Covenant University, located in Ota, Ogun State, runs its postgraduate programmes through its School of Postgraduate Studies (SPS), offering Master’s degrees, an MBA track with multiple options, M.Phil/Ph.D. transition programmes, and full Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees across a wide range of disciplines. Applications for the 2026/2027 academic session are currently open to both Nigerian and international candidates. This article lists the postgraduate courses available at Covenant University and explains, in detail, the admission requirements for each category of programme.
About Postgraduate Studies at Covenant University
Covenant University’s School of Postgraduate Studies coordinates admission and academic oversight for all postgraduate degrees awarded across the institution’s colleges and departments. Nearly every postgraduate programme runs on a full-time basis, with one notable exception: the M.Sc/ACIB Finance programme, which operates part-time to accommodate working banking professionals pursuing the Associateship of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (ACIB) alongside their academic qualification.
Postgraduate students at Covenant University also have access to opportunities beyond coursework and research, including an internship programme for gaining industrial and professional experience, the Covenant University International Excellence Scholarship (CUIES), and a student exchange arrangement that allows selected postgraduate researchers to conduct part of their research in partnering laboratories at foreign universities. These features are worth factoring into an applicant’s decision, particularly for candidates weighing Covenant University against other postgraduate schools in Nigeria.
List of Master’s Degree Programmes
Covenant University offers Master’s degree programmes across departments in engineering, sciences, humanities, social sciences, and management. The following list reflects the current Master’s programmes available through the School of Postgraduate Studies.
| Programme | Department |
|---|---|
| Accounting | Department of Accounting |
| Architecture | Department of Architecture |
| Banking and Finance (Finance Option) | Department of Banking and Finance |
| Banking and Finance (Finance Option/ACIB) | Department of Banking and Finance |
| Biochemistry | Department of Biochemistry |
| Bioinformatics | Department of Computer and Information Science |
| Biology (Applied Biology & Biotechnology) | Department of Biological Science |
| Building Technology | Department of Building Technology |
| Business Administration | Department of Business Management |
| Chemical Engineering | Department of Chemical Engineering |
| Civil Engineering | Department of Civil Engineering |
| Computer Engineering | Department of Electrical and Information Engineering |
| Computer Science | Department of Computer and Information Science |
| Counselling | Department of Psychology |
| Economics | Department of Economics and Development Studies |
| Electrical and Electronics Engineering | Department of Electrical and Information Engineering |
| English | Department of Language and General Studies |
| Estate Management | Department of Estate Management |
| Human Resource Management & Industrial Relations | Department of Business Management |
| Industrial Chemistry | Department of Chemistry |
| Industrial Mathematics | Department of Mathematics |
| Industrial Physics | Department of Physics |
| Information and Communication Engineering | Department of Electrical and Information Engineering |
| International Relations | Department of Political Science and International Relations |
| Management Information System (MIS) | Department of Computer and Information Science |
| Marketing | Department of Business Management |
| Mass Communication | Department of Mass Communication |
| Master in Strategic Leadership (MSL) | African Leadership Development Centre (ALDC) |
| Mechanical Engineering | Department of Mechanical Engineering |
| Microbiology | Department of Biological Science |
| Petroleum Engineering | Department of Petroleum Engineering |
| Policy and Strategic Studies | Department of Political Science and International Relations |
| Political Science | Department of Political Science and International Relations |
| Psychology | Department of Psychology |
| Public Administration | Department of Political Science and International Relations |
| Sociology | Department of Sociology |
This spread covers engineering disciplines such as Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical/Electronics, Mechanical, and Petroleum Engineering; pure and applied sciences such as Biochemistry, Industrial Chemistry, Industrial Physics, and Industrial Mathematics; social sciences and humanities such as Sociology, Psychology, Political Science, and English; and management-related fields such as Accounting, Marketing, and Human Resource Management. The Master in Strategic Leadership (MSL), run through the African Leadership Development Centre, is distinct from the standard departmental Master’s programmes and follows its own dedicated admission portal.
The MBA Programme and Its Options
Covenant University’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a single degree programme offered with multiple specialisation options rather than several separate MBA degrees. The available options are:
- Management
- Finance
- Marketing
- Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management
Candidates seeking admission to the MBA choose one of these options at the point of application, and the option selected shapes the direction of coursework and research undertaken during the programme.
M.Phil/Ph.D. and Doctoral Programmes
Covenant University runs both a full Ph.D. track for candidates who qualify for direct entry and an M.Phil/Ph.D. track for candidates whose Master’s result falls slightly below the direct-entry threshold. The Doctoral programmes available largely mirror the departmental spread of the Master’s programmes, covering Accounting, Architecture, Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Biology (Applied Biology & Biotechnology), Building Technology, Business Administration, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Counselling, Economics, Electrical & Electronics Engineering, English, Estate Management, Finance, Industrial Chemistry, Industrial Mathematics, Industrial Physics, Industrial Relations & Human Resource Management, Information and Communication Engineering, International Relations, Management Information System (MIS), Marketing, Mass Communication, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology, Petroleum Engineering, Policy & Strategic Studies, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology.
A candidate whose Master’s degree result does not meet the minimum CGPA for direct entry into the Ph.D. is placed on the M.Phil/Ph.D. track instead, described in more detail under the admission requirements below.
Admission Requirements for Master’s Degree Programmes
A candidate seeking admission into any Master’s degree programme at Covenant University must hold a Bachelor’s degree from Covenant University or from another university recognised by the Senate of Covenant University. The institution states a preference for candidates with First Class, Second Class Upper Division, or Second Class Lower Division results, with the Lower Division category requiring a minimum CGPA of 3.00 in the relevant discipline. Holders of a Higher National Diploma (HND) with a postgraduate diploma are not eligible for admission into the Master’s programme, regardless of their postgraduate diploma result. The minimum duration of study for a full-time Master’s degree at Covenant University is two academic sessions.
Admission Requirements for the MBA Programme
Admission into the MBA requires a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline, with a minimum of Second Class Lower Division, equivalent to a CGPA of at least 3.00 on a 5.00 scale, from Covenant University or another Senate-recognised university. Unlike some of the more discipline-specific Master’s programmes, the MBA does not restrict applicants to a particular first-degree background, which makes it accessible to graduates from engineering, sciences, humanities, and social sciences who want to move into a business-focused postgraduate qualification.
Admission Requirements for M.Phil/Ph.D. and Ph.D. Programmes
Admission requirements at the doctoral level depend on a candidate’s Master’s degree result and their intended entry route.
| Admission Route | Minimum Requirement |
|---|---|
| Direct entry into Ph.D. | Minimum CGPA of 4.00 on a 5.00 scale (or 60% equivalent) in the Master’s degree (M.A./M.Sc./M.Eng./M.Tech.) |
| M.Phil/Ph.D. track | CGPA of 3.50–3.99 on a 5.00 scale (or 55–59% equivalent) in the Master’s degree |
| Minimum entry benchmark (general) | 3.50/5.00 CGPA for M.Phil/Ph.D.; 4.00/5.00 CGPA for direct Ph.D. entry |
A candidate on the M.Phil/Ph.D. track who fails to attain a CGPA of 4.00 upon completing coursework examinations is awarded an M.Phil degree instead of proceeding directly to the Ph.D., following successful defence of a dissertation. Candidates who hold professional Master’s degrees are generally not eligible for the Ph.D. programme unless their qualification is an M.Sc., M.A., or M.Eng. obtained in a relevant field. The minimum duration of study for the award of a Ph.D. degree at Covenant University is three academic sessions.
Candidates applying for the Ph.D. programme must possess both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree from Covenant University or another university recognised by the Senate, and both qualifications must be in disciplines relevant to the intended area of doctoral research.
General Documentation Required for All Postgraduate Applicants
Every postgraduate applicant, regardless of the specific programme, must complete the application form on the university’s postgraduate admission portal and submit a defined set of supporting documents. These include certificates of previous degrees, official academic transcripts, three reference letters (comprising two academic or professional references and one spiritual reference), a statement of purpose, and a concept note outlining the applicant’s proposed area of research.
Nigerian citizens must additionally provide their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge, exemption, or exclusion certificate. Academic transcripts must be sent directly from the applicant’s previous institution(s) to the Secretary of the School of Postgraduate Studies, either by email or by courier; applications are only considered once the official transcript has been received directly from the issuing institution, not from the applicant.
Requirements for Foreign and International Applicants
International applicants, along with Nigerian citizens who studied abroad, must have their academic results authenticated and interpreted into Nigeria’s 5-point grading system before their application can be considered. The exact process depends on the applicant’s citizenship status.
Nigerian citizens who studied abroad must apply to the National Universities Commission (NUC) with their degree certificate and official transcripts, requesting both authentication and interpretation into the 5-point scale, and must instruct the NUC to forward the evaluated documents directly to Covenant University.
Non-Nigerian citizens must first certify their academic documents at the Governor’s Office or External Relations Office of their institution’s home country, then authenticate the certified documents at the Nigerian Embassy, Consulate, or Ministry of Foreign Affairs in that country, and finally submit the certified and authenticated documents to the NUC for interpretation into the Nigerian grading system, again with instructions for the NUC to forward the evaluated results directly to the university.
All international applicants must also provide a Social/Police Clearance certificate issued by the relevant embassy or consulate covering the country where their qualifying institution is located, not simply their country of citizenship. All verified documents, whether from the NUC or an embassy, must be sent directly to the Secretary of the School of Postgraduate Studies; documents submitted directly by the applicant are not accepted.
How to Apply
Prospective postgraduate students apply through Covenant University’s dedicated postgraduate admission portal. Applicants pursuing the Master in Strategic Leadership use a separate portal from applicants pursuing the standard Master’s, MBA, M.Phil/Ph.D., or Ph.D. programmes. Applicants who wish to be considered for the Covenant University International Excellence Scholarship must indicate this on their application form at the point of submission, as the scholarship is not applied for separately after admission.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum CGPA required for a Master’s degree at Covenant University?
A Second Class Lower Division result with a minimum CGPA of 3.00 in a relevant discipline is generally acceptable, though the university states a preference for First Class and Second Class Upper Division candidates.
Can an HND holder apply for a Master’s degree at Covenant University?
No. Holders of an HND, even with a postgraduate diploma, are not eligible for admission into the Master’s programme at Covenant University.
What CGPA is needed for direct entry into the Ph.D. programme?
A minimum CGPA of 4.00 on a 5.00 scale (or 60% equivalent) in the Master’s degree is required for direct entry into the Ph.D. Candidates with 3.50–3.99 are placed on the M.Phil/Ph.D. track instead.
Are Covenant University postgraduate programmes full-time or part-time?
Nearly all postgraduate programmes run full-time. The only exception is the M.Sc/ACIB Finance programme, which operates part-time.
Is a spiritual reference letter compulsory for postgraduate applicants?
Yes. Every applicant must submit three reference letters in total: two academic or professional references and one spiritual reference.