NOUN Library and Information Science admission requirements for 100 level are five O’level credits (C6 or better) including English Language and Mathematics, obtained in not more than two sittings. That is the rule on the Bachelor of Library and Information Science (B.LIS) page of the National Open University of Nigeria’s Faculty of Education. There is no JAMB cut-off mark, and Direct Entry into 200 level is open to holders of a relevant A level, a diploma at Merit or an NCE at grade C.
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.
Our NOUN Enugu Education courses guide covers all of NOUN’s education degrees side by side and mentions B.LIS among them. This page is the detailed one for B.LIS alone: the exact Direct Entry routes, what NOUN’s departmental handbook says you will study, the six-month library attachment, the credit-unit figures (which differ between two NOUN documents), fees, dates and the steps to apply through the Enugu Study Centre.
NOUN Library and Information Science admission requirements at a glance
| Item | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Degree | B.LIS Library and Information Science | NOUN accreditation document, November 2024 |
| Department and faculty | Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Education | NOUN Faculty of Education site |
| UTME score | Not required; no cut-off mark | NOUN Admission Requirements page |
| 100 level O’level | Five credits (C6 or better) including English Language and Mathematics, max two sittings | B.LIS programme page |
| Direct Entry (200 level) | A level at grade D in Library Science, Social Studies or other social or science subjects; or a diploma at Merit; or an NCE at grade C | B.LIS programme page and handbook |
| Minimum duration | 4 years (8 semesters) from 100 level; 3 years (6 semesters) by Direct Entry | Same |
| Industrial attachment | LIS 312, six months in a library or information centre, 6 units | Departmental handbook |
| 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 Library and Information Science?
No. NOUN does not set a UTME cut-off mark for Library and Information Science 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 Library and Information Science 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 Library and Information Science
The B.LIS page names only two compulsory subjects. The other three credits are your choice, as long as they are relevant to the programme.
| Subject | Status | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | Compulsory | Credit (C6 or better) |
| Mathematics | Compulsory | Credit (C6 or better) |
| Three other subjects | Your choice | Credit (C6 or better) |
| Number of sittings | Not more than two | WASSCE, NECO or equivalent |
Library science mixes social science with computing, so subjects such as Economics, Government, Literature in English, Civic Education, Computer Studies or Data Processing are natural fits for the three open slots. A science subject also works, because the Direct Entry rules accept science backgrounds too. NOUN’s general admission notice of August 2024 says every Faculty of Education programme needs credits in English and Mathematics, which matches the B.LIS page.
What if I do not have a Mathematics credit?
Then you do not meet the requirement for B.LIS at 100 level. A pass (D7 or E8) is not enough on the page’s wording. Sit Mathematics again in a WAEC or NECO GCE, or in the next school certificate exam, and combine the new credit with your other result, keeping to two sittings in total. NOUN’s portal stays open through the year, so you can apply as soon as the new result is out.
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 Library and Information Science
Direct Entry places you in 200 level, so you finish in three years instead of four. You still need the same five O’level credits, including English and Mathematics, in not more than two sittings. On top of that, you need one of these:
| Route | Minimum grade NOUN asks for |
|---|---|
| A level in Library Science | D |
| A level in Social Studies | D |
| A level in other social science or science subjects | D |
| Diploma in Library Science | Merit |
| Diploma in Information Management or a related discipline | Merit |
| NCE in Education, Library Science, or any other social or science combination | C |
Two points here are easy to miss. First, the B.LIS page accepts an NCE in any social or science combination at grade C, so a teacher with an NCE in, say, Economics and Social Studies can come in at 200 level. Second, the page says nothing about an OND or HND by name. If your qualification is an OND in Library and Information Science, it may fit the diploma line, but check the exact entry level on the portal’s View Requirement screen before you pay.
Is there a 300-level entry?
The admission rules on the B.LIS page and in the handbook stop at 200 level. The handbook does mention a minimum of 61 credit units for 300-level entrants in its section on graduation requirements, but it never says who qualifies for 300 level. Treat 300-level entry as unconfirmed and ask the department in writing if you hold an HND or a degree in a related field.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Ogechi, school leaver | WASSCE credits in English, Mathematics, Economics, Government and Literature in English | Qualifies for 100 level |
| Emeka, library assistant | Diploma in Library Science at Merit; credits in English, Mathematics and three others | Qualifies for 200 level |
| Ngozi, primary school teacher | NCE Social Studies/Economics, grade C; full O’level set including English and Mathematics | Qualifies for 200 level |
| Tobenna, records officer | OND in Office Technology; O’level with only a D7 in Mathematics | Short of the Mathematics credit; must fix the O’level before any entry level |
How to apply for Library and Information Science 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 Library and Information Science, 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, or 200 level with an A level, a diploma at Merit or an NCE at grade C. 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.
What you study in NOUN’s B.LIS
NOUN’s departmental handbook (2018 to 2023 edition, corrected in August 2022) sets out the course structure. It states the department’s aim as training qualified librarians for every sector of the economy through open and distance learning. These are the totals and sample courses by level:
| Level | Credit units | Sample LIS courses |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 34 | LIS 101 Information Literacy; LIS 102 Libraries and Societies; LIS 103 Introduction to Library and Information Work; LIS 104 Introduction to ICT in Library and Information Services |
| 200 | 44 | LIS 201 Organisation of Knowledge (Classification) I; LIS 202 Information Retrieval (Cataloguing) I; LIS 203 Reference and Information Sources and Services; LIS 205 Internet and Information Searching |
| 300 | 45 (including SIWES) | LIS 301 Collection Development; LIS 302 Organisation of Knowledge II; LIS 303 Information Retrieval (Cataloguing) II; LIS 305 Research Methodology and Statistics; LIS 308 entrepreneurship in library and information services |
| 400 | 30 | LIS 401 Research Project (6 units); LIS 402 Automation in Library Services; LIS 405 Management of Libraries and Information Centres; LIS 406 Knowledge Management |
The six-month library attachment
At 300 level you take LIS 312, the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme, worth 6 credit units. It lasts six months (24 weeks), either in one library or split into two placements of three months each. The handbook asks for libraries and information centres run by qualified professionals, preferably ones that use ICT. If you live in Enugu, start asking early about placements in academic, public or special libraries in the city, because a placement you arrange yourself is usually easier to manage around a job.
How you are assessed
- Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs): 30% of each course grade.
- End-of-semester examination: 70%.
- Pass mark: 40%.
- Online facilitation: the handbook asks for at least 75% attendance.
Duration and credit units
The B.LIS page gives a minimum of four years from 100 level and three years by Direct Entry, which the handbook expresses as eight and six semesters. Neither document I read gives a maximum for B.LIS. The two documents disagree on credit units:
| Entry | B.LIS programme page | Departmental handbook |
|---|---|---|
| From 100 level | 120 units | Minimum 125 units |
| Direct Entry (200 level) | 90 units | Minimum 95 units |
| 300 level | Not mentioned | Minimum 61 units |
The handbook is the more detailed document, but the programme page may be newer. Plan on the higher figure and confirm with the department when you register your first courses. Semester load guidance in the handbook is 15 to 20 units, with 24 as an upper limit in some sections.
B.LIS and the Faculty of Education: how it differs from a B.Ed
B.LIS sits in NOUN’s Faculty of Education, which confuses some applicants. It is a library degree, and it is not a teaching qualification. The handbook has no teaching practice; its practical component is the library attachment. If you want to teach in a classroom, the education degrees in our NOUN Enugu Education courses guide are the right comparison. If you want to work with books, records, archives or digital information, B.LIS is the one.
After graduation, librarians in Nigeria deal with the Librarians’ Registration Council of Nigeria (LRCN). The handbook does not mention LRCN, and registration is a step after your degree, so it has no bearing on admission. When you get close to graduating, check LRCN’s current registration requirements yourself.
Careers
- Libraries: school, university, public and special libraries, the settings the handbook trains for.
- Records and information units: ministries, hospitals, banks, courts and companies that manage records and documents.
- Digital information work: library automation and knowledge management, both taught at 400 level.
- Your own business: the handbook includes entrepreneurship in library and information services (LIS 308).
- Further study: a master’s degree in library and information science for academic library posts.
Related programmes
- NOUN Enugu Education courses admission requirements for the B.Ed and B.Sc. (Ed) options in the same faculty;
- NOUN Enugu Study Centre admission requirements for every programme;
- if you would rather take the UTME route, compare UNN Library and Information Science.
NOUN form price and fees for Library and Information Science 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 Library and Information Science 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 Library and Information Science 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 a Mathematics pass: B.LIS asks for a credit.
- Using three sittings: the limit is two.
- Assuming an HND gets you into 300 level: NOUN has not published a 300-level route for B.LIS.
- Leaving the attachment to the last minute: six months in a library needs planning, especially if you work.
- Paying an agent: admission is automated on NOUN’s portal; nobody can buy it for you.
NOUN Library and Information Science: frequently asked questions
What are the requirements for Library and Information Science in NOUN? Five O’level credits at C6 or better, including English Language and Mathematics, in not more than two sittings. You do not need a UTME score.
Can I use NCE to study Library and Information Science in NOUN? Yes. An NCE at grade C in Education, Library Science or any other social or science combination, with the five O’level credits, qualifies you for 200 level.
How many years is B.LIS in NOUN? At least four years (eight semesters) from 100 level and three years (six semesters) by Direct Entry.
Is NOUN Library and Information Science accredited? Yes. NOUN’s November 2024 accreditation document lists B.LIS Library and Information Science with full NUC accreditation.
Sources and updates
The O’level rule, Direct Entry routes, minimum duration and programme-page credit units come from NOUN’s B.LIS programme page and the Department of Library and Information Science page on the Faculty of Education site, checked on 30 October 2026. The course structure, SIWES, assessment rules and handbook credit units come from the Department of Library and Information Science student handbook (corrected August 2022). 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 changes the B.LIS requirements or publishes a 300-level entry rule.
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.
