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The University of Southern Mindanao (USM) is expanding its academic offerings with the introduction of the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT), which will be offered beginning Academic Year 2026–2027 after the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Regional Office XII granted the program a Certificate of Program Compliance (COPC).
Along with the BSIT program, CHED also issued Certificates of Program Compliance to the Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSEd) program, covering the majors in Science, Mathematics, Filipino, English, and Social Studies, and the Bachelor of Science in Biology program with specializations in Plant Pathology, Animal Biology, and Ecology. The COPCs for the BSEd and BS Biology programs were issued on July 9, 2026.
The addition of the BSIT program gives incoming students another degree option at USM, particularly for those interested in pursuing careers in software development, systems administration, cybersecurity, networking, database management, and other areas of information technology.
A Certificate of Program Compliance is issued by CHED to academic programs that meet the minimum standards prescribed under Republic Act No. 7722, or the Higher Education Act of 1994. The certification confirms that a program complies with national quality standards for higher education.
The University’s Quality Assurance Office (UQAO), headed by Dr. Lawrence Anthony U. Dollente, spearheaded the University’s COPC application and compliance efforts. Mr. Renante Montero, UQAO staff member and focal person for COPC and CHED-related assessments, closely coordinated with CHED, faculty members, department chairpersons, and college deans from the respective colleges throughout the evaluation process.
