If you’re someone who wants to learn how people think and what causes their behavior, then a Bachelor of Science in Psychology degree is a course you may want to consider.
The BS Psychology program studies the attitudes, behavior, and cognition of a person through the scientific method and establishes psychology theories and ideas that may be used for research and social experiments. This is significant when it comes to various applications such as hiring job applicants in a company, handling a diverse team in an organization, counseling and providing helpful advices to people, and even in daily socialization.
BS Psychology course program
In the Philippines, the BS Psychology program requires around 126 academic units, with a minimum of 63 units in general education, 45 units in major subjects, and 18 units in elective courses. The program generally takes 4 years to finish. Educational institutions that follow a trimestral schedule may finish in less than 4 years.
It also requires a 200-hour on-the-job training (OJT) based on the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)’s policy. The training can vary from assisting guidance counselor in schools, interpreting psychological tests and doing research works in agencies, or interning in Human Resource department of companies.
To be a professional, a BS Psychology graduate is required to take and pass the licensure exam. There are three board exams that one may take depending on his or her career of choice:
- Psychologist
- Psychometrist; or
- Guidance Counselor
1. Psychologists Licensure Exam
As per Republic Act No. 10029, otherwise known as the “Philippine Psychology Act of 2009,” a Filipino may become a licensed Psychologist after passing the licensure examination for Psychologists administered by the Board of Psychology.
The Psychologist Licensure Exam typically covers the following subjects (with specific weights below):
- Advanced Theories of Personality (20%);
- Advanced Abnormal Psychology (25%);
- Advanced Psychological Assessment (30%); and
- Psychological Counseling and Psychotherapy (25%).
Examinees must accomplish the following requirements in order to take the exam:
- Holds at least a Master’s degree in psychology
- NSO/ PSA Birth Certificate
- NSO/ PSA Marriage Contract (for married female applicants)
- Transcript of Records with scanned picture and Remarks “For Board Examination Purposes”
- CAV for those school without SO number
- Valid NBI Clearance
- Mental Health Certificate signed by Registered Psychologist
- Has undergone a minimum of two hundred (200) hours of supervised practicum/internship/ clinical experience related to services enumerated in b of Section 3 of R.A. No. 10029 and under auspices of a license psychologist or other licensed mental health professional
- Exam Payment
- Has Three (3) Good Moral Certificate from any of the following:
- Barangay
- School
- Church
- Employer
Pursuant to Section 16 of R.A. No. 10029, a person who possesses the qualifications required to take the examination for registration as a psychologist may be registered without examination, provided that the applicant files an application for registration and issuance of certificate of registration and professional identification card by submitting credentials satisfactory to the Board.
The said credentials that may be deemed satisfactory to the Board involve the applicant to have:
- Obtained a doctoral degree in psychology and had accumulated three (3) years of work experience in the practice of psychology; or
- Obtained a master’s degree in psychology and accumulated a minimum of five (5) years of work experience in the practice of psychology; or
- Being presently employed as psychologists in a government or private agency, with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, an accumulated minimum of ten (10) years of work experience in the practice of psychology as psychologists, and who have updated their professional education in various psychology-related functions.
2. Psychometrician Licensure Exam
A Psychometrician is a professional who practices Psychometrics, a branch of Psychology. To be called a Psychometrician in the Philippines, R.A. No. 10029 requires the person to hold a valid certificate of registration and a valid professional identification card as a psychometrician issued by the Professional Regulatory Board of Psychology and the Professional Regulation Commission.
He/she must pass a licensure examination for psychometrician also conducted by the Board of Psychology. The Psychometrician Licensure Exam in the Philippines covers the following subjects:
- Psychological Assessment (40%);
- Theories of Personality (20%);
- Abnormal Psychology (20%); and
- Industrial Psychology (20%).
To be eligible to take the exam, the applicant must accomplish the following requirements:
- Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology
- NSO/ PSA Birth Certificate
- NSO/ PSA Marriage Contract (for married female applicants)
- Transcript of Records with scanned picture and Remarks “For Board Examination Purposes”
- CAV for those school without SO number
- Valid NBI Clearance
- Exam Payment
- Has Three (3) certificate of Good Moral Character from any of the following duly and signed by the issuing authority and duly notarized under oath:
- Barangay
- School
- Church
- Employer
Also, pursuant to Section 17 of R.A. No. 10029, an applicant may be registered without examination, provided that the applicant files with the Board an application for registration and issuance of a certificate of registration and professional identification card by submitting credentials satisfactory to the Board, specifically, that the applicant had obtained a bachelor’s degree in psychology and had accumulated a minimum of two (2) years full-time work experience in the practice of psychometrics.
3. Guidance Counselor Licensure Exam
To become a Guidance Counselor in the Philippines, Republic Act No. 9258, otherwise known as the “Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004”, requires that a person be registered and be issued a valid Certificate of Registration and a valid Professional Identification Card by the Board of Guidance and Counseling and the PRC.
To be a licensed Guidance Counselor, all applicants must pass the Guidance Counselor Licensure Exam, the scope of which is as follows:
- Philosophical, Psychological and Sociological Foundations of Guidance;
- Counseling Theories, Tools and Techniques;
- Psychological Testing;
- Organization and Administration of Guidance Services; and
- Group Process and Program Development.
The following requirements must be accomplished by the applicant:
- Master’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling
- NSO/ PSA Birth Certificate
- NSO/ PSA Marriage Contract (for married female applicants)
- Transcript of Records with scanned picture and Remarks “For Board Examination Purposes”
- CAV for those school without SO number
- Valid NBI Clearance
- Complete Payment of Php 900.00
Moreover, pursuant to Section 14 of R.A. No. 9258, an applicant may be registered without taking the said licensure examination provided that the said applicant has any of the following credentials:
- Had been doctoral and masters degree holder in Guidance and Counseling with at least three (3) years of experience teaching Guidance and Counseling courses and/or full-time counseling practice for the same period;
- Had passed at least eighteen (18) units of Master’s level courses in Guidance and Counseling such as Counseling Techniques/Theories, Organization or Administration of Guidance Services, Test and Measurements, Group Process/Counseling and Career Guidance/ Counseling; and have at least seven (7) years of experience in counseling work; and
- Had completed academic requirements for a master’s degree in guidance and counseling and have five (5) years experience as full-time guidance counselors.
Careers for Non-Professional Graduates
The BS Psychology degree opens a lot of opportunities for further studies. A graduate may continue to pursue advanced graduate study of psychology or similar fields. It is also useful for those who want to study in a medical or law school. The program offers scientific training essential for those who pursue careers in medical fields by combining mathematical and natural sciences courses required.
For non-professional graduates of Psychology, they may apply to become:
- Human Resource staff
- Researcher and Academician
- Community Program developer
- Rehabilitation specialist
Interested to find out which schools rank the highest in Psychology-related board exams? Here are the top universities in terms of passing rates in past Psychologist, Psychometrician, and Guidance Counselor Licensure Exams in the country.
Top Schools in the Philippines: Psychology Licensure Exam
| RANK | SCHOOL | CITY / LOCATION | PASSING RATE | NUMBER OF PASSERS | TOTAL NUMBER OF TAKERS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of the Philippines Manila | Manila | 97% | 91 | 93 |
| 2 | San Pedro College | Davao City | 94% | 72 | 76 |
| 3 | Silliman University | Dumaguete City | 92% | 47 | 51 |
| 4 | Far Eastern University Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation | Quezon City | 90% | 56 | 62 |
| 5 | University of the East Ramon Magsaysay | Quezon City | 88% | 88 | 99 |
| 6 | Mariano Marcos State University - Main | Batac City | 82% | 51 | 62 |
| 7 | Our Lady of Fatima University in Antipolo City | Antipolo City | 75% | 75 | 99 |
| 8 | Southwestern University | Cebu City | 73% | 49 | 67 |
Note: The table above only ranks the passing rates of First-time takers; repeaters are not included in the passing rate. All figures are based on the four (4) past Psychologist Licensure Exams in October 2017, August 2016, July 2015, and October 2014.
Top Schools in the Philippines: Psychometrician Licensure Exam
Category 1: Schools with 201 or more Psychometrician Licensure examinees
| PSE Trading Hours before COVID | Trading Activity |
|---|---|
| 9:00 - 9:29 AM | Pre-Open |
| 9:30 AM | Market Open |
| 9:31 AM - 11:59 AM | Continuous Trading |
| 12:00 NN - 1:29 PM | Market Recess |
| 1:31 PM - 3:16 PM | Continuous Trading |
| 3:17 PM - 3:19 PM | Pre-Close |
| 3:20 PM - 3:29 PM | Run-off / Trading-at-Last |
| 3:30 PM - 8:59 AM The Next Day | Market Close |
Category 2: Schools with 101-200 Psychometrician Licensure examinees
| ETF | MF | UITF | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Exchange Traded Fund | Mutual Fund | Unit Investment Trust Fund |
| Typically issued by | Investment company | Mutual Fund company, Investment company, or Banks | Banks and Trust Corporations |
| Intra-Day Trading | Yes, can be traded intraday at market price | No, can be bought or sold only at NAV calculated at end of day | No, can be bought or sold only at NAV calculated at end of day |
| Trading Strategy | Generally passive (tracking an index) | Can be passive (if fund is index tracker) or actively managed | Can be passive (if fund is index tracker) or actively managed |
| Associated Fees or Costs | Same fees in stock trading; No sales load or redemption fees | Sales load (front-end, back-end) and some with redemption or pre-termination fee | Some with early redemption or pre-termination fee |
Category 3: Schools with 51-100 Psychometrician Licensure examinees
| RANK | SCHOOL | CITY / LOCATION | PASSING RATE | NUMBER OF PASSERS | TOTAL NUMBER OF TAKERS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ateneo de Manila University | Quezon City | 88% | 55 | 62 |
| 2 | De La Salle University | Manila | 85% | 34 | 40 |
| 3 | Saint Louis University | Baguio City | 68% | 11 | 16 |
| 4 | University of Santo Tomas | Manila | 63% | 23 | 36 |
| 5 | Ateneo de Davao University | Davao City | 56% | 14 | 25 |
| 6 | University of the Cordilleras | Baguio City | 40% | 4 | 10 |
| 7 | Polytechnic University of the Philippines | Manila | 25% | 4 | 16 |
Category 4: Schools with 50 or below Psychometrician Licensure examinees
| RANK | SCHOOL | CITY / LOCATION | PASSING RATE | NUMBER OF PASSERS | TOTAL NUMBER OF TAKERS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ateneo de Naga University | Naga City | 100% | 32 | 32 |
| 2 | De La Salle University | Manila | 87% | 55 | 63 |
| 3 | Philippine Normal University | Zamboanga City | 85% | 41 | 48 |
| 4 | West Visayas State University | Iloilo City | 83% | 26 | 31 |
| 5 | Cebu Normal University | Cebu City | 84% | 22 | 26 |
Note: The tables above only rank the passing rates of First-time takers; repeaters are not included in the passing rate. All figures are based on the four (4) previous Psychometrician Licensure Exams in October 2017, August 2016, July 2015, and October 2014.
Top Schools in the Philippines: Guidance Counselor Licensure Exam
Category 1: Schools with 21 or more Guidance Counselor Licensure examinees
| RANK | SCHOOL | CITY / LOCATION | PASSING RATE | NUMBER OF PASSERS | TOTAL NUMBER OF TAKERS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Angeles University Foundation | Angeles City | 100% | 44 | 44 |
| 2 | Lyceum of the Philippines University - Batangas | Batangas City | 100% | 17 | 17 |
| 3 | Wesleyan University Philippines | Cabanatuan City | 86% | 19 | 22 |
| 4 | Remedios T. Romualdez Medical Foundation | Tacloban | 85% | 35 | 41 |
| 5 | San Juan De Dios Educational Foundation | Pasay | 83% | 20 | 24 |
| 6 | Liceo de Cagayan University | Cagayan de Oro | 80% | 29 | 36 |
| 7 | Universidad de Manila | Manila | 79% | 31 | 39 |
| 8 | Manila Adventist College | Pasay | 78% | 25 | 32 |
| 8 | Adventist Medical Center College | Iligan City | 78% | 11 | 14 |
| 9 | University of Baguio | Baguio City | 73% | 22 | 30 |
| 9 | Davao Doctors College | Davao City | 73% | 17 | 23 |
| 10 | University of Bohol | Tagbilaran City | 72% | 13 | 18 |
Category 2: Schools with 20 or below Guidance Counselor Licensure examinees
| RANK | SCHOOL | CITY / LOCATION | PASSING RATE | NUMBER OF PASSERS | TOTAL NUMBER OF TAKERS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cebu Doctors' University | Mandaue City | 96% | 59 | 61 |
| 2 | University of the Philippines Manila | Manila | 95% | 44 | 46 |
| 3 | University of Santo Tomas | Manila | 88% | 120 | 135 |
| 4 | Velez College | Cebu City | 79% | 59 | 74 |
| 5 | Davao Doctors College | Davao City | 72% | 27 | 30 |
Note: The tables above only rank the passing rates of First-time takers; repeaters are not included in the passing rate. All figures are based on the four (4) previous Guidance Counselor Licensure Exams in August 2017, August 2016, August 2015, and August 2014.
Source: PRC Philippines (prc.gov.ph)
See also: List of Top Universities in the Philippines (based on Board Exam passing rate)
