Can I Change Course at 200 Level in University?

I’ve once advised that you could accept another course than the one you applied for if offered. I also mentioned that you can change your course after being admitted. The last option in that post was changing course while proceeding to the 200-level in the university.

In the past few days, the same question has been cropping up. Hence, I see the reason to treat changing of course at the 200-level as an independent post.

Is it possible to change your course when you complete year 1 at the university? Are all universities allowing students to change courses going to 200 levels or year 2? What will be required of a student trying to achieve this?

These and a few other similar questions will be answered in this post.

Admitted Students Are Allowed to Change Courses Going to 200 Level

Very many universities, if not all, allow their students to change their courses at the end of year 1 – going to year 2. Unfortunately, there is more to know before you start celebrating this.

Students should confirm from their own institutions to be sure this opportunity is opened to them and the conditions attached.

A few universities I can mention to save you time are:

1. Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU)
2. University of Lagos (UNILAG)
3. Lagos State University (LASU)
4. University of Ibadan (UI)
5. University of Ilorin (UNILORIN)
6. Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA)
7. Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB)
8. Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomoso (LAUTECH)
9. University of Osun State (UNIOSUN)
10. etc

As already said, there are more universities not covered here that allow students to change courses while being promoted to the 200 levels in the institutions.

However, you need to contact your school’s admission office to find out if you will be allowed to change and what is required of you.

Recommended: How To Check If a Student is Admitted or Still in School Still

Courses Allowed Are Usually Within the Same Faculties

This may be different from one university to the other. If a university will allow you to change courses, it usually does that with courses within the same faculties.

For example, a student who was in the Department of Nursing at her 100 level may be allowed to cross to Medicine, Pharmacy, and the like going to the 200 level. This is because Nursing and the about-to-cross-to course are from the same faculty/College of Health/Medicine.

A student from the education faculty may not be allowed to change to Medical Rehabilitation. Agric students may not be allowed to cross to the Engineering department.

However, some universities allow students to move across different faculties and departments. This is placed on the fact that students, at 100 levels, usually attend the same classes or run the same courses. Hence, it may not be difficult for them to cope if they’re allowed to cross from their present departments to others.

Recommended: 70 LASU Courses, O'level, and UTME Requirements/Combination 

A Specific GPA is Usually a Prerequisite

Making an attempt to change course at the end of your 100 level is usually not the issue. The problem is the Grade Point Average (GPA)/Grade that the university may demand in order to do that.

For instance, a university may run an overall point of 5 as the Grade Point Average (GPA). In order to cross to the 200 level of another course, the university may request such a student to produce 4.5 or above.

Can you produce that?

That is the concern you have to think about before anything. If you’re academically upright (or you can work towards the goal), it’s nothing unachievable.

However, very many trials had been let down due to their inability to meet up.

Recommended: UNIMED Transfer Admission: Portal, Price, Fee, and Closing Date

Before Accepting the First Course, Do You Love It?

It is easy to think you will meet up with the requirements to cross from one course to the other. However, experience has shown that it is no joke.

A student may not be allowed to go to another department if the head of his present department says NO.

I heard a case like this in a university. The student was crossing from the Mathematics Department to Medicine. He made the required grade – even above it. Unfortunately, the HOD insisted that he should stay in Mathematics. 

The head of the department was quoted to have said, “This is the best student this department has ever produced and you want me to let go of him to another department with the best students already”.

See, this is another challenge you can face at the end of the whole effort. This means your answer should be YES to “do you love the first course too and can you go on with it?”

If things don’t work as planned, you should be ready to move on with the course at hand.

Recommended: How To Apply For MIT Transfer Admissions

The bad news is that you may end up falling in love with the first course, in fact, before you finish year 1. So if you don’t want it at all, don’t take it.

In a related story, a candidate was offered Forestry at the University of Ilorin instead of the Medicine he was chasing. However, the poor young man accepted it with the hope that he could write another JAMB or change the course while going to the 200 level.

However, before he finished year 1, he had fallen in love so much with Forestry, that he decided not to write a new JAMB or attempt to change the course.

He told a friend that, if he was earlier offered Medicine and later knew what he now understood about Forestry, he would apply to change from Medicine to Forestry.
   
Do you see that? It’s not far from what can happen to you too.

Recommended: Can an Art or Commercial Student Study Nursing/Medicine?

Other Alternatives If Changing the Course Will Not Work

You can write another JAMB UTME. However, don’t rush to do that without reading this post. It will save you some problems.

1. You can change the institution and course entirely through inter-university transfer admission.
2. You can complete your course at hand. Then, do Direct Entry to the target course. Some universities allow you to use BSC for DE admissions into the 300 level of your desired course.
3. You can complete your course at hand. Then, do a top-up degree with your targeted course.
4. You can complete your course at hand. Then, go for a Master's Degree in your targeted course.

Recommended: Can I Transfer to Federal/State University?

Conclusion

Changing course while proceeding to the 200 level is easier said than done. There are requirements to meet up with – as detailed in the post. Know that not all universities allow inter-faculties crossing. The academic points required may also be overwhelming and much more.

But it is worth giving a try if you know what you’re up to from the very start.

Wishing you luck!

NEED a guide, update, or answer on something? You can spend just #1000 to get professional answers and guides. Click here to request Mr. Techie's INSTANT REPLY.

HELP SOMEONE:  People would appreciate it if you could just share this post with them on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, etc. Use the share icons below for your convenience.

Best Related Posts

1. Delete Admission: Switching to Preferred School on JAMB Portal
2. Already Admitted, Can I Obtain JAMB and Use the Last Profile?
3. Is Possible To Change Institution After Accepting Another School's Offer?
4. UNIOSUN Inter-University Transfer Admissions Form is Out
5. ABU Zaira Inter-University Admission Form is Out 
6. UNN Inter-University Transfer Admission: See How to Apply
7. Polytechnic Courses That Can Help Me Cross To Nursing
8. Acceptable Nursing Abroad: Degree, HND, or Basic?
9. FUOYE Inter-University Transfer: Price, Form & Requirements
10. Is Medical Rehabilitation a Good Course?