NOUN Political Science admission requirements follow the university’s general undergraduate rule: five O’level credits in relevant subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, in not more than two sittings. The National Open University of Nigeria has no JAMB cut-off mark for the B.Sc, and Direct Entry into 200 level is open to holders of an ND at Upper Credit, an NCE in a relevant subject or two relevant A level papers, under NOUN’s general rules.
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.
The Political Science department’s page on the Faculty of Social Sciences site lists its two degrees, Political Science and International Relations, but its admission section showed nothing when I checked on 30 October 2026. So this guide pairs NOUN’s general rule with practical advice on subjects and the portal check that confirms your exact requirement. It also covers the course list, fees and how to apply with Enugu as your study centre.
NOUN Political Science admission requirements at a glance
| Item | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| UTME score | Not required; no cut-off mark | NOUN Admission Requirements page |
| 100 level O’level | Five credits in relevant subjects including English and Mathematics; max two sittings | NOUN News, 8 August 2024 (general rule) |
| Direct Entry (200 level) | Five relevant O’level credits plus an ND (Upper Credit), an NCE (one merit, two passes) in a relevant subject, or IJMB/IB with two relevant A level papers | Same notice (general rule) |
| Programme-specific rule | Not displayed on the department page | Department of Political Science page |
| Structure | Four levels, two semesters each; final-year project POL401 (6 units) | Political Science course list |
| 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 Political Science?
No. NOUN does not set a UTME cut-off mark for Political 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 Political 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 Political Science
English Language and Mathematics are compulsory in every NOUN faculty. The other three credits must be “relevant”, and the department has not listed them. Government is the subject I would treat as essential: the first-year courses include Nigerian Constitutional Development and Organization of Government in the second semester of 100 level.
| Subject | Status |
|---|---|
| English Language | Compulsory credit (NOUN general rule) |
| Mathematics | Compulsory credit (NOUN general rule) |
| Government | Strongly advised |
| Economics, History, Literature in English, Civic Education, CRS/IRS or Geography | Good choices for the remaining two |
A set like English, Mathematics, Government, Economics and Literature in English is the safest. Before you pay, select Political Science on the application page, choose your entry level and click View Requirement. That screen shows the rule the portal will apply.
Can I use two sittings?
Yes. NOUN’s general rule allows two sittings, so a WAEC and a NECO result, or a school result and a GCE, can be combined to reach the five credits. Upload both.
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 Political Science
Without a published department rule, NOUN’s general Direct Entry rule is what you plan with:
| Entry level | NOUN’s general rule (NOUN News, 8 August 2024) |
|---|---|
| 100 level | Five O’level credits in relevant subjects, in not more than two sittings; English Language and Mathematics are compulsory for every faculty |
| 200 level (Direct Entry) | Five relevant O’level credits including English and Mathematics, plus one of: an ND at Upper Credit, an NCE (one merit and two passes) in a relevant subject, or IJMB/IB with two relevant A level papers |
An NCE in Political Science, Social Studies or History is the most common Direct Entry route for this course, and NOUN’s general notice names the NCE with one merit and two passes. ND holders in Public Administration or Local Government Studies at Upper Credit also fit. For HND holders the general notice gives no level, and NOUN departments differ: Public Administration places HND holders at 200 level, while Mass Communication places them at 300 level. Check the requirement screen for Political Science.
Political Science or International Relations?
The same department runs both degrees, and both appear with full accreditation in NOUN’s November 2024 document. They share a lot in the early years. The Political Science course list itself includes Essentials of International Relations and Diplomacy (POL231) and International Law and Organizations (POL452), with International Relations electives such as Evolution of the Contemporary International System (INR251), Pre-Colonial African Diplomacy (INR242) and Contemporary Strategic Studies (INR441).
Pick Political Science if your interest is Nigerian government, elections, local government and public policy. Pick International Relations if you are aiming at foreign affairs, international organisations or diplomacy. Our guide to NOUN Enugu International Relations admission requirements covers the second option.
Worked example: four applicants
These are my illustrations of how NOUN’s general rules apply, not NOUN decisions.
| Applicant | Profile | Outcome on NOUN’s general rules |
|---|---|---|
| Ugochi, school leaver | WASSCE credits in English, Maths, Government, Economics, Literature | Should qualify for 100 level |
| Mr Nnamani, ward councillor | NECO credits in English, Maths, Government, CRS, Civic Education | Should qualify for 100 level |
| Ifeanyi, teacher | NCE Political Science/Social Studies with one merit and two passes; full O’level set | Fits the general Direct Entry rule for 200 level; confirm on View Requirement |
| Ebere, school leaver | Credits in English, Government, Literature, CRS, History; D7 in Maths | Does not meet the rule; needs a Mathematics credit |
How to apply for Political 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 Political Science, then your entry level, and click View Requirement. Read the requirement that appears before you go further.
- Save the requirement screen: since the department page does not show its own rule, take a screenshot of what View Requirement says for your entry 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.
What you study in NOUN Political Science
The course list runs from Nigerian government to political theory, research methods and international politics. Core POL courses on the faculty page include:
| Level | Sample core courses |
|---|---|
| 100 level | Nigerian Constitutional Development (POL122), Organization of Government (POL124), Citizens and the State (POL126) |
| 200 level | Nigerian Legal System (POL211), History of Political Thought I (POL215), Nigerian Government and Politics I (POL221), Foundations of Political Economy (POL223), Basic Statistics for Social Sciences (POL212), Introduction to Comparative Politics (POL228) |
| 300 level | Research Methods in Political Science (POL301), Public Policy Analysis (POL317), Public Administration in Nigeria (POL341), Political Behaviour (POL318), Comparative Federalism (POL322), Politics of Development and Underdevelopment (POL324) |
| 400 level | Student Research Project (POL401, 6 units), Political Psychology (POL411), State and Economy (POL443), Political Parties and Pressure Groups (POL424), Nigerian Local Government (POL444), Civil-Military Relations (POL434) |
The project comes in the first semester of 400 level on this list, earlier than in many NOUN programmes, so pick a topic during 300 level. The page does not list SIWES for Political Science; its attachment footnote appears to be copied from an Environmental Health programme.
Duration and credit units
The course list covers four levels of two semesters each, which is four years at the standard pace. Semester totals on the page range from about 17 to 21 units, with yearly totals between 34 and 39. The page gives no overall graduation total and no maximum duration; NOUN management science programmes allow up to eight years, and you should confirm the Political Science figure in the student handbook.
Careers
- Public service: administrative roles in ministries, the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly, and local government.
- Politics and elections: party administration, campaign work and electoral bodies.
- Civil society: NGOs working on governance, human rights and policy research.
- Media and teaching: political reporting, or teaching Government and Civic Education with a further teaching qualification.
- Further study: master’s programmes in political science, public policy and international relations.
Related programmes
- NOUN Enugu Public Administration admission requirements;
- NOUN Enugu Criminology and Security Studies admission requirements;
- NOUN Enugu Mass Communication admission requirements;
- NOUN Enugu Study Centre admission requirements for every programme;
- for a full-time UTME route, compare the UNN Political Science and ESUT Political Science cut-off marks.
NOUN form price and fees for Political 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 Political 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 Political 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 without Government: NOUN has not made it compulsory on paper, but it is the subject most likely to count as relevant.
- No Mathematics credit: NOUN requires it in every faculty.
- Choosing International Relations by accident: the two degrees sit next to each other on the form.
- Starting the project late: POL401 falls in the first semester of 400 level.
NOUN Political Science: frequently asked questions
What subjects do I need for Political Science in NOUN? Five relevant O’level credits including English Language and Mathematics, in not more than two sittings, under NOUN’s general rule. Include Government among the other three, since the department has not published its own list.
Does NOUN Political Science accept D7 in Mathematics? No. NOUN’s general admission notice requires credits in English and Mathematics for all faculties, so a pass in Mathematics will not meet the requirement.
Can I use NCE to study Political Science in NOUN? Yes, under NOUN’s general Direct Entry rule: an NCE with one merit and two passes in a relevant subject, plus five relevant O’level credits including English and Mathematics, can take you to 200 level.
Is NOUN Political Science degree accredited? Yes. NOUN’s November 2024 accreditation document lists B.Sc Political Science with full NUC accreditation.
Sources and updates
The department’s two degrees come from NOUN’s Department of Political Science page. Course titles, the project and the IR electives come from the Political Science course list. Both were checked on 30 October 2026; the admission section of the department page did not display any rules. The general 100-level and Direct Entry rules 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 when the department publishes its own entry rules.
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.
