Economics has no board exam. There is no PRC licence for economists, no examination fee and no waiting for a release date - you graduate and you work, or you graduate and you go to graduate school. That is worth stating up front because the search that brings people here is usually trying to settle exactly that question.
What economics does have is a CHED order that treats the BA and the BS as two routes through one discipline, and is clear about how they differ.
The order that governs economics degrees
The standard is CHED Memorandum Order No. 32, series of 2017, "Policies, Standards, and Guidelines for the Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Arts in Economics Programs." It was adopted under Republic Act No. 7722 by virtue of Commission en banc Resolution No. 231-2017 dated 28 March 2017, in line with the outcomes-based framework of CMO No. 46, s. 2012.
One clause in the order is unusually forward-looking and explains why unit tables in economics brochures shift: the general education courses "shall be automatically considered revised whenever a new CMO on General Education is issued by the CHED without the need of additional action on the part of the Technical Committee for Economics." In other words, when the GE curriculum changes, the economics curriculum follows automatically.
What the discipline is framed as
CMO 32 defines economics as "the scientific study of how people allocate and use scarce resources" and says that "given the technical nature of the discipline, the primary aim of economics education is to raise the technical competencies of learners, develop their analytical and critical-thinking skills, and cultivate a habit of lifelong learning."
The order then states the dual purpose plainly. The undergraduate programmes are designed to prepare students "for jobs that require research and analytical skills in the public or corporate sector" and to provide "an adequate and reliable intellectual platform for those who would like to pursue advanced graduate degrees in economics as well as further studies in law, management, finance, international relations, and other related fields."
If you are choosing economics as a pre-law or pre-MBA degree, that is not a workaround - it is one of the two stated purposes.
BA versus BS: what actually differs
Both degrees exist under the same order, and CHED describes them this way:
BA Economics is "intended to provide students with a more liberal education." It "requires fewer major (Economics) courses but more liberal arts subjects such as those in the humanities, other social sciences, and a foreign language." The BA curriculum "is more flexible, giving students leeway to customize their program of study according to personal goals and interests."
BS Economics is "designed for students who prefer more courses in mathematics and the sciences." It is "more focused on the technical and practical aspects of Economics," requires "more major (Economics) courses and thus fewer opportunities for customizing the program of study."
In the component table the difference is concentrated in two lines:
| Component | BS Economics | BA/AB Economics |
|---|---|---|
| General Education | 36 | 36 |
| Basic courses | 18 | 18 |
| Required courses | 19 | 19 |
| Economics electives | 18 | 9 |
| Free electives (defined by the department) | — | 9 |
| Physical Education | 8 | 8 |
| National Service Training Program | 6 | 6 |
| Total | 105 | 105 |
Same total. The BS spends nine more units inside economics; the BA spends them on free electives the department defines. CMO 32 states the overall floor as "a minimum of 69 units not including the general education courses (or 105 units including 36 units of general education courses)."
The course list
Basic courses (18 units). Introductory Economics (3), Accounting (3), Algebra and Trigonometry (3), Calculus (6) and Introduction to Mathematical Statistics (3).
Required courses (19 units). Macroeconomics (3), Microeconomics (3), Econometrics (3), Econometrics Laboratory (1), Mathematical Economics (3), Economic Development (3) and Economic Research (3).
That 19-unit block is the spine of the degree, and it answers the most common misconception about economics. This is a quantitative social science. Calculus, mathematical statistics, mathematical economics and an econometrics course with its own laboratory are all required, in both the BA and the BS. If you are looking for a business-adjacent degree without that load, our BSBA guide covers the alternative honestly.
Economics electives. CHED's list is long and reads like a map of the field's applied branches: Agricultural Economics, Economic History, Financial Economics, Game Theory and its Applications in Economics, Growth Theory, Health Economics, History of Economic Thought, Industrial Economics, International Economics, International Finance, International Monetary Economics, International Trade, Labor Economics and Human Resource Economics, Monetary Economics and the Economics of Money and Banking, Project Evaluation, Public Economics, Resource and Environmental Economics, Comparative Economic Systems, Welfare Economics, Economic Practicum and Special Topics.
Which of those a school actually runs depends on its faculty. That is the single most useful question to ask a department: not "do you offer electives" but "which of these ran in the last two years, and who taught them?" A programme with one health economist can offer health economics; a programme without cannot.
Programme outcomes worth noticing
Five outcomes are specific to economics graduates under CMO 32. They are:
- Demonstrate knowledge of economic theory and the standard methods used in economic research
- Demonstrate the ability to diagnose economic problems using appropriate theories and methodologies
- Effectively communicate economic arguments and research results
- Appreciate and practise good citizenship
- Demonstrate a deep commitment to maintaining high ethical standards, "especially in constituting, analyzing, and interpreting economic data and results"
The performance indicators behind the second and third outcomes describe an actual research pipeline: organise a coherent research plan, identify a meaningful research problem, formulate a measurable hypothesis, develop a feasible statistical strategy, analyse results, identify policy implications, and "possibly defend a thesis before a duly constituted thesis examination panel."
The ethics indicators are specific too - proper citation, informed consent from respondents, and compliance with ethical requirements for research involving human subjects.
Why there is no licence, and what stands in for one
The PRC regulates professions only where a statute or commission resolution creates a board. There is no board for economists on PRC's roster, so there is no licensure examination, certificate of registration or professional identification card for the title.
What substitutes, in practice:
- The research output. The Economic Research course, and a defended thesis where the school requires one, is the closest thing to a portfolio a graduating economist has.
- Civil service eligibility. For government economist and planning-officer positions, the Civil Service Commission professional examination is usually the gate rather than any economics-specific credential. Our civil service exam guide covers it.
- Graduate study. In economics more than in most undergraduate fields, the master's degree is a working credential rather than an academic luxury, particularly for research institutions and central-bank-style work.
- Professional examinations in adjacent fields. Graduates who move into accounting, law or actuarial work take those fields' own examinations - see our BS Accountancy guide for the closest licensed comparison.
Schools
Economics is offered by a mix of state and private universities, usually inside a school or department of economics rather than a business college. Programme names are not uniform, so read the catalogue rather than assuming.
For a concrete example of how a single university splits the field: the UP School of Economics in Diliman lists two undergraduate degrees, BS Economics and BS Business Economics, describing the BS Economics curriculum as "a flexible liberal arts curriculum that allows for 33 units of free electives" and BS Business Economics as "tailored for students who have already chosen to pursue a minor in Business Management." Students in either may take optional minors through other UP Diliman units. That is a school exceeding the CHED minimum and structuring flexibility its own way - exactly what CMO 32 permits.
We are not going to publish a list of "the best economics schools" with numbers attached, because there is no national ranking or licensure passing rate to anchor it - the usual quantitative proxy for programme quality does not exist for an unlicensed field. What you can check yourself:
- Faculty depth and field coverage. How many full-time economists, in which specialisations, and which electives ran recently.
- Whether the department is autonomous. An economics department inside a business college often has a different emphasis from a standalone school of economics.
- Graduate placement. Ask where the last three cohorts went - government agencies, banks, research institutions, graduate school abroad.
- CHED recognition. Confirm the programme has authority to operate; our guide on how to verify school legitimacy sets out the checks.
Senior high school preparation
The order does not prescribe a strand, but the mathematics load tells you what helps. STEM and ABM both work; the accountancy and business mathematics in ABM maps onto the Accounting and Introductory Economics courses, while STEM's calculus preparation maps onto the Calculus and Mathematical Economics requirements. HUMSS graduates do enter economics programmes and succeed, but usually with more catching up in mathematics. Our ABM strand guide and STEM strand guide compare the two.
The short version
BS and BA Economics are covered by the same CHED order, CMO No. 32, series of 2017, and both total 105 units including 36 units of general education. The BS puts nine extra units into economics electives; the BA puts them into free electives. Calculus, mathematical statistics, mathematical economics and econometrics with a laboratory are required either way. There is no PRC board exam, so the research output, civil service eligibility, graduate study or an adjacent professional examination is what turns the degree into a career.
Sources
- CHED Memorandum Order No. 32, s. 2017 - Policies, Standards, and Guidelines for the Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Arts in Economics Programs (official PDF)
- CHED - 2017 CHED Memorandum Orders index
- UP School of Economics - Academic Programs
- Professional Regulation Commission - Table of Qualification and Documentary Requirements to Accompany an Application to Take a Licensure Examination (list of regulatory boards)
