University of Ilorin Pre-degree Programme Guidelines

Apart from the post UTME route, another way to apply for admission into the University of Ilorin is via the pre-degree or remedial route.

In this case, students can gain admission into the first year of their degree programme of choice after completing the one year pre-degree programme.

In this post, we’ve put together the necessary guidelines that you need if you choose to follow this route. But first let’s dive into some quick facts about the University of Ilorin.

  • Popularly called UNILORIN, the University was established in 1976
  • In 2014, UNILORIN became the first University in Nigeria to be ranked among the top 20 universities in Africa.
  • That same year, the institution was ranked 20th in Africa and 1824th in the world.
  • Between 2012 and 2016, JAMB revealed that UNILORIN had the highest number of applicants making it the most preferred university in the country at that time

The pre-degree programme offered at UNILORIN is different from the JUPEB (Joint Universities Preliminary Examination Board) program which qualifies candidates for admission into the second year of the degree programme.

Another difference is the fact that the pre degree programme lasts for 8 months prior to a qualifying exam while the JUPEB program lasts for approximately 11 months, after which a qualifying exam is also written.

Candidates who meet the required points after the qualifying exams will be deemed suitable for direct entry admission into the first year and second year respectively of the degree program of choice.

However, before you can qualify to apply for the pre-degree program, there are some criteria you need to meet

  • You must have at least 5 O level credit passes relevant to the course of application
  • Credit passes must include English language and Mathematics and other relevant courses.

You should also consider the competitiveness of the course you’re applying for at the pre-degree level. You can know this by checking the number of candidates that applied for the course in the previous year and the number that gained admission.

The application form to the pre-degree program cost N32900 as of the 2017/2018 session.

The pre-degree programme is available in the following faculties:

  • Arts,
  • Arts Education,
  • Agriculture,
  • Engineering and Technology,
  • Environmental Sciences,
  • Sciences and
  • Science Education

The courses include:

Faculty of Agriculture

  • Aquaculture and fisheries
  • Forestry and wildlife Agric
  • sc Food science
  • sc home economics

Faculty of Art

  • HTS & International studies
  • Arabic
  • Christian studies
  • Comparative Religion Studies
  • French
  • Islamic studies
  • Linguistics
  • Performing art
  • Yoruba

Faculty of Education

  • Human kinetic
  • Arabic Education
  • Christian Studies Education
  • French Education
  • History Education
  • Islamic Studies Education
  • Yoruba Education
  • Agriculture B.Education
  • Biology Education
  • Chemistry Education
  • Computer Science
  • Educational Tech
  • Mathematics Education
  • Physics Education
  • Technical Education

Faculty of Engineering

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Food Science and Tech
  • Metallurgical & Material Engineering
  • Agricultural & Bio-system Engineering
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Computer Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Water resources & Environmental Engineering

Faculty of Environmental Science

  • Architecture
  • Estate management
  • Quantity Survey
  • Surveying & Geo-informatics
  • Urban & Regional Planning
  • Faculty of Life Science
  • Biochemistry
  • Microbiology
  • Plant biology
  • Zoology

Faculty of Physical Science

  • Applied Geo-physics
  • Chemistry
  • Geology & Mineral Science
  • Industrial Chemistry
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Statistics

We’ve also highlighted the admission requirements to the Pre-degree programme.

Arts and Arts Education

  • Applicant must pass five subjects at Credit level at not more than two sittings in the SSCE/GCE organized by WAEC, NECO, NABTEB and should include the major subjects of study. Note that Credit pass in English Language and Mathematics is compulsory for eventual admission into any programme at the University of Ilorin.
  • Two of the five subjects must be from Arts while the rest three may be from the Social Sciences.

Note: There is no preliminary programme in B.A. (Hons.) English

Agriculture, Engineering and Technology, Environmental Sciences and Science Education, Technology Education and Educational Technology

  • Applicants must pass the following subjects at credit level; English Language, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics at not more than two sittings in the SSCE/GCE organized by WAEC/NECO and NABTEB.
  • The Faculty of Agriculture will accept credit grade in Agricultural Science in lieu of credit grade in Biology.
  • The programme has a duration of two Semesters (one academic session)
  • The preliminary programme is primarily open to applicants from the Catchment States of the University of Ilorin (i.e. Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara States).
  • Candidates who intend to study Engineering must obtain credit grades in Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics and sit for Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics at the 2016/2017 JAMB/UTME.
  • Candidates must write the JAMB/UTME with relevant subject combination to any programme in either Arts or Sciences and must obtain the minimum UTME approved cut-off point.
  • Applicants should note that the pre-degree programme is residential.

The venue of the pre-degree programme is the School of Preliminary Studies (SPS), Fufu, Ilorin South Local Government Headquarters in Kwara State.

For candidates interested in applying to any of these programmes at pre-degree, here are the steps involved in the application process.

  • Candidates are to visit the University of Ilorin website www.unilorin.edu.ng and follow the link for the 2016/2017 SPS Application.
  • Application forms are to be completed online after a payment of the application fee (N15000). You can pay online using an Interswitch enabled ATM Master or Verve card.
  • After the completion of the form, candidates should download a Local Government Confirmation Form which must be endorsed by the Chairman/Secretary of the Local Government Area.  Candidates offered admission will be expected to bring this form along with their SSCE/GCE certificates/result slips during registration.

You should note that the pre-degree program doesn’t apply to courses like Accounting, Medicine, Pharmacy and Law. In this case, your best bet will be gaining admission through the UME route.

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