Mathematics No Longer Compulsory for Arts Students — FG Revises Admission Requirements
The Federal Ministry of Education has removed Mathematics as a compulsory admission requirement for arts and humanities courses in Nigerian tertiary institutions. The reform, part of revised entry guidelines, aims to reduce barriers to admission while ensuring requirements better match the needs of each discipline.
- The Federal Ministry of Education has announced that Mathematics is no longer compulsory for admission into arts and humanities courses in universities and polytechnics.
- The decision follows the approval of revised national guidelines aimed at removing unnecessary admission barriers while maintaining academic standards.
- Previously, all students were required to have five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, in WAEC or NECO examinations.
- Under the new rule, students applying for courses like Law, Mass Communication, English, History, Linguistics, and Theatre Arts will not be disqualified for lacking Mathematics.
- The reform is intended to make tertiary education more inclusive and align admission requirements with the actual needs of different academic disciplines.
In a major policy shift, the Federal Ministry of Education has announced that Mathematics will no longer be a compulsory requirement for admission into universities and polytechnics for students in the arts and humanities disciplines.
The announcement, made on Tuesday, follows the approval of the Revised National Guidelines for Entry Requirements into Nigerian Tertiary Institutions, which seek to “remove unnecessary barriers while maintaining academic standards.”
Until now, all admission seekers — including arts and humanities students — were required to present five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, in the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO).
With this new directive, candidates applying for programmes in fields such as Law, Mass Communication, English, History, Linguistics, and Theatre Arts, among others, will no longer be disqualified for lacking a credit pass in Mathematics.
The Ministry noted that the reform is part of efforts to make tertiary education more inclusive and aligned with global best practices, ensuring that admission policies reflect the true academic needs of each discipline.
