TL;DR: The multimedia arts course is governed by CHED Memorandum Order No. 20, series of 2017, which names the degree Bachelor of Multimedia Arts (BMMA) and sets a 135-unit sample curriculum over four years, ending in a two-part thesis or capstone project plus a Portfolio Preparation and Exhibit Design course. There is no PRC board exam — multimedia arts is not among the Professional Regulation Commission's 46 Professional Regulatory Boards. Entry portfolios, tuition and specialisation tracks are set by each school, not by CHED.
If you searched for "BS Multimedia Arts," the first thing worth knowing is that CHED does not use that name. CMO No. 20, s. 2017 states plainly that the degree "shall be called Bachelor of Multimedia Arts (BMMA)." Schools market it variously as BA Multimedia Arts or BS Multimedia Arts, and CHED's outcomes-based framework gives them room to design their own curricula, but the policy document behind all of them is the same.
This guide covers what that memorandum actually prescribes, what you will study, what the portfolio requirement really is, and the answer most readers are here for: whether there is a licensure exam.
The CHED Memorandum Behind the Course
The Bachelor of Multimedia Arts programme was promulgated under CHED Memorandum Order No. 20, series of 2017, issued by virtue of Commission en banc Resolution No. 231-2017 dated 28 March 2017. It is one of a cluster of arts and design policies CHED released under the same resolution, alongside CMO No. 43, s. 2017 for undergraduate programmes in Fine Arts and Design and CMO No. 44, s. 2017 for BS Interior Design.
CHED describes multimedia arts as "grounded on design, technology and the visual arts," an interdisciplinary field "geared towards creative and effective storytelling and expression through the convergence of digital media technologies, forms and practices."
The memorandum organises the whole degree around four core competencies:
- Conceptual — knowledge of multimedia theories, genres and approaches
- Technical — proficiency with the hardware and software used in multimedia production
- Aesthetic — creativity and innovative thinking in design and production
- Professional — ethical practice in the creative industries and in community contexts
Schools may weight one goal over another. CHED explicitly says a programme focused on digital art may emphasise the aesthetic goal, while one focused on multimedia studies may emphasise the conceptual goal. That is why two BMMA programmes can feel very different in practice.
Disclaimer: CHED prescribes minimum standards, not a fixed national curriculum. Always confirm the current programme of study with the school you are applying to.
Multimedia Arts Curriculum: The 135-Unit Breakdown
CHED's sample curriculum in CMO No. 20, s. 2017 totals 135 units, distributed as follows.
| Component | Units |
|---|---|
| General Education | 36 |
| Core Courses | 22 |
| Major Courses | 39 |
| Electives | 9 |
| Free Electives | 6 |
| Thesis / Capstone Project | 6 |
| On-the-Job Training | 3 |
| NSTP | 6 |
| Physical Education | 8 |
| Total | 135 |
The programme of study runs four years plus a summer term for OJT. First year is foundation work: Introduction to Multimedia Arts, Drawing 1 and 2, History of Graphic Design, Elements and Principles of Design. Second year adds Color Theory, Writing for New Media, Digital Photography, Typography and Layout, 2D Animation, and Fundamentals in Film and Video Production.
Third year is the heaviest production year — Multimedia Publishing, 3D Modeling, Digital Sound Production, Interactive Media Design, 3D Animation, Post-Production Techniques, and Research Methods — followed by the summer OJT. Fourth year narrows to Business Ventures in Multimedia, Multimedia Seminars, the two-part Thesis or Capstone Project, and Portfolio Preparation and Exhibit Design, which CHED restricts to graduating students only.
Where Specialisation Actually Happens
The 9 elective units are the specialisation lever. CMO No. 20, s. 2017 supplies sample elective sets for three common programme foci:
| Programme focus | Sample CHED electives |
|---|---|
| Animation | Advanced 3D Animation, Digital Storyboarding, Acting for Animation |
| Film / video production | Writing for Film and Television, Acting and Directing for Film, Documentary Film |
| Graphic design | Motion Graphics, Brand Communications and Design, Advanced Web Design |
CHED's wider suggested list also includes several non-programming game courses — Game Concepts, Game Design: Art Production, Game Design: Writing, Game Design: Level Design — plus Web Programming, Copywriting, Multimedia Journalism, Music and Sound Recording, Illustration and Cartooning, Cinematography and Production Design. If a specific track matters to you, ask the school which of these it actually runs, because the elective list in the memorandum is suggested rather than mandatory.
Does Multimedia Arts Have a Board Exam?
No. The Professional Regulation Commission administers 46 Professional Regulatory Boards, covering professions such as Accountancy, Architecture, Interior Design, Nursing and Professional Teachers. Multimedia arts, animation and graphic design are not among them. There is no PRC licensure examination for a multimedia arts graduate, and no licence is required to practise.
That has a practical consequence worth planning around. In licensed fields, the board exam is the gate. Here, the portfolio is the gate. Employers and clients hire on demonstrated work, which is exactly why CHED built a dedicated Portfolio Preparation and Exhibit Design course into the final semester rather than leaving it to chance.
If you specifically want a degree that ends in a licensure exam, our guide to courses with board exams sets out which ones do.
Multimedia Arts vs BSEMC vs Fine Arts
These three get confused constantly, and they answer to three different CHED memoranda.
| Bachelor of Multimedia Arts | BS Entertainment and Multimedia Computing | Bachelor of Fine Arts | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Governing policy | CMO No. 20, s. 2017 | CMO No. 02, s. 2014 | CMO No. 43, s. 2017 |
| Framing | Design, technology and visual arts; humanities outcomes | Computing degree | Fine arts and design |
| Specialisations | By elective set, chosen by the school | Game Development or Digital Animation-Technology | Studio Arts, Visual Communication, Industrial Design, Moving Images, Art Theory |
| Programming content | Optional elective (Web Programming) | Core and heavy | Not a required component |
| Sample curriculum total | 135 units | 167 units | Minimum 158 units |
| PRC board exam | None | None | None |
CHED's own list of allied programmes for BMMA is instructive about where the degree sits: Fine Arts, Architecture and Industrial Design; Film, Media Studies, Communication Arts, Journalism and Advertising; Information Technology and Digital Animation; Music and Theater Arts; Sound and Communications Engineering; Literature and Creative Writing; and Psychology and Behavioral Economics. Those allied fields matter in practice — they govern which faculty can teach the programme and which students may cross-enrol or shift in from another department.
Admission, Portfolios and Talent Tests
CMO No. 20, s. 2017 does not set an entrance portfolio requirement. Admission screening is left to each institution, which is why practice varies so widely.
What is consistent across art and design colleges is that a general entrance exam is rarely the only hurdle. The UP College of Fine Arts, for instance, publishes a two-part undergraduate admission route for its bachelor's degrees: the UPCAT administered at university level, then a Talent Determination Test administered at department level. Applicants to its certificate programmes additionally sit an IQ and aptitude test plus an interview and portfolio review.
Practical advice, then: treat a portfolio as required unless the school says otherwise, and build it from finished pieces rather than exercises. Ask each school three questions directly — is a portfolio required, in what format, and is there a talent or drawing test on top of the entrance exam. Our college admission requirements checklist covers the documents every applicant needs regardless of course.
Where the Course Is Offered
Programme names differ by school even where the CHED policy is the same. Verified examples from the schools' own published programme pages:
- Asia Pacific College offers a Bachelor of Multimedia Arts on a trimestral calendar, with focus areas it lists as Video Arts, Studio Arts, Sound Design, Digital Animation, UI/UX Design and Game Design, and with internship built into the curriculum.
- De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde lists Multimedia Arts under its School of New Media Arts, alongside separate Animation, Film and Photography programmes.
Because CHED lets institutions design their own curricula so long as the minimum outcomes are met, the same degree title can mean a design-led programme at one school and a production-led one at another. Compare actual course lists, not brochures. Our guide on how to verify school legitimacy explains how to confirm a programme carries government recognition before you enrol.
What CHED Does Not Prescribe
Being clear about the gaps saves a lot of wasted searching:
- Tuition. No CHED memorandum sets or caps multimedia arts tuition. Rates are published by each school per term.
- Entrance portfolio rules. Not in the memorandum. School-level policy.
- Equipment you must personally own. CMO No. 20, s. 2017 sets institutional resource requirements, not student purchase lists. Ask the department what students are actually expected to buy, because laptop and tablet requirements in production-heavy years are a real cost.
- Specialisation tracks. The elective sets in the memorandum are samples. A school is not obliged to run an animation track just because CHED printed one.
- Any licence or professional registration. There is none.
Is Multimedia Arts Right for You?
- Do you want to make things, or study them? BMMA is production-heavy from first year. If you would rather analyse media than produce it, a communication or media studies degree fits better.
- How comfortable are you with code? BMMA treats programming as optional. If you want to build games or animation pipelines rather than assets, BSEMC is the closer match.
- Can you sustain a portfolio? Without a board exam, your body of work is your credential from day one.
- Which senior high strand did you take? Arts and Design is the most direct feeder; see our Arts and Design strand guide. ICT strand students also arrive well prepared for the technical courses.
Still weighing options across fields? Our guide on what course to take in college walks through the decision more broadly.
Ready to find the right school? Browse schools and compare programmes across the Philippines on SchoolFinderPH.
Sources
- Commission on Higher Education — CMO No. 20, series of 2017, Policies, Standards and Guidelines for the Bachelor of Multimedia Arts (BMMA) Program
- Commission on Higher Education — 2017 CHED Memorandum Orders index
- Commission on Higher Education — CMO No. 02, series of 2014, PSG for BS Entertainment and Multimedia Computing
- Commission on Higher Education — CMO No. 43, series of 2017, PSG for the Undergraduate Programs in Fine Arts and Design
- Professional Regulation Commission — Professional Regulatory Boards
- University of the Philippines Diliman Office of the University Registrar — College of Fine Arts catalogue
- Asia Pacific College — Bachelor of Multimedia Arts
- De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde — Undergraduate Programmes
