Tracer Study of Graduate School Graduates of a State Higher Education Institution in the Philippines from 2016 to 2020

In a highly competitive global marketplace, the academic preparation of graduates provides them with better job opportunities and a higher chance of employment. With graduate studies, one will be more qualified, eligible, and competent to face new jobs and work assignments, especially when holding managerial positions. This study generally aimed to trace the graduates of a State Higher Education Institution in the Philippines. Specifically, it determined the profile of graduates, employment status, employability characteristics, the extent of contribution and applicability of the skills gained, assessed the graduate program offerings, and recommendations to improve the services of the Graduate School. The study used a descriptive research design. The study gathered data from ninety-two graduates of the three program offerings of the Graduate School. The questionnaire was used to gather the necessary data and analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency count and percentage, mean, and rank. Based on the result, graduates have a very high employability rate. There is a very high application of the competencies gained by the graduates specifically on the enhanced academic profession to their personal and professional growth; there is a very high assessment of graduates to the graduate program they enrolled in the College. The graduates recommended the offering of more terminal programs and improvement of facilities to improve the services of the Graduate School. With these conclusions, the study recommends a periodic review of the curriculum and continuous capability building of professors to make the programs more responsive and relevant to the needs of the students and the standards and requirements of the industry.