Polytechnic University of the Philippines publishes its complete academic programme list on one page, organised by college, and it is longer than most applicants expect. Fourteen colleges at Sta. Mesa, a separate Institute of Technology, an Open University System with its own degrees, a Graduate School, and more than twenty branch campus listings that each run a different subset. This is that list, plus the application mechanics.
One thing to settle first: PUP does not offer nursing, medicine, or pharmacy. They do not appear anywhere in the published list. If those are your target, PUP is not the school.
Undergraduate programmes by college, Sta. Mesa
College of Accountancy and Finance (CAF)
- BS Accountancy
- BS Business Administration major in Financial Management (formerly BS Banking and Finance)
- BS Management Accounting
College of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment (CADBE)
Formerly the College of Architecture and Fine Arts.
- BS Architecture
- BS Interior Design
- BS Environmental Planning
College of Arts and Letters (CAL)
- BA English Language Studies (formerly BA English)
- BA Filipinology
- BA Literary and Cultural Studies
- BA Philosophy
- Bachelor of Performing Arts major in Theater Arts
College of Business Administration (CBA)
- BS Business Administration major in Human Resource Management
- BS Business Administration major in Marketing Management
- BS Entrepreneurship
- BS Office Administration
CBA also runs the Doctor in Business Administration and the Master in Business Administration.
College of Communication (COC)
- Bachelor in Advertising and Public Relations
- BA Broadcasting
- BA Communication Research
- BA Journalism
College of Computer and Information Sciences (CCIS)
- BS Computer Science
- BS Information Technology
College of Education (COED)
- Bachelor of Elementary Education
- Bachelor of Early Childhood Education
- Bachelor of Secondary Education, majors in English, Mathematics, Science, Filipino, and Social Studies
- Bachelor of Technology and Livelihood Education, majors in Home Economics, Industrial Arts, and Information and Communication Technology
- Bachelor of Library and Information Science
College of Engineering (CE)
- BS Civil Engineering
- BS Computer Engineering
- BS Electrical Engineering
- BS Electronics Engineering
- BS Industrial Engineering
- BS Mechanical Engineering
- BS Railway Engineering (formerly BS Railway Engineering and Management)
BS Railway Engineering is unusual. Very few Philippine universities publish a dedicated railway engineering degree, and PUP pairs it with a Professional Science Masters in Railway Engineering Management at the Graduate School.
College of Human Kinetics (CHK)
- Bachelor of Physical Education
- BS Exercises and Sports
College of Law (CL)
- Juris Doctor
College of Political Science and Public Administration (CPSPA)
- BA Political Science
- BA Political Economy
- BA International Studies
- Bachelor of Public Administration
College of Social Sciences and Development (CSSD)
- BA Sociology
- BS Economics
- BA History
- BA Philippine Studies
- BS Psychology
- Bachelor in Human Services
- BS Social Work
College of Science (CS)
- BS Food Technology
- BS Applied Mathematics
- BS Biology
- BS Chemistry
- BS Mathematics
- BS Nutrition and Dietetics
- BS Physics
- BS Statistics (formerly Bachelor in Applied Statistics)
College of Tourism, Hospitality and Transportation Management (CTHTM)
- BS Hospitality Management
- BS Tourism Management
- BS Transportation Management (formerly Bachelor in Transportation Management)
BS Transportation Management is another programme that is hard to find elsewhere. If you are weighing the tourism side, our comparison of tourism versus hospitality management explains how those two split.
Institute of Technology
The Institute of Technology is a separate unit from the College of Engineering and awards diplomas rather than bachelor's degrees:
- Diploma in Computer Engineering Technology
- Diploma in Electrical Engineering Technology
- Diploma in Electronics Engineering Technology
- Diploma in Information Communication Technology
- Diploma in Mechanical Engineering Technology
- Diploma in Office Management
Open University System
The Open University System publishes its own list, and it includes undergraduate degrees, not just graduate ones:
- BS Entrepreneurship
- BA Broadcasting
- BS Business Administration, majors in Human Resource Management and Marketing Management
- BS Office Administration
- BS Tourism Management
- Bachelor of Public Administration
- Post Baccalaureate Diploma in Information Technology
Graduate offerings there include the Doctor in Business Administration, Doctor in Engineering Management, PhD in Education Management, Doctor in Public Administration, Master in Communication, MBA, MA in Education Management, Master in Information Technology, Master in Public Administration, and MS Construction Management.
Graduate School
The Sta. Mesa Graduate School publishes doctorates in Communication, Computer Engineering, Economics, English Language Studies, International Tourism and Hospitality Management, Filipino (majors in Wika and Panitikan), and Psychology.
Master's programmes include Applied Statistics, Communication, English Language Studies, Filipino, Philippine Studies, Philosophy, Psychology (Clinical and Industrial), Sociology, Biology, Civil Engineering with four specialisations, Computer Engineering, Economics, Electronics Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Information Technology, International Tourism and Hospitality Management, Nutrition and Dietetics, and the Professional Science Masters in Railway Engineering Management. There is also a Graduate Diploma in Project Management.
Branch campuses run different programme mixes
This is the part most course lists leave out, and it matters if you live outside Manila. PUP publishes a per-campus programme list, and the mixes differ substantially.
| Region | Campuses with published programme lists |
|---|---|
| Metro Manila | Taguig, Quezon City, San Juan, Parañaque |
| Central Luzon | Bataan, Sta. Maria (Bulacan), Pulilan (Bulacan), Cabiao (Nueva Ecija) |
| South Luzon | Lopez (Quezon), Mulanay (Quezon), General Luna (Quezon, Mulanay Annex), Unisan (Quezon), Ragay (Camarines Sur), Sto. Tomas (Batangas), Maragondon (Cavite), Alfonso (Cavite), Bansud (Oriental Mindoro), Sablayan (Occidental Mindoro), Biñan (Laguna), San Pedro (Laguna), Sta. Rosa (Laguna), Calauan (Laguna) |
Patterns worth noticing. BS Information Technology, BS Accountancy, BS Entrepreneurship and the Bachelor of Secondary Education majors appear at many campuses. Engineering is thinner outside Sta. Mesa: BS Mechanical Engineering appears at Taguig, Maragondon and Alfonso; BS Civil Engineering and BS Architecture appear at Lopez, Quezon. A few programmes exist only at one branch, such as BS Agricultural Business Management at Lopez and Mulanay, and Bachelor in Cooperatives at Sablayan. Sablayan also lists an Associate in Tourism Management, which is one of the few associate-level offerings in the system.
Do not assume a Sta. Mesa programme runs at your nearest campus. Check that campus's own list.
How admission actually works
PUP runs the PUP College Entrance Test (PUPCET) and processes applications through the PUP iApply portal. As of writing, PUP's main Admission page is marked "Under construction," so iApply and the PUPCET procedure page are the operative sources.
What you prepare before you start, per PUP's own procedure page:
- A 2 x 2-inch colored photo with a name tag, saved as a .jpeg no larger than 300 kilobytes
- Your Grade 11 report card showing your complete name, LRN, and the general weighted average for both the first and second semesters
Then the steps:
- Go to the iApply PUPCET page and read the information provided, then click Apply Now.
- Register an account, read the service agreement, and select PUPCET.
- Answer the prequalification questions to determine whether you qualify for PUPCET.
- Fill in the registration form. Your name and date of birth must match your PSA birth certificate exactly, and the email address must be one you actually use, because the whole transaction runs through it. One account per application.
- Complete the application form, enter the digital security code, type your full name as a digital signature, and tick the acknowledgement box.
- Finalise the application. This locks the form and submits it for evaluation.
- Print your ePermit. PUP asks applicants to allow six to twenty working days after finalising before the ePermit becomes available, because photos and report cards are validated manually. The printed ePermit is what you present on your exam date.
If your photo or report card is rejected for format, iApply gives you a link to re-upload, and the validation clock starts again. That is the single most common avoidable delay, so get the file format right the first time.
PUP warns that any misrepresentation in the online application automatically invalidates admission to the university. Treat the form as a legal document.
The portal also hosts separate entrance examinations for other levels, including PUPGSEE for the Graduate School with college-specific variants, PUPOUSEE for the Open University System, and PUPCLEE for the College of Law. Applying to the Graduate School or the Open University System is not the same application as PUPCET.
For test preparation, see our PUPCET reviewer guide and the general college entrance exam reviewer.
What PUP does not publish
Being straight about the gaps is more useful than filling them in with guesses.
- Exam dates and application windows. These change every cycle and PUP posts them on the iApply PUPCET page. Do not plan around a date from a news article or a review-centre blog.
- Per-programme quotas. PUP does not publish slot allocations by programme on its academic pages.
- Undergraduate tuition schedule. It is not on the academic programmes pages. PUP is a state university, so undergraduate tuition for eligible Filipino students is covered by Republic Act No. 10931. The Graduate School publishes its own fees separately. Our PUP tuition fee guide and free tuition universities rundown explain how RA 10931 works in practice, including what it does not cover.
- Cut-off scores. Not published.
When a number matters to your decision, get it from the campus registrar or the admissions office. PUP lists its trunkline as (+63 2) 5335-1787 or 5335-1777, and the main admissions office email as [email protected].
Sources
- PUP Academic Programs — Polytechnic University of the Philippines. The complete published list of Graduate School, Open University System, college, Institute of Technology, and branch campus programmes used throughout this article.
- PUP Colleges — Polytechnic University of the Philippines. The list of fourteen colleges and the Institute of Technology.
- PUPCET application procedure — Polytechnic University of the Philippines. Photo and report card requirements, registration and finalisation steps, ePermit timing, and the misrepresentation warning.
- PUP Admission — Polytechnic University of the Philippines. Page state as of writing.
- Republic Act No. 10931, Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act — LawPhil.
