Bachelors Program

Admission to the Bachelors Program

The UP Open University offers two (2) degree programs in the undergraduate level, as follows:
(click on the program’s name for more information about the program and its curriculum)

The UPOU Associate in Arts (AA) graduates may proceed to the BAMS or BES program to obtain a Bachelor’s degree. The BAMS and BES programs can also be taken by applicants with previous degree/s.

Program Schedule/Offering: Trimester
Admission Schedule:
- BAMS: every 1st trimester of every academic year
- BES : 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimester of every academic year
Admission Exam: UP College Admission Test (UPCAT)
- The UPCAT is administered by the Office of Admissions in UP Diliman
- The UPCAT is only taken once; qualified transferees are not required to take the UPCAT
- The UPCAT is also not required for AA graduates and applicants with previous degree/s.
Admission Qualifications and Requirements:

Admission Qualifications
Admission Requirements

Admission Qualifications

The following can apply for admission to BAMS or BES:

Successful UPCAT Applicants;
UPOU AA graduates or graduates of other degree program/s;
Qualified transferees.

1. Admission through the UPCAT (Successful UPCAT Applicant)
Successful UPCAT applicants to UPOU are senior students (i.e. Fourth Year, Grade 12, Senior 6) who have chosen to study at UPOU under the BAMS or BES program and have taken and passed the most recent UPCAT. Successful UPCAT applicants should wait an email from the Office of the University Registrar (OUR) for instructions for confirmation of admission. However, they are advised to prepare the following requirements:

Original Form 137
Original Form 138
Photocopy of NSO or PSA birth certificate
Two pieces identical 2″ x 2″ and 1″ x 1″ pictures

Successful UPCAT applicants to UPOU are also required to complete the online Distance Education Readiness Module (DERM). The information about the DERM will also be emailed by admissions.

* Instructions for appeals to UPOU will be posted in the announcement.

2. Admission through the completion of the UPOU Associate in Arts (AA) program or other degree program:
To be admitted to the BAMS or BES program, the applicant must:

have completed the Associate in Arts (AA) program of UPOU or a Bachelor’s degree from a recognized tertiary or higher education institution;
have submitted the complete documentary requirements for admission before the application deadline; and
if necessary, have completed the UPOU Distance Education (DE) Readiness Module. Link to the DERM will be emailed by admissions.

3. Admission through transfer admissions (transferees):
The following are considered as transferee:

a current or former student of another UP unit or school/university;
a graduate of a 2-year diploma, certificate, associate, or technical and vocational (tech voc) program; or a
former college, diploma, certificate, associate, or technical and vocational (tech voc) student who stopped schooling;

provided that he or she:

has satisfied the transfer admission requirements:
- If coming from a UP unit: completed at least 30 units of college and a GWA of 2.5 or better.
- If coming from a non-UP unit: completed at least 33 units of college and a GWA of 2.0 or better.
has submitted the complete documentary requirements for admission before the application deadline.
has completed the UPOU Distance Education (DE) Readiness Module. Link to the DERM will be emailed by admissions.

Notes:
1. PE, NSTP, theology, and technical courses from a 2-year or tech voc program are excluded in the computation of units and GWA.

Admission Requirements

Documentary Admission Requirements:

A. To be mailed to the Office of the University Registrar:

1. 1. Signed hard copy of the application form generated from the Online Application System.
  2. Original copy of the Official Transcript of Records (OTR)
  3. One (1) piece 2″ x 2″ ID photo (refer to the photo requirements below).
  4. Original copy of birth certificate issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)

For applicants without college units yet:

- - High School/Senior High School Graduates: Original copies of Form 137 and Form 138, with the school’s dry seal and date of graduation
  - Philippine Educational Placement Test (PEPT) or Alternative Learning System Accreditation and Equivalency (ALS A&E) Passers: Original copy of the test results and a certified true copy of the diploma or graduation certificate issued by the Department of Education.

Reminders on the OTR:

- - Current UP students: original copy of the True Copy of Grades (TCG) issued by the current faculty office/college
  - Former UP students: original copy of the OTR indicating date cleared by concerned UP units, and permit to transfer
  - Former college students (non-UP): original copy of OTR
  - Attended multiple colleges: Submit the OTR from the last school attended, which must reflect all credentials from previous schools, whether completed or not.

For applicants below 18 years old:

- - Original copy of the filled-out and signed Consent and Assent Form for Minors.

B. To be uploaded via the Online Application System (OAS):

- - Scanned copy of the OTR
    Note: Must reflect all academic credentials from previous schools/degrees
  - Proof of payment of non-refundable application fee:
    - PHP 500.00 (for Filipino citizens)
    - USD 100.00 (for non-Filipino citizens)

For applicants without college units yet:

- - High School/Senior High School Graduates: Scanned copies of Form 137 and Form 138, with date of graduation and school’s dry seal is prominent
  - Philippine Educational Placement Test (PEPT) or Alternative Learning System Accreditation and Equivalency (ALS A&E) Passers: Scanned copy of the test results and a certified true copy of the diploma or graduation certificate issued by the Department of Education.

Note: Please refer to this link for payment instructions: Payment of Fees

- - NSO or PSA-issued Birth Certificate
  - Two government-issued identification cards
  - Photo requirements:

- - - ID Photo (2×2 inches)
    - Colored, with a white or off-white background
    - Taken within the last 4 months
    - Full face centered, eyes visible; no eyeglasses or accessories that obscure facial features.
    - With a handwritten name tag: First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name, Extension Name (if any), and signature over printed name

* Photos are AI generated

For applicants below 18 years old:

- Original copy of the filled-out and signed Consent and Assent Form for Minors.

For applicants to the following degree programs:

- Associate of Arts in Digital Design and Art (AADDA)
- Associate of Science in Information Technology (ASIT)
- Associate of Arts in Digital Entrepreneurship (AADE)

Submit a 500-word essay stating your reasons for applying to UPOU’s distance education program and your plans after program completion

C. Additional Requirements for Foreign Applicants:

- Authenticated Scholastic Records:
  Duly authenticated by the Philippine Foreign Service Post in the applicant’s country of origin or legal residence
- Passport and Birth Certificate:
  Copy of the passport’s data page (showing date and place of birth) and birth certificate or its equivalent, both authenticated by the Philippine Foreign Service Post

Upon admission to the university, the student must submit the following documents in hard copy:

Original copy of the OTR with valid remarks.
Refer to this link for valid remarks: TOR Acceptable Remarks

For applicants with international scholastic records:
Original authenticated copy of the records, certified by the Philippine Foreign Service Post located in the applicant’s country of origin or legal residence.

Admission Procedure:
(only for AA graduates, transferees to BAMS and BES, and applicants with previous degree/s)

Step 1: Apply for admission and upload the admission requirements through the Online Application System. Monitor the progress of your application through the OAS.

Note: If you are a UPOU alumnus or a former UPOU student applying for admission to a new degree program, please access the online application system through the Student Portal.
Please do not create a new OAS account.

Step 2: As soon as the online application is accomplished, mail the complete and valid admission documents to the address below:

The Admission Section
Office of the University Registrar
UP Open University
Los Baños, Laguna 4031
Philippines

Refer to the UPOU Academic Calendar for the deadline for submission of application documents.

Step 3: Complete the DE Readiness Module (DERM). The link to the DERM will be emailed by admissions.

Step 4: Wait for an email from the OUR for the admission results. Results of the evaluation will be released after the evaluation of the Undergraduate Admissions Committee and before the registration/enrollment period of the applied term.

Updated 26 April 2021