Nueva Vizcaya State University Coping with the Challenges of 21st Century Graduate Education

The quest for education does not cease after having pursued a baccalaureate degree. One should consider a graduate degree that may improve his career. The graduate school of the Nueva Vizcaya State University (NVSU), Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya, which aims at providing quality graduate education to its stakeholders, has been proactively equipped with educational machineries that serve as drivers of institutional capacities of NVSU to offer and conduct quality graduate programs. Despite the efforts of the university to discharge excellent services that address the longing of the graduate students for enhancement of their 21st century skills, there are some inhibitors that need to be unveiled and calibrated to upgrade the institutional capabilities of the university to respond to the career needs of its stakeholders. NVSU has post- baccalaureate programs considered best graduate offerings whose bases of selection are anchored on accreditation, enrolment and number of graduates. Some sectors of society, economy or academia, or particular career competencies are deemed focus of the graduate school. Students who usually enrol in the graduate programs are identified in terms of baccalaureate preparations, career objectives and activities or professional and personal undertakings after completion of the best programs. The quality, relevance and competitive value of NVSU are being strengthened and backed by government policies and programs that favor the improvement of the graduate programs of the university and divulge the educational aspects that should be given attention to address the inhibitors of institutional capacities of the graduate school to offer and conduct graduate programs.

Keywords: Nueva Vizcaya State University, Graduate Education, Institutional Capacities, Drivers, Inhibitors