NOUN Criminology and Security Studies admission requirements follow the university’s general undergraduate rule: five O’level credits in relevant subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, in not more than two sittings. The National Open University of Nigeria does not use a JAMB cut-off mark for the B.Sc, and Direct Entry into 200 level is open to holders of an ND at Upper Credit, an NCE or two relevant A level papers, under NOUN’s published general rules.
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.
One thing to know before you start: the Department of Criminology and Security Studies has not posted programme-specific entry rules on its faculty page. Its admission section was blank when I checked on 30 October 2026. This guide therefore gives NOUN’s general rule, my advice on subjects, and the portal check that tells you the exact requirement. It also covers what you study, fees and how to apply with Enugu as your study centre.
NOUN Criminology admission requirements at a glance
| Item | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| UTME score | Not required; no cut-off mark | NOUN Admission Requirements page |
| 100 level O’level | Five credits in relevant subjects including English and Mathematics; max two sittings | NOUN News, 8 August 2024 (general rule) |
| Direct Entry (200 level) | Five relevant O’level credits plus an ND (Upper Credit), an NCE (one merit, two passes) in a relevant subject, or IJMB/IB with two relevant A level papers | Same notice (general rule) |
| Programme-specific rule | Not published on the department page | Department of Criminology and Security Studies page |
| Structure | Eight semesters from 100 level | Criminology course list |
| Form | ₦5,000 via Remita (last published figure) | NOUN News, 8 August 2024 |
| NUC status | Full | NOUN accreditation document, November 2024 |
Is there a NOUN cut-off mark for Criminology and Security Studies?
No. NOUN does not set a UTME cut-off mark for Criminology and Security Studies 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 Criminology and Security Studies 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 Criminology and Security Studies
NOUN’s general notice of August 2024 asks for five credits “in relevant subjects” at not more than two sittings, with English and Mathematics compulsory in every faculty. The department has not said which subjects count as relevant. Here is how I would build the five, based on what the course covers:
| Subject | Status |
|---|---|
| English Language | Compulsory credit (NOUN general rule) |
| Mathematics | Compulsory credit (NOUN general rule) |
| Government or Civic Education | Strongly advised; the course starts with criminal law and the state |
| Economics, Literature in English, CRS/IRS or Biology | Good choices for the remaining two |
A set like English, Mathematics, Government, Economics and Civic Education matches the course content and is the safest choice. The final word belongs to the portal: select Criminology and Security Studies, choose your entry level and click View Requirement before paying for anything else.
What the same faculty asks for in other programmes
The Faculty of Social Sciences has published detailed rules for Mass Communication on its department page: five credits including English and Mathematics from SSCE, GCE, NECO or NABTEB, a Teachers’ Grade II option, and a written concession for applicants aged 50 or above with ten years of related experience. Those rules belong to Mass Communication, not Criminology, but they show how the faculty tends to write its entry rules. Do not rely on them for Criminology without checking the portal.
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 Criminology
With no department rule published, NOUN’s general Direct Entry rule is what applies on paper:
| Entry level | NOUN’s general rule (NOUN News, 8 August 2024) |
|---|---|
| 100 level | Five O’level credits in relevant subjects, in not more than two sittings; English Language and Mathematics are compulsory for every faculty |
| 200 level (Direct Entry) | Five relevant O’level credits including English and Mathematics, plus one of: an ND at Upper Credit, an NCE (one merit and two passes) in a relevant subject, or IJMB/IB with two relevant A level papers |
The “relevant subject” part matters. An ND in Criminology, Security Management, Public Administration or Social Development would be the obvious fits. An NCE in Social Studies or Political Science may count. If you hold an HND, the general notice does not give it a level for this programme, so check View Requirement; some NOUN departments place HND holders at 200 level and others at 300 level.
Serving police officers, soldiers, corrections officers, NSCDC staff and private security workers often study this course. Your work experience does not replace the O’level requirement, but the course content will be familiar, and NOUN’s flexible timetable fits shift work.
Worked example: four applicants
These are my illustrations of how NOUN’s general rules apply, not NOUN decisions.
| Applicant | Profile | Outcome on NOUN’s general rules |
|---|---|---|
| Somto, school leaver | WASSCE credits in English, Maths, Government, Economics, Civic Education | Should qualify for 100 level |
| Inspector Okafor, police officer | NECO credits in English, Maths, Government, CRS, Biology in two sittings | Should qualify for 100 level |
| Uju, private security supervisor | ND Security Management, Upper Credit; full O’level set | Fits the general Direct Entry rule for 200 level; confirm on View Requirement |
| Chukwudi, corrections officer | Credits in English, Government, Economics, Literature, CRS; D7 in Maths | Does not meet the rule; needs a Mathematics credit |
How to apply for Criminology and Security Studies 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 Criminology and Security Studies, then your entry level, and click View Requirement. Read the requirement that appears before you go further.
- Read the requirement screen: because the department has not published its own rule, take a screenshot of what View Requirement shows for your entry level and keep it with your application records.
- 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 Criminology and Security Studies
The department, headed by Dr. Tijjani Halliru, runs the B.Sc alongside a PGD, an M.Sc and a PhD in Criminology and Security Studies. The B.Sc course list mixes sociology, law, policing and practical security management:
| Level | Sample core courses |
|---|---|
| 100 level | Introduction to Sociology (CSS111), Introduction to Psychology (CSS121), Introduction to Criminology I and II (CSS133, CSS136), Introduction to Nigerian Criminal Law (CSS152), Sociology of Law (CSS112) |
| 200 level | The Sociology of Crime and Delinquency (CSS211), Basic Security and Security Threats (CSS241), Principles of Security Practice and Management (CSS243), The Sociology of Punishment and Corrections (CSS212), Legal and Social Framework of Private Security Services in Nigeria (CSS246) |
| 300 level | Methods of Social Research (CSS331), Policing and Law Enforcement in Nigeria (CSS341), Prisons and Correction of Offenders in Nigeria (CSS351), Information Systems Security Management (CSS343), Domestic Violence (CSS381), Safety Management for Loss Prevention (CSS342) |
| 400 level | Field Observations (CSS431, 6 units), Forensic Science (CSS455), Technical and Electronic Aspects of Security (CSS441), Professional Ethics in Law Enforcement and Security Management (CSS442), Victims of Crimes and Human Rights Violations (CSS452), Project (CSS433, 6 units) |
Two final-year courses carry six units each. Field Observations takes you into security and justice settings, and the Project is your own research. The course list also carries Criminology courses reserved for Law students, which shows how the department serves other faculties.
Credit units and structure
- Structure: eight semesters from 100 level.
- Minimum units per level after 100 level: 33 at 200 level, 37 at 300 level and 36 at 400 level, according to the course list.
- Direct Entry load: the page says Direct Entry students should not exceed 24 credit units at each level.
The department page does not state a maximum duration. NOUN’s management science programmes allow up to eight years, and the same limit may apply here, but confirm it in the student handbook.
Careers
- Security agencies: the degree is useful for officers in the police, corrections, civil defence and immigration seeking promotion or a move into training and research.
- Private security: managing guard services, loss prevention and corporate security.
- Justice and welfare: work with NGOs on victims, juvenile justice and human rights.
- Further study: NOUN’s own PGD, M.Sc and PhD in the same field.
A B.Sc does not, by itself, make you a police officer or a licensed private investigator. Each agency runs its own recruitment, and the degree helps you compete in it.
Related programmes
- NOUN Enugu Political Science admission requirements;
- NOUN Enugu Public Administration admission requirements;
- NOUN Enugu Mass Communication admission requirements;
- NOUN Enugu Peace Studies and Development Studies admission requirements;
- NOUN Enugu Study Centre admission requirements for every programme.
NOUN form price and fees for Criminology and Security Studies 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 Criminology and Security Studies 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 Criminology and Security Studies 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
- Trusting a blog’s subject list: the department has not published one; use View Requirement.
- No Mathematics credit: NOUN requires it in every faculty.
- Assuming your rank or service record replaces O’level: it does not under NOUN’s general rules.
- Choosing Peace Studies by mistake: Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution is a separate NOUN degree with different courses.
NOUN Criminology and Security Studies: frequently asked questions
What subjects do I need for Criminology in NOUN? NOUN’s general rule asks for five relevant O’level credits including English Language and Mathematics, in not more than two sittings. The department has not named the other three, so a social science mix such as Government, Economics and Civic Education is the safest choice.
Does NOUN Criminology require JAMB? No. NOUN does not use a UTME score or cut-off mark for the B.Sc. New students do pay a ₦6,000 JAMB regularisation charge after admission, according to NOUN’s fees schedule.
Can I study Criminology in NOUN with ND? Under NOUN’s general Direct Entry rule, an ND at Upper Credit in a relevant field plus five relevant O’level credits can take you to 200 level. Check the exact rule for Criminology on the portal’s View Requirement screen.
Is NOUN Criminology and Security Studies accredited? Yes. NOUN’s November 2024 accreditation document lists B.Sc Criminology and Security Studies with full NUC accreditation.
Sources and updates
The department’s programmes and head come from NOUN’s Department of Criminology and Security Studies page. Course titles, unit loads and the eight-semester structure come from the Criminology and Security Studies course list. Both were checked on 30 October 2026; the admission section of the department page did not display any rules. The general 100-level and Direct Entry rules come from NOUN News (8 August 2024). 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 as soon as the department publishes its own entry rules.
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.
