UP National College of Public Administration and Governance - History

History

UP-NCPAG traces its roots to the Institute of Public Administration (IPA), which was established in June 15, 1952 after the University of the Philippines entered into an agreement with the University of Michigan in the United States to aid the former in providing technical assistance in the field of public administration as part of the Bell Mission's recommendations. For its first four (initially two) years, the IPA was under American leadership.

The IPA was the first of its kind not only in the Philippines, but also in Asia. In its first two years of operations, the IPA had conducted three kinds of courses with the participation of 2,500 government officials and employees. Later, undergraduate and master's degrees in Public Administration were offered. From 68 students in First Semester 1953-1954, enrollment in these academic programs increased to about 200 every semester by 1955.

In 1968, the Doctor of Public Administration program was instituted. The undergraduate program was also phased out that year, only to be restored in 1987. The following year, a diploma program was opened, enabling administrators to pursue specialized courses in public administration without going through the master’s degree.

UP-NCPAG changed its name four times. From the IPA, it became the Graduate School of Public Administration, the School of Public Administration, and the College of Public Administration. The current name, the National College of Public Administration and Governance, was approved by the UP Board of Regents in its 1126th meeting on 26 November 1998.

In 2004, the Commission on Higher Education officially recognized UP-NCPAG as the most outstanding school of public administration in the country.

Two independent units of UP Diliman, the School of Urban and Regional Planning and the Center for Integrative and Development Studies, were initially created as part of UP-NCPAG.