If you are a young school leaver who is considering a career in engineering, there are so many benefits to studying an engineering course at the university, ranging from the prestige of the profession to financial security. Universities across Nigeria offer several engineering courses, but in this article, we will discuss the 5 best engineering courses to study in Nigeria. The engineering courses we’ll be discussing here offer higher chances of building a successful career after you graduate with a degree from any of them.
The 5 best engineering courses to study in Nigeria would be discussed below:
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Mechanical Engineering
Studying Mechanical Engineering at any of the accredited universities offering the course in Nigeria would equip you with the skills suited for designing, analyzing, manufacturing, and maintaining mechanical systems. In Nigeria, it typically takes five years to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
After completing an undergraduate program in Mechanical Engineering, there are vast career options you could explore across a range of industries, both in the public and private sectors. Some industries where the services of mechanical engineers are employed include transportation, manufacturing, energy, education, and construction, among others.
With the constant demand for mechanical engineers across many industries in Nigeria, a Mechanical Engineering degree holder enjoys job security, longevity, competitive remuneration and comprehensive benefits packages. Mechanical engineers are among the highest-paid professionals in Nigeria.
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Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering is one of the best engineering courses to study in Nigeria as the construction industry in the country continues to grow considering the volume of development projects across the country and the growing population. A degree in Civil Engineering prepares you to know how to design, construct, and maintain the physical and naturally built environment. The duration for obtaining a Civil Engineering degree in any of the Nigerian universities is five years.
After graduation, you can use your Civil Engineering to easily find work in the construction industry, as well as in business, management, and financial sectors. Civil engineers play significant roles in planning, designing, maintaining, constructing, and operating infrastructure such as skyscrapers, hotels, drainage systems, dams, canals, bridges, ports, roads, and much more. In Nigeria today, civil engineers enjoy excellent pay and benefits, making them one of the highest-paid professionals in the country.
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Petroleum Engineering
Another engineering course on this list is Petroleum Engineering. Studying Petroleum Engineering at the university prepares you to work in Nigeria’s most lucrative sector, that is, the oil and gas industry. During your degree, you will develop skills concerned with the activities related to the production of hydrocarbons (i.e. crude oil and natural gas).
With a degree in Petroleum Engineering, you can work with engineering consultancies, specialist drilling contractors, or operating or producing companies in the oil and gas sector. Other career options include research and lecturing in the Petroleum Engineering departments at higher institutions. The career prospect of petroleum engineering presents opportunities for professional success as there is a growing demand for the skills of petroleum engineers as well as offerings of excellent pay and benefits.
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Electronics/Electrical Engineering
Electronics and Electrical Engineering is another wonderful course to study at the university. Obtaining a degree in this engineering course makes you highly employable as you can find work in many areas such as the manufacturing industry, construction industry, telecommunication industry, IT industry, power industry, transport industry, automotive industry, aerospace industry, and so much more.
As the contemporary world revolves around computers, digital circuits, photonics, and other applications of electronics and electricity in every industry, you will have no trouble landing a high-paying job after graduation as the services of electronics/electrical engineers are always in demand.
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Computer Engineering
Studying Computer Engineering at the university equips you with computer science theory and hands-on hardware engineering which is necessary to excel now every industry is relying on computers to make operations and tasks a lot easier. During the duration of studying this course, which is usually five years, you will develop skills in network, systems, and software engineering.
After graduating with a degree in Computer Engineering, there are vast career options available at your disposal to explore. You can choose to be a database developer, computer engineer, information technologist, software security engineer, interface designer, website designer, AI developer, telecommunication engineer, or industry consultant. The remuneration of computer engineers in Nigeria is competitive as the demand for their services is constantly growing as industries are leaning towards becoming digital.
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What are the Requirements to Study an Engineering Course in Nigeria?
To be eligible to study any engineering course in a Nigerian university, you must be a science student. This means the subjects you sat for during your WAEC/GCE/NECO must be science oriented. The science subjects should include English Language, Mathematics, Civic Education, Chemistry, Physics, Further Mathematics, Geography, Biology, and any trade subject. You must have a minimum of five credits including Mathematics, English Language, Chemistry, Physics, and any other science subject.
The subjects you’ll need to register for the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination include Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and English Language. Since engineering courses are competitive, you’ll need to score above 200 in the JAMB examination to stand a chance of getting admitted.
After the JAMB examination, you may sit for the Post UTME examination or undergo a screening exercise, depending on the admission process of the university you applied for. If you’re sitting for the Post Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, you’ll need to score high to improve your chances of getting selected. If the university you applied to operates a screening process to select candidates, your JAMB score, grades of O’Level subjects, and the number of times you sat for your O’Level will determine your chances of getting admitted. Therefore, a high JAMB score, A or B grades in your O’Level subjects and a one-time sitting of the WAEC/NECO/GCE examination will improve your chances of getting admitted.
Finally, you should have a passion for engineering before you decide to study any engineering course. Engineering courses are among the hardest courses to study in university. Your passion for engineering will keep you going when it gets tough. Without passion, you will be demotivated and might drop out of the university.