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Teaching undergraduate psychology in the Philippines:
A summary of current programs, policies, and
instruction
Adelaida C. Gines a
a
Philippine Normal University, Manila, Philippines

Online Publication Date: 01 February 2006

To cite this Article: Gines, Adelaida C. (2006) 'Teaching undergraduate psychology
in the Philippines: A summary of current programs, policies, and instruction',
International Journal of Psychology, 41:1, 51 - 57
To link to this article: DOI: 10.1080/00207590444000465
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 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY, 2006, 41 (1), 51–57
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Teaching undergraduate psychology in the Philippines:

A summary of current programs, policies, and
instruction

Adelaida C. Gines
Philippine Normal University, Manila, Philippines

U ndergraduate psychology programs in the Philippines have grown from 44 institutions 20 years ago to 170
colleges and universities at present. It is not clear when psychology was first taught in the Philippines,
however in 1926 psychology was offered as a course separate from philosophy. Then the department of
psychology was established at the University of the Philippines, attached to the school of education. Other
psychology departments were created during the early 1930s. The BS degree in Psychology was first offered in
1948 at the University of Santo Tomas. This university also offered the first Master’s and Doctoral degrees in the
discipline. After its separation from philosophy, psychology was closely identified with education until the 1960s.
The teaching of the discipline emphasized education courses, specifically on guidance and counselling, which
served as supporting courses in the psychology curriculum. Now, students are required to have a minimum of 63
units in general education, 45 units in major courses and 18 units in other courses to be determined by the
institution, for a total of 126 units. These required courses are similar to many undergraduate psychology
program courses in the USA. Philippine undergraduate psychology programs are of two general types, the AB
and BS degrees. Both are 4-year single major degree programs. Areas of emphasis commonly offered in AB or BS
psychology in addition to general and educational emphasis include industrial psychology, clinical psychology,
guidance and counselling, special education, and child development. Psychology programs anchor on the mission
statement of the Psychological Association of the Philippines, ‘‘to be a world-class community of psychologists
committed to personal and professional growth, human service and social transformation.’’ Faculty members use
a variety of modern teaching methods, including experiential learning, fieldwork, discussion, peer tutoring, and
cooperative group work as well as lectures and reading material to help students reach this goal.

L es programmes de premier cycle en psychologie dans les Philippines sont passés de 44 institutions il y a 20
ans à 170 collèges et universités présentement. On ne connaı̂t pas le moment exact où la psychologie fut
enseignée pour la première fois dans les Philippines. Cependant, en 1926, la psychologie était offerte comme un
cours séparé de la philosophie. À cette époque, le département de psychologie était établi à l’Université des
Philippines, rattachée à l’École d’éducation. Les autres départements de psychologie ont été créés au début des
années 1930. Le niveau de Baccalauréat en science (BS) en psychologie fut pour la première fois offert en 1948 à
l’Université de Santo Tomas. Cette Université fut aussi la première à offrir les niveaux de Maı̂trise et de Doctorat
dans cette discipline. Après sa séparation de la philosophie, la psychologie fut étroitement identifiée avec
l’éducation jusque dans les années 1960. L’enseignement de la discipline mettait l’emphase sur les cours en
éducation, plus spécifiquement sur la guidance et l’assistance, lesquels servaient de cours de soutien dans le
programme de psychologie. Maintenant, les étudiants doivent compléter au minimum 63 unités en éducation
générale, 45 unités en cours majeurs et 18 unités dans d’autres cours déterminés par l’institution, pour un total de
126 unités. Ces cours obligatoires sont similaires à plusieurs cours des programmes de premier cycle en
psychologie aux États-Unis. Les programmes de premier cycle en psychologie aux Philippines sont de deux types
généraux: les niveaux AB et BS. Tous les deux présentent un seul programme dans une majeure d’une durée de 4
ans. Dans ces programmes, en plus des domaines généraux et éducationnels, l’emphase est communément mise
sur des domaines incluant la psychologie industrielle, la psychologie clinique, la guidance et l’assistance,
l’éducation spécialisée et le développement de l’enfant. Les programmes de psychologie s’encrent dans la mission

Correspondence should be addressed to Adelaida C. Gines, PhD, Philippine Normal University, Taft Avenue, Manila, Philippines
(E-mail: acgines@hotmail.com).

# 2006 International Union of Psychological Science

http://www.psypress.com/ijp DOI: 10.1080/00207590444000465
 52 GINES
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énoncée par l’Association de psychologie des Philippines: «être une communauté de psychologues de calibre
mondial engagée dans le développement personnel et professionnel, le service humain et la transformation
sociale». Pour aider les étudiants à atteindre ce but, une variété de méthodes d’enseignement modernes est
utilisée, incluant l’apprentissage par l’expérience, les recherches sur le terrain, les discussions, le tutorat et les
travaux de groupe, tout comme l’enseignement magistral et le matériel de lecture.

L os programas de pregrado en psicologı́a en las Filipinas han crecido de 44 instituciones hace 20 años a 170
colleges y universidades en la actualidad. No queda claro cuándo se enseñó por primera vez psicologı́a en
las Filipinas, sin embargo en 1926 se ofrecı́a psicologı́a como un curso separado de la filosofı́a. Entonces se
estableció el departamento de psicologı́a en la Universidad de las Filipinas, adscrito a la escuela de educación. A
principio de la década de los 1930, se crearon otros departamentos de psicologı́a. El grado de Bachiller en
Ciencias (BC) se ofreció por primera vez en psicologı́a en 1948 en la Universidad de Santo Tomás. Esta
universidad también ofreció los primeros grados de master y doctorado en la disciplina. Después de su separación
de la filosofı́a, se identificó a la psicologı́a con la educación hasta los 1960. La enseñanza de la disciplina
enfatizaba cursos sobre educación, especı́ficamente sobre guı́a y consejo psicológico que sirvieron como cursos de
apoyo en el currı́culo de psicologı́a. Actualmente, se requiere que los estudiantes reciban un mı́nimo de 63
unidades de educación general; 45 unidades de cursos principales y 18 unidades en otros cursos que la institución
determina, lo que da un total de 126 unidades. Estos cursos obligatorios son similares a muchos programas de
psicologı́a de pregrado en los Estados Unidos. Los programas de pregrado filipinos son de dos tipos generales, el
AB y el BC. Ambos comprenden un sólo programa en un área principal de cuarto años. Las áreas de énfasis que
se ofrecen comúnmente en el AB o el BC en psicologı́a, además del énfasis general y educativo, incluyen
psicologı́a industrial, psicologı́a clı́nica, orientación y consejo, educación especial y desarrollo infantil. Los
programas de psicologı́a se anclan en la premisa que expresa la misión de la Asociación Psicológica de las
Filipinas ‘‘ser una comunidad de psicólogos del más alto calibre comprometidos con el crecimiento personal y
profesional, servicio humano y transformación social’’. Para ayudar a los estudiantes a alcanzar esta meta, los
docentes utilizan una variedad de métodos de enseñanza modernos, que incluyen aprendizaje mediante
experiencias, trabajo de campo, discusión, tutorı́a por los pares y trabajo de grupo cooperativo, ası́ como
conferencia y lectura de materiales.

Psychology was probably first introduced as early
as the 17th century at the University of San Carlos
in Cebu and the University of Santo Tomas (UST)
in Manila (Licuanan, 1989). When Spanish priests
came to the Philippines, they brought with them the
philosophical psychology that was part of the
European academic tradition. Moreover, when
the early American educators, the Thomasites,
came in the early 1900s, they established
Philippine Normal School (PNS) as the first teacher
training institution and later the University of the
Philippines (UP), where psychology was initially a
part of the philosophy department. It was at that
university in 1926 that psychology was first taught
as a subject separate from philosophy. The depart-
ment of psychology was established at UP and
attached to the school of education. The psychol-
ogy department of UST was established in the early
1930s. The BS degree in Psychology was first
offered there in 1948 (Gaerlan, 1983). The
University of Santo Tomas has the distinction of
offering the first BS Psychology degree in the
Philippines as well as the first Master’s and
Doctoral degrees in the discipline (Licuanan, 1989).
After its separation from philosophy, psycho-
logy was closely identified with education until the
1960s. The teaching of the discipline emphasized
education courses, specifically guidance counsel-
ling, which served as supporting courses in the
psychology curriculum. This arrangement was
brought about by the availability of faculty who
held education degrees. In the mid-1970s, however,
this arrangement had been corrected, as evidenced
by the proliferation of many institutions offering
psychology courses taught by instructors with
degrees in psychology.
TEACHING PSYCHOLOGY IN THE
PHILIPPINES
Institutions currently offering psychology
programs
The offering of undergraduate degree programs in
psychology has mushroomed from 44 institutions
20 years ago (Enriquez, 1982) to 170 colleges and
universities today (HEI Directory/Psychology,
2003). Eighty-six institutions offer AB degrees
and 84 offer BS degrees in psychology at present.
These institutions include private nonsectarian
universities, private sectarian universities, and
public universities. The majority of the psychology
degrees are offered in private universities.

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In the Philippines, there are four types of
educational institutions, namely:
1. Private sectarian is a college or university run
by a religious group. Examples of this type are
Ateneo De Manila University, De La Salle
University, and Adventist University of the
Philippines.
2. Private nonsectarian is a college or university
run by a private individual, corporation, or
foundation. Examples are Manuel L. Quezon
University and Far Eastern University.
3. State college/university is an institution sub-
sidized by the national government. Some
examples are University of the Philippines,
Philippine Normal University, and Southern
Luzon Polytechnic College.
4. Local college/university is an institution sub-
sidized by the local government where the
school is located. Examples are Pamantasan
ng Lungsod ng Maynila and Urdaneta
Community College.
In the mid-1970s, psychology became the most
popular major at many campuses in the
Philippines. Because of the demand, some schools
such as University of the Philippines, a state
university, made psychology a quota course,
limiting the number of majors allowed to around
550 students. A private sectarian campus such as
UST has more than 500 majors today in AB and
BS degree programs combined (Tan, 1999),
whereas a specialized teacher education state
university such as PNU has an average 500 student
majors in BS Psychology programs in either
educational psychology or guidance and counsel-
ling streams.
Goals of learning and teaching psychology
The defining moment for Philippine psychology
occurred in 1962 with the founding of the
Psychological Association of the Philippines
(PAP). The goals that PAP set for itself were
taken as a mission statement of Philippine
psychology as a whole. They have also become
the guiding principles in the development of the
psychology curricular program. Initially there
were three goals (Tan, 1999) as follows:
1. To advance learning, teaching and research in
psychology as science;
2. To advance the practice of psychology as an
independent, scientifically-oriented and ethi-
cally conscious profession; and
3. To promote human welfare.
TEACHING PSYCHOLOGY IN THE PHILIPPINES 53
A fourth goal was added later:
1. 4.To cooperate with other scientists to help
understand and solve problems of mutual
concern.
Nature of psychology program
The undergraduate psychology program has two
general types, the AB and BS degrees in psycho-
logy. Both are 4-year single major degree pro-
grams. Areas of emphasis commonly offered in
AB or BS psychology in addition to general and
educational emphasis include industrial psychol-
ogy, clinical psychology, guidance and counselling,
special education, and child development. One
interesting program is the 4-year BS psychology
degree of the Philippine Normal University, a
specialized teacher training institution. This pro-
gram offers two streams: Educational Psychology
or Guidance and Counselling, wherein the
qualified student may choose to specialize in
either of the two streams. Integrated into this
program are 18 units of education courses that
qualify the graduate to teach, to become a
guidance counsellor, or to work as a school
psychologist.
As mandated in the minimum curricular
requirements for humanities, social sciences, and
communication education and the new general
education curriculum (CMO#4 series of 1997),
AB or BS psychology degrees that fall under social
sciences are required to have a minimum of 63
units in general education, 45 units in major
courses, and 18 units in other courses to be
determined by the institution, with a total of 126
units. A cursory examination into the AB or BS
psychology programs of several institutions, how-
ever, show an average of 170–185 units are
required, the additional 40–50 units to accommo-
date the thrusts/mission/vision and mandate of
each institution and its specific programs.
The general education program (CMO# 59, s.
1996) that forms the broad base of knowledge
stressing the commonality of all academic con-
cerns is the same for both AB and BS degrees. As a
general rule, the general education program is
offered in the first 2 years of college; 30 units in the
freshman year, and 35 in the sophomore year.
After the general education requirements are
completed, courses specific to the psychology
degree curriculum are included. These required
courses are similar to many undergraduate psy-
chology programs in the US and include courses in
general psychology, statistics, developmental psy-
chology, experimental psychology, personality,
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tests and measurement, research, and seminar
courses. In addition to the mandated courses,
students also complete elective courses and
courses specific to their individual institution and
program.
Some guidelines in implementing the AB/BS
curriculum are:
1. The following major courses may be taken
under the Seminar in Psychology series (I, II,
III, IV, V); Learning and Cognitive Psycho-
logy; Abnormal/Clinical Psychology; Indus-
trial Psychology; Filipino Psychology, Group
Dynamics; Physiological Psychology/Biopsy-
chology; and Current Issues in Psychology.
2. Practicum may be taken during summer prior
to senior year. As regards practicum venues, in
practice, some institutions expose the AB
Psychology students to three settings; school,
industry and clinic. However, AB Psychology
students who specialize in industrial psycho-
logy or clinical psychology spend the entire 200
or more hours in industrial or clinical settings,
respectively. At the Philippine Normal
University, where the BS Psychology student
specializes either in educational psychology or
guidance and counselling, one semester is spent
in the school setting, half of which is served as
classroom teacher (in the preschool or college
or at any level if he/she has another specializa-
tion in education) and the other half as a
guidance counsellor or school psychologist.
3. The BS major program has an added 20 units
of natural science electives in subjects such as
biology, chemistry, and physics. A BS
Psychology degree is one of the accepted
preparatory degrees for admittance to medical
schools.
4. The required assignment in Psy 112 (Research
in Psychology I) is a mature research proposal
while in Psy 114 (Research in Psychology II)
an oral defence of the results of the research is
required.
5. In Experimental Psychology (Psy 105), the
student is expected to design and conduct an
experiment and to have an oral examination.
Submission of a thesis is a requirement for the
AB/BS Psychology programs.
Approaches and methods in learning and
teaching psychology
At the onset, it must be underscored that unlike
the teachers in basic education (elementary and
high school), tertiary faculty do not have training
in how to teach courses in higher education. Some
may have the know-how if they have started as
basic education teachers and later teach in college,
or if they have enhanced themselves through in-
service training on principles and methods of
teaching, but knowledge of effective teaching
methods is not consistent among university
faculty.
Based on four focus group discussions con-
ducted separately at PNU and USC in Cebu with
some 50 faculty members teaching psychology in
private and state universities, it was learned that
the methods employed depend on the following
factors, namely: (1) the length of teaching experi-
ence in the course; (2) the individual level of
teaching competence in terms of knowledge and
skills; (3) the nature/content of the course taught;
and (4) the teaching/learning style of the teacher
and the students.
A common scenario that is evident at the start
of every semester is for the faculty member to
introduce the subject through the course syllabus,
giving the students an overview of the course, the
objectives, and the expected course requirements.
The course unfolds with a variety of teaching
methods used singly or in combination. The
commonly used strategies based on frequency are
the following:
1. Reporting. Each student or a group of
students is made to report to class the facts
and information about a topic assigned at the
start of the semester. The presentation of
reports, however, ranges from simply reading
the text prepared by the student, to presenting
it with the aid of chalkboard and other visuals
like pictures, illustrations, and the use of
overhead projector and occasionally Power-
point at more affluent institutions.
2. Lecture. This strategy is used by the faculty to
explain difficult topics, theories, and princi-
ples. Courses with a lot of theories such as
Theories of Personality, Learning, and Cogni-
tive Psychology are normally taught primarily
through this method.
3. Discussion. This is another very common
strategy where the class is divided into several
groups. A small group discussion may be a
round table, T-table, or triangular table
discussion where each member can freely
present his/her views on the issue. In a group
where the whole class is involved, the teacher
as the facilitator employs the question and
answer method directed to all members of the
class, and everybody is given the chance to
give his/her answer. Courses like Current

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Issues in Psychology, Social Psychology, and
General Psychology frequently employ such
teaching strategies.
4. Classroom demonstration. This is a learning
activity performed by a skilful teacher or a
student to show how a systematic proce-
dure occurs. This is commonly used in courses
like Psychological Testing, Guidance and
Counselling, and Fundamental or Behavi-
oural Statistics.
5. Peer tutoring. This strategy is employed when
the teacher requests the brighter, more mature
and cooperative members of the class to
coach or teach other students. This is based
on the rationale that some students are better
equipped than others. Thus, one student tutor
is assigned to a dyad or triad during class
hours and tutoring may even be extended
after class periods. This can also be termed
cooperative learning. As experienced, this is
successfully delivered and is effective in
courses like Fundamental Statistics and
Psychological Testing.
6. Experiential learning. This is a teaching–
learning episode based on experience. It is a
means of acquiring knowledge or skills
through direct and keen observation followed
by an analysis of what has been sensed or
understood. This particular experience
acquires meaning through a cognitive process
called reflection. To concretize this strategy,
PNU developed a similar approach to teach-
ing called the PNU-ACES. ACES stands for
Affective Cognitive Experiences for Self-
Direction. The steps have four As: Activity,
Analysis, Abstraction and Application. The
lesson starts with an activity—a springboard
for the lesson. This is followed by analysis or
processing of the student’s feeling and
thought based on the activity presented.
Abstraction occurs when the teacher as
facilitator helps the student to summarize
learning acquired and then application of
lesson learned occurs in an extended practice
assignment. This approach is best experienced
in courses like Group Dynamics and Social
Psychology.
7. Social action learning. The students immerse
themselves in the natural habitat of people
who are the subjects of study, e.g., street
children, abused children, children on drugs,
victims of natural calamity, and children in
dysfunctional families. After some time of
immersion and assessment of subjects’ condi-
tion(s), the students develop and implement a
project to help alleviate the condition(s) of the
TEACHING PSYCHOLOGY IN THE PHILIPPINES 55
former. This is best observed in courses like
Community Psychology and Filipino
Psychology.
8. Field studies. This is another out-of-the-class-
room activity intended to present concepts in a
more realistic manner. It is sometimes referred
to as field trip, educational excursion, study
tour, or exploratory travel. This is a true-to-life
mode of teaching and learning, which offers
the best opportunity for the learners to come in
contact with the subject observed, thus ensur-
ing a first-hand experience.
9. Other teaching and learning strategies
employed by psychology faculty include case
analysis, brainstorming, role-playing, simula-
tion, journal writing, movie review and
analysis, and surfing the Internet to get new
information.
Assessment of learning outcomes
One major activity commonly practised in any
teaching situation regardless of educational level is
assessing learning outcomes. As in the methods of
teaching, the same respondents were utilized in
eliciting responses on the assessment tools
employed by faculty teaching psychology.
Among them are:
1. Paper and pencil test. This is a traditional
form of a teacher-made test where the
students are given a short quiz or long test
after a day’s lesson or a unit covered in the
course syllabus. This assessment tool is also
given at the end of specified terms, including
an exit exam in some schools. The test may
be multiple-choice, enumeration, problem-
solving, or essay, usually a combination of
these formats.
2. Thesis defence. This is another form of
assessment tool wherein the students are
required to orally defend their theses before
a panel of examiners who teach research. This
academic exercise is a means of determining
the research skills and processes as well as
communicative skills developed in the psy-
chology majors.
3. Psychological test report. This refers to the
written psychological test administered,
scored, and interpreted by the students.
Samples of psychological test reports written
are general mental ability tests, achievement
tests, interest scales, and personality tests.
Some schools even require their students to
make written reports on projective technique
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tests such as the Thematic Apperception Test,
Sach Sentence Completion Test, or the Bender
Gestalt Test.
4. Case study report. This assessment tool
covers the comprehensive gathering of infor-
mation from different guidance tools, which
serve as the basis for diagnosis and input in
development of an intervention program for
the targeted behaviour.
5. Book report. This report refers to the sum-
mary and analysis of books reviewed that are
related to topics in a particular course in
psychology.
6. Conceptual matrix. This is the development
and use of a matrix to summarize the
similarities or commonalities of concepts in
specific course content in psychology.
7. Training program. The student experiences a
hands-on activity from the planning, prepara-
tion, implementation, and evaluation of
training programs conducted, such as sensi-
tivity training, leadership, and other growth
group programs.
8. Other assessment tools include making an
album on the stages of human development
and the corresponding insights written in a
learning journal, thesis critiquing, movie
analysis, and a variety of unique assignments
developed by teachers for specific courses.
Nature of degrees and their validation
As presented earlier, there are two general types of
psychology degrees, the AB and BS. The AB leads
to a pre-law degree while the BS serves as a
preparation for medical school. However, a unique
BS psychology that has two streams (Educational
Psychology and Guidance and Counselling) is
offered only at the PNU; it does not require an
additional 20 units of natural science electives but
instead 18 units of education courses, built into the
BS program. Thus, this leads to a profession in
teaching. It also leads to an MA in Education with
specialization in School Psychology or Guidance
and Counselling.
In the 1979, Vasquez-de Jesus (1980) was
commissioned by the Psychological Association
of the Philippines (PAP) to conduct an evaluation
of the psychology majors in Metro Manila. The
respondents were psychology graduates from
1965–1978 from the five universities that produced
the most psychology majors: University of the
Philippines, Ateneo De Manila University,
University of Santo Tomas, Philippine Women’s
University, and Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng
Maynila. Of the 154 retrieved questionnaires,
22% of the undergraduate majors actually went
to medical school. For the gainfully employed
(these exclude those who went to medical school)
after their undergraduate degrees, around 25%
were involved in testing; 20% in human resource
training, and another 20% in research. Moreover,
around 30% were engaged in occupations not
directly using their psychological knowledge (Tan,
1999). While the data was collected more than 20
years ago, De Jesus’ findings still appear to be
valid today. Another trend since then that has
influenced the employment of psychologists is the
boom in overseas Filipino workers. This began in
the 1970s and created a corresponding demand for
psychometrists to test the abilities and emotional
stability of many applicants for overseas jobs.
Furthermore, employee morale had much to do
with workers’ productivity, thus big corporations
set up human resources departments, often run by
organizational psychologists employed as human
resources, personnel, training, and recruitment
officers. Additionally, during the 1980s, psychol-
ogy graduates had opportunities for teaching,
especially as preschool, special education, and
higher education faculty. During this time, psy-
chologists also played key roles in the counselling
of victims of torture, and in the therapy of political
detainees (Marcelino, 1984). In 1990–91, natural
calamities like the Central Luzon earthquake, the
Ormoc flood, and the Mount Pinatubo explosion
brought teams of psychologists to the calamity
sites to help deal with the many cases of post-
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Today, there is a
growing concern and heightened consciousness
about the equality of children, especially groups of
street children—the sexually abused, those in
conflict with the law, and substance-abusing
children—as well as children of dysfunctional
families. Because of this awareness, there is a
serious involvement and great demand for psy-
chologists in social service and criminal justice
agencies.
Regulatory framework for psychology
programs
Psychology programs in the Philippines are
anchored on the mission statement of the
Psychological Association of the Philippines
(PAP) reiterated at the PAP 40th Founding
Anniversary Convention, 2002. The mission is
‘‘to be a world-class community of psychologists
committed to personal and professional growth,
human service and social transformation.’’

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The definitions of key concepts in the mission
statement are:
1. World class. Globally competitive in psycho-
logical teaching, research, and practice; open
to the culture of other countries and societies;
have benchmarked best practices in other
countries; publications in top-ranked interna-
tional journals and books; recognition by
international colleagues through citations,
awards, and leadership positions.
2. Personal and professional growth. Organize
and participate in continuing education pro-
grams; membership and participation in
international conferences and organization;
legislation that professionalizes psychology;
expand network and strengthen culture of
mutual learning and co-mentoring; nurture
the whole person through informal and
nonformal processes.
3. Human service. Adhering to ethical stan-
dards; respect for clients; modelling compas-
sion and concern for the welfare of others
(malasakit); sensitivity to the economic capa-
city of clients.
4. Social transformation. Societal restructuring;
proactive in understanding, providing a scien-
tific analysis of whatever happens in society;
taking positions and actions on important
social issues; supporting the psychological
needs of individuals and/or organizations that
are in the vortex of social transformation.
The above key concepts are the basis for psychol-
ogy programs in the Philippines. In 1996, the
Commission on Higher Education (CHED), with
the help of a group of psychologists headed by
Miren Intal (Commission on Higher Education,
1997), came up with a set of minimum standards
for psychology departments to comply with, if
they are to offer a major in psychology. These
requirements cover teacher qualifications, avail-
ability of library materials, and course syllabi that
assure the coverage of all the basic topics in
psychology. Only those departments that meet
these requirements will be accredited by the
CHED.
CONCLUSION
In almost eight decades, Philippine psychology has
certainly come a long way. From a handful of
TEACHING PSYCHOLOGY IN THE PHILIPPINES 57
institutions offering psychology degrees in the
early 1950s and 1960s, psychology courses have
tripled in number and have spread to all regions of
the country. In the 1970s, psychology became one
of the most popular majors at major campuses in
Metro Manila. The omnipresence of psychom-
etrists, researchers, human resource personnel (e.g.
training and recruitment officers), psychologists,
guidance counsellors, and even some teachers is a
product of the AB and BS Psychology programs.
Hence, to improve the delivery of these curricular
programs, PAP in cooperation with CHED should
regularly review the minimum standards of the
undergraduate curricular offerings. Additionally,
these two bodies should seriously consider require-
ments to cover teacher qualifications (e.g., teacher
should hold MA in Psychology or above, and have
taken at least 18 units of education), availability of
up-to-date library materials and equipment, and
updated syllabi. With this preliminary review of
the development of the teaching of undergraduate
psychology in the Philippines, we can move
forward towards the realization of PAP’s commit-
ment to promote excellence in teaching, research,
and practice of psychology.
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