NOUN Nursing Science admission requirements are different from every other course at the university: the Bachelor of Nursing Science (BNSc) is only for registered nurses. To be admitted through the NOUN Enugu Study Centre you need the Registered Nurse certificate from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN), a valid NMCN practising licence, at least six months’ work experience with a letter of attestation from where you currently practise, and five O’level credits in English, Mathematics, Biology or Health Science, Chemistry and Physics in not more than two sittings.
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.
NOUN does not use a UTME cut-off for this programme or any other. If you are a secondary school leaver, you cannot enter NOUN Nursing at present, however good your O’level. I explain why, what NOUN asked the NMCN in May 2026 to change that, and which Enugu routes school leavers should use instead.
Not for school leavers
NOUN’s BNSc admits registered nurses only. NMCN’s own list of approved nursing programmes carries the remark that the NOUN programme is for registered nurses only. Anyone offering to “process” NOUN Nursing admission for an O’level holder is taking your money for something the rules do not allow.
NOUN Nursing Science admission requirements at a glance
| Requirement | What NOUN asks for | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Professional certificate | Registered Nurse (RN) certificate from NMCN | NOUN BNSc page |
| Licence | Valid NMCN practising licence | NOUN BNSc page |
| Experience | Six months’ work experience plus a letter of attestation from your current clinical practice | NOUN BNSc page |
| O’level | Five credits: English Language, Mathematics, Biology or Health Science, Chemistry, Physics; max two sittings (WASSCE, SSCE or NECO) | NOUN BNSc page |
| UTME score | Not required; no cut-off mark | NOUN Admission Requirements page |
| Entry level | 200 level | NOUN BNSc page |
| Minimum duration | 4 years (8 semesters) from 200 level | NOUN BNSc page |
| Credit units to graduate | At least 148, including 18 units of university electives | NOUN BNSc page |
| Form | ₦5,000 via Remita (last published figure) | NOUN News, 8 August 2024 |
| NMCN status | Full, June 2021; “for Registered Nurses only” | NMCN list, December 2025 |
Is there a NOUN cut-off mark for Nursing?
No. NOUN’s admission page sets no UTME score for any undergraduate programme, and Nursing is no exception. The real gatekeepers are your RN certificate, your licence and your O’level. If a website quotes a “NOUN Nursing cut-off”, it is not from NOUN.
This also means the JAMB admission deadlines that apply to UNN or ESUT do not govern NOUN. NOUN runs its own calendar, covered further down.
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.
The O’level and professional requirements explained
O’level subjects
NOUN’s Faculty of Health Sciences lists five credit passes in English Language, Mathematics, Biology (or Health Science), Chemistry and Physics, from WASSCE, SSCE or NECO, in not more than two sittings. Most nurses trained in basic schools of nursing already met this to enter nursing school, but check your grades: a pass (D7 or E8) in Physics or Mathematics does not count as a credit.
NOUN’s August 2024 admission notice states the same five subjects and also mentions Registered Midwives alongside Registered Nurses. The Faculty page, which is the more specific source, names the RN certificate. If you hold only an RM, click “View Requirement” for Nursing on the application page and confirm before you pay.
RN certificate and licence
You must upload your NMCN Registered Nurse certificate and a licence that is currently valid. An expired licence is a common reason for a stalled application, so renew it with NMCN first if it is close to expiry.
Six months’ experience and attestation
NOUN asks for at least six months of work experience after qualifying, backed by a letter of attestation from your current clinical placement. Ask your matron, head of nursing services or medical director for a signed letter on official letterhead that states your post, your start date and that you are currently in practice.
Documents checklist
- O’level result(s), maximum two sittings
- NMCN Registered Nurse certificate
- Current NMCN practising licence
- Letter of attestation from your current clinical workplace
- Birth certificate or declaration of age
- Passport photograph
- Remita receipt for the ₦5,000 form
Why school leavers cannot do Nursing at NOUN yet
The BNSc at NOUN was built as a post-basic degree, to take nurses who trained in hospital-based schools of nursing up to degree level while they keep working. NOUN’s programme page describes its aim as advancing the education of nurses for modern nursing practice. The NMCN list of approved programmes (December 2025) records NOUN’s Department of Nursing Sciences with full accreditation from June 2021 and the remark that the programme is for registered nurses only.
That may change, but it has not changed yet. On 7 May 2026, a NOUN delegation led by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Uduma Oji Uduma, met the NMCN Registrar, Dr Hassan Ndagi, and proposed a framework that would let O’level holders enter the BNSc while meeting clinical requirements. NOUN News reported that the Council asked NOUN to submit a detailed concept note and would then hold a technical meeting. No approval had been announced by 30 October 2026.
Until NOUN and the NMCN announce a new route, treat any claim of “generic” nursing admission at NOUN as false.
Routes for school leavers in Enugu
- University nursing degree through UTME: see the UNN cut-off mark for Nursing Science and the ESUT cut-off mark for Nursing Science.
- Basic nursing school: train as a Registered Nurse first, for example through the UNTH School of Nursing, then come back to NOUN for the BNSc.
- Related NOUN degrees: Public Health and Environmental Health Science accept some health diplomas at 200 level, though neither makes you a nurse.
How to apply for Nursing 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 Nursing Science, then your entry level, and click View Requirement. Read the requirement that appears before you go further.
- Scan your nursing documents: have your RN certificate, current licence and attestation letter scanned and ready, because the Nursing form asks for them on top of the O’level.
- 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.
Accreditation: NUC and NMCN
| Body | Status | Date and source |
|---|---|---|
| NMCN | Full accreditation; programme for Registered Nurses only | June 2021, NMCN Updated List of Approved Colleges and Departments of Nursing (December 2025) |
| NMCN visit | Full accreditation reported after the Council’s visit of 12 October 2021 | NOUN News, 13 October 2021 |
| NUC | Full | NOUN Programmes and Accreditation Status document (November 2024) |
The NMCN list puts the full accreditation in June 2021, while NOUN News reported the Council’s verdict after a visit in October 2021. Both say full; the month difference does not affect you. NMCN lists the department under the FCT, because NOUN’s headquarters are in Abuja. Your study centre is where you are supported and examined.
What you study and how long it takes
You enter at 200 level, so the minimum time is four years, or eight semesters. NOUN requires at least 148 credit units to graduate, including 18 units of university electives, and you must pass every compulsory core course in the programme’s approved outline. NOUN’s distance model lets you carry fewer courses per semester if your ward schedule is heavy, but every course you defer adds time.
The degree builds on your RN training. Expect higher-level nursing courses, research methods and a final-year project (NOUN’s fee schedule lists a ₦15,000 project fee), together with general university courses. NOUN has not published how clinical components are arranged at the Enugu centre, so ask the centre and your department how practicals are supervised before you register.
Careers and what the BNSc does for you
- Career progression: a degree on top of the RN often matters for promotion and for senior posts in hospitals and the public service. Check your employer’s scheme of service for how it is recognised.
- Postgraduate study: a BNSc is the usual base for a master’s in nursing or public health.
- Teaching and leadership: nurse educators and managers are increasingly expected to hold degrees.
NOUN form price and fees for Nursing 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 Nursing 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 Nursing 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.
Common mistakes nurses make when applying to NOUN
- Using an expired licence: renew with NMCN first.
- Forgetting the credit in Physics or Mathematics: a pass does not satisfy the requirement. Resit and combine within two sittings if needed.
- Attestation from a former employer: NOUN asks for your current clinical practice.
- Mismatched names: if your name changed after marriage, upload the marriage certificate or sworn affidavit, and stay consistent across forms.
- Ignoring course registration: admission is not registration. Pay and register your courses inside the semester window.
If you are still deciding between NOUN and a full-time university, the NOUN Enugu Study Centre guide compares the general rules, and our JAMB CAPS guide covers the conventional route.
NOUN Nursing Science: frequently asked questions
Can I study Nursing in NOUN without being a nurse? No. NOUN’s BNSc admits only registered nurses with a valid NMCN licence and six months’ experience. NOUN asked the NMCN in May 2026 to consider an O’level route, but nothing has been approved.
Does NOUN Nursing need JAMB? You do not need a UTME score. NOUN’s fee schedule does list a ₦6,000 JAMB regularisation charge for new students, which is handled after admission.
Is NOUN Nursing accredited by NMCN? Yes. NMCN’s December 2025 list shows full accreditation from June 2021, for registered nurses only. NUC also lists it as fully accredited.
How many years is NOUN Nursing for RNs? A minimum of four years (eight semesters) from 200 level, with at least 148 credit units. Lighter course loads take longer.
Sources and updates
The BNSc requirements, entry level, duration and credit units come from NOUN’s BNSc programme page on the Faculty of Health Sciences site, checked in October 2026. NMCN’s status and the registered-nurses-only remark come from the NMCN Updated List of Approved Colleges and Departments of Nursing (December 2025). The October 2021 accreditation report is from NOUN News, and the 7 May 2026 meeting with the NMCN is from NOUN News (8 May 2026). 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). Checked on 30 October 2026. This page will be updated if NOUN and the NMCN approve an O’level entry route.
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.
