NOUN agriculture courses need five O’level credits in not more than two sittings, including English Language, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology (or Health Science) and one of Physics, Agricultural Science or Geography. That is the subject list on the programme pages of the National Open University of Nigeria’s Faculty of Agricultural Sciences. NOUN uses no JAMB cut-off mark. An OND at Upper Credit or a suitable NCE can take you into 200 level, and an HND at Upper Credit in Agriculture into 300 level.
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.
No JAMB cut-off at NOUN
NOUN does not use a UTME score or cut-off mark for undergraduate admission. You are admitted on your O’level result, or your Direct Entry qualification, through NOUN’s online portal. Any “NOUN cut-off mark” you see online did not come from the university, and nobody can sell you a NOUN admission: the portal decides on your documents.
NOUN’s November 2024 accreditation document lists seven undergraduate programmes in the faculty: four B.Agric options, B.Sc. Agricultural Extension and Management, B.Fisheries and Aquaculture, and B.Sc. Hotel and Catering Management. This guide gives each one its own table with the O’level subjects, Direct Entry, entry level, duration where NOUN publishes it and NUC status, then covers the application steps, fees, dates and what studying agriculture by distance learning from Enugu involves.
NOUN agriculture courses and NUC status
These are the programme names exactly as NOUN’s accreditation document prints them, with the status NUC gave each one.
| Department | Programme | NUC status (November 2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Science | B. Agriculture (Animal Science) | Full |
| Crop and Soil Science | B. Agriculture (Crop and Soil Science) | Full |
| Agric. Economics and Agro. Business | B. Agriculture (Agricultural Economics and Agro-Business) | Full |
| Agric. Extension and Rural Development | B. Agriculture (Agricultural Extension and Rural Development) | Full |
| Agricultural Extension and Management | B.Sc. Agricultural Extension and Management | Full |
| Fisheries and Aquaculture | B.Fisheries and Aquaculture | Resource Verified |
| Hotel and Catering Management | B.Sc. Hotel and Catering Management | Full |
“Resource Verified” is the stage before accreditation: NUC has checked that staff and facilities are in place to start the programme, but no accreditation visit has been graded yet. Full accreditation is the strongest status. The faculty’s website also links a page for a Bachelor of Soil and Land Resources Management, which is not on the November 2024 list; I would not apply for it until NOUN confirms its status.
Is there a NOUN cut-off mark for agriculture?
No. NOUN does not set a UTME cut-off mark for agriculture 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 agriculture 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 requirements for NOUN agriculture courses
Two NOUN sources describe the O’level rule for this faculty, and they are close but not identical.
| Subject | Faculty programme pages | NOUN admission notice (August 2024) |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | Credit | Credit |
| Mathematics | Credit | Credit |
| Chemistry | Credit | Credit |
| Biology | Credit in Biology or Health Science | Credit in Biology or Agricultural Science (an Agricultural Science credit must be backed by at least a pass in Biology) |
| Fifth subject | Credit in Physics, Agricultural Science or Geography | At least a pass in Physics |
| Sittings | Not more than two | Not more than two |
A result with credits in English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology and Agricultural Science, plus a pass in Physics, satisfies both versions. If you have that, you are safe. If your fifth credit is Geography and you have no Physics at all, you meet the programme pages but not the 2024 notice, so check the portal’s View Requirement screen for your programme before paying.
The faculty pages word their O’level rule as admission to “200 level” for a B.Sc. degree, even on the B.Agric pages. That looks like a template slip, since NOUN’s 2024 notice treats O’level holders as 100-level entrants and saves 200 level for diploma and NCE holders. The portal shows the entry levels open to you once you select a programme.
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.
Requirements for each NOUN agriculture programme
I opened the programme pages for Animal Science, Crop and Soil Science, Agricultural Extension and Management and Hotel and Tourism Management. Where a page was not available, the row says so and the faculty rule from NOUN’s 2024 notice applies.
B. Agriculture (Animal Science)
| Item | What NOUN publishes |
|---|---|
| Department | Animal Science and Fisheries |
| O’level | Five credits, not more than two sittings (SSCE, NECO, GCE or NABTEB): English Language, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics or Agricultural Science or Geography, and Biology or Health Science |
| Direct Entry | 200 level: OND at Upper Credit or NCE with the specified credits. 300 level: HND at Upper Credit in Agriculture (NOUN News, 2024) |
| Entry level | 100 level with O’level; 200 or 300 level with a qualifying diploma |
| Duration | Not published on the programme page |
| NUC status | Full |
Animal Science covers livestock production, animal nutrition, breeding and health, and the business side of poultry, piggery and cattle farming.
B. Agriculture (Crop and Soil Science)
| Item | What NOUN publishes |
|---|---|
| Department | Crop and Soil Sciences |
| O’level | Five credits, not more than two sittings (SSCE, NECO, GCE or NABTEB): English Language, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics or Agricultural Science or Geography, and Biology or Health Science |
| Direct Entry | 200 level: OND at Upper Credit or NCE with the specified credits. 300 level: HND at Upper Credit in Agriculture (NOUN News, 2024) |
| Entry level | 100 level with O’level; 200 or 300 level with a qualifying diploma |
| Duration | Not published on the programme page |
| NUC status | Full |
This option is about growing crops well: soil fertility, crop production, pests and diseases, and land management. It suits anyone already farming cassava, yam, rice or vegetables in Enugu State who wants the science behind it.
B. Agriculture (Agricultural Economics and Agro-Business)
| Item | What NOUN publishes |
|---|---|
| Department | Agricultural Economics and Agro-Business |
| O’level | NOUN’s 2024 notice: credits in English, Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology or Agricultural Science, plus at least a pass in Physics (programme page not checked) |
| Direct Entry | 200 level: OND at Upper Credit or NCE with the specified credits. 300 level: HND at Upper Credit in Agriculture (NOUN News, 2024) |
| Entry level | 100 level with O’level; 200 or 300 level with a qualifying diploma |
| Duration | Not published on the programme page |
| NUC status | Full |
The economics option looks at farm management, agricultural marketing, finance and policy. If you prefer running a farm business or working with agricultural lenders to working in the field, this is the one to look at.
B. Agriculture (Agricultural Extension and Rural Development)
| Item | What NOUN publishes |
|---|---|
| Department | Agricultural Extension and Rural Development |
| O’level | NOUN’s 2024 notice: credits in English, Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology or Agricultural Science, plus at least a pass in Physics (programme page not checked) |
| Direct Entry | 200 level: OND at Upper Credit or NCE with the specified credits. 300 level: HND at Upper Credit in Agriculture (NOUN News, 2024) |
| Entry level | 100 level with O’level; 200 or 300 level with a qualifying diploma |
| Duration | Not published on the programme page |
| NUC status | Full |
Extension is the work of getting research results to farmers: training, communication, farmer groups and rural development projects.
B.Sc. Agricultural Extension and Management
| Item | What NOUN publishes |
|---|---|
| Department | Agricultural Economics and Extension (per the faculty site) |
| O’level | Five credits, not more than two sittings (SSCE, NECO, GCE or NABTEB): English Language, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics or Agricultural Science or Geography, and Biology or Health Science |
| Direct Entry | 200 level: OND at Upper Credit or NCE with the specified credits. 300 level: HND at Upper Credit in Agriculture (NOUN News, 2024) |
| Entry level | 100 level with O’level; 200 or 300 level with a qualifying diploma |
| Duration | Not published on the programme page |
| NUC status | Full |
This is a B.Sc. rather than a B.Agric, and it is a separate programme from the extension option above. Its title points to managing extension services and agricultural programmes. NOUN also runs a postgraduate diploma in the same field, listed as Resource Verified.
B.Fisheries and Aquaculture
| Item | What NOUN publishes |
|---|---|
| Department | Fisheries and Aquaculture (the faculty site groups fisheries with Animal Science) |
| O’level | NOUN’s 2024 notice: credits in English, Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology or Agricultural Science, plus at least a pass in Physics (programme page not checked) |
| Direct Entry | 200 level: OND at Upper Credit or NCE with the specified credits. 300 level: HND at Upper Credit in Agriculture (NOUN News, 2024) |
| Entry level | Not published; no programme page found |
| Duration | Not published on the programme page |
| NUC status | Resource Verified (not yet accredited) |
I found no programme page for Fisheries and Aquaculture on the faculty site, and the Animal Science and Fisheries department lists only Animal Science. Before you apply, select the faculty on the admission portal and confirm that Fisheries and Aquaculture appears. If it does not, Animal Science is the nearest programme.
B.Sc. Hotel and Catering Management
| Item | What NOUN publishes |
|---|---|
| Department | Agricultural Economics and Extension (per the faculty site) |
| Name on the faculty site | B.Sc. Hotel and Tourism Management |
| O’level | Five credits, not more than two sittings (SSCE, NECO, GCE or NABTEB): English Language, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics or Agricultural Science or Geography, and Biology or Health Science |
| Direct Entry | 200 level: OND at Upper Credit or NCE with the specified credits. 300 level: HND at Upper Credit in Agriculture (NOUN News, 2024); check the portal for diplomas in hospitality |
| Entry level | 100 level with O’level; Direct Entry routes not stated on the page |
| Duration | Not published on the programme page |
| NUC status | Full (as Hotel and Catering Management) |
Two things stand out. The accreditation document calls the programme Hotel and Catering Management, while the faculty page now calls it Hotel and Tourism Management, so look for either name on the portal. And the page asks for the same science subjects as the agriculture degrees, including Chemistry and Biology or Health Science, which surprises applicants who expected a business-style requirement.
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 Nsukka | WASSCE credits in English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, Agricultural Science; pass in Physics | Qualifies for 100 level in any of the seven programmes |
| Adaeze, poultry farmer | OND Agricultural Technology, Upper Credit; full O’level set | Qualifies for 200 level |
| Uche, extension officer | HND Agricultural Extension, Upper Credit | Fits NOUN’s 300-level rule for HND Agriculture holders; confirm on View Requirement |
| Ifunanya, hotel receptionist | Credits in English, Mathematics, Economics, Commerce and Biology; no Chemistry | Short of the Chemistry credit for Hotel and Catering Management |
How to apply for your agriculture programme 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 your agriculture programme, then your entry level, and click View Requirement. Read the requirement that appears before you go further.
- Pick your entry level: 100 level with O’level only, 200 level with an OND at Upper Credit or a suitable NCE, or 300 level with an HND at Upper Credit in Agriculture. Upload the certificate and its result.
- 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.
Studying agriculture through NOUN from Enugu
Agriculture is a practical subject, and NOUN teaches at a distance. NOUN’s answer is supervised practical work: the faculty publishes a SIWES practical book covering 200 to 400 level, which records the farm and laboratory work students do during industrial attachment. Expect course materials and tutor-marked assignments online, examinations at the study centre, and practical work logged through SIWES.
- Plan your attachment: farms, research institutes, agricultural development programmes and agro-processing firms in and around Enugu are the usual hosts. Line one up before 300 level.
- Ask the Enugu centre about practicals: NOUN does not publish which practical sessions each study centre runs. Ask in writing whether laboratory or field sessions for your programme hold in Enugu or elsewhere.
- Use your own farm: if you already farm, ask whether your enterprise can count towards any practical requirement. Do not assume it will.
Careers
- Farming and agribusiness: crop, livestock and fish farming, processing and marketing.
- Extension and development work: state agricultural development programmes, NGOs and donor projects.
- Finance and policy: agricultural lending, insurance and government ministries.
- Hospitality: hotels, restaurants, catering and event services for Hotel and Catering Management graduates.
- Further study: postgraduate programmes in agriculture and related fields.
Related programmes
- NOUN Enugu Study Centre admission requirements for every programme;
- NOUN Enugu Faculty of Science courses if you prefer Biology or Chemistry;
- for the UTME route, compare UNN Crop Science, UNN Soil Science, UNN Agricultural Economics and UNN Agricultural Extension.
NOUN form price and fees for agriculture 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 agriculture 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 agriculture 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
- No Chemistry credit: every programme in the faculty asks for it, Hotel and Catering Management included.
- No Physics at all: the 2024 notice wants at least a pass, even where the programme page lets Geography fill the fifth slot.
- Assuming Fisheries is open: confirm it appears on the portal first.
- Using an OND Lower Credit for 200 level: NOUN’s rule is Upper Credit.
- Ignoring practical work: SIWES is part of the degree, so plan for it.
NOUN agriculture courses: frequently asked questions
What are the requirements for agriculture in NOUN? Five O’level credits in not more than two sittings, including English, Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology, with Physics, Agricultural Science or Geography as the fifth. NOUN’s 2024 notice also asks for at least a pass in Physics.
Does NOUN offer Fisheries and Aquaculture? It is on NOUN’s November 2024 list as B.Fisheries and Aquaculture with Resource Verified status, but I found no programme page for it, so check the admission portal before you pay.
Can I use HND to study agriculture in NOUN? Yes. NOUN’s 2024 notice says an HND at Upper Credit in Agriculture can lead to 300-level entry.
Is NOUN Hotel and Catering Management under agriculture? Yes. It sits in the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, and its page now uses the name Hotel and Tourism Management.
Sources and updates
Programme names and NUC statuses come from NOUN’s November 2024 accreditation document. O’level subject lists come from the faculty’s Animal Science, Crop and Soil Science, Agricultural Extension and Management and Hotel and Tourism Management pages, checked on 30 October 2026, and the practical record from the faculty’s SIWES practical book. The alternative subject rule, the OND, NCE and HND routes and the 300-level entry 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 if NOUN publishes programme pages for the remaining options or 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.
