Outside the University’s more popular programs, some lesser-known degrees still lack defined guidelines, clear requirements, and a steady supply of course offerings despite having been offered for years. Because of their smaller student populations, these programs tend to receive less support and resources from the University.
This leaves students in these programs lost, unable to plan their academic journeys long-term or understand their chosen program’s requirements, leading to delays, additional financial burdens, enrollment issues, and even shifting.
Outdated digital systems
Students have complained about the University website being archaic. Outside of complaints about Animo.Sys and enlistment, the website lists outdated or incomplete information for certain programs.
Students from the AB-MA in Behavioral Sciences with Specialization in Organizational and Social System Development program (SBMOSD) report seeing discrepancies in the information provided on the website before enrolling.
It claims, “A total of 12 trimesters are needed to complete the ladderized degree program,” which many thought implied students could expect to graduate within four years, appealing to incoming undergraduate students.
However after enrolling, students discovered the actual duration was five years. The absence of a flowchart and insufficient information on the program also caused difficulties in long-term academic planning.
Under this program, Aaliyah Garcia (I, SBMOSD) shares in Filipino, “It’s like we’re gambling on a program with no certainty. They’re not the ones struggling. We’re the ones facing hardships in figuring out what [to] do… because we have no basis.”
Administrative bottlenecks
Some issues also stem from a gap between the department’s and students’ performance. For SBMOSD, the issue of missing flowcharts reflects administrative hurdles that also delay the release of necessary documents to aid degree progression, leading to instances of blind enlistment.
In an interview with The LaSallian, College of Liberal Arts Associate Dean Dr. Darren Dumaop, noted that some flowcharts exist but are not disseminated due to the lack of signatures.
Because of this, students resorted to following flowcharts from similar programs, such as AB-ODSM, leading to confusion and uncertainty on whether they will be able to graduate on time.
Delays in degree progression
Students in inter-campus programs, such as BS Interactive Entertainment (IET), have also reported struggles when courses are not consistently offered when the number of students falls below the required threshold, causing delays in their flowchart.
Jill Ebora (III, IET-GD) explained that IET Game Development began with 22 students, but has since declined to less than half its original number. This was partly driven by students opting to shift out after discovering that failed major courses can only be retaken after one year, unlike other Computer Studies programs, where retakes are usually available the following term.
She further explained that the program follows a “2+2” structure, in which students are expected to progress by their third year, regardless of delays. However, the required courses were not offered because most did not meet the prerequisites. Although the course was available in the Manila Campus, the system already tagged students under the Laguna Campus, requiring them to wait for inter-campus enrollment before attempting to enlist.
During this waiting period, the University allowed students from Computer Science programs to enroll in Game Development courses due to limited slots, despite earlier instructions stating that the courses were not equivalent. Students, then, were unable to advance in the program and experienced surging doubt about their degree progression.
The process has also been more difficult for some, as the system has reportedly mislabeled students. Ashley Tee (III, IET-ADS) explained, “Sometimes 2+2 students get tagged as Laguna students and vice versa.”
Rainellie Ebrada (IV, BPMPH) shared, “For 122, I was the only one who applied for BS Pre-Med Physics.” With only seven students across all batches, the quota raised concerns about whether the structural realities of niche programs were considered, given that enrollment barely reached the threshold to begin with.
Applied Physics students echoed similar sentiments, adding that specialization availability is heavily enrollment-dependent, so it is strongly encouraged to choose well-established tracks over personal preferences.
Low populations have led to other struggles. Ebrada added in Filipino that “Considering I’m alone, without classmates for the last four years, I think my social skills went downhill. The only ones I talk to are my professors.” She said, recalling how she had the same instructor for five courses.
Recurring growth and hurdles
The Provost announced on January 17 that a minimum class size of five students will be implemented for the Laguna Campus. However, some students in these programs express skepticism. Migs Posadas (III, BSAPHS) stressed how class limits further delay their progression. “Are you telling me, a paying student in a program you offered me to enroll in, [that] there’s a chance you won’t offer me a class? […] Is the email just posturing?”
For IET program coordinator Dr. Rafael Cabrero, the program’s state is not due to neglect or fewer students, but rather to its youth. Established in 2018, the IET programs have undergone continuous curriculum review.
Cabrero explained that “It’s ongoing consultation with students, particularly those who are about to graduate, [through] an exit interview. So we ask them about it, and some of them give feedback.”
But despite these efforts, Cabrero is aware of the difficulties of maintaining niche programs in an evolving industry. Even when obtaining resources, there is an underutilized budget because of corporate legalities. Cabrero shared that the department’s attempt to create a “game library” at the Laguna Campus was well received, but had to be stalled due to hurdles with publishers like Nintendo, who prevent archiving.
Addressing the imbalance
For students enrolled in niche programs, their academic journeys have become less a matter of following a prescribed flowchart and more of a process of adapting through constant administrative shifts.
The persistent challenges in programs such as SBMOSD, IET, and Applied Physics reflect the gap between the University’s expansion into specialized fields and the support needed to sustain them. As DLSU continues to implement curriculum reviews and a new minimum class size, the burden remains largely on Lasallians. Whether the University will eventually provide the stability it promised on its website, or if these niche programs will remain high-risk for students enrolled, is a question the administration has yet to resolve.
This article was published in The LaSallian’s March 2026 issue. To read more, visit bit.ly/TLSMar2026.
