TL;DR: BS Agriculture runs under CHED Memorandum Order No. 23, series of 2021 — 154 units built around six fields of specialisation, with a Certificate of Agricultural Science awarded at the end of year two after 240 hours of practicum. Yes, there is a board exam. Republic Act No. 12215, the Philippine Agriculturists Act, approved 29 May 2025, requires a written licensure examination covering six foundation subjects, held at least once a year, with a 75% average and no subject below 50%.
BS Agriculture was rebuilt fairly recently, and the new design is unusual enough to change how you should think about the degree. CHED turned it into a skills-first programme: the technical agriculture courses come in the first two years with minimal general education, and students walk away with a stackable certificate at the halfway point.
That matters if you are weighing the course, because it means the first two years already produce something employable, and because the six specialisations you choose between map directly onto the board exam.
What Governs BS Agriculture
The programme runs under CHED Memorandum Order No. 23, series of 2021, "Policies, Standards and Guidelines for the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture," adopted by virtue of Commission en Banc Resolutions No. 085-2018 (6 March 2018) and No. 361-2021 (22 June 2021).
CMO 23 describes the design as "a skill-based curriculum where basic technical courses in agriculture are taken during the first two years with minimal relevant General Education (GE) courses." It aligns the programme with Republic Act No. 8435, the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997, and pegs the degree at Level 6 of the Philippine Qualifications Framework.
The order also supersedes CMO 48, series of 2007 and all issuances relating to the Diploma in Agricultural Technology (DAT) and Bachelor in Agricultural Technology (BAT) programmes, whose skills and competencies it absorbed. If you encounter a school still marketing DAT or BAT, that is the context.
The Six Fields
CMO 23 defines agriculture as covering six fields of study:
- Crop science
- Animal science
- Soil science
- Crop protection
- Agricultural entrepreneurship and enterprise development / economics and marketing
- Agricultural extension and communication
Those six are not decoration. They are the specialisations schools may build majors around, and they are the same six foundation subjects the licensure exam covers. The Professional Regulatory Board of Agriculture created by RA 12215 is itself composed of a chairperson and five members, each representing one of the six fields.
Note that schools may or may not offer specialisation. CMO 23 says institutions "may opt for specialization," and where they do, 27 units of major courses relevant to that specialisation are taken on top of the core. CHED adds a caveat schools are supposed to respect: a school offering a specialisation should have sufficient technical expertise, technologies and resources for it. Ask about that directly — a major in animal science is only as good as the school's animal facilities.
The 154 Units
| Component | Units |
|---|---|
| General education | 36 |
| Core courses | 65 |
| Major courses (12 units prescribed, 15 units specialised) | 27 |
| Practicum for skill development, for the Certificate of Agricultural Science | 3 |
| Thesis or major farm practice | 6 |
| Apprenticeship / OJT (industry exposure) | 3 |
| Physical Education | 8 |
| National Service Training Program | 6 |
| Total | 154 |
Three of those components carry hour requirements rather than just unit counts, and they are the ones worth reading closely.
Practicum — 240 hours. This is the skill development block tied to the year-two certificate, designed so the competencies satisfy TESDA certification at NC III level. If you are unfamiliar with how TESDA's certification tiers work, our TESDA NC levels explained guide covers it.
Thesis or major farm practice — 6 units. CMO 23 gives schools and students a choice here. Major farm practice is "equivalent to 480 hours of actual training and exposure to institutional farm operation in specific field of specialization." The thesis alternative is independent research in the student's field. Neither is obviously easier; they suit different plans, since a thesis matters more if you intend to go on to graduate study.
Apprenticeship — 240 hours minimum. All BSA students must take at least 240 hours of apprenticeship outside campus, local or abroad, in an agricultural industry or enterprise. CMO 23 requires schools to have official industry and research institution partners covered by memoranda of agreement, requires an official report from both student and institution, and specifies the student output as a business plan or action plan reflecting the experience. It recommends the apprenticeship be taken in the second semester of fourth year.
The Certificate at the End of Year Two
This is the structural feature that distinguishes the current BSA from the older version. Under CMO 23, a Certificate of Agricultural Science is awarded at the end of year two, after the student completes all prescribed courses of the first two years and the 240 hours of practicum.
CHED's stated purpose: the certificate "will qualify the graduates for employment as technicians or engagement in practical agribusiness." It absorbs the competencies of the old DAT and BAT programmes.
For a student who is uncertain about finishing four years — a common situation where money is the constraint — this is a genuinely useful exit point, and one worth confirming with the school before enrolling. Ask whether they actually issue the certificate and whether they process the associated TESDA assessment.
Is There a Board Exam? Yes
The Agriculturist Licensure Examination is administered by the PRC. The governing law is now Republic Act No. 12215, the Philippine Agriculturists Act, approved 29 May 2025, which created a Professional Regulatory Board of Agriculture under the administrative supervision and control of the PRC.
Frequency and form. Section 13 requires a written professional licensure examination, conducted at least once a year in places and on dates the PRC designates.
Coverage. Section 14 sets the six foundation subjects: crop science; animal science; soil science; crop protection; agricultural economics, agribusiness and agri-entrepreneurship; and agricultural extension and communication. The Board may recluster, rearrange, modify, add to or exclude subjects to keep pace with technological and agricultural modernisation.
Who can sit it. Section 15 requires the applicant to be a Filipino citizen or a citizen of a country with a reciprocity policy; to hold a bachelor's degree in agriculture or any agriculture-related degree from a government-recognised school, having completed coursework in agricultural subjects including the six foundation subjects, with the minimum number of units prescribed by the Board; and to be of good moral character with no conviction for a crime involving moral turpitude. The law also opens a route for incumbent holders of agriculture positions in government who hold professional civil service eligibility and have taken the required agricultural units.
Passing. Section 16 requires an average of at least 75% in all subjects with no rating below 50%. It adds a provision worth knowing: if an examinee gets a general weighted average of 75% or higher but scores below 50% in a subject, they are allowed to retake the examination in that subject or subjects rather than the whole exam.
One transitional note. Section 41 provides that the existing Board of Agriculture continues to function in the interim until the new Board is constituted under the Act. Because the law is recent, the Board's implementing rules — including the minimum unit prescriptions for exam eligibility — are the things most likely to have moved since any guide was written. Check PRC directly.
For the exam side in more depth, see our agriculturist board exam guide, and for filing mechanics common to all PRC boards, the PRC board exam requirements explainer.
What Agriculture Graduates Do
CMO 23 names five career areas the degree targets: research, teaching and extension; agriculture and food technology; public administration for agriculture; farm management; and entrepreneurship and business in agriculture.
RA 12215's scope of practice is wider and more specific. The agriculture profession, as the law defines it, covers crop, livestock and poultry production, processing and distribution in both urban and rural areas, including soil, crop and animal health management; consultation, evaluation, investigation and management services requiring agricultural knowledge; preparation of plans, specifications, feasibility studies and estimates; research in soil resource management, crop improvement and production, breeding, and pest and disease management; training and extension work; management and marketing services; teaching agriculture subjects in recognised schools; and employment in the private and government sectors where the role requires a registered agriculturist's expertise.
That last clause is the practical one. A growing number of government agriculture positions are written to require a registered agriculturist, which is the main reason the licence matters even for graduates who never intend to run a farm.
CMO 23 also lists the allied fields the degree sits next to: agribusiness, agri-biotechnology, agroforestry, forestry and environmental science. Those are where lateral moves and second degrees usually go.
Choosing a School
Because CMO 23 gives schools discretion over specialisation and industry partnerships, school choice matters more here than in tightly prescribed programmes:
- Ask which of the six specialisations the school actually offers, and what facilities back them. CHED expects schools offering a specialisation to have the technical expertise, technologies and resources for it.
- Ask about the apprenticeship partners by name. CMO 23 requires memoranda of agreement with industry and research institutions. A school with weak partners means a weak 240 hours.
- Ask whether the Certificate of Agricultural Science is actually issued at the end of year two, and whether TESDA assessment is arranged.
- Confirm the programme is CHED-recognised. RA 12215 ties exam eligibility to a government-recognised school. See CHED-accredited schools.
- Ask about board results across several cycles, since agriculture cohorts vary a lot by campus.
No tuition figures appear in this guide, by design. State universities and private schools price agriculture very differently, and rates are set and revised per institution. Ask the school. For where agriculture sits against other programmes in the job market, see our overview of in-demand courses in the Philippines, and for the wider list of licensed programmes, courses with board exams.
Sources
- CHED Memorandum Order No. 23, series of 2021 — Policies, Standards and Guidelines for the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture — Commission on Higher Education, copy hosted by Central Mindanao University (six fields of study, 154-unit breakdown, Certificate of Agricultural Science and 240-hour practicum, thesis or major farm practice, apprenticeship requirements, career areas, allied fields)
- Republic Act No. 12215 — Philippine Agriculturists Act — LawPhil / Arellano Law Foundation (creation and composition of the Professional Regulatory Board of Agriculture, written examination requirement and frequency, six foundation subjects, applicant qualifications, ratings and subject retake provision, scope of practice, transitory provision)
- Republic Act No. 8435 — Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997 — LawPhil (the law CMO 23 aligns the curriculum with)
