The University of Calabar, commonly known as UNICAL, is a federal university located in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. It runs one of the country’s established colleges of medical sciences, offering training that spans clinical medicine, dentistry, basic medical sciences, and allied health disciplines. Because UNICAL is a federal institution, its school fees stay considerably lower than what private medical-oriented universities charge, even though medical and science-based programmes attract higher charges than non-science courses across the university.
This article lists every medical course offered at UNICAL, explains the current school fees structure for students in the College of Medical Sciences for the 2026/2027 academic session, and covers admission requirements and other essential details a prospective medical student needs before applying.
About the College of Medical Sciences, UNICAL
The College of Medical Sciences at UNICAL was established in 1975, making it one of the pioneer colleges of medicine in Nigeria’s federal university system. It has since grown into one of the leading centres for medical education and health-related research in the country’s South-South region. The college trains doctors, dentists, and allied health professionals through undergraduate degree programmes, and it also runs postgraduate diploma, master’s, and PhD programmes in various medical disciplines through its academic departments.
Clinical training for UNICAL medical students takes place primarily at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), which opened in 1979 specifically to support the training of undergraduate medical students alongside its role as a tertiary healthcare provider for the wider Cross River State community. This teaching hospital partnership gives students hands-on clinical exposure throughout the later years of their programmes, which is a standard requirement for producing licensed medical practitioners in Nigeria.
List of Medical Courses Offered at UNICAL
The College of Medical Sciences at UNICAL is organised into four faculties, each covering a distinct area of medical training. The table below sets out each faculty, its departments, and the degree awarded.
| Faculty | Departments/Courses | Degree Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Faculty of Medicine | Internal Medicine, Surgery, Community Medicine, Family Medicine, Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Radiology, Otorhinolaryngology, Anaesthesiology, Ophthalmology, Pathology, Haematology, Chemical Pathology, Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Psychiatry | Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBCh/MBBS) |
| Faculty of Dentistry | Oral/Maxillofacial Surgery, Child Dentistry, Oral Biology, Orthodontics, Community Dentistry | Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) |
| Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences | Anatomical Sciences, Human Physiology, Biochemistry/Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Pharmacology | Bachelor of Science (BSc) |
| Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences | Medical Laboratory Science, Nursing Science, Radiography and Radiological Sciences, Physiotherapy, Public Health | Bachelor of Science (BSc) / Bachelor of Nursing Science (BNSc) |
Beyond the College of Medical Sciences proper, UNICAL also runs a Faculty of Pharmacy, which trains students for the Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) degree. While Pharmacy sits as its own faculty rather than under the College of Medical Sciences, it remains a medically related discipline that many prospective health science students consider alongside the courses listed above.
Duration of Medical Programmes at UNICAL
Programme duration at UNICAL varies significantly depending on the specific medical discipline a student chooses. Medicine and Surgery runs for six years for candidates entering through UTME, since the programme covers pre-clinical and clinical training phases before a student qualifies as a medical doctor. Dentistry and Dental Surgery follows a similar six-year structure for UTME entrants. Direct Entry candidates into either Medicine or Dentistry, who typically hold a relevant first degree or advanced-level qualification, gain admission into a higher year and complete the programme in a shorter period, generally five years.
Nursing Science runs for five years, spanning ten semesters, for UTME candidates, while Direct Entry candidates who already hold a Registered Nurse (RN) qualification or a National Diploma in Nursing complete the programme in four years. The Basic Medical Sciences courses — Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, and Pharmacology — along with Allied Medical Sciences courses such as Medical Laboratory Science, Radiography, Physiotherapy, and Public Health, generally run for four to five years, depending on the specific department and entry mode.
School Fees for Medical Courses at UNICAL for 2026/2027
UNICAL charges tuition according to three broad categories: fresh students, returning students, and final-year students, with a further distinction between science-related programmes (which include all medical and nursing courses) and non-science programmes. Following a fee review that took effect from the 2022/2023 academic session, science-related students, which covers everyone in the College of Medical Sciences, pay noticeably more than students in non-science faculties.
Fresh students admitted into any medical or science-related programme, including Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry, Nursing Science, Medical Laboratory Science, Physiotherapy, Radiography, Public Health, and the Basic Medical Sciences departments, pay tuition of around ₦155,000 per session, alongside third-party charges of roughly ₦38,500. Returning science and medical students pay a reduced tuition of around ₦125,000 per session, plus third-party charges of about ₦21,500. Final-year science and medical students, who typically incur additional costs tied to clinical postings, projects, and departmental clearance, pay tuition of around ₦148,000 per session, plus the same ₦21,500 in third-party charges.
By comparison, students in non-science faculties pay considerably less: around ₦111,000 for freshers, ₦91,500 for returning students, and ₦114,000 for final-year students. This gap reflects the additional cost of laboratory work, clinical training, equipment, and consumables that medical and science-based programmes require.
Every newly admitted student, regardless of faculty, must also pay a one-time, non-refundable acceptance fee of ₦40,300 once an admission offer is confirmed. This acceptance fee is separate from the tuition figures above and must be settled before a student proceeds to departmental screening and subsequent school fees payment.
Students should note that these figures apply per session, not per semester, and that UNICAL reviews its fee structure periodically, so the exact amount for the 2026/2027 session should be confirmed by logging into the official student portal with a registration or matriculation number before making any payment.
How Fees Are Paid
UNICAL processes tuition and other charges through its online student portal. A student logs in using their registration number or matriculation number, generates and prints a bill, and then makes payment at one of the designated banks assigned to their faculty. The College of Medical Sciences, for instance, processes payments through First Bank Plc, while other faculties are assigned to different banks such as Fidelity Bank, Access Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, and Wema Bank. After payment at the bank through the e-Transact platform, the student collects a payment slip containing a confirmation order number, logs back into the portal, and enters the bill number to complete the transaction and generate an official receipt.
Admission Requirements for Medical Courses at UNICAL
Admission into Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry, and other medical courses at UNICAL follows the standard route through the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), combined with a post-UTME screening exercise conducted by the university. A candidate needs at least five credit passes in relevant O’Level subjects obtained in not more than two sittings of WAEC, NECO, or an equivalent examination body. For Medicine, Dentistry, and the Basic Medical Sciences, the required subjects typically include English Language, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. For Nursing Science and other Allied Medical Sciences courses, similar core science subjects apply, with Biology and Chemistry carrying particular weight given the clinical nature of the training.
Medicine and Dentistry are highly competitive courses at UNICAL, and candidates generally need a considerably higher UTME score than the university’s general cut-off mark to stand a realistic chance of admission, given the limited number of seats available each session relative to the volume of applications.
Direct Entry candidates applying for Medicine, Dentistry, or Nursing typically need a relevant first degree, an advanced-level qualification, or, in the case of Nursing, an existing Registered Nurse qualification or National Diploma in Nursing from a recognised institution.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many years does it take to study Medicine and Surgery at UNICAL?
Medicine and Surgery runs for six years for UTME candidates. Direct Entry candidates who qualify for advanced standing typically complete the programme in five years.
Is UNICAL school fees the same for indigenes and non-indigenes?
Yes. UNICAL’s published fee schedule does not differentiate between indigene and non-indigene students; all students pay according to their programme category and level of study.
What is the difference between science and non-science fees at UNICAL?
Science-related programmes, which include all medical, dental, nursing, and allied health courses, attract higher tuition than non-science programmes because of the added cost of laboratory work, equipment, and clinical training.
Does UNICAL offer Pharmacy as part of its medical courses?
Pharmacy exists as a separate faculty at UNICAL rather than as part of the College of Medical Sciences, though it remains a medically related discipline leading to the Bachelor of Pharmacy degree.
Where do UNICAL medical students receive their clinical training?
Clinical training takes place primarily at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), which was established specifically to support the training of the university’s medical students alongside its role as a tertiary hospital.