The National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved 13 new degree programmes for Nigerian universities as part of its initiative to boost academic relevance and align higher education with global trends.
The commission announced the inclusion of these programmes in the Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) through a circular sent to all vice-chancellors. The circular was issued by the NUC spokesperson and signed by the Executive Secretary, Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu.
According to the NUC, experts drawn from the Nigerian university system participated in developing the 70 percent national component of the new programmes in March 2025.
Universities are expected to design the remaining 30 percent institutional component in accordance with CCMAS guidelines.
The newly approved programmes, as listed by the NUC, include Artificial Intelligence, Classical Christian Education, Human Kinetics with a focus on Sport Management, Geomatics Engineering, and Community Health Science.
Others are Intelligence and Security Studies, Islamic Economics and Finance, Parasitology and Entomology, Telecommunication Science, Water Sanitation and Hygiene, Cooperative Economics and Management, Nuclear Science, and Nuclear Engineering.
The commission urged universities interested in offering any of the new programmes to commence implementation in the 2025/2026 academic session after a successful resource assessment visit. The circular also instructed Vice-Chancellors to distribute the approved CCMAS documents to relevant faculties, departments, and academic planning units.
Meanwhile, some stakeholders in the education sector have advocated for the removal of certain courses such as Philosophy and Religious Management Studies, claiming they contribute little to students’ future prospects.
However, others countered this view, arguing that what matters most is not the course studied but how students apply the knowledge gained during their time at the university.
