NOUN Banking and Finance admission requirements for 100 level are at least five credits in WAEC, SSCE, NECO or NABTEB, including English Language, Mathematics and Economics, in not more than two sittings. That is the rule on the B.Sc Banking and Finance page of NOUN’s Faculty of Management Sciences. National Open University of Nigeria does not use a JAMB cut-off mark. Direct Entry into 200 level is open to A level, ND (Upper Credit) and HND holders in relevant programmes.
2027/2028 update: NOUN admission requirements and entry rules usually stay the same from one year to the next, so the requirements on this page are what 2027/2028 applicants should plan with. They come from NOUN’s latest published requirements and notices (checked in October 2026). If NOUN changes anything for 2027/2028, we will update this page.
The programme is run by NOUN’s Department of Financial Studies and aimed at working adults who want a banking or finance degree without leaving their jobs. This guide covers the subject rule, each Direct Entry route, what you study year by year, where the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) fits in, fees and the steps to apply through the Enugu Study Centre.
NOUN Banking and Finance admission requirements at a glance
| Item | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| UTME score | Not required; no cut-off mark | NOUN Admission Requirements page |
| 100 level O’level | At least five credits in WAEC, SSCE, NECO or NABTEB including English, Mathematics and Economics; max two sittings | NOUN B.Sc Banking and Finance page |
| Direct Entry (200 level) | A level (two relevant subjects), ND or OND (Upper Credit) or HND in a relevant programme | Same page |
| Duration | Minimum 4 years (8 semesters); maximum 8 years (16 semesters) | Same page |
| Credit units to graduate | At least 120, excluding general studies courses | Same page |
| Form | ₦5,000 via Remita (last published figure) | NOUN News, 8 August 2024 |
| NUC status | Full | NOUN accreditation document, November 2024 |
| CIBN | Named in course content only; no exemption terms published by NOUN | NOUN B.Sc Banking and Finance page |
Is there a NOUN cut-off mark for Banking and Finance?
No. NOUN does not set a UTME cut-off mark for Banking and Finance or for any other undergraduate programme. Its official Admission Requirements page describes O’level requirements and an automated online application, and a JAMB score is not part of it. Any “NOUN Banking and Finance cut-off mark” you see on a blog was not published by the university.
Two things decide whether you get in:
- Your O’level result: the right five credits, in not more than two sittings.
- Your Direct Entry qualification, if you have one: it decides whether you start at 100 level or higher.
That also means there is no post-UTME, no screening test and no aggregate score to calculate. If your grades match the requirement, the portal admits you.
What about JAMB and CAPS?
NOUN’s admission page does not ask for a UTME score, and you do not choose NOUN on a UTME form to be considered. JAMB is still part of the picture after admission: NOUN’s fees schedule lists a ₦6,000 JAMB regularisation charge for new students. NOUN has not published step-by-step instructions for that regularisation, so follow what the university tells you after admission and keep the receipt. If you already have a JAMB profile from an earlier UTME, keep its email and registration number handy; it may help when your record is regularised.
O’level subjects for NOUN Banking and Finance
| Subject | Status | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | Compulsory | Credit |
| Mathematics | Compulsory | Credit |
| Economics | Compulsory | Credit |
| Two other subjects | Your choice | Credit |
Economics is the subject to watch. Business Administration accepts Commerce in its place, but Banking and Finance does not, according to its faculty page. For the two free credits, Commerce, Financial Accounting, Government or a science subject will do. Results can come from WAEC, NECO or NABTEB, in one or two sittings.
What if I have Commerce but no Economics?
Then you do not meet this programme’s requirement. Either sit Economics in a WAEC or NECO GCE and apply when the result is out, or look at the NOUN Enugu Business Administration admission guide, which takes Commerce instead of Economics. Its courses include Introduction to Finance and Financial Management, so you still get some finance.
Before you pay, open the application page, pick the programme and entry level and click View Requirement. NOUN’s faculty pages and its central portal are maintained separately, so if they ever disagree, follow what the portal shows for your entry level.
Direct Entry into NOUN Banking and Finance
NOUN’s Banking and Finance page lists three Direct Entry routes into 200 level:
| Qualification | What NOUN asks for |
|---|---|
| A level | Passes in two relevant subjects, plus three O’level credits |
| ND or OND | Upper Credit or its equivalent in a relevant programme, plus five O’level credits |
| HND | A relevant programme from a recognised institution, plus five O’level credits |
The page does not mention NCE, professional certificates or a 300-level entry. NOUN’s general rule from August 2024 asks every Direct Entry applicant for five relevant credits including English and Mathematics, so treat that as the safe standard for the A level route too. NOUN does not publish a list of relevant ND and HND fields. Banking and Finance, Accountancy and similar business diplomas look like a natural fit, but the portal’s View Requirement screen is the final check.
Worked example: four applicants
These are my illustrations of how NOUN’s published rules apply, not NOUN decisions.
| Applicant | Profile | Outcome on NOUN’s rules |
|---|---|---|
| Chukwudi, school leaver in Agbani | WASSCE credits in English, Maths, Economics, Commerce, Financial Accounting | Qualifies for 100 level |
| Ngozika, bank teller | ND Banking and Finance, Upper Credit; credits in English, Maths, Economics and two others | Qualifies for 200 level |
| Ugochukwu, microfinance officer | HND Accountancy; full O’level set | Qualifies for 200 level if the portal accepts Accountancy as relevant |
| Adanna, cooperative secretary | NECO credits in English, Maths, Commerce, Government, Literature; no Economics | Not eligible; consider Business Administration or resit Economics |
How to apply for Banking and Finance at NOUN, step by step
The whole process happens online. You do not travel to Abuja, and you do not need to visit the Enugu centre before you are admitted.
- Get your documents ready: O’level result(s), birth certificate or age declaration, a recent passport photograph and, for Direct Entry, your diploma, degree or professional certificate and transcript. Scan them clearly.
- Open the admission page: go to NOUN’s Admission Requirements page on nou.edu.ng and choose the undergraduate application.
- Select the programme: pick the faculty, then Banking and Finance, then your entry level, and click View Requirement. Read the requirement that appears before you go further.
- Pick your entry level: 100 level on O’level alone, or 200 level with an A level, an ND at Upper Credit or an HND in a relevant programme. Upload that result too.
- Fill the pre-payment form: enter your names exactly as they appear on your O’level result, plus a working email address and phone number.
- Generate a Remita RRR and pay: pay the ₦5,000 form fee by card, or take the RRR to a bank.
- Complete the application form: enter your O’level grades, upload your documents and choose Enugu Study Centre as your study centre.
- Check the outcome: NOUN describes its admission process as automated, with an almost instant outcome. Print the admission letter once it shows.
- Pay the compulsory charges and register courses: pay the new-student charges, then register your first semester courses and examinations within the window in the academic calendar.
Write down your application number and the email address you used, and keep the Remita receipt. Most problems at the study centre later come from a lost RRR or a mismatch between the name on the form and the name on the O’level certificate.
What you study in NOUN Banking and Finance
The programme code is 3209. NOUN’s page gives 2014 as the starting year and an expected intake of about 150 students a year, and it says the content was benchmarked against NUC requirements. Students get face-to-face tutoring at designated study centres alongside online learning. Courses on the faculty page include:
| Level | Credit units | Sample courses |
|---|---|---|
| 100 level | 32 | Elements of Banking (BFN104), plus economics, accounting and general studies |
| 200 level | 37 | Introduction to Finance (BFN209) |
| 300 level | 32 | Practice of Banking (BFN301), Financial Management (BFN303), Financial Systems (BFN304), Banking Methods and Processes (BFN308), Banking Laws and Regulations (CLL305), Research Methods (FMS304), IT/SIWES (BFN330) |
| 400 level | 33 | International Finance (BFN401), Capital Market and Portfolio Theory (BFN403), Bank Lending and Loan Administration (BFN405), Investment Banking (BFN407), Project Evaluation (BFN409), Marketing of Financial Services (MKT402), Research Project (BFN450, 6 units) |
Final-year electives include Risk Management and Insurance (BFN421) or Project Management (ENT403). The level totals add up to 134 units including general studies; to graduate you need at least 120 units from compulsory courses and the project, not counting general studies.
Duration
The minimum is four years (eight semesters) and the maximum is eight years (sixteen semesters) under NOUN’s flexible mode. If you work in a bank with long hours, a lighter load is allowed, but keep an eye on the eight-year ceiling.
Accreditation and CIBN
NOUN’s Programmes and Accreditation Status document (November 2024) lists B.Sc Banking and Finance with full NUC accreditation.
The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) appears on the NOUN page only in the content of Elements of Banking (BFN104). NOUN does not publish any CIBN exemption or linkage arrangement for this degree, and I found no CIBN announcement naming NOUN. In May 2025 the Federal Government stopped professional bodies from accrediting university programmes on their own; only seven councils got waivers, and CIBN was not one of them (The Sun, 22 May 2025). If you want the ACIB qualification, ask CIBN directly which papers, if any, a NOUN graduate is exempted from.
Careers
- Commercial and microfinance banking: operations, credit and relationship roles. The lending and banking practice courses cover this ground.
- Capital market and investment work: through the portfolio theory and investment banking courses.
- Corporate finance: treasury and financial management roles in companies.
- Insurance and risk: through the risk management elective.
- Further study: NOUN runs a PGD, M.Sc and PhD in Banking and Finance.
Related programmes
- NOUN Enugu Accounting admission requirements;
- NOUN Enugu Business Administration admission requirements;
- NOUN Enugu Economics admission requirements;
- for the UTME route in Enugu, compare UNN Banking and Finance and ESUT Banking and Finance.
NOUN form price and fees for Banking and Finance applicants
The undergraduate application form costs ₦5,000, paid through Remita. That is the figure in NOUN’s own admission requirements notice of 8 August 2024, and it is the most recent official figure I could find. Postgraduate forms cost more, so make sure you start the undergraduate application.
After admission you pay a set of compulsory charges. NOUN’s fees schedule page (undated) lists them like this:
| Charge | New students | Returning students |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | ₦6,000 | ₦6,000 |
| Caution deposit | ₦3,500 | None |
| Orientation | ₦1,500 | None |
| Matriculation | ₦1,500 | None |
| ID card | ₦500 | None |
| Library | ₦3,000 | ₦3,000 |
| ICT administrative charges | ₦5,000 | ₦5,000 |
| E-facilitation | ₦4,000 | ₦4,000 |
| JAMB regularisation | ₦6,000 | None |
| Result verification | ₦5,000 | None |
| Total compulsory charges | ₦36,000 | ₦18,000 |
On top of these, the same page lists an examination fee of ₦1,000 per course and a project fee of ₦15,000 in the final year. Course registration is charged per course, and the page says those fees remain unchanged, but it does not print the per-course amounts. Your semester bill therefore depends on how many courses you register. Open your portal’s payment page to see the real figure before you budget, because NOUN has not published a 2026/2027 per-course table that I could verify.
When does NOUN admit? 2026/2027 dates
NOUN does not follow the JAMB admission deadlines that apply to conventional universities. It runs its own calendar in two semesters a year, labelled like 2026_1 and 2026_2.
| Item | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Admission portal for 2026 | Open from 1 January to 31 December 2026 | NOUN’s approved 2026 academic calendar, as reported by Myschool |
| 2026_1 course and examination registration | 5 January to 22 March 2026 (closed) | Same calendar |
| 2027 academic calendar | Not yet published | Check nou.edu.ng and your portal |
So, on the published calendar, the 2026 admission portal stays open until 31 December 2026. Because the outcome of an application is almost instant, people who apply now can usually be admitted and then register for the semester that is open on the calendar. NOUN has not published its 2027 calendar yet, so 2027/2028 applicants should watch nou.edu.ng and the portal from January 2027.
The NOUN Enugu Study Centre: what it does for Banking and Finance students
NOUN admits centrally from its headquarters in Jabi, Abuja. The study centre is where you are attached for support: student records, facilitation, examinations, project defence and, at the end, certificate collection. When you apply, you pick Enugu as your study centre on the form.
- Leadership: NOUN News named Prof. Charity Akuadi Okonkwo as Director of the Enugu Study Centre when it reported an NUC accreditation visit to the centre on 26 November 2024.
- Examinations: the same report said the centre had 297 computers in its e-examination hall.
- Certificates: in July 2025 the centre told its graduands to collect certificates at the Centre Director’s office, with proof of final clearance, convocation and alumni fee payments, a bound project copy and a valid ID (reported by Myschool, 11 July 2025).
- Address: NOUN does not publish the street address in the sources I checked. Confirm it on the study centres directory on nou.edu.ng before you travel, and do not rely on addresses copied around on blogs.
NOUN also does not publish which programmes each study centre supports. Being admitted into Banking and Finance and choosing Enugu should place you there, but if you need clinical placement, practical sessions or a project supervisor in Enugu, ask the centre to confirm it in writing before you pay registration fees.
Mistakes to avoid
- Applying with Commerce instead of Economics: this programme asks for Economics.
- Using an ND Lower Credit for 200 level: the page asks for Upper Credit.
- Assuming CIBN exemptions: NOUN has not published any.
- Counting general studies units: they do not count toward the 120 units you need.
NOUN Banking and Finance: frequently asked questions
What are the subject requirements for Banking and Finance in NOUN? At least five credits, including English Language, Mathematics and Economics, from WAEC, SSCE, NECO or NABTEB in not more than two sittings.
Can I study Banking and Finance in NOUN with ND? Yes, if the ND is at Upper Credit in a relevant programme and you have five O’level credits. You enter at 200 level.
Does NOUN Banking and Finance give CIBN exemptions? NOUN has not published any CIBN exemption for the degree. Ask CIBN directly before you rely on one.
How long is Banking and Finance in NOUN? At least four years (eight semesters) from 100 level, and no more than eight years (sixteen semesters).
Sources and updates
O’level subjects, Direct Entry routes, duration, credit units, course titles, start year and the CIBN reference come from NOUN’s B.Sc Banking and Finance page on the Faculty of Management Sciences site, checked on 30 October 2026. The end of independent accreditation by professional bodies, with the list of waived councils, comes from The Sun (22 May 2025). NOUN’s undergraduate requirement wording and the automated application steps come from its Admission Requirements page on nou.edu.ng. Programme-specific requirements, the ₦5,000 form fee and the Remita payment rule come from NOUN News, “NOUN admission requirements” (8 August 2024). Compulsory charges, the examination fee and the JAMB regularisation charge come from NOUN’s fees schedule page (undated when checked). The programme list and accreditation statuses come from NOUN’s Programmes and Accreditation Status document (November 2024). The 2026 admission portal period and registration window come from Myschool’s report of NOUN’s approved 2026 academic calendar. Details on the Enugu Study Centre come from NOUN News (2 December 2024) and Myschool (11 July 2025). This page will be updated if NOUN or CIBN publishes exemption terms or NOUN changes the requirements.
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.
