Supreme Court E-Library
Information At Your Fingertips

November 19, 2009

1. Objectives of the Agreement
   
   The Agreement aims to promote the mutual recognition of higher education degrees and graduates awards as herein described awarded to students in the Philippines and China and facilitate mutual recognition of their academic credentials, so as to make it easier for students or graduates to pursue further academic studies in each other’s countries. The Commission on Higher Education of the Republic of the Philippines (CHED) and the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China (MoE) will designate appropriate bodies to provide information on recognition, and to make concrete recommendations in accordance with their current regulation, and to make concrete recommendations in accordance with their current regulations and practices to promote academic exchange and cooperation.
   
   
2. Agreement Profile
   
   The Agreement relates to (the recognition of) the diplomas issued by all Philippine higher education institutions and research institutions (hereinafter referred to as “the higher education institutions”) accredited by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines to award higher education qualifications and degrees and all Chinese higher education institutions accredited by the Government of the People’s Republic of China with the authority to award degree or postgraduate qualifications. The specific information as to award titles that are recognized by their respective governments shall be affirmed through diplomatic channels.
   
   The Parties respect the autonomy of higher education institutions and the government designated bodies in the Philippines and China as bodies that have the right to make their own decisions about recognition of overseas qualifications.
   
   
3. Introduction to the Academic Qualifications Framework in the Philippines and China
   
   Philippines
   
   Higher education credentials consists of associate degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and doctoral degree as follows:
   
   Associate Degree
   
   Associate or pre-baccalaureate are college or university parallel programs that are similar to the first two years of a four-year college curriculum. These are oftentimes referred to as a terminal/transfer degree or “ladderrized” programs leading to baccalaureate programs.
   
   Bachelor’s Degree
   
   A baccalaureate or bachelor’s degree generally requires four years of full-time study with minimum of 180 credits. Engineering, architecture, music and physical/occupational therapy require five years while dentistry and veterinary medicine require six years. In law and medicine, students must already have obtained a four-year bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline.
   
   Post-baccalaureate (Professional Title)
   
   Post-baccalaureate certificates or diplomas are awarded upon completion of one or two years of study beyond the bachelor’s degree. These certificates and diplomas are not equivalent to master’s degree and are frequently awarded in subjects such as cultural area or period studies, education specializations, technological or scientific applications, and business applications.
   
   Master’s Degree
   
   A master’s degree is a more advanced level of study which normally requires four semesters of course work, a comprehensive examination and/or a thesis and defense of this thesis. Studies for a master’s degree require minimum credits ranging from 42 to 48. Applicants for this level of study must have obtained a bachelor’s degree.
   
   Doctoral Degree
   
   Doctoral degrees, the highest level of postgraduate studies, are research-oriented and research-based. A doctorate requires two to three years’ study with at least four semesters of academic units and research for the doctoral dissertation equivalent to twelve academic units. At the end of the academic program, students must pass the comprehensive examination and present their dissertations. To be admitted to a doctorate program, students must have obtained a master’s degree with an average of at least 1.75.
   
   China
   
   Higher education credentials consist of higher diploma, undergraduate graduation certificate, bachelor’s degree, graduate diploma, master’s degree, and doctoral degree as follows:
   
   Higher Diploma
   
   A senior secondary school graduate may be admitted to higher vocational or technical school if he/she passes the National College Entrance Examination. He/she may be awarded a higher diploma upon accomplishing two or three years of study.
   
   A person who fails to enter higher vocational or technical school may be awarded a higher diploma if he/she passes the National Test for Self-Taught Students.
   
   Undergraduate Graduation Certificate and Bachelor Degree
   
   A senior secondary school graduate may be enrolled in a regular higher education course (undergraduate course) after passing the National College Entrance Examination. He may be awarded an undergraduate graduation certificate upon accomplishing four years of university education (five years for medical education.) A qualified student may apply for a bachelor’s degree. A person who fails to enter a regular higher education course may also obtain an undergraduate graduation certificate if he/she passes the National Test for Self-Taught Students. A qualified person may apply for a bachelor’s degree, provided the institution has the authority to award a bachelor’s degree.
   
   Master’s Degree
   
   A bachelor’s degree holder or equivalent may be admitted to education program in a master’s degree awarding institutions (higher education institution or research institution with authority to award master’s degree) after passing the graduate admission examination to study and/or research for two or three years, and to be awarded a master’s degree if qualified.
   
   A bachelor’s degree holder may also apply for and be awarded a master’s degree by an institution with authority to award master’s degree by means of Part-time study for Academic Degree if qualified.
   
   Doctoral Degree
   
   A master’s degree holder may be admitted to an education program in a doctoral degree awarding institution (higher education institution or research institution with authority to award a doctoral degree) after passing the required test, to study and/or research for three or more years to be awarded a doctoral degree if qualified.
   
   A master’s degree holder may also apply for and be awarded a doctoral degree by an institution with the authority to award doctoral degree by means of Part-time Study for Academic Degree if qualified.
   
   
4. Approval for Graduates of Philippine Higher Education Institutions to Study for Degrees in China
   
   The higher education institutions in China retain the right to determine the qualifications, grades and examination results required to enter all courses of study according to their own regulations.
   
   The government-designated body/organization in China determines the Philippine qualifications and degrees for applicants in terms of their equivalence to Chinese qualifications and degrees according to their own regulations.
   
   A bachelor’s degree holder from an officially recognized higher education institution in the Philippines may be considered for admission to studies leading to master’s degree in China subject to the specific requirements of the admitting institution.
   
   A holder of a master’s degree with excellent study record in the Philippines may be considered for admission to studies leasing to doctorate degree in China subject to the relevance of previous studies and the proposed research and the specific requirements of the admitting institutions.
   
   
5. Approval for Graduates of Chinese Higher Education Institutions and Scientific Research Institutions to Study for Degrees in the Philippines
   
   Higher education institutions in the Philippines retain the right to determine the qualifications, grades and examination results required to enter all courses of study according to their own regulations
   
   The Commission on Higher Education in the Philippines determines the Chinese qualifications and degrees for applicants in terms of their equivalence to Philippine qualifications and degrees according to their own regulations.
   
   A bachelor degree holder from an officially recognized higher education institution in China may be considered for admission to studies leading to a post-baccalaureate certificate/diploma or a master’s degree in the Philippines subject to the specific requirements of the admitting institution.
   
   A holder of a master’s degree with excellent study record in China may be considered for admission to studies leading to doctorate degrees in the Philippines subject to the relevance of previous studies and the proposed research and the specific requirements of the admitting institutions.
   
   
6. Consultative Process for the Agreement and Solution of Disputes
   
   Any issue that may arise in implementing this Agreement shall be resolved by consultation between the Parties through diplomatic channels.
   
   
7. Enforcement of the Agreement
   
   This Agreement shall enter into force on the date of the later notification by the Parties, through diplomatic channels, indicating compliance with their respective internal requirements for its entry into force.
   
   Either of the Parties can notify the other Party of its intention to terminate this Agreement by a notice in writing, through diplomatic channels. The termination of this agreement shall take effect in six months after the other Party receiving the written notice. The termination of this Agreement shall not prejudice the students who are enrolled at the time of said termination.