TL;DR: BS Psychology is a four-year, roughly 129-unit degree under CHED's CMO No. 34, series of 2017, built around required courses like Developmental Psychology, Psychological Statistics, Psychological Assessment, and Research in Psychology I and II, plus an elective practicum with a recommended minimum of 150 hours. It qualifies graduates for the Psychometrician Licensure Examination under RA 10029, a bachelor's-level PRC exam, not the higher Psychologist license, which needs a master's degree. Tuition runs around ₱88,900/year at a mid-tier private school like Silliman, and entry-level psychometrician job postings list ₱15,000-₱19,000 per month.
BS Psychology is one of the most-searched college courses in the Philippines, and one of the least understood on paper. It's not one uniform curriculum: CHED regulates it alongside its sister track, AB Psychology, under a single policy document, and both feed into the same licensure exam. This guide covers what BS Psychology actually is: the CHED-prescribed subjects year by year, how long it takes, whether it leads to a board exam, what it costs, and what graduates earn. If you're deciding between the BS and AB designations specifically, read BS vs AB Psychology instead; this guide is the standalone program overview. If you're still in senior high, start with what strand for Psychology.
What Is BS Psychology?
BS Psychology is a four-year undergraduate degree that studies behavior and mental processes, covering how internal, relational, and social factors shape a person's functioning. CHED regulates it under CMO No. 34, series of 2017 ("Policies and Standards for Undergraduate Programs in Psychology"), which governs both the Bachelor of Arts (AB/BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS) versions of the program under one shared framework. The two tracks share an identical psychology core; BS Psychology simply adds a natural science elective requirement AB Psychology does not carry.
CHED's own policy describes the program's purpose plainly: it provides "initial training for those interested in teaching, research and the practice of psychology," while also serving as preparation "for graduate studies in psychology as well as further studies in other professions such as medicine, law, and business management."
Disclaimer: curriculum specifics and elective offerings vary by school within CHED's minimum framework. Confirm the current curriculum with your target school's registrar before enrolling.
What Subjects Are in the BS Psychology Curriculum?
CHED's CMO 34 sets BS Psychology at a minimum of 129 total units, built from General Education, basic psychology courses, required psychology courses, psychology electives, natural science electives, PE, and NSTP. The table below is the official unit breakdown from the CMO.
| Curriculum Component | No. of Subjects | Total Units |
|---|---|---|
| General Education (GE) | 12 | 36 |
| Basic Courses (Intro to Psychology, Psychological Statistics) | 2 | 8 |
| Required Courses (psychology core) | 13 | 45 |
| Psychology Elective Series | 2 | 6 |
| Natural Science Electives (BS only) | — | 20 |
| Physical Education | 4 | 8 |
| NSTP | 2 | 6 |
| Total (BS Psychology) | 129 |
The 13 required courses are: Developmental Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Theories of Personality, Physiological/Biological Psychology, Experimental Psychology, Field Methods in Psychology, Social Psychology, Psychological Assessment, Abnormal Psychology, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Culture and Psychology (Filipino Psychology/Sikolohiyang Pilipino), and Research in Psychology I and II. CHED's curriculum guidelines specify that Introduction to Psychology and Psychological Statistics must be taken before all other psychology courses, that Theories of Personality is a prerequisite for Psychological Assessment and Abnormal Psychology, and that Experimental Psychology and Field Methods in Psychology are prerequisites for the two Research in Psychology courses.
How Long Does BS Psychology Take, and What Are the Practicum Requirements?
BS Psychology is a standard four-year program, following the same eight-semester structure as most Philippine bachelor's degrees, though CHED's sample program of study lets institutions adjust sequencing as long as prerequisite rules are respected. In CHED's recommended layout, the heaviest psychology-specific coursework lands in the second and third years (Developmental, Cognitive, Experimental, Social, and Abnormal Psychology, plus Psychological Assessment), with the two Research in Psychology courses and remaining electives in the fourth year.
Practicum is classified as an elective course in CHED's framework, not a universally mandatory core subject, and the CMO recommends it be taken "in the Senior Year or preferably in the summer of third year," with a minimum of 150 practicum hours. Because practicum sits under electives rather than the required core, whether your specific school makes it mandatory for graduation depends on that school's own curriculum design, so confirm directly with your target school's psychology department.
Does BS Psychology Lead to a Board Exam?
Yes. BS Psychology graduates are eligible for the Psychometrician Licensure Examination, administered by the Professional Regulation Commission's Board of Psychology under Republic Act No. 10029, the Philippine Psychology Act of 2009. The law sets eligibility at holding "at least a bachelor's degree in psychology conferred by a university, college or school in the Philippines or abroad recognized/accredited by the CHED," without distinguishing between the BS and AB designation.
RA 10029 requires applicants for the Psychologist exam, a separate and higher credential, to have "undergone a minimum of two hundred (200) hours of supervised practicum/internship/clinical experience" on top of a master's degree in psychology.
That distinction matters: the bachelor's-level Psychometrician license lets graduates administer and score psychological tests under supervision, while the Psychologist license, requiring a master's degree plus 200 hours of supervised clinical experience, allows independent practice and diagnosis. Neither BS nor AB Psychology alone qualifies a graduate for the Psychologist title. For the exam's four coverage areas, schedule, and passing rate, see the psychometrician board exam guide.
How Much Does BS Psychology Tuition Cost?
At Silliman University, a mid-tier private university, BS Psychology's official published rate for SY 2026-2027 is ₱45,360 for the first semester and ₱43,537 for the second, for a first-year total of roughly ₱88,900. That figure sits in line with SchoolFinderPH's broader cost-of-college research, which places most lecture-based bachelor's programs at private schools in the ₱25,000-₱70,000 per semester range, with premium universities running higher. BS Psychology is free at state universities and colleges (SUCs) under RA 10931, the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, subject to each SUC's own admission and retention requirements.
Disclaimer: tuition figures change every school year and vary significantly by institution. Confirm the current rate directly with your target school's admissions office before budgeting.
What Kind of Schools Offer BS Psychology?
BS Psychology is one of the most widely offered programs in the country, available at large private universities like the University of Santo Tomas, Far Eastern University, and Silliman University, as well as state universities and regional colleges nationwide. Because CHED's framework sets a floor rather than a ceiling, program depth, faculty specialization (clinical, industrial-organizational, developmental), and lab/testing facilities vary meaningfully between schools even though the core curriculum stays the same. There is no CHED-published ranked list of psychology programs the way there is for some licensure-heavy courses, so weigh a school's faculty credentials and thesis/practicum support directly rather than relying on general prestige alone.
What Jobs and Salary Can BS Psychology Graduates Expect?
Career paths split into two broad groups: roles open to any BS Psychology graduate right after college, and roles that require passing the Psychometrician exam first.
| Path | Typical Roles | Approx. Monthly Pay | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| No license required | HR/recruitment assistant, training associate, guidance office staff | ₱18,000-₱21,000 | Jobstreet (HR Assistant listings) |
| Psychometrician (licensed) | Testing/assessment in HR, clinics, hospitals, schools | ₱15,000-₱19,000 | Jobstreet (entry-level Psychometrician postings) |
| Psychometrician, broader average (all experience levels) | Same, blended across tenure | ~₱160,000-₱175,000/year | PayScale Philippines |
| Licensed Psychologist (post-master's) | Clinical, counseling, or industrial-organizational psychologist | Not separately tracked by these sources | — |
Entry-level pay for both the licensed and unlicensed paths lands in a similar band starting out; the real financial upside of the Psychometrician license, and later a full Psychologist credential, shows up over a longer career as psychometricians move into senior HR, clinical support, or specialized assessment roles that general HR staff without the license typically can't access.
Disclaimer: these are third-party job-board and salary-aggregator estimates (Jobstreet, PayScale), not an official government wage survey. Actual offers vary by employer, industry, and region.
Is BS Psychology Right for You?
Before committing to BS Psychology, weigh these questions:
- Do you want a terminal bachelor's degree, or do you plan to go to graduate school? If your goal is the full Psychologist title, budget for a master's degree from the start; the bachelor's alone only gets you to Psychometrician.
- Are you leaning toward a science-heavy specialization later (clinical, experimental, neuropsychology)? BS Psychology's built-in natural science units can reduce bridging coursework for those graduate tracks compared to AB Psychology; see the full BS vs AB comparison for details.
- Have you checked whether your target school requires the practicum for graduation? Since CHED lists it as elective, not every program treats it as mandatory, and 150 hours is only the recommended floor.
- Are you comfortable with entry-level pay in the ₱15,000-₱21,000 range while building experience? Both licensed and unlicensed entry roles start in a similar band; the payoff compounds with seniority, further certification, or graduate study.
For a broader framework on choosing your college course, see what course to take in college, and for admission logistics generally, college admission requirements in the Philippines.
Ready to find the right school? Browse schools or compare tuition and programs across hundreds of Philippine colleges and universities on SchoolFinderPH.
Sources
- CHED CMO No. 34, s. 2017 — Policies and Standards for Undergraduate Programs in Psychology (official PDF)
- Republic Act No. 10029 — The Philippine Psychology Act of 2009 (Supreme Court E-Library, full text)
- Silliman University — Estimated Tuition and Fees, SY 2026-2027 (official)
- PayScale — Psychometrician Salary in Philippines
- Jobstreet Philippines — Human Resources Assistant Salary
- SchoolFinderPH — Average Cost of College in the Philippines
- SchoolFinderPH — BS vs AB Psychology: Which One Should You Take
- SchoolFinderPH — Psychometrician Board Exam Guide 2026
