NOUN Public Health admission requirements are built around Direct Entry. NOUN admits B.Sc Public Health students at 200 level, and you need two things: five O’level credits in English Language, Mathematics, Biology or Health Science, Chemistry and Physics (not more than two sittings), and a recognised health or science qualification such as a Community Health Officer certificate, Registered Nurse certificate, CHEW certificate, ND, HND, NCE or a first degree in a related field. There is no UTME cut-off mark.
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.
If you have only your O’level, read the section on that below before you pay, because NOUN’s published requirements do not describe a 100-level route for this programme. This guide covers the accepted qualifications and minimum grades, the January 2026 clarification on 300-level entry, the application steps for the Enugu Study Centre, fees, dates and what the degree leads to.
NOUN Public Health admission requirements at a glance
| Item | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| UTME score | Not required; no cut-off mark | NOUN Admission Requirements page |
| Entry level | 200 level (Direct Entry) | NOUN B.Sc Public Health page; NOUN News, 8 August 2024 |
| O’level | Five credits: English, Mathematics, Biology or Health Science, Chemistry, Physics; max two sittings (SSCE, NECO, GCE or NABTEB) | NOUN B.Sc Public Health page |
| Extra qualification | A recognised health or science qualification (list below) | NOUN B.Sc Public Health page |
| 300 level entry | Not available, except special consideration for some HND holders | NOUN department memo, 28 January 2026 (via Myschool) |
| Minimum duration | 4 years (8 semesters) from 200 level | NOUN B.Sc Public Health page |
| Credit units | At least 120 | NOUN B.Sc Public Health page |
| Form | ₦5,000 via Remita (last published figure) | NOUN News, 8 August 2024 |
| NUC status | Full | NOUN accreditation document, November 2024 |
Does NOUN use a cut-off mark for Public Health?
No. NOUN does not publish or use a UTME cut-off for any undergraduate programme. For Public Health, what counts is your O’level, your previous health or science qualification and the grade on it. A JAMB score plays no part in the decision.
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.
Qualifications NOUN accepts for Public Health at 200 level
NOUN’s Faculty of Health Sciences publishes a long list. I have grouped it so you can find yourself quickly.
| Group | Qualifications listed by NOUN | Minimum grade |
|---|---|---|
| First degree | Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Physics, Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology, Pharmacy, Zoology, Veterinary Medicine, MBBS, BMLS, Industrial Chemistry, Science Education, Nursing, Health Education, Nutrition, Physiotherapy, Radiotherapy, Environmental Health Science | Third Class |
| Health diplomas and certificates | Community Health Officer (CHO), Environmental Health Officer, Health Superintendent, Registered Nurse (RN), AIMLS (medical laboratory), Food and Nutrition, Food Science | Lower Credit where a diploma grade applies |
| HND | Science Laboratory Technology and other relevant HNDs | Lower Credit |
| ND and OND | Relevant National or Ordinary Diplomas | Lower Credit |
| NCE | Physical and Health Education, Science Education, Nutrition, Home Economics | Merit |
| Technician certificates | Dental, Pharmacy, Radiography, Physiotherapy and Medical Laboratory Technicians; Community Health Extension Worker (CHEW); Environmental Health Technician | As listed |
Whatever you hold, you still need the five O’level credits. NOUN’s August 2024 admission notice also said CHO, NCE and RN holders could be considered, which matches the faculty list.
What if I only have O’level?
NOUN’s Public Health page lists entry at 200 level for holders of the qualifications above, and its 2024 admission notice also describes Public Health as a Direct Entry programme. Neither gives a 100-level route for someone with O’level only. Before you pay ₦5,000, select Public Health on the application page and click “View Requirement” for 100 level. If no 100-level option appears, you have three sensible choices:
- get a qualifying certificate first (a CHEW or Environmental Health Technician programme, an ND or an NCE in a listed subject), then apply at 200 level;
- go the UTME route to a conventional university; see the ESUT Public Health cut-off mark and the SUMAS Public Health cut-off mark;
- choose a NOUN science or education programme that does take O’level holders at 100 level; the NOUN Enugu Study Centre guide lists them.
Can I enter NOUN Public Health at 300 level?
Usually not. On 28 January 2026 NOUN’s Department of Public Health Science issued a memo, reported by Myschool, saying the Senate-approved requirements make no provision for direct admission into 300 level. Direct Entry is into 200 level only.
There is one exception. Holders of a recognised HND in Community Health, Environmental Health or Public Health Nursing may apply for special consideration for 300 level. That request goes through the Office of the Vice-Chancellor or the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), with official documents. It is a request, not an automatic right, so if you are in that group, apply at 200 level through the portal or get the special consideration in writing before you register.
Worked example: does your profile qualify?
Here are three typical Enugu applicants, checked against NOUN’s published rules. These are my illustrations, not NOUN decisions.
| Applicant | Profile | Outcome on NOUN’s rules |
|---|---|---|
| Ada, CHEW at a primary health centre | CHEW certificate; credits in English, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics in two sittings | Qualifies for 200 level |
| Emeka, ND Science Laboratory Technology | ND Lower Credit; but a D7 in Physics | Does not qualify yet: Physics must be a credit |
| Chioma, HND Community Health | HND Upper Credit; all five credits | Qualifies for 200 level; may seek special consideration for 300 level through the VC or DVC (Academics) |
How to apply for Public Health 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 Public Health, then your entry level, and click View Requirement. Read the requirement that appears before you go further.
- Pick the right entry level: select 200 level (Direct Entry) and upload your certificate and transcript or statement of result for the qualification that makes you eligible.
- 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 Public Health
NOUN describes the programme’s focus as public health, community diagnosis and preventive health care. In practice that means learning how diseases spread in populations, how to measure a community’s health problems and how to plan, run and evaluate programmes that prevent them. You graduate with at least 120 credit units after passing every compulsory core course in the programme’s approved outline. The faculty site links to a full course list.
Because you start at 200 level, the minimum time is four years (eight semesters). Working health staff often take a lighter load and finish later.
Careers
- Primary health care: CHOs, CHEWs and nurses use the degree to move into supervisory and programme roles in local government health departments.
- Programme work: immunisation, malaria, HIV, nutrition and maternal health projects run by government and NGOs hire public health graduates for monitoring and evaluation.
- Further study: the B.Sc is a base for an MPH or a master’s in epidemiology.
NOUN’s Public Health page does not mention registration with a professional council, so your registration status will depend on your existing cadre (for example, a CHO keeps their own registration). Ask the department before you rely on the degree for a specific licence.
Accreditation
NOUN’s Programmes and Accreditation Status document (November 2024) lists B.Sc Public Health with full NUC accreditation.
Related NOUN programmes
- NOUN Enugu Environmental Health Science, which overlaps with public health and accepts many of the same diplomas;
- NOUN Enugu Nursing Science, for registered nurses only.
NOUN form price and fees for Public Health 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 Public Health 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 Public Health 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 at 100 level with O’level only: check “View Requirement” first; the published route is 200 level.
- Assuming an HND gets you 300 level: the January 2026 memo says no, except by special consideration for three HND fields.
- Ignoring the Physics credit: NOUN lists Physics among the five credits for Public Health.
- Paying middlemen: the form is ₦5,000 on Remita, and you can do it yourself.
NOUN Public Health: frequently asked questions
Can I study Public Health in NOUN with WAEC only? NOUN’s published requirements list 200-level entry with a health or science qualification on top of five O’level credits. Check “View Requirement” for 100 level on the portal before paying.
Is CHEW certificate accepted for NOUN Public Health? Yes. NOUN lists the Community Health Extension Worker certificate among the technician qualifications for 200-level entry, provided you have the five O’level credits.
Can HND holders enter NOUN Public Health at 300 level? Not normally. A January 2026 departmental memo allows special consideration only for HNDs in Community Health, Environmental Health or Public Health Nursing, through the Vice-Chancellor or DVC (Academics).
Is NOUN Public Health accredited? Yes. NOUN’s November 2024 accreditation document shows full NUC accreditation for B.Sc Public Health.
Sources and updates
Entry levels, accepted qualifications, minimum grades, duration and credit units come from NOUN’s B.Sc Public Health page on the Faculty of Health Sciences site, checked in October 2026. The 300-level rule and the HND exception come from Myschool’s report of the department’s memo (28 January 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 publishes a 100-level route or new fees.
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.
