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Academics

Programs Offered

At the University of the Philippines School of Health Sciences (UPM-SHS), our programs are designed to provide comprehensive education and training in health sciences. We offer a range of degree programs that integrate advanced theoretical knowledge with practical, hands-on experience in community-based settings. Our curriculum emphasizes the highest global standards in health education, preparing students to excel in various health disciplines and contribute meaningfully to both local and international health care systems.

Diploma in Midwifery

The Diploma in Midwifery offered under a community-based, ladderized program serves as the foundational step for those aspiring to become healthcare professionals in underserved regions. Students gain practical skills in maternal and child care, grounded in real-world community settings. Upon completing this program and obtaining their midwifery license, they have the option to seamlessly continue their education in higher tiers—such as nursing or medicine—without repeating earlier coursework. This structure ensures that graduates not only develop specialized midwifery expertise but also embed themselves within the communities they serve, ultimately fostering more accessible and holistic healthcare.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing is the next stage in a community-based, ladderized curriculum, building on the foundation laid in midwifery. Students gain deeper clinical, theoretical, and leadership skills while continuing to serve in community settings, addressing a broad range of healthcare needs. Upon completion and passing the nursing licensure exam, graduates may work in hospitals, clinics, and public health programs, or choose to advance to higher levels of training. This ensures a steady pipeline of versatile nurses committed to improving access and quality of care in underserved regions.

Bachelor of Science in Medicine

The Bachelor of Science in Medicine marks the highest tier in the community-based, ladderized sequence, allowing those with a nursing or midwifery background to progress toward becoming medical doctors. Through rigorous coursework and hands-on clinical rotations in community healthcare settings, students develop the critical thinking and patient management skills essential for holistic care. Graduates emerge prepared not only to diagnose and treat diseases but also to lead health initiatives that address underlying social determinants of health. This ultimate step in the ladder nurtures a new generation of physicians dedicated to bridging service gaps and enhancing healthcare delivery, particularly in remote or underserved areas.

The SHS Step-Ladder Curriculum

The innovative step-ladder curriculum, the first of its kind in Asia is the main feature of the school’s academic program, and has been known to be very effective in addressing health manpower problems in the country. It is competency-based and community-based curriculum which integrates the training of the broad range of health manpower from the midwife, nurse, nurse practitioner and Doctor of Medicine in a single, sequential and continuous curriculum. This strategy has been used as a model by several community-based health training programs worldwide.

After seven quarters (11 weeks/quarter) of training, the student shall have acquired the knowledge and skills of a midwife and earns the certificate in Community Health Work (CHW) which qualifies him/her to practice midwifery after passing the Midwifery Licensure Examination. A Student who go on for another five quarters of study graduate with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) which qualifies him/her to practice nursing after passing the Nurse Licensure Examination. Two more quarters of study will qualify the student as local counterpart of the nurse practitioner in other countries. This level of the curriculum however is under study. The final level of the curriculum is the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program. It consists of a yearly interval of didactics, clinical and community experiences over a period of five years. After completing the prescribed period of study, the student is now qualified to take the Physicians Licensure Examination and subsequently practice medicine after passing the examinations.

Service Leaves

In between program levels, the students are required to undertake service leaves in their home communities for an indefinite duration or a minimum of three months. The concept of service leave is derived from the need to integrate the instructional content and processes learned in school into a unified and understandable whole in the communities they serve. The service leave offers the following opportunities:

For the students

To enrich their educational experience with actual service at several levels of the curricular ladder;
To be continuously oriented with the dynamic interplay of forces that affect the development of their communities;
To reflect on the institutional goals and instructional objectives of the School and on the different academic, psychological and situational demands on the capabilities and competencies as health professionals.
To strengthen commitment and renew the bond generated between the scholar and the community generated during the recruitment.

For the School

To assess the relevance of its philosophy, objectives, program content, methods and strategies;
To strengthen its linkages with the DOH, DILG and various Local Government Units;
To strengthen partnership with communities in the training of their scholars;
To provide opportunities for the faculty to keep in touch with the realities in the communities and strengthen their commitment to the concept of the school.

For the Community

To strengthen support for their scholar and enhance its own commitment by jointly working with and availing of the services of the scholar.
To augment the delivery of health services in the community.

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