The University of Benin (UNIBEN) runs one of the widest postgraduate programmes among Nigerian federal universities, spanning Postgraduate Diploma, Master’s, Master of Philosophy (M.Phil), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) awards across its faculties, colleges, schools, institutes, and specialised centres. This article explains the postgraduate courses on offer at UNIBEN, the admission requirements for each category of programme, and the application process for the 2026/2027 academic session.
About the University of Benin’s Postgraduate System
UNIBEN was founded in 1970 as the Midwest Institute of Technology, became a university in 1971, and took its current name in 1972 before becoming a federal institution in 1975. The university runs its academic activities across two campuses in Benin City, Edo State: the main Ugbowo campus and the Ekehuan campus, which houses the College of Medical Sciences. Postgraduate admission at UNIBEN is coordinated centrally through the School of Postgraduate Studies, but individual programmes are domiciled within the specific faculty, school, institute, or centre that runs them. This means a candidate applies to the School of Postgraduate Studies but ultimately studies under the academic and administrative structure of their chosen department.
Faculties, Schools, and Institutes Offering Postgraduate Programmes
UNIBEN runs postgraduate programmes across a broad academic structure that goes beyond the standard faculty system found in many other universities. The main postgraduate-offering units are:
| Faculty/School/Institute | Examples of Postgraduate Focus Areas |
|---|---|
| Faculty of Agriculture | Crop Science, Animal Science, Agricultural Economics and Extension, Fisheries |
| Faculty of Arts | Languages, History, Linguistics, Theatre Arts, Religious Studies |
| Faculty of Education | Curriculum Studies, Educational Administration, Guidance and Counselling |
| Faculty of Engineering | Civil, Mechanical, Electrical/Electronic, Petroleum, Chemical Engineering |
| Faculty of Environmental Sciences | Architecture, Urban and Regional Planning, Estate Management, Geography |
| Faculty of Law | Public Law, Private and Property Law, International Law |
| Faculty of Life Sciences | Botany, Zoology, Microbiology, Biochemistry |
| Faculty of Management Sciences | Accounting, Business Administration, Banking and Finance, Marketing |
| Faculty of Physical Sciences | Chemistry, Mathematics, Computer Science, Geology, Physics |
| Faculty of Social Sciences | Economics, Political Science, Sociology, Psychology, Mass Communication |
| Faculty of Pharmacy | Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Clinical Pharmacy, Pharmacology |
| College of Medical Sciences (School of Medicine, School of Dentistry, School of Basic Medical Sciences) | Clinical and pre-clinical postgraduate medical fields |
| Institute of Education | Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE), Technical Education |
| Institute of Public Administration and Extension Services | Public administration and development-related programmes |
| Institute of Child Health | Child health and paediatric-related postgraduate fields |
Beyond these, the university also runs postgraduate-related research and training through specialised centres, including the Centre for Gender Studies, the Centre of Excellence in Geosciences, the Centre of Excellence in Reproductive Health Innovation, and the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement. Candidates interested in cross-disciplinary or applied research areas should check whether their intended specialisation sits within one of these centres rather than a conventional faculty, since admission and supervision arrangements can differ slightly.
Categories of Postgraduate Programmes Available
UNIBEN’s postgraduate offerings fall into four broad categories, and the category a candidate qualifies for depends heavily on their existing academic qualification:
- Postgraduate Diploma (PGD): a bridging qualification aimed at candidates whose first degree classification does not directly qualify them for a Master’s programme, or professionals seeking to formalise skills in a new field.
- Master’s Degree: the standard postgraduate qualification for candidates with an appropriate first degree, typically completed through coursework, a research project, or both, depending on the department.
- Master of Philosophy (M.Phil): a research-intensive qualification that sits between a Master’s degree and a PhD, and which some candidates are required to pass through before proceeding to doctoral study.
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD): the highest postgraduate qualification, awarded on the basis of original research and a doctoral thesis defended before an academic panel.
General Admission Requirements
Regardless of which faculty or programme a candidate applies to, UNIBEN sets a common baseline of admission requirements that every postgraduate applicant must meet before departmental-specific conditions are considered.
At the O’Level stage, a candidate needs a minimum of five credit passes in the West African School Certificate (WASC), National Examinations Council (NECO), or General Certificate of Education (GCE), or their equivalents, and a credit pass in Mathematics and English Language is compulsory. Candidates who do not meet this directly can also qualify with four O’Level credits combined with an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) that is not a Pass grade, a Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE), Interim Joint Matriculation Board (IJMB) result, Advanced Level passes, or another recognised equivalent.
At the degree-classification stage, requirements differ by programme category:
| Programme | Minimum First-Degree Requirement |
|---|---|
| Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) | Open to Third Class degree/diploma holders and other candidates who do not directly qualify for a Master’s programme |
| Master’s Degree | Second Class Lower or better; Third Class holders must first complete a PGD before being considered |
| M.Phil | Master’s degree with a Weighted Average Score (WAS) of 55% to 59%, in the first instance |
| PhD | Master’s degree with a minimum Weighted Average Score of 60% |
A holder of a Pass degree or Pass diploma does not qualify for admission into any UNIBEN postgraduate programme. Candidates applying for a PhD who obtained their Master’s degree from another university, and who did not take compulsory courses equivalent to those required at UNIBEN during that Master’s programme, are required to take and pass those courses with a minimum score of 60% after admission.
Additional Requirements Before Clearance
Beyond academic qualifications, UNIBEN requires every postgraduate applicant to fulfil a few procedural conditions before the admission process is considered complete:
- NYSC status: only candidates with a National Youth Service Corps discharge certificate, exemption certificate, or exclusion certificate are permitted to clear into a postgraduate programme. Candidates who are yet to complete NYSC cannot be cleared even after receiving an admission offer.
- Referee reports: applicants must print the referee forms generated on the application portal, have them completed by their referees, and submit them directly to the Secretary of the School of Postgraduate Studies. Applications are not processed until referee reports are received.
- Entrance examinations: some departments require a written entrance examination as part of the screening process. Since this requirement is course-specific rather than universal, candidates should check the current admission notice for their chosen department on the university’s website rather than assume it applies uniformly.
How to Apply for UNIBEN Postgraduate Admission 2026/2027
The application process for UNIBEN postgraduate programmes runs entirely online through the university’s dedicated postgraduate application portal. The steps are:
- Visit the University of Benin’s official postgraduate application portal and locate the postgraduate admission application link.
- Pay the non-refundable application fee of ₦22,000 using a Verve or Mastercard-enabled bank card.
- Complete the online application form with accurate personal, academic, and programme-choice details.
- Print the application form and the referee forms generated after successful submission.
- Distribute the referee forms to the chosen referees and ensure the completed forms are submitted directly to the Secretary, School of Postgraduate Studies, since applications without referee reports are not processed.
- Retain a copy of all printed documents for personal records and for use during physical documentation and clearance.
For the 2026/2027 academic session, the application window closes on 31st December 2026, and candidates are strongly advised to complete every stage of the process, including referee submission, well ahead of that date rather than close to the deadline, since incomplete applications are not processed regardless of when the form itself was purchased.
Acceptance Fee and What Happens After Admission
Once a candidate receives an offer of admission into a postgraduate programme, the next required step is payment of a non-refundable acceptance fee, currently set at ₦60,000. This fee must be paid before a candidate can proceed to clearance and full registration into their programme. Admission letters and further clearance instructions are typically released through the same portal used for the initial application, so candidates should continue monitoring that platform after submitting their application rather than expecting a separate notification channel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Third Class degree holder apply for a Master’s programme directly at UNIBEN?
No. A Third Class degree holder must first complete a Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) before being considered for admission into a Master’s programme.
Is an entrance examination compulsory for all postgraduate programmes at UNIBEN?
No. Entrance examinations apply to specific courses rather than universally, so candidates should confirm this requirement for their chosen department on the university’s official admission notice.
How much does the UNIBEN postgraduate application form cost for 2026/2027?
The application form costs ₦22,000, payable online with a Verve or Mastercard-enabled bank card.
What is the deadline for the 2026/2027 UNIBEN postgraduate application?
The application process, including submission of referee reports, must be completed by 31st December 2026.
Is NYSC completion compulsory before clearance into a postgraduate programme?
Yes. Only candidates with an NYSC discharge, exemption, or exclusion certificate can be cleared into any UNIBEN postgraduate programme.