TL;DR: BS Office Administration (BSOA) is a four-year CHED-regulated degree under CMO No. 19, series of 2017, built around office procedures, records management, and executive support skills, with most schools offering Legal or Medical Office Administration specializations in the final years. CHED's minimum curriculum runs 119 units, including a required Office Administration Internship and, for specialized tracks, a second internship (many schools total 600+ internship hours across both). BSOA has no PRC board exam. The Philippine Statistics Authority's 2024 survey put general office clerks at an average ₱19,721 per month, while Indeed's Philippine data shows executive assistants averaging ₱26,275, legal secretaries near ₱23,208, and administrative assistants near ₱18,941.
Students searching "BS Office Administration" usually already know it leads to admin and executive-support work, but want the specifics: what subjects it actually covers, whether the Legal and Medical tracks are worth choosing, and what the job actually pays once you graduate. This guide walks through BSOA's CHED-mandated curriculum, its two named specialization tracks, tuition ranges, and real wage data for office administration roles in the Philippines, so you can compare it directly against a broader business degree like BSBA before committing.
What Is BS Office Administration?
BS Office Administration (BSOA) is a four-year undergraduate degree governed by CHED Memorandum Order No. 19, series of 2017, "Policies, Standards and Guidelines for Bachelor of Science in Office Administration." The program description in CHED's own policy calls BSOA "a four-year course that prepares the students for a career in an outcome-focused, technology rich, professional environment," built around "current techniques in office practice and procedures, developments in office systems and technology, good team-working and management skills, and application of the principles of good human relations and communications."
In practice, that means BSOA trains students in the mechanics of running a modern office: shorthand and fast keyboarding, administrative procedures, records and document management, business correspondence, customer relations, and office software, rather than the broader management theory covered in a business administration degree.
Disclaimer: curriculum specifics and unit counts vary by school under CHED's framework. Always confirm the current curriculum and specialization offerings directly with your target school's registrar.
BSOA Curriculum: What Subjects Will You Take?
CHED's CMO No. 19, s. 2017 sets a minimum of 119 units for BSOA, split across general education, a shared business core, the Office Administration core, and electives.
| Curriculum Component | Minimum Units |
|---|---|
| General Education | 36 |
| NSTP | 6 |
| Physical Education | 8 |
| Core Business & Management Courses | 6 |
| Office Administration Core Courses | 45 |
| Elective Courses | 18 |
| Total | 119 |
The Office Administration core (45 units) is where the degree's identity shows: subjects like Foundations and Advanced Shorthand, Administrative Office Procedures and Management, Keyboarding and Documents Processing, Business Report Writing, Customer Relations, Business Law and Taxation, Events Management, Integrated Software Applications, and a required Office Administration Internship.
A real published curriculum shows how this plays out at one school. Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation's BSOA program lists Foundation of Shorthand and Administrative Office Procedures and Management in first year, Advanced Shorthand and Keyboarding and Documents Processing by second semester, then Machine Shorthand, Legal and Medical Office Procedures, Business Report Writing, Customer Relations, Business Research, Web Development, and Event Management across the third year, before a Thesis/Feasibility Study and specialized internship in the fourth year. That course list lines up closely with CHED's own core subject names, which is a useful sanity check that the CMO's minimum standard is what's actually being taught.
Legal vs Medical Office Administration: What's the Difference?
Most BSOA programs let students choose a specialization track in the third and fourth year: Legal Office Administration or Medical Office Administration. Both add specialized procedure courses and a second internship on top of the general Office Administration Internship most programs require earlier in the curriculum.
| Track | Added Coursework | Internship | Typical Entry Roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal Office Administration | Legal Office Procedures, legal documentation and correspondence | Legal Office Internship (around 300 hours at schools that publish the figure) | Legal secretary, paralegal support, law firm administrative staff |
| Medical Office Administration | Medical Office Procedures, medical records and terminology | Medical Office Internship (around 300 hours at schools that publish the figure) | Medical secretary, clinic/hospital administrative staff, medical records assistant |
Combined with the general Office Administration Internship many schools require in the second or third year, students in a specialization track commonly complete 600 or more internship hours across the two placements by graduation, though the exact figure is set school by school rather than fixed nationally by CHED.
Disclaimer: internship hour requirements vary by institution. Confirm the current OJT policy with your target school before enrolling.
Does BS Office Administration Have a Board Exam?
No. BSOA does not appear on the Professional Regulation Commission's list of regulated professions, so there is no licensure exam standing between a BSOA graduate and employment. This puts BSOA in the same category as BSBA: graduates enter the workforce directly after finishing their degree and required internship hours, unlike licensed fields such as accountancy or nursing.
How Is BSOA Different From BSBA?
BSOA is narrower and more procedural, built around the day-to-day mechanics of running an office: correspondence, records, scheduling, and executive support. BSBA is broader and theory-heavier, covering management principles across five CHED-recognized majors (Human Resource Management, Marketing Management, Financial Management, Operations Management, and Business Economics), aimed at students who want a path into management roles rather than administrative-support roles.
In practice, a BSOA graduate typically starts as an administrative assistant, executive assistant, or in one of the Legal/Medical specializations, while a BSBA graduate typically starts in an HR, marketing, finance, or operations associate role with a clearer path toward supervisory positions. Students unsure which fits should also look at our broader what course to take in college framework and in-demand courses in the Philippines breakdown before deciding.
How Much Does BSOA Tuition Cost?
Like most lecture-based (non-laboratory-heavy) business programs, BSOA tends to sit on the more affordable end of Philippine college tuition.
| School Tier | Approx. Annual Tuition (BSOA) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Budget private school | ₱20,000–₱40,000 | Large classes, minimal lab fees |
| Mid-range private university | ₱30,000–₱70,000 | Smaller classes, better facilities |
| State university or college (SUC) | Free under RA 10931 | Subject to admission and retention requirements |
Disclaimer: tuition figures are approximate ranges and change by school year. Confirm the current rate directly with the admissions office of your target school. See our average cost of college in the Philippines guide for the fuller picture across degree types.
What Jobs Can BSOA Graduates Get?
BSOA graduates typically start as administrative assistants, executive assistants, office clerks, or in one of the Legal/Medical Office Administration specializations, then move into office manager or executive-support roles for senior leadership with experience.
| Role | Average Monthly Pay | Source |
|---|---|---|
| General Office Clerk | ₱19,721 (national average) | PSA 2024 Occupational Wages Survey |
| General Office Clerk, Info & Communications industry | ₱25,649 | PSA 2024 Occupational Wages Survey |
| General Office Clerk, Admin & Support Services industry | ₱25,600 | PSA 2024 Occupational Wages Survey |
| Administrative Assistant | ₱18,941 | Indeed Philippines |
| Executive Assistant | ₱26,275 | Indeed Philippines |
| Legal Secretary | ₱23,208 (₱29,236 in Manila) | Indeed Philippines |
| Medical Secretary | ₱17,667 | Indeed Philippines |
Pay climbs with experience, industry, and specialization: executive assistants supporting senior leadership and legal secretaries at larger law firms consistently out-earn general clerical roles, which is part of why the Legal and Medical tracks exist as a deliberate differentiator within the degree.
Disclaimer: wage figures are averages from surveyed companies and job listing aggregates, not guaranteed starting pay for any individual graduate. Actual offers vary by company size, role, location, and experience.
Which Schools Offer BSOA?
BSOA is offered at business-focused universities and state colleges across the country, including Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, and Cavite State University – Imus Campus, alongside many regional colleges. Availability of the Legal and Medical specialization tracks specifically varies by school, so confirm which tracks a given program actually offers before applying if a specialization is your priority.
How to Decide If BSOA Is Right for You
Before committing to BSOA, weigh these questions:
- Do you want hands-on administrative work, or a management track? BSOA leads more directly into administrative and executive-support roles; BSBA leads more directly into management-track roles.
- Are you drawn to a specific specialization? If legal or healthcare settings interest you specifically, the Legal or Medical Office Administration tracks give you a head start most general admin candidates won't have.
- Have you checked which specialization tracks your target school actually offers? Not every BSOA program runs both the Legal and Medical tracks, so confirm before enrolling if a specific track matters to you.
- What strand did you take in senior high? ABM and GAS graduates typically have the most direct preparation; check your target school's specific admission requirements if you came from another strand.
Ready to find the right school? Browse schools or compare tuition and programs across hundreds of Philippine schools on SchoolFinderPH.
Sources
- CHED CMO No. 19, s. 2017 — Revised Policies and Standards for BS Office Administration (via Legaldex)
- Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation — BS Office Administration program page
- Philippine Statistics Authority — 2024 Occupational Wages Survey
- Indeed Philippines — Administrative Assistant Salary
- Indeed Philippines — Executive Assistant Salary
- Indeed Philippines — Legal Secretary Salary
- Indeed Philippines — Medical Secretary Salary
- Professional Regulation Commission — Summary List of Professional Regulatory Boards
- SchoolFinderPH — BSBA Explained: Majors, Subjects, and Career Paths
- SchoolFinderPH — Average Cost of College in the Philippines
