How Many Years Are Engineering/Agric Courses in Nigeria?

Engineering courses, environmental engineering courses, and Agric courses are creating some confusion when offered to new students. These intakes are concerned about the number of years it takes to study any of these courses at various universities.

A few had known that most courses are usually run for 4 years in universities and the fifth year is for NYSC. While some are aware that courses such as Nursing, Medicine, and Pharmacy may take more years to complete.

However, when it comes to engineering (including environmental engineering) and Agric-related courses, there is still confusion as to whether you will give it your 4 years or 5 years before graduation.

In this post, I will be shedding light on this dilemma and showing you what you should understand.

What are the Engineering and Argic Courses?

The best spot to start with is, which courses could be categorized as engineering and which could be called the Agric courses.

Engineering courses usually are offered to candidates who enter a university based on subjects including English, Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry. 

In other words, to be admitted into any engineering course, a student will have to write in UTME, English, Maths, Physics, and Chemistry. And in O'lvel must have got English, Maths, Physics, Chmetiry and any of Biology/other science courses.

And if you're not being admitted through UTME, (i.e. if admitted through daily or regular part-time), the SSCE (O'level) must be as relevant, as already stated above.

Based on these, courses that fall into this category usually include the word "Engineering", "Technology", and "Tech". Take the following courses, for example, they all belong to engineering.

1. Aerospace/aeronautical engineering,
2. Chemical engineering,
3. Civil engineering,
4. Electrical/electronic engineering,
5. Mechanical engineering,
6. Engineering management,
7. Urban and Regional Planning,
8. Survey and Geo-Informatics
9. Biomedical Engineering,
10. Science Laboratory Technology,
11. Building Technology,
12. Architectural Technology,
13. Medical Laboratory Science etc

This post is not meant to list all available engineering courses. Hence, there is something to look out for to know if a course is engineering or otherwise.

On the school portal, on the admission advert, or on the admission letter, there should be an indication that your course is engineering. A good example is if it states the "award" to be achieved with the course before or after the name of the course.

For example, B.Tech Civil Engineering, B. Tech SLT, Petrochemical Engineering (B. Tech), etc.

In the same vein, Agric courses are usually addressed similar to engineering courses.

Admission letters, advertisements, or portals may indicate the awards such as B. Agric for courses such as:

1. Agriculture,
2. Agricultural Administration,
3. Agriculture and Development Extension,
4. Agricultural Business and Financial Management,
5. Agricultural Co-operative,
6. Agricultural Economics,
7. Agricultural Economics & Extension,
8. Agricultural Economics & Farm Management,
9. Animal Health and Production,
10. Animal Nutrition,
11. Animal Physiology,
12. Animal Production and Health, 
13. Aquaculture and Fisheries Management, etc.

Recommended: How Many Years Are Courses in Universities, Polytechnics, etc.?

Both Engineering and Agric Courses Are Truly 5 Years

To study any Agric course (B. Agric) or Engineering course (B. Tech) in university (not in polytechnic), you should be ready for 5 years of studies. These courses are generally run for 5 years.

Unlike other conventional courses e.g. Chemistry, Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, etc. which last for 4 years, any Agric- or engineering-based course will take one more year.

Although this may be unique to Nigeria or some other countries, that is the norm.

Recommended: Medical Lab Science Vs Science Lab Technology: Any Deference?

Part-time Engineering and Agric Courses May Run for 6 Years

In case you don't know, there are two types of part-time programs. One is called regular part-time which is called weekend part-time. Here, candidates are only required to attend classes during weekends usually Friday and Sunday and sometimes Sundays (e.g. Ladoke Akintola Part-Time programs, Federal Universities of Agriculture, Abeokuta Part-time programs, etc.).

The other type is called the daily part-time. This is very common among the polytechnics offering ND/HND programmes. Here, candidates attend classes from Monday to Friday as it's for full-time candidates too.

As for the number of years to spend for the part-time engineering and Agric courses, the weekend part-time will run, usually, for 6 years. That's one year more than when it's run full-time. That's the usual arrangement. Generally, irrespective of the course, any program, done as a weekend part-time, will add one year more than usual.

However, for the daily part-time, candidates will spend the same number of years as their full-time counterparts. As you might have guessed the reason, they both attend classes on the same daily basis. Hence, it won't be justified if one year is added to theirs. Hence, they spend 5 years to for any engineering and Agric courses e.g. Federal University Oye Ekiti daily part-time programs, etc.

The 5 Years of Engineering and Agric Courses is Not Limited to Specific Universities

In case you're thinking maybe this is only limited to a particular university, such as FUNAAB, LAUTECH, or FUTA, you're wrong.

It won't matter if the course is offered by a Federal, state, or private university. It won't matter if the university is an engineering university such as LAUTECH, FUTMINNA, FUTO, etc. Once, you're admitted for an engineering or Agric course, you're to be groomed for 5 full years.

In other words, engineering and Agric students in LASU, FUOYE, UNILAG, OAU, UNIOSUN, ABU, ABTU, UNICAL, UNIUYO, BOWEN, Crescent, FOUNTAIN, etc. will, as well, spend 5 years for their courses.

Engineering and Agric Courses in Polytechnics are 4 Years

If you gain admission into an engineering or Agric course in a polytechnic, you're to spend 2 years in your ND program (which is the first phase of polytechnic education), and if desire,  you may return for the HND which lasts another 2 years - making 4 years. 

Recommended: BSC, HND, OND, NCE, A'level: What are the Differences?

Even though you have the option to cross to a university, after your ND, if you deem it fit and merit it, if you end up going back for your Higher National Diploma in the same polytechnic or any other, you're to spend 4 years altogether.

If you cross to a university using direct entry after your ND, you'll be admitted into the 200 level of the course and eventually spend 4 more years in the university making your class years 6 (2 in the polytechnic and 4 in university).

Similarly, candidates who did A'level programmes such as IJMB, JUPEB, and Cambridge A'level will be admitted into 200 levels of their engineering and Agric courses (through Direct entry) which will make them spend 4 more years. Note that such A'level courses are run, usually, for 9 months.

Conclusion

Except where otherwise stated by the management (which is very unusual), in Nigeria, Engineering and Agric courses require 5 years of study while your counterpart in polytechnics may spend 4 years for the same course considering ND and HND options or 6 years considering ND plus crossing to university option.

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