If you are searching for a BS Criminal Justice programme in the Philippines and finding mostly criminology, that is not a search problem. Criminal justice here is the name of an education sector, not a bachelor's degree. The degree inside it that carries a licence is criminology, and no other programme in the sector qualifies you for that licence.
Where the name came from
CHED Memorandum Order No. 21, series of 2005 opens by declaring that "there shall be a rationalized CRIMINAL JUSTICE EDUCATION (CJE) in the country that shall include degree programs in CRIMINOLOGY, LAW ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION, CORRECTIONAL ADMINISTRATION, INDUSTRIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION and FORENSIC SCIENCE, among others," and then narrows itself to the criminology programme.
The rename came from Commission en banc Resolution No. 361-2005, which changed the nomenclature of "Criminology Education" to "Criminal Justice Education." That is why so many schools have a College of Criminal Justice Education. The college is the container. The degrees are what you actually enrol in.
So when a school advertises "criminal justice," check the diploma name on the curriculum checklist. It will say criminology, forensic science, or something else specific.
The programmes inside the sector, and their current standards
| Programme | Governing CHED order | Board exam? |
|---|---|---|
| BS Criminology | CMO No. 5, s. 2018 | Yes - criminologist licensure examination |
| Bachelor of Forensic Science | CMO No. 48, s. 2012 | No |
| BS Industrial Security Management | CMO No. 6, s. 2018 | No |
| MS / doctorate in Criminal Justice | CMO No. 47, s. 2006 (with specialization in criminology) | Not applicable |
Note the one place where "criminal justice" is a degree name in Philippine higher education: the graduate level. CMO No. 47, s. 2006 covers policies and standards for master's and doctor's degree programmes in Criminal Justice with specialization in Criminology. Undergraduates do not have an equivalent.
What BS Criminology actually is
CMO No. 5, s. 2018 replaced the 2005 standard and was promulgated by virtue of Commission en banc Resolution No. 467-2017. Its curriculum description is specific:
- 177 units total.
- General education courses follow CMO No. 20, s. 2013 - the post-K-to-12 general education curriculum, not the older 63-unit block.
- 121 credit units of professional courses.
- A two-semester, 540-hour practicum and community immersion carrying 6 credit units, in which students are assigned to different areas of the community. The order describes the students' contribution to "police visibility" as a unique feature of the programme.
That 540-hour practicum is the part of the degree that most resembles the job. Ask a school where its students are deployed and who supervises them.
The general education side of the sample curriculum is broken down in the order as 24 units of core general education courses, 9 units of general education electives, and 3 units of mandated coursework - the Life and Works of Rizal. On top of that sits an additional general education requirement unusual for a non-science degree: 3 units of General Chemistry with a laboratory hour, which is there because criminalistics runs on it.
The other degrees in the sector
BS Industrial Security Management is governed by CMO No. 6, s. 2018, promulgated by virtue of the same Commission en banc Resolution No. 467-2017 that produced the criminology standard. It is the corporate and industrial security side of the sector - security operations, risk and asset protection - and it carries no licensure examination.
Bachelor of Forensic Science is governed by CMO No. 48, s. 2012, which sits under the same Criminal Justice Education umbrella and also carries no licensure examination. One caution about that order: it was issued before the K-to-12 transition, so the unit totals printed in it describe the old general education curriculum rather than what a student enrols in today.
For the fuller treatment of the degree itself, see our BS Criminology guide, and for the exam mechanics, the criminology board exam guide.
The licence is the whole argument
Republic Act No. 11131, the Philippine Criminology Profession Act of 2018, sets out who may sit the criminologist licensure examination. Section 14 requires that the applicant:
"Must hold a bachelor's degree in criminology duly accredited by the CHED and conferred by a school/college/university duly authorized by the government or its equivalent degree obtained by either a Filipino or foreign citizen from an institution of learning in a foreign country/state: Provided, That it is duly recognized and/or accredited by the CHED"
Two things follow, and they are the reason this article exists.
First, a Philippine degree in forensic science, industrial security management, psychology, sociology or legal management does not qualify you, however close the coursework looks. There is no bridging examination. The route is the criminology degree.
Second, a foreign criminal justice degree is not automatically excluded - the law contemplates an equivalent foreign degree - but "duly recognized and/or accredited by the CHED" is an evaluation with paperwork and timelines. If you studied abroad and intend to be licensed here, open that file with CHED early, not in the month applications close.
Section 14 also requires Philippine citizenship or reciprocity, good moral character certified by your school and barangay, and no conviction of an offence involving moral turpitude. Anyone who has failed the examination five times, consecutively or cumulatively, must present certification of a completed refresher course before sitting again.
The examination itself covers six subjects with the weights fixed in Section 15: Criminal Jurisprudence and Procedure at 20 per cent, Law Enforcement Administration at 20 per cent, Criminalistics at 20 per cent, Crime Detection and Investigation at 15 per cent, Criminal Sociology at 15 per cent and Correctional Administration at 10 per cent. The Board may revise the list as curricula change, so confirm coverage against PRC's current issuance in the cycle you are sitting.
If your goal is the PNP, BJMP or BFP
This is where students most often pick the wrong degree for the right reason.
A criminology degree plus the licence is the standard preparation, and the licence is a professional eligibility recognised for government service. But entry into the uniformed services runs on its own recruitment rules, quotas and physical and neuro-psychiatric screening administered by those agencies, and those rules change between recruitment cycles. Do not treat a degree as an appointment. Check the current recruitment announcement of the agency you want, in the year you intend to apply, and work backwards from its requirements.
If you are still in senior high school and aiming here, our guide on the right strand for criminology covers what actually matters at that stage, and the list of schools with strong criminology programmes is a starting point for shortlisting.
What to do with a genuine interest in criminal justice generally
Some students are not aiming at a badge. They want the system - courts, corrections, policy, research - rather than one job inside it. Realistic routes:
- Criminology if you want the licence and the practitioner track, including forensic and investigative roles that require it.
- Bachelor of Forensic Science if the laboratory side is the draw. Understand before enrolling that it carries no licensure examination.
- A social science degree then law. Political science, sociology, psychology and legal management are all common pre-law routes, and law school admission does not require a particular undergraduate major.
- A graduate degree in criminal justice after any of the above, under CMO No. 47, s. 2006.
Before you enrol, ask these
- What degree name is on the diploma, exactly?
- Does the programme have CHED authority to operate, and can I see it?
- What was the school's performance in recent criminologist licensure examinations, and how many of its graduates actually sat?
- Where is the 540-hour practicum served?
- If I am considering forensic science instead, what do your graduates do in their first year out?
The passing-rate question deserves care. A school with a small number of takers can post a spectacular percentage; a school that lets everyone sit will look worse than it is. Ask for both numbers, and see our note on how courses with board exams differ from those without before you commit.
Sources
- CHED Memorandum Order No. 21, s. 2005 — Criminal Justice Education: Policies and Standards for the Criminology Program
- CHED Memorandum Order No. 5, s. 2018 — Policies, Standards and Guidelines for the BS Criminology Program
- CHED Memorandum Order No. 48, s. 2012 — Criminal Justice Education: Policies, Standards and Guidelines for the Bachelor of Forensic Science Program
- Commission on Higher Education — 2018 CHED Memorandum Orders, including CMO No. 6, s. 2018 on BS Industrial Security Management
- Commission on Higher Education — 2006 CHED Memorandum Orders, including CMO No. 47, s. 2006 on graduate programmes in Criminal Justice
- Republic Act No. 11131 — Philippine Criminology Profession Act of 2018 (LawPhil)
- Professional Regulation Commission — Professional Regulatory Boards
