The MAU Geography cut-off mark is 160 in the UTME, the minimum Modibbo Adama University, Yola (formerly MAUTECH) set for registering for its 2026/2027 screening, according to Myschool’s 15 July 2026 reprint of its notice. MAU has not published a departmental figure for Geography, and JAMB’s minimum for universities is 150.
2027/2028 update: MAU 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 MAU’s latest screening notice (2026/2027), as reprinted by Myschool. If the 2027/2028 notice changes anything, we will update this page.
Geography at MAU is a science-leaning degree, and its JAMB subject rules show it: the general brochure rule allows arts subjects, but MAU’s remark points you to sciences and a few social sciences. This page sets out those rules, Direct Entry, how MAU’s screening ran, a safe target score (my advice), the CAPS steps and NUC’s record.
MAU cut-off mark for Geography at a glance
| Item | 2026/2027 position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| MAU minimum UTME score to register for screening | 160 | MAU notice as reprinted by Myschool (15 July 2026); not seen on mau.edu.ng |
| JAMB national minimum for universities | 150 | Official (JAMB policy meeting, 11 May 2026) |
| Departmental cut-off for Geography | Not published | No MAU figure for 2025/2026 or 2026/2027 |
| UTME subjects (MAU remark) | Geography + two of Biology/Agric, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Economics, Commerce, Government | JAMB brochure remark for MAUTECH (Myschool reprint); confirm on the e-brochure |
| O’level | Five credits incl. English, Mathematics, Geography + two listed subjects | JAMB brochure remark and MAU’s screening rules (reprints) |
| Screening registration | 20 July to 31 August 2026 | Reprint; closed |
| NUC accreditation | Full, due for review in 2026 | NUC Accreditation Results 1990 to 2025 |
| Degree and length | B.Sc./B.Tech, normally four years | General Nigerian pattern; MAU page not reachable |
MAU Geography cut-off history
| Session | Figure | What it is | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/2027 | 160 | Minimum UTME score to register for MAU screening (MAU first choice) | Myschool reprint of MAU notice, 15 July 2026 |
| 2026/2027 | 150 | JAMB national minimum for universities | Official, NAN 11 May 2026 |
| 2025/2026 | 160 | Minimum UTME score to register for MAU screening | Studentship reprint of a Registrar-signed MAU notice (August 2025) |
| 2025/2026 | 150 | JAMB national minimum for universities | Reported July 2025 |
| Any year | None | Departmental cut-off for Geography | MAU has not published one |
MAU has held its screening floor at 160 for two sessions in a row, ten marks above JAMB’s national 150. If you scored 150 to 159, JAMB’s rules allow a university to admit you, but MAU’s own notice did not let you register for its screening. Any blog page that prints a precise MAU figure for Geography, such as 180 or 200, is guessing; no MAU document I could find carries one.
Safe target score for Geography at MAU (my advice)
This is my judgement as an admissions adviser. MAU did not publish it, and you should treat it as a planning number only.
| Your UTME score | My read for MAU Geography |
|---|---|
| Below 160 | Not eligible for MAU screening in the 2026/2027 rules |
| 160 to 169 | Eligible to screen, but a place in Geography is uncertain |
| 170 to 179 | Possible, especially with strong O’level grades |
| 180 to 209 | Competitive. This is where I would want you to be |
| 210 and above | Strong on UTME score; your O’level and CAPS upload decide the rest |
Geography usually admits closer to the screening floor than engineering or architecture, so I set the safe target at 180. That is still twenty marks of cushion above 160, which matters if MAU has more qualified Geography applicants than places in your year.
MAU’s Admission Office said in a November 2025 notice that some programmes were over-subscribed and asked candidates who missed out to move to programmes with similar JAMB subject combinations and O’level requirements that still had space. The table of affected programmes did not appear in the published text, so I can’t tell you whether Geography was on it. It does show that MAU fills some courses before others, and a score just above 160 can leave you waiting for a transfer offer.
Catchment and quotas
MAU is a federal university in Adamawa State, so its first catchment is the North East, but it admits from every state. Federal universities generally share places between merit, catchment and educationally less developed states. MAU has not published its own split for Geography, so plan on merit and don’t assume your state of origin will carry a lower score.
UTME subject combination and O’level for MAU Geography
| Requirement | Geography at MAU |
|---|---|
| UTME subjects | Use of English, Geography and any two of Biology or Agricultural Science, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Economics, Commerce or Government (MAUTECH remark; the remark also names Tourism) |
| UTME (general brochure rule) | Geography and any two arts subjects |
| O’level (MAUTECH remark) | Five credits: English Language, Mathematics, Geography and any two of Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Agricultural Science, Economics, Commerce, Government, Tourism |
| Sittings | Not more than two, per MAU’s screening form |
| Direct Entry | A level, IJMB, OND or HND routes (see below) |
Do not copy the general rule. JAMB’s general entry for Geography accepts Geography with two arts subjects, but MAU’s remark lists sciences, Economics, Commerce and Government. Literature in English or CRS/IRS as your extra subjects would not fit MAU’s list.
Geography and Mathematics both need O’level credits at MAU. Mathematics is not compulsory in the UTME for this course, but I would still choose it if you are strong in it, because Geography at MAU includes statistics, mapping and remote sensing.
Direct Entry into Geography at MAU
The MAUTECH Direct Entry remark accepts IJMB or GCE with two A level credit passes from Geography, Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Government and Economics. It also accepts an OND or HND with at least a lower credit in Architecture, Surveying and Geo-Informatics, Urban and Regional Planning, Environmental Management or Sciences, and Meteorology.
Your DE application must name MAU as first choice. Entry level for diploma holders was not published, so ask the department.
How MAU screening works for Geography candidates
MAU runs one online screening for all UTME and Direct Entry candidates who chose it first. You apply to the university through the portal, and the department is matched to the course on your JAMB profile. Here is what the reprinted notices say about the last two exercises.
| Detail | 2026/2027 | 2025/2026 (last year’s process) |
|---|---|---|
| Who could register | MAU first choice, 160 and above in the 2026 UTME, plus 2026 DE applicants | MAU first choice, 160 and above in the 2025 UTME, plus DE applicants |
| Registration window | Monday 20 July to Monday 31 August 2026 (closed) | Monday 4 August to Sunday 31 August 2025 |
| Fee | Not stated in the reprint | ₦2,000, non-refundable, plus Remita charges |
| Portal | Not stated in the reprint | mau_postutme.admissions.cloud, also linked from mau.edu.ng under Undergraduate Admissions |
| Test | Not stated | Schedule “to be announced”; the notice did not say whether a written test would hold |
| Candidates who did not choose MAU | Change to MAU at a JAMB office or CBT centre first | Same |
The 2025/2026 form asked for your best five O’level subjects from no more than two sittings, with result checker details, a passport photograph of 150 kb or less, your signature, next-of-kin details, an indigene form and a birth certificate. Expect something close to that again, but wait for MAU’s 2027/2028 notice before you pay.
Worked example for Geography applicants
MAU has not published an aggregate formula, so I can’t show you a Post-UTME score calculation without inventing one. What you can work out is where your UTME score sits against MAU’s 160 floor and the safe target above. The names and scores below are illustrative.
Take Hadiza, from Ganye, who scored 184 with B3 in Geography, C4 in Mathematics, C5 in English, B3 in Biology and C6 in Economics from one sitting.
- Eligibility: 184 minus 160 = 24. Hadiza clears MAU’s screening floor by 24 marks.
- Against my safe target: 184 minus 180 = 4. Hadiza is 4 marks above the score I would call competitive.
- Subject check: Geography, Biology and Economics in her UTME all appear in MAU’s remark, and her O’level has English, Mathematics, Geography and two listed subjects.
- What I would advise: keep Geography as her course; her score sits just above my target and her subjects are clean.
Luka scored 192 with Geography, Literature in English and Government. 192 minus 160 = 32, so his score is fine, but Literature is not in MAU’s remark for Geography. That is a subject problem, and only a new UTME with the right combination fixes it.
How to apply for Geography at MAU, step by step
- Get your JAMB profile code: send NIN, a space and your 11-digit NIN to 55019 or 66019 from the phone line linked to your NIN.
- Register the UTME correctly: choose Geography with Use of English, Geography and two of Biology, Agricultural Science, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Economics, Commerce or Government, and make Modibbo Adama University, Yola your first choice. If you did not, do a JAMB change of institution before MAU’s screening opens.
- Upload your O’level to CAPS: do it at an accredited CBT centre or JAMB office. MAU’s notices tell candidates to keep their O’level results uploaded and to check them again after any change of course.
- Register for MAU screening: when the notice comes out, open the admissions link on mau.edu.ng, verify with your JAMB registration number, create an account and confirm your email.
- Pay the screening fee: generate the Remita RRR on the portal and pay. Last year’s fee was ₦2,000.
- Complete the form: upload your passport photograph and signature, enter your best five O’level subjects and result checker details, add next-of-kin details, upload your O’level result, indigene form and birth certificate, then print your slip.
- Accept on CAPS: when MAU offers you a place, log in at efacility.jamb.gov.ng, open Check Admission Status, then Access my CAPS, and accept. JAMB gives four weeks to accept or reject. Our JAMB CAPS guide explains every status.
- Pay acceptance and clear: MAU’s acceptance fee was not in any source I reached, so confirm the amount on the MAU portal before you pay anything, then complete physical clearance with your original documents.
Warning
MAU admission offers appear on JAMB CAPS and nowhere else. Nobody can sell you a place in Geography, and JAMB treats any admission done outside CAPS as illegal. Pay fees only through the invoice the MAU portal generates for you.
Myschool reported around 3 October 2026 that MAU’s 2026/2027 admission list was out on JAMB CAPS. JAMB set 31 October 2026 as the 2026/2027 deadline for public universities to admit; that date has now passed. If you missed out this year, your route is the 2027 UTME, so start with when JAMB 2027 registration starts.
Studying Geography at MAU
MAU’s faculty placement for Geography could not be confirmed. JAMB’s brochure files the course under environmental subjects, while NUC’s accreditation table for MAU lists Geography under Social Sciences. I would wait for your admission letter before naming a faculty. The degree normally runs for four years in Nigeria.
Accreditation
NUC’s Accreditation Results 1990 to 2025 lists Geography at MAU, under Social Sciences, with Full accreditation and a maturity year of 2026. That means its next NUC review falls around now, so check the result of that visit when you apply for 2027/2028.
Geography has no separate professional licensing council in the way engineering or architecture does, so NUC accreditation is the status that matters for your degree and NYSC.
What you study
- Physical geography: geomorphology, climatology, hydrology and soils.
- Human geography: population, settlement, economic and regional geography.
- Methods: cartography, statistics, field surveys, GIS and remote sensing.
- Project: fieldwork and a final-year dissertation, often on the North East’s environment.
Careers after Geography
Geography graduates work in environmental agencies, GIS and mapping firms, urban and rural development planning, disaster and emergency management, census and statistics offices, and teaching. A postgraduate step in GIS, environmental management or planning widens the options.
Related MAU courses
- MAU Urban and Regional Planning cut-off mark
- MAU Surveying and Geo-Informatics cut-off mark
- MAU Geology cut-off mark
- MAU Education and Geography cut-off mark
If Biology is one of your extra UTME subjects, use our JAMB Biology syllabus. For moving to MAU after registration, see JAMB change of institution.
Mistakes that cost Geography applicants a place at MAU
- Using arts subjects from the general rule: MAU’s remark lists sciences, Economics, Commerce and Government.
- No Mathematics credit: MAU’s O’level remark requires it even though the UTME does not.
- Treating 160 as an admission score: it only lets you register for screening.
- O’level missing on CAPS: MAU cannot offer you anything until JAMB can see your results.
- Accepting on CAPS and stopping there: acceptance fee payment and clearance at MAU are separate steps.
Did you end up with the wrong course or the wrong subjects on your profile? Read JAMB change of course before the 2027 registration closes.
MAU Geography cut-off mark: frequently asked questions
What is the cut-off mark for Geography in MAU? MAU’s published minimum is 160 to register for screening; it has no separate Geography figure. JAMB’s national minimum is 150.
Can I use Literature for Geography in MAU? Not on MAU’s remark. The UTME needs Geography plus two of Biology or Agricultural Science, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Economics, Commerce or Government.
Is Geography in MAU accredited? Yes. NUC’s results table lists it with Full accreditation, maturing in 2026, so it is due for review.
Which faculty is Geography in at MAU? MAU’s own page could not be read. NUC lists the course under Social Sciences for MAU, while JAMB groups it with environmental courses, so confirm on your admission letter.
Sources and updates
MAU’s 160 screening minimum and the 20 July to 31 August 2026 window come from Myschool’s 2026 Post-UTME/DE report (15 July 2026), which reprints MAU’s notice; the official mau.edu.ng page could not be read, so treat both as reprinted rather than seen at source. The 2025/2026 figures, the ₦2,000 fee, the portal and the form steps come from Studentship’s reprint of the Registrar-signed 2025/2026 notice (updated 9 August 2025). The note on over-subscribed programmes is from Myschool’s report of MAU’s admission update (6 November 2025), and the CAPS list date is a Myschool headline of about 3 October 2026. The national minimum of 150, the 31 October 2026 deadline for public universities and the four-week acceptance window come from the News Agency of Nigeria (11 May 2026). NUC’s status for the programme is from the NUC Accreditation Results 1990 to 2025. The UTME, O’level and Direct Entry rules come from the JAMB brochure as reprinted by Myschool (MAUTECH remarks, read 3 November 2026); confirm them on JAMB’s e-brochure. The safe target score and the worked example are my own advice. Checked on 3 November 2026; this page will be updated if MAU publishes a departmental cut-off for Geography or a 2027/2028 screening 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.
