 methods.
Programs and Degrees
Stage I: Bachelor’s (Batsilyer) degree programs are a minimum of four years in length. During the first two years of study students are required to take general education courses (63 credits), with courses counting towards the major usually being undertaken in the last two years of the program. Some institutions offer five-year programs in science, pharmacy and agriculture (200 credits). Engineering, architecture (226 credits) and music programs normally require five years of study.
Some institutions offer a two-year (generally 70 credit) Associate (Asoyado) degree program, usually in arts, science or commerce. Graduates of these programs can, if desired, transfer into the last two years of a bachelor degree program. An increasingly popular associate and certificate program is midwifery and the sole tertiary-level credential in the field is the two-year Graduate in Midwifery certificate. A four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is the sole entry-level degree for nursing. Graduates are required to then take licensing examinations.
The post-secondary programs leading to the Doctor of Dental Medicine and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine normally require six years of study, usually involving two years of appropriate preliminary studies and four years of specialized studies.
Stage II: Master of Art/Science (Masterado, Dalubhasa, or Kadalubhasaan) degrees usually require two years of full-time study and a minor thesis or comprehensive examinations. The entrance requirement for most master degree programs is a bachelor degree in an appropriate discipline, with an average grade equal to or better than 2.00, 85 percent or B.
Some professional degrees, such as law and medicine are undertaken following a first bachelor degree. The first degree awarded in medicine is the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), which generally requires that students study basic medical sciences for the first two years followed by two years in clinical rotation. This is generally followed by a one-year internship, after which graduates take the licensing examination and, as appropriate, three to five years’ residency (for specialization). All students seeking admission to medical programs must attain a passing score on the National Medical Admission Test (NMAT) as established by each institution. The Bachelor of Laws (LL.B or L.I.B) also requires four years of study following the first degree. The Juris Doctor (J.D.) requires an additional eight units (2-4 classes) of coursework and a thesis beyond the requirements for the LL.B. Students of both programs are expected to complete an internship of not more than 12 months, completion of which combined with completion of the LL.B/J.D., qualifies them to take the bar examination administered by the Supreme Court. A few universities offer four-year master’s programs that build on a four-year bachelor’s degree for veterinary medicine, rather than the usual six-year program (see above).
Stage III: Doctor of Philosophy (Doktor sa Pilospiya) programs often involve a substantial amount of coursework, while the dissertation may comprise as little as a quarter or a fifth of the total credits. Ph.D programs usually require two or three years of full-time study beyond the master's degree. Programs that require primarily coursework without original research emphasis, and usually without a major dissertation, award professional degrees identified specifically as Doctor of the program’s disciplinary field, such as Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Public Health (D.P.H.) and others. The entrance requirement is usually a master degree, with an average grade of 2.00 or B.
Two academic degrees in law are offered in addition to the first professional degrees: the two-year Master of Law (LL.M) and the three-year Doctor of Civil Laws (D.C.L). Both require a J.D. or LL.B for admission.
NON-UNIVERSITY HIGHER EDUCATION
Technical and vocational schools and institutes offer programs in a variety of fields, including agriculture, fisheries, technical trades, trade technical education, hotel and restaurant manageme