UNTH Post Basic Ophthalmic Nursing admission requirements, as the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, lists them, are: be a registered nurse with at least two years of work experience and a current practising licence, hold five O’level credits in English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics and Biology at no more than two sittings, and present a medical fitness certificate from a government-approved hospital. Forms go on sale in February, the entrance exam holds in July, and the course runs for twelve months. There is no JAMB requirement and no cut-off mark.
2027/2028 update: UNTH Post Basic Ophthalmic Nursing admission requirements and entrance exam process usually stay the same from one year to the next, so the rules on this page are what 2027/2028 candidates should plan with. They come from the latest official information (UNTH’s school page). If the 2027/2028 notice changes anything, we will update this page.
UNTH describes the school as the first of its kind in the South East. Its page gives a clear yearly calendar but no form fee, and I found no dated 2026/2027 advert from UNTH itself. Below you will find each requirement explained, the calendar with planning months for 2027, a document checklist, what the entrance exam is likely to test, and the school’s NMCN position.
UNTH Post Basic Ophthalmic Nursing admission requirements at a glance
| Item | Requirement or fact | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | Registered nurse with a current practising licence | UNTH ophthalmic school page |
| Experience | At least 2 years | UNTH ophthalmic school page |
| O’level | Five credits: English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology; no more than two sittings; WAEC and/or NECO | UNTH ophthalmic school page |
| Health | Medical fitness certificate from a government-approved hospital | UNTH ophthalmic school page |
| Form sales | From February each year | UNTH ophthalmic school page |
| Entrance exam | July each year | UNTH ophthalmic school page |
| Duration | One year (twelve calendar months) | UNTH ophthalmic school page; UNTH Schools page |
| Final exam | NMCN qualifying exam, first week of November | UNTH ophthalmic school page |
| Fees | “As stipulated by the Hospital”; no amount published | UNTH ophthalmic school page |
| NMCN status | Post Basic Ophthalmic: Full (February 2021) | NMCN list, December 2025 |
Each UNTH ophthalmic nursing requirement explained
Registered nurse with two years’ experience
You need to be on the NMCN register as a nurse and have worked for at least two years. The page does not say the experience must be in eye care, so general ward experience counts on paper. Count your two years up to the time you apply, and carry a letter of service from your employer that shows your start date.
Current practising licence
Your NMCN licence must also be in date. Renew it before February so you are not caught out when forms open.
Five O’level credits at no more than two sittings
English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics and Biology, from WAEC or WAEC combined with NECO. UNTH’s page wording here reads “NECO/NECO combination”, which looks like a typing error, so ask the school if both of your sittings are NECO. Many nurses trained years ago lack Physics at credit; if that is you, a private WAEC or NECO sitting is the fix.
Medical fitness certificate
It must come from a government-approved hospital. A private clinic report may be refused, so use a general or teaching hospital. Eye work is close and detailed, and the medical will usually include a basic eye check.
UNTH ophthalmic nursing calendar: form, exam and final exam
| Stage | Usual month (UNTH page) | Planning month for the 2027/2028 set |
|---|---|---|
| Sale of forms | February | February 2027 |
| Entrance exam | July | July 2027 |
| NMCN final qualifying exam | First week of November | At the end of your 12 months |
(The 2027 months are based on the school’s published yearly pattern; confirm on the official notice when the call opens.) The page does not give a closing date for forms, so buy early rather than waiting for July.
What the entrance exam is likely to test
UNTH has not published the exam format or a pass mark. Its page says exam malpractice leads to disqualification, which tells you the exam is supervised and written. From the course content, I would revise:
- Anatomy and physiology of the eye and the visual pathway.
- Common eye conditions in Nigeria: cataract, glaucoma, conjunctivitis, trauma, refractive errors.
- Basic pharmacology of eye drops and ointments, and how to instil them.
- General nursing knowledge at registered nurse level: infection control, pre- and post-operative care, patient education.
Worked example (illustrative)
- Applicant: Ifeanyi registered as a nurse in March 2025 and works in a general hospital in Nsukka.
- Experience check: by February 2027 he will have about one year and eleven months. That is just short of two years, so he should confirm with the school how it counts experience, or plan for the following year’s intake.
- O’level check: credits in all five subjects across WAEC and NECO. He meets the rule.
- Lesson: his O’level is fine; the experience rule decides his timing. Work out your own dates before paying for a form.
How to apply for UNTH ophthalmic nursing, step by step
- Check your dates: make sure you will have two full years of experience and a current licence by the time you apply.
- Get your medical: book a medical fitness examination at a government hospital in January so the certificate is ready in February.
- Gather documents: nursing certificate, NMCN registration and current licence, O’level result(s), letter of service, birth certificate, medical fitness certificate and passport photographs.
- Buy the form from UNTH: watch unth.edu.ng from February. UNTH sold its 2026/2027 post-basic anaesthesia form on www.unthportal.org, so expect the ophthalmic form there too, and pay only on an official UNTH channel.
- Sit the July exam: bring your slip and original certificates, and follow exam rules strictly.
- Accept and resume: pay the fees the hospital sets, using only the official payment method on your admission letter, and arrange study leave for the twelve months.
Warning
Blog adverts for a “UNTH Post Basic Ophthalmic Nursing form” that ask you to call or pay a private number are not UNTH notices. UNTH has never published a fee for this school, so anyone quoting you a price must show you where on unth.edu.ng it comes from.
About the UNTH Post Basic Ophthalmic Nursing School
The school was established on 20 March 1988 through the efforts of Dr O. O. Mbonu, then Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee, and Mrs Ejikeme, then Head of Nursing Services. Its first lecturers were Mrs Umeano, Mrs Mbano, Mrs Aniago and Mrs Okwo. The NMCN opened a register for ophthalmic nurses in 2001, and UNTH says the school was accredited by the council in 2005, with Mrs Grace C. Madubuko as coordinator. The school aims to train nurses to promote eye health and to prevent and manage eye disorders at every level of care.
Accreditation today
The NMCN’s December 2025 list shows UNTH’s Post Basic Ophthalmic Nursing with full approval dated February 2021, and the August 2022 list gave a quota of 30. The NMCN says full approval lasts five years, which takes the printed date to February 2026, so ask the school whether a renewal visit has taken place.
Careers for ophthalmic nurses
- Eye clinics and eye theatres in teaching, federal and state hospitals.
- Private eye hospitals and optical centres.
- Community eye health programmes, school eye screening and outreach surgery camps run by NGOs.
- Teaching and supervising in eye care units after further training.
In community programmes, ophthalmic nurses often handle screening and patient education.
Other post-basic programmes at UNTH
- UNTH Post Basic Perioperative Nursing admission requirements
- UNTH Post Basic Nursing Anaesthesia admission requirements
- UNTH Post Basic Cardiothoracic Nursing admission requirements
- UNTH School of Midwifery admission requirements
If you are not yet a nurse, start with our UNTH BNSc cut-off mark guide.
Mistakes ophthalmic nursing applicants make
- Applying a few months short of two years: count your experience before you pay.
- Bringing a private clinic medical report: the page asks for a government-approved hospital.
- Missing Physics at credit: it is one of the five subjects.
- Waiting until July: forms start in February, and there is no published closing date.
UNTH ophthalmic nursing: frequently asked questions
How long is post basic ophthalmic nursing at UNTH? One year, which UNTH describes as twelve calendar months, ending with the NMCN qualifying exam in the first week of November.
When does UNTH sell ophthalmic nursing form? From February each year, with the entrance exam in July. For the 2027/2028 set, plan on February 2027.
Can I apply for UNTH ophthalmic nursing with one year experience? No. The school asks for at least two years of experience as a registered nurse.
How much is UNTH ophthalmic nursing school fees? UNTH says fees are “as stipulated by the Hospital” and has not published an amount. Ask the school directly and pay only through UNTH’s official channels.
Sources and updates
The requirements, calendar, duration, fee wording, history and 2005 accreditation come from UNTH’s Post Basic Ophthalmic Nursing School page (last updated June 2020), and the twelve-month duration is repeated on the UNTH Schools page (updated July 2024). The portal reference comes from UNTH’s official 2026/2027 Nursing Anaesthesia notice (7 May 2026). The NMCN status is from the council’s list of approved schools (December 2025), and the quota of 30 from its August 2022 list. The 2027 planning months follow the school’s published pattern and are not yet official. The revision topics, document list, careers and worked example are my advice and illustration. Checked on 29 October 2026; this page will be updated when UNTH advertises the 2027/2028 intake.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
