Southern Atlantic University (SAU), Uyo has not published a cut-off mark for Political Science. The only official figure is 150, JAMB’s 2026 minimum UTME score for every Nigerian university, and SAU’s founder told The Mirror in August 2026 that candidates with JAMB scores above 150 can apply. SAU is a new private university: it received its provisional licence from the Federal Executive Council on 3 March 2025 and took its pioneer students in 2025/2026. SAU named Political Science among its programmes in local press reports in 2025 and again in 2026. Political Science is one of the 10 programmes named in its 2026 reports.
2027/2028 update: SAU cut-off marks usually stay the same from one year to the next, so the figures on this page are what 2027/2028 candidates should plan with. They come from the latest official notice (2026/2027). If the 2027/2028 notice changes anything, we will update this page.
Because SAU is so new, there is less public information about it than about older universities, and I have marked clearly what is official, what comes from news reports and what is my advice. Below you will find the subjects JAMB lists for Political Science, a safe target score, how SAU admits, the comparison with other Akwa Ibom universities and the checks I would make before paying.
SAU cut-off mark for Political Science at a glance
| Item | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| SAU cut-off for Political Science | Not published | No SAU notice found (checked 3 November 2026) |
| JAMB minimum for all universities (2026 UTME) | 150 | Official (JAMB policy meeting, 11 May 2026) |
| What SAU has said | JAMB scores above 150 can apply | Founder, quoted by The Mirror (23 August 2026) |
| Safe target score | 165 and above | My advice, not an SAU rule |
| UTME subjects | English, Government or History plus two Arts or Social Sciences | JAMB brochure general line (Myschool reprint) |
| O’level | English, Government or History plus three others; Mathematics pass | JAMB brochure general line |
| Degree | B.Sc. Political Science | The Mirror |
| Licence | Provisional, FEC approval of 3 March 2025 | NAN (3 March 2025) |
| NUC programme accreditation | None yet (new programme) | Not in NUC accreditation results to 2025 |
| Tuition | Not published; a 30% reduction was announced | The Mirror (23 August 2026) |
| 2026/2027 admission deadline | 30 November 2026 (private universities) | JAMB, via NAN (11 May 2026) |
What we know about Southern Atlantic University
- Licence: one of 11 private universities given provisional licences by the Federal Executive Council on 3 March 2025 (NAN).
- Location: Airport Road, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The Mirror gives the address as Km 50, Airport Road.
- People: the founder and Chancellor is Pastor Bassey James and the Pro-Chancellor is Senator Ita Enang. The Mirror has reported Prof. Ephraim Edem as Vice-Chancellor.
- First students: SAU admitted its pioneer set in 2025/2026, was on the JAMB portal by October 2025 and scheduled its first matriculation for 11 April 2026.
- Programmes: 15 B.Sc. programmes, according to The Mirror (March and August 2026). Agriculture and other service courses are described as planned.
- Not the polytechnic: Southern Atlantic Polytechnic in Uyo is a separate institution. I found no evidence that it became SAU.
Where Political Science appears in SAU’s announcements
| Report | Is Political Science named? |
|---|---|
| The Mirror, 4 September 2025 (admission opens) | Yes |
| The Mirror, 11 October 2025 (SAU on the JAMB portal) | Yes |
| The Mirror, 11 March 2026 (15 programmes) | Yes |
| The Mirror, 23 August 2026 (15 programmes) | Yes |
Political Science is named in every report I found, from the first admission notice in 2025 to the August 2026 fee announcement. That is a good sign it is running, but it is still news coverage, not an official course list.
I could not find an official SAU website, a published admission notice or a JAMB brochure listing for SAU. All of the programme information above comes from The Mirror, a newspaper based in Uyo. That is why the most important step for any SAU applicant is to check that the course shows for SAU on JAMB CAPS or the JAMB e-brochure.
SAU Political Science cut-off: what has been published
| Session | Figure | What it is | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/2027 | Not published | SAU’s own cut-off for Political Science | No SAU notice found |
| 2026/2027 | 150 | JAMB’s minimum UTME score for every university | JAMB 2026 policy meeting (NAN, 11 May 2026) |
| 2026/2027 | Above 150 | What SAU’s founder said about who can apply | The Mirror, 23 August 2026 |
| 2025/2026 (pioneer year) | Not published | No departmental figure in any report | The Mirror, September and October 2025 |
So treat 150 as the floor and nothing more. SAU is filling its first classes, so it is unlikely to set a high bar in its early years, but no figure has been published and I would not rely on scores in the low 150s.
Safe target score for Political Science at SAU (my advice)
This is my judgement as an admissions adviser for a new private university with small classes. It is not an SAU rule.
| Your UTME score | My read for Political Science at SAU |
|---|---|
| Below 150 | Not eligible for any university course this session |
| 150 to 154 | Eligible. A new university may admit here, but you have little margin |
| 155 to 164 | Reasonable with clean O’level grades |
| 165 to 194 | Good. This is the range I would aim for |
| 195 and above | Strong; also gives you a real chance at UNIUYO or AKSU |
For the 2027 UTME I would aim for at least 165, which also keeps AKSU and Obong in reach.
UTME subject combination and O’level for Political Science at SAU
| Requirement | Political Science (JAMB general line) |
|---|---|
| UTME subjects | Use of English, Government or History, and two other Social Science or Arts subjects |
| O’level | Five credits in Government or History, English Language and three other subjects, with at least a pass in Mathematics |
| Direct Entry | Two A-level passes including Government or History |
| SAU-specific remark | None found. SAU does not appear in the brochure remarks Myschool reprints |
| Sittings | Not stated by SAU; most universities accept two |
Government (or History) is the anchor subject. Economics, Literature in English, CRS and Geography are the usual partners. UNILAG and LASU add Mathematics through their own remarks; those do not cover SAU.
JAMB’s O’level line accepts a pass in Mathematics for Political Science. SAU has not published a stricter rule, but many private universities ask for a Mathematics credit across the board, so a credit is safer.
How admission into SAU works
From what SAU has told the press, admission runs through JAMB: you apply on the JAMB portal at an accredited CBT centre, and candidates who chose another school can change their institution to SAU at a CBT centre. SAU has not published a Post-UTME test, a screening fee, a form price or dates for 2026/2027.
| Detail | SAU 2026/2027 |
|---|---|
| Route | JAMB portal and accredited CBT centres |
| Change of institution | Allowed at any accredited CBT centre (The Mirror, 23 August 2026) |
| Who can apply | JAMB scores above 150, as reported |
| Screening or Post-UTME | Not published |
| Tuition | Not published; 30% reduction announced in August 2026 |
| Payment plan | “Pay What You Have” flexible plan, as reported; terms not published |
Worked example (illustrative)
With no published formula, the useful sum is the gap between your score, the 150 floor and my safe target of 165. These candidates are made up.
Take Ubong, who scored 173 and has B3 in English, B2 in Government, C4 in Economics, C5 in Literature and C6 in Mathematics from one sitting.
- Eligibility: 173 minus 150 = 23. Ubong clears the JAMB floor by 23 marks.
- Against my safe target: 173 minus 165 = 8. Ubong sits 8 marks above the score I would call safe.
- O’level check: Government and English credits plus three others, and Mathematics at credit level.
- What I would advise: confirm on CAPS and accept quickly.
Patience scored 152. 152 minus 150 = 2, so the score itself is enough to be considered. She has a Government credit and a Mathematics pass. She is eligible, but with 2 marks of room I would want her to apply early and check CAPS often.
Your chances of getting Political Science at SAU
A university in its second admission year usually has more places than applicants in most courses, and SAU is advertising fee cuts and a flexible payment plan to attract students. If you clear 150 with the right subjects and clean O’level grades, your chances of an offer are good. The two risks to check are whether the course is on JAMB’s list for SAU and how new the programme is.
Political Science is a mid-demand course. With 160 or more and a Government credit, your chances at SAU are good.
The same course at other Akwa Ibom universities
| University | Type | 2026/2027 minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU) | State | 150 (reprint of AKSU 2026/2027 notice) |
| Obong University, Obong Ntak | Private | No published figure; JAMB floor of 150 applies |
| University of Uyo (UNIUYO) | Federal | 150, with UNIUYO as first choice (UNIUYO 2026/2027 notice). UNIUYO combines Political Science and Public Administration |
| Ritman University, Ikot Ekpene | Private | No published figure; JAMB floor of 150 applies. Combined with Public Administration |
JAMB set 31 October 2026 as the 2026/2027 deadline for public universities; that date has now passed. Private universities, SAU included, have until 30 November 2026.
How to apply for Political Science at SAU, step by step
- Get your JAMB profile code: send NIN, a space and your 11-digit NIN to 55019 or 66019 from the line linked to your NIN.
- Check the course is listed for SAU: at a CBT centre or on your JAMB profile, confirm that Political Science appears under Southern Atlantic University. If it does not, JAMB cannot process the admission.
- Register or change your choice: pick Political Science with English, Government, Economics and Literature or CRS and make SAU your first choice, or do a JAMB change of institution to SAU.
- Upload your O’level to CAPS: at an accredited CBT centre. Check that English, Government and Mathematics all show.
- Contact SAU: SAU has no published portal, so get admission instructions from the university itself at its Uyo campus. Do not use phone numbers posted on forums.
- Accept on CAPS: log in at efacility.jamb.gov.ng, choose Check Admission Status and accept. Our JAMB CAPS guide explains each status.
- Get the fees in writing before paying: ask for the tuition, acceptance fee and the terms of any reduction or payment plan on an official SAU document, then pay only to an account in SAU’s name.
Confirm on CAPS first
SAU’s course list comes from local news reports, not an official notice. Before you pay anything, make sure Political Science at Southern Atlantic University shows on your JAMB CAPS profile. Every genuine university admission in Nigeria appears on CAPS.
Studying Political Science at SAU
SAU has not named its faculties. Political Science is a B.Sc., normally four years for UTME entrants in Nigeria.
Approval and accreditation
SAU holds a provisional licence, the first stage for a new private university in Nigeria, granted by the Federal Executive Council on 3 March 2025. SAU’s founder has said the university has the approvals it needs, but I did not see an NUC letter approving individual programmes. Programme accreditation is a later step: the NUC inspects a programme after it has run for some years, and the NUC’s Accreditation Results 1990 to 2025 has no SAU entries. Programme accreditation: none yet.
What you study
- Foundation: introduction to political science, Nigerian government and politics, and social science methods.
- Core: political theory, comparative politics, public administration, international relations and political economy.
- Applied: elections and party politics, local government, public policy analysis.
- Final year: research methods and a project.
Careers
Graduates work in the civil service, legislatures, political parties, NGOs, the media, research and the foreign service. Many later study law or public policy.
Related SAU courses
- SAU Public Administration cut-off mark
- SAU International Relations and Diplomacy cut-off mark
- SAU Criminology cut-off mark
Our JAMB CAPS guide explains how admission offers appear and what each status means.
Mistakes to avoid when applying to SAU
- Neither Government nor History: one of them is required.
- Relying on a Mathematics pass without asking: SAU has not published its own rule.
- Paying before CAPS: an offer that is not on CAPS is not an admission.
- Mixing up SAU and Southern Atlantic Polytechnic: they are different schools.
SAU Political Science cut-off mark: frequently asked questions
What is the cut-off mark for Political Science at SAU? SAU has not published one. JAMB’s floor is 150 and I would aim for 165.
Is Government compulsory for Political Science? JAMB’s line asks for Government or History, so you need one of them in the UTME and at O’level.
Can I study Political Science with a pass in Mathematics? JAMB’s general O’level line accepts a pass. Ask SAU whether it requires a credit before you pay.
Is SAU a real university? Yes. The Federal Executive Council gave it a provisional licence on 3 March 2025, and it took pioneer students in 2025/2026.
Sources and updates
SAU’s provisional licence comes from the News Agency of Nigeria (3 March 2025). The programme list, the JAMB route, the address, the people named and the matriculation date come from The Mirror’s reports of 4 September 2025, 11 October 2025, 11 March 2026 and 23 August 2026; the August 2026 report is the source for the 30% tuition reduction, the payment plan and the threshold of scores above 150. Subject requirements come from Myschool’s reprint of JAMB’s brochure page for Political Science, which has no SAU remark. The national minimum of 150 and the 30 November 2026 deadline for private universities come from the News Agency of Nigeria (11 May 2026). The NUC position comes from the NUC’s Accreditation Results 1990 to 2025. Comparison figures for other Akwa Ibom universities come from their own 2026/2027 notices or reprints. The safe target score and the worked example are my advice. Checked on 3 November 2026; this page will be updated when SAU publishes an official notice.
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.
