Postgraduate education at Obafemi Awolowo University is administered by the Postgraduate College in accordance with academic policies established by the University’s senate and the Postgraduate College Board, a standing committee of Senate.
The Postgraduate College is headed by the Provost who is also the Chairman of the Postgraduate College Board , that is constituted of the Provost, the Deputy Provost, 4 elected representatives of Senate (including the Provost), 2 representatives from each Faculty, the University Librarian and the College Secretary. The Departments, the key operational units, are linked to the Postgraduate College through their respective Departmental and Faculty Postgraduate Committees.
Postgraduate studies and research at Obafemi Awolowo University started in 1964. The first postgraduate programme was established in Pharmacy, one of the foundation faculties and the faculty best placed to mount a postgraduate programme because of its inheritance of considerable infrastructure from the Pharmacy School of the erstwhile Nigerian College of Arts and Science.
Indeed, the second convocation of the University in 1967 witnessed the award of the first and lone Ph.D (in the Animal Science) was awarded in 1976. Today, the University has a postgraduate student enrollment of approximately 2,500 and offers postgraduate programmes in all Faculties, comprising 16 Postgraduate Diplomas, 106 Masters (including professional degrees), 32 Master of Philosophy and 80 Doctor of Philosophy degree programmes.
The University’s over 9,000 graduate alumni constitute many of the nation’s professionals in many disciplines, including government officials, leading industrialists and prominent researchers and scholars in many Universities.
Requirements for admission
A general requirement for admission is a Bachelor’s degree in Arts, Letters, Philosophy or Science or an acceptable equivalent from an approved University. An academic standing of a minimum of second class lower division or a grade point average of B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) is required for admission to Masters degrees: a second class upper division for MPhil: and an MPhil or Master’s degree with research thesis in appropriate field and at least 60% (B+) weighted average in the Masters coursework for admission to Doctorate degree.
The Postgraduate programmes available are:
a. Postgraduate Diplomas and Certificates
b. Masters degrees
c. Masters with coursework, long essays/reports – MSc, MA, LLM, MEd, MFA & including Professional Masters – MSc, MA.
d. Masters with coursework & research thesis – MSc, MA
e. Master of Philosophy (MPhil) with coursework & research thesis.
f. Doctorate (Ph.D).
How to and When to Apply
Application for admission must be completed on the online forms supplied by the University, which may be obtained from the PG College website.
Requests for application are advertised by the University about June every year. Admission is conducted once (Harmattan semester) every year to the Humanity- based disciplines and twice to the Sciences.
Admissions and Registration
A student is not officially registered for classes until the entire registration procedure is completed each semester. A request for deferral of admission must be made in writing within 3 months of admission and approved by senate on the recommendation of the Postgraduate College Board.
Enrollment and Residency Requirement
Part- time academic enrollment is available at professional Master level and at Doctoral level for those with good educational reasons for so doing. A graduate student is expected to enroll for each regular academic semester (unless an official leave of absence has been granted by the postgraduate Board) until all requirements for an advanced degree have been completed.
Academic Supervision
Graduate work is supervised by at least one formally appointed graduate supervisor in each academic unit with an advanced degree programme.
Academic Disqualification
A student may be disqualified by Senate as a result of any of the following:
1. Non- registration for 2 or more consecutive semesters
2. Unsatisfactory academic progress
3. A weighted semester coursework average grade less than B (50%)
4. Failure (grade less than 45%) in more than two courses in any semester
5. Failure in any repeated course irrespective of weighted grade average
6. Exceeding the duration or approved extended duration of study
7. Concurrent enrollment for more than one postgraduate programme in the University
Financial Assistance to Students
Several types of financial assistance are available to outstanding students. These include postgraduate fellowships, doctoral research grants and inducement allowance to all academic members of staff undergoing postgraduate training.
Other Graduate Support Facilities On Campus
- University Library
- Central Science Laboratory
- The Health Center
- University Bokshop
- National Center for Technology Management (NACETEM)
- Center for Energy Research & Development (CERD)
- Regional Center for Training in Aerospace Surveys (RECTAS).
- African Regional Center for Space Science and Technology Education.
Good luck applying!
