Abuja: The National Universities Commission (NUC) has announced the elevation of certain medical-related programmes in Nigerian universities from Bachelor’s degree to doctoral status. This significant development was disclosed in a statement by the commission’s Acting Director of Public Affairs, Mrs Franca Chukwuonwo, and shared with newsmen in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Mrs Chukwuonwo explained that this decision was motivated by the need to include more clinical and practical sessions, expand foundational course coverage, improve clinical skills, and comprehensively address all specialty areas. The upgrade aims to align with global best practices for training professionals in these fields.
She elaborated that the initiative seeks to ensure that certificates obtained from the Nigerian University System (NUS) are comparable to those from similar programmes globally. This move is intended to enhance the harmonisation, mutual recognition, and global competitiveness of Nigerian graduates in te
rms of certificate evaluation, employability, and opportunities for further studies in relevant disciplines.
The programmes that have been upgraded include Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D), Doctor of Physiotherapy (DPT), and Doctor of Optometry. The duration of these programmes has been extended from five to six years to accommodate additional courses and clinical components in the curriculum.
Additionally, Mrs Chukwuonwo clarified that the Doctor of Medical Laboratory Science (DMLS) programme does not exist within the NUC’s Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS) or Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS), and therefore, it has not been approved for upgrade in any university in the country.