The PMA curriculum

MANILA, Philippines – Among all graduations in the country, the commencement ceremony at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) is one of the most publicized and celebrated.

Annually, the PMA produces new soldiers who will join the ranks in the country’s Army, Air Force, and Navy. No less than the commander-in-chief, the president of the Philippines, is their guest of honor.

On Sunday, March 16, a new batch of soldiers will be graduating.

Just like in a typical college or university, military hopefuls have to spend 4 years of extensive military training at the PMA campus in Fort del Pilar, Baguio City.

But how different is the curriculum in PMA in relation to the usual college programs?

The PMA website states it has “a pre-war technically-oriented curriculum, patterned after that of the US Military Academy at West Point” that offers a “well-rounded education relevant to the needs of a growing Armed Forces of the Philippines.”

PMA is currently using a Tri-Service Curriculum, a concept developed in 1990 under then Defense Secretary Fidel Ramos and took effect in Academic Year 1995-1996. (Ramos became president in 1992.)

The current PMA curriculum is composed of 3 phases:

• Core Curriculum
• Major Service Core Curriculum
• Specialization Core Curriculum

For their first 2 years, the cadets take up general education subjects similar to a typical university such as History, Calculus, Trigonometry, Algebra, Philosophy and Logic.

Cadets also take military science and military leadership subjects during these years.

On their third year, cadets take the Service Core and Specialization Core subjects.

Service Core subjects are subjects that deal with the branch of service they choose to specialize in – the Army, Navy, or Air force.

On their last year in PMA, cadets are given the option to freely choose which degree they want to earn within their preferred fields.

For example, cadets majoring in Engineering can select from among the following specialized engineering fields:

• Aircraft Maintenance Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Communications Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Marine Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

It is also during this time that the cadets go on on-the-job (OJT) training in the military.

A cadet takes a total of 284 units for 4 years of training at PMA.

“This is much more than what a student would take in other civilian universities offering a bachelor’s degree,” the PMA states in its website. – Rappler.com

Sandro Lorenzo Roman is a Rappler intern.

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