David Nweze Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences, commonly referred to by its earlier name David Nweze Umahi University of Medical Sciences (DNUUMS) and now operating under the federal name David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHS), sits in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The institution began as a state government project before the Federal Government took it over in 2022, after which its ownership, funding structure, and fee framework changed to reflect its status as a federal university. This article explains the medical and health-related courses the university runs, what each category of course typically costs, and the payment details every intending or returning student needs.
Overview of the University
The university was originally established to reduce the rate at which Nigerians travel abroad for medical treatment, by producing highly trained health professionals and offering advanced clinical services within the country. It runs under the supervision of the National Universities Commission (NUC), which has approved a broad list of undergraduate programmes across science and health-related disciplines. Since the federal takeover, tuition has dropped substantially compared to what obtained when the school operated as a state-owned institution, since federal universities in Nigeria receive government subsidies that state and private universities do not always get.
The university is closely linked to David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital (DUFUTH), which is within walking distance of the main campus and student hostels. This arrangement allows students in clinical departments to move easily between lecture halls, laboratories, and hospital wards for practical training.
Medical and Health-Related Courses Offered
The university offers close to twenty NUC-approved undergraduate programmes, grouped mainly under health sciences, though a few applied science and technology courses also exist to support the core medical disciplines. The list below reflects the programmes the university has consistently admitted students into across recent academic sessions.
| Course | Degree Awarded | Typical Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine & Surgery | MBBS | 6 years |
| Dentistry | BDS | 6 years |
| Pharmacy | Pharm.D | 5 years |
| Nursing Science | B.NSc. | 5 years |
| Physiotherapy | DPT | 5 years |
| Medical Laboratory Science | B.MLS | 5 years |
| Public Health | B.PH | 4–5 years |
| Optometry | OD | 5–6 years |
| Radiography & Radiation Science | B.Rad | 5 years |
| Biomedical Engineering | B.Eng. | 5 years |
| Human Nutrition and Dietetics | B.Sc. | 4–5 years |
| Human Anatomy | B.Sc. | 4 years |
| Physiology | B.Sc. | 4 years |
| Biochemistry | B.Sc. | 4 years |
| Microbiology/Parasitology | B.Sc. | 4 years |
| Applied Biology/Biotechnology | B.Sc. | 4 years |
| Computer Science | B.Sc. | 4 years |
| Industrial Chemistry | B.Sc. | 4 years |
| Industrial Mathematics | B.Sc. | 4 years |
| Industrial Physics | B.Sc. | 4 years |
Medicine & Surgery, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing Science, Physiotherapy, and Medical Laboratory Science are generally regarded as the flagship clinical programmes, since they lead directly into licensed health professions and attract the highest number of applicants every admission cycle. The programme list also includes fields such as Human Anatomy, Physiology, Biomedical Engineering, and Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine, alongside applied science courses like Computer Science, Industrial Chemistry, Industrial Mathematics, and Industrial Physics. These applied science courses exist mainly to feed foundational skills into the health-focused departments and to give the university a broader academic base beyond strictly clinical training.
School Fees for the 2026/2027 Academic Session
Fees at David Nweze Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences vary by course, level of study, and whether a student is a fresher or a returning student. As a federal institution, the school benefits from government subvention, which keeps its charges considerably lower than what private medical universities in Nigeria demand for comparable programmes.
Tuition for the university’s courses generally falls between ₦500,000 and slightly over ₦1,000,000, while entry-level charges into these courses range between ₦530,000 and ₦1,030,000 depending on the department. The acceptance fee that a newly admitted student pays stands at ₦100,000, and for international students, total charges for medical courses can rise to as much as ₦10 million, a figure that includes hostel accommodation.
The table below breaks down the approximate fee ranges by course category for the 2026/2027 session. Because universities typically release official fee schedules close to the start of a new admission cycle, intending students should treat these figures as a guide and confirm the exact amount on the university’s official portal before making any payment.
| Course Category | Examples | Approximate Fresher Fee Range (₦) |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical/Medical programmes | Medicine & Surgery, Dentistry, Pharmacy | 850,000 – 1,150,000 |
| Nursing and allied health | Nursing Science, Physiotherapy, Medical Laboratory Science, Radiography | 650,000 – 815,000 |
| Public health and diagnostic sciences | Public Health, Optometry, Human Nutrition/Dietetics, Biomedical Engineering | 580,000 – 750,000 |
| Applied and basic sciences | Computer Science, Industrial Chemistry, Industrial Mathematics, Industrial Physics, Microbiology | 430,000 – 575,000 |
Returning students generally pay less than freshers because the acceptance fee, which is a one-time charge, does not apply to them, and some administrative charges tied to first-year registration fall away once a student progresses beyond level 100. Fee structures at the university have also shown a downward trend since the federal takeover; when the state government still ran the institution, tuition for major programmes such as Medicine, Surgery, and Pharmacy reached as high as ₦3 million, before the Federal Government reduced it to about ₦1 million for those same courses and to about ₦500,000 for other programmes. This adjustment reflects the general pattern in Nigerian federal universities, where subsidised education keeps tuition well below what obtains in private institutions.
What the School Fees Cover
The published school fees at the university typically bundle together several charges rather than representing tuition alone. These include:
- Tuition for the academic session
- Departmental and faculty dues
- Library and ICT fees
- Medical and health services fees
- Hostel accommodation, where a student opts to live on campus
- Examination and continuous assessment charges
- Student union and sports development levies
Because accommodation is often built into the total figure, students who prefer off-campus housing should confirm with the bursary or student affairs office whether a reduced fee applies to them.
Admission Requirements
Candidates seeking admission into any of the university’s medical or health science programmes generally need to meet the following conditions:
- A minimum of five credit passes in relevant subjects — usually English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics — obtained in WAEC, NECO, or an equivalent examination, in not more than two sittings.
- A satisfactory score in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by JAMB, with the required subject combination matching the chosen course.
- A passing score in the university’s Post-UTME screening exercise, which the school conducts as an additional filter before finalising admission offers.
- For competitive programmes such as Medicine & Surgery, Dentistry, and Nursing Science, candidates typically need a considerably higher UTME score than the general national cut-off mark, since these departments receive far more applications than available spaces.
Direct entry candidates with relevant A-Level results, National Diploma, or equivalent qualifications may also apply, subject to the specific requirements of their intended department.
How to Pay School Fees
Payment of school fees at the university follows a structured online process rather than direct bank deposits. The general steps are as follows:
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Visit the university’s official student portal or fee payment page |
| 2 | Generate a registration number using your JAMB number (for new students) or matriculation number (for returning students) |
| 3 | Log in with the generated number to view your specific fee breakdown |
| 4 | Confirm your personal and academic details on the portal |
| 5 | Select a payment channel, either an ATM-enabled card for instant payment or a bank teller option for payment at any designated bank |
| 6 | Complete the transaction and print or save the payment receipt for registration purposes |
Students should always confirm they are on the official university domain before entering personal or financial information, since fraudulent portals mimicking school payment pages are a known risk during every admission season in Nigeria.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest course to study at David Nweze Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences?
Applied science courses such as Industrial Mathematics, Industrial Physics, and Industrial Chemistry generally attract the lowest fees, since they fall outside the clinical training category that requires more specialised equipment and hospital access.
Is Medicine & Surgery the most expensive course at the university?
Yes. Medicine & Surgery, along with Dentistry and Pharmacy, sits at the top of the fee structure because these programmes involve extensive laboratory work, clinical rotations, and longer years of study.
Does the university offer scholarships?
Yes, in addition to federal subsidies that already reduce tuition, the university and affiliated bodies occasionally announce scholarship opportunities and bursary support for indigent or high-performing students. Interested students should check announcements from the student affairs office each session.
How often does the school fee amount change?
Fee adjustments are not automatic every year. They tend to follow policy decisions from the university’s governing council or directives from the Federal Government, so a fee schedule can remain stable for one or more sessions before any review takes place.
Can international students apply?
Yes, the university admits international students, though they pay significantly higher fees than Nigerian students, particularly for clinical and medical programmes.
Conclusion
David Nweze Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences offers one of the more affordable routes into a medical or health science career among Nigerian universities with similar programme offerings, largely because of its federal status and the subsidies that come with it. Course fees differ depending on whether a programme is clinical, allied health, or applied science, and the university adjusts these figures periodically through its governing structures. Prospective and returning students get the most accurate and current figures by checking the official university portal directly before each admission cycle, since fee schedules for a new session are usually confirmed only shortly before that session begins.