as the interview.
09. If you are eligible for an interview, click Apply Now again, sign in using your Google account again, select your preferred interview schedule from the available list (if there is no available interview schedule, kindly check back at a later time as it might be currently full), and click Save Changes to confirm your interview schedule.
10. Take the interview. During the interview, inform the interviewer the specific courses/subjects based on the program curriculum/prospectus that you plan to enroll.
11. Receive and read an email about the result of your interview and whether you are accepted for admission.
12. If you are accepted for admission, the tuition and miscellaneous fees (enrollment fee) will be included in the email along with the different payment channels to pay it.
13. Pay the tuition and miscellaneous fees (enrollment fee).
14. Receive and read an email about the confirmation of your payment of the tuition and miscellaneous fees (enrollment fee).
15. Once your payment of the tuition and miscellaneous fees (enrollment fee) are confirmed, you will be tagged as enrolled.
For Current Students
01. Sign in to the SIS Portal.
02. Click on “My Account Balance.” For students with outstanding account balance, send an email here to settle your account balance (wait for 15 to 20 minutes for the enrollment clearance from the Finance Office to take effect).
03. Click on “My Registration” to see the list of registered courses/subjects.
04. Click on “Add Subject” to search for a class using the subject code from your curriculum and add it to your registration. To view the course/subject codes in your curriculum, click on “My Curriculum”.
05. Click on “My Account Balance” to view the updated account assessment and payment schedule.
06. Pay for tuition and other fees through different payment channels.
07. Once your payment has been validated, the Finance Office will change your registration status from “Reserved” to “Enrolled”.
For Returning Students
01. Open SIS Portal.
02. Fill-up the “Reinstatement Application”.
03. Receive and read an email about the result of your Reinstatement Application.
04. If approved, go back to the SIS Portal.
05. Click on “My Account Balance.” For students with outstanding account balance, send an email here to settle your account balance (wait for 15 to 20 minutes for the enrollment clearance from the Finance Office to take effect).
06. Click on “My Registration” to see the list of registered courses/subjects.
07. Click on “Add Subject” to search for a class using the subject code from your curriculum and add it to your registration. To view the course/subject codes in your curriculum, click on “My Curriculum”.
08. Click on “My Account Balance” to view the updated account assessment and payment schedule.
09. Pay for tuition and other fees through different payment channels.
10. Once your payment has been validated, the Finance Office will change your registration status from “Reserved” to “Enrolled”.
Operations Manual
Contact
For any graduate school program concerns, kindly contact the Office of the Graduate School:
Mika Monique O. Dumbase, RSW
Administrative Assistant
Office of the Graduate School
7F CCFC, Ateneo de Davao University,
E. Jacinto Street, Davao City, Philippines
+63 82 221 2411 local 8407
For any graduate school website technical concerns, kindly contact the Web Developer:
Genesis Emmanuel N. Gonzales, PhD
Website Developer
Office of the Graduate School
News
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Congratulations to the Electronics Engineering Department on their exceptional performance in the October 2025 Licensure Examinations The Ateneo de Davao University is recognized as TOP 1 Performing School along with UP Diliman, after achieving a 100% passing rate in...
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The Ateneo de Davao Academy of Lifelong Learning is offering a FREE Webinar on Design Thinking on November 8, 2025, 9:00AM to 10:00AM. Design Thinking empowers professionals to master the art of human-centered innovation. In today's fast-paced and technology-driven...
MEMO | SPECIAL NON-WORKING DAYS
In accordance with Proclamation No. 727, there will be NO WORK or CLASS on the following days: Friday, 31 October: All Saints’ Day EveSaturday, 1 November: All Saints’ DaySunday, 2 November: All Souls’ Day Regular work and classes will resume on Monday, 3 November...
Graduate School Admission Is Still Ongoing
Enroll now and be part of the Ateneo de Davao University Graduate School Community! For inquiries, contact us at (082) 221-2411 Local 8303, or email admissions@addu.edu.ph. Click me to Enlist!