Postgraduate Studies

All courses carry three credit units and comprise eight modules of six units each, delivered over an eight-week term. Programs are delivered through a HyFlex model. Students may study entirely online, entirely on campus, or combine both, and may change mode between terms. On-campus study is available at the Ibadan Global Campus and the Abeokuta Metro Campus.

Terms begin in August, October, January, March, and May. Applicants should begin the admission process at least one month before the term in which they intend to start.

The standard load is two courses per term. Students may carry three courses in one or more terms, or take selected courses in the four-week accelerated format, to complete sooner. Selected courses are available in a self-paced online format.

The following courses are cohort-delivered and supervised, and are not available in self-paced format: Research Methods, Project Management, and all Capstone courses. In the Master of Business Administration, MBA 691 Evidence and Analysis for Managers serves as the research methods course, project management is taught within Capstone I, and Capstone I must be completed and cleared before registration for Capstone II.

In addition to the required curriculum, the University offers optional elective courses, delivered in self-paced online format unless otherwise indicated; cross-program electives taken with another program’s cohort are noted where they occur. Students may take these at any point during their program, at their own pace, and are not required to do so. Optional electives are open to students in all specializations and, where cross-listed, to students across programs.

Because they are self-paced, optional electives do not depend on cohort scheduling or minimum enrollment, and a student may begin one in any term without affecting the standard course load.

Optional electives are credit-bearing. They are recorded on the academic transcript and count toward the cumulative grade point average on the same basis as required courses. A transcript may therefore record more credits than the minimum required for the degree. Optional electives must be completed before the close of the final capstone term; a course not completed by that point is recorded as incomplete and does not delay the award.

Courses run in eight-week terms grouped into three semesters. Entry is available at the start of any term.

At the standard load of two courses per term, the Master of Information Technology and the Master of Public Administration are completed across five terms, approximately 12 months. The Master of Business Administration comprises twelve courses and is completed across six terms, approximately 15 months, or sooner where a student carries an increased load or uses the four-week accelerated format.

A residency is held at the close of each semester, three times a year. Residencies bring students, faculty, industry practitioners, and institutional partners together on campus for structured professional engagement rather than for teaching delivery.

Each residency combines industry panels and guest sessions with practitioners drawn from the sectors the programs serve, capstone presentations and peer review, supervisor and cohort meetings, and professional networking. Students in the same specialization across all three programs meet together, so that a public administration student working on digital governance encounters the technology and business students working on adjacent problems.

Residencies are open to students studying in any mode. Students studying entirely online are encouraged to attend and are not required to do so; those unable to travel may participate in the sessions delivered online. Residencies are held at the Ibadan Global Campus and the Abeokuta Metro Campus.

All amounts are in Nigerian Naira and cover the full program.

The application fee is non-refundable and is separate from tuition. The acceptance fee forms part of the total tuition and is credited against it.

Applicants resident outside Nigeria are assessed in United States dollars at the following flat rates, covering the full program.

The application fee, the acceptance fee, and the availability of installment payment apply on the same terms as for applicants resident in Nigeria, assessed in United States dollars at the equivalent rate.

Tuition may be paid in full or in three installments. Where the installment option is chosen, the balance remaining after the acceptance fee is divided across three payments scheduled against the academic calendar.

Monthly payment plans are available through EDGE Finance, a partnered third-party provider. Monthly plans are arranged directly with the provider and attract transaction fees in addition to tuition. Students selecting a monthly plan should review the provider’s terms before committing.

Each course is assessed through a combination of participation and discussion, quizzes, applied tasks and assignments, and a final examination. Assessment weightings are set out in each course syllabus. Applied tasks require original work that addresses the question directly and demonstrates the student’s own analysis and conclusions.

Quizzes and examinations are timed and completed within designated assessment windows. Communication with any other person during an examination is a serious violation of academic integrity, and all submitted work must be the student’s own.

Letter grades are assigned on the scale above: A and A minus (90 to 100), B plus, B, and B minus (80 to 89), C plus, C, and C minus (70 to 79), D plus and D (60 to 69), and F (below 60). Grade point equivalents and progression rules are set out in the Student Handbook.

Attendance is measured by participation in course activities and timely submission of assessed work, not by physical presence alone. Students studying online are required to log into the learning management system regularly and to complete discussions, quizzes, and submissions by the deadlines set out in the course schedule. Faculty record attendance through the learning management system. Regular participation is a substantial contributor to student outcomes and forms part of the assessed grade in every course.

Attendance is measured by participation in course activities and timely submission of assessed work, not by physical presence alone. Students studying online are required to log into the learning management system regularly and to complete discussions, quizzes, and submissions by the deadlines set out in the course schedule. Faculty record attendance through the learning management system. Regular participation is a substantial contributor to student outcomes and forms part of the assessed grade in every course.

Students have access to the University’s online research databases and digital library. Course materials, including readings, recorded lectures, video tutorials, and supporting resources, are provided within each unit of every course through the learning management system, together with notes indicating how each resource fits the course as a whole. Links to additional reports and publicly available databases are provided as required.

Students require access to a computer or web-capable mobile device and consistent internet access sufficient to view or download course resources and to complete timed assessments and examinations within the learning management system. Full participation, including assessments and examinations, requires logging into the learning management system; course materials cannot be completed offline.

Students declare a specialization at the end of the first semester, before registration for Research Methods (MBA 691 in the Master of Business Administration). The declaration governs Research Methods, Project Management, and the Capstone, and therefore the second half of the program. A single track supervisor carries the student through the full sequence.

Applicants whose previous degree was taught in a language other than English are required to demonstrate English proficiency, either through a TOEFL score of 71 (internet-based) or 530 (paper-based), or through the completion of at least one year of post-secondary study in which the language of instruction was English. Applicants holding qualifications from institutions outside Nigeria should submit them for equivalence assessment as part of the application.

1. Complete the online application at the University’s application portal, aglobal.online, and pay the ₦50,000 application fee. The fee is non-refundable.
2. Submit your supporting documents: official academic transcripts sent directly from the awarding institution, evidence of National Youth Service discharge or exemption where applicable, a current curriculum vitae, two academic or professional references, and a statement of purpose of 500 to 750 words on your motivation, preparation, and career goals.
3. Receive your admission decision by email from the Admissions Office.
4. On admission, pay the ₦100,000 acceptance fee to confirm your place. The acceptance fee is credited against tuition.
5. Register for courses and begin in your chosen term: August, October, January, March, or May.

Applicants should begin the process at least one month before the term in which they intend to start. The Admissions Office is available throughout at admissions@aouniversity.edu.ng.

Yes. The programs were approved by the National Universities Commission in June 2026 and carry the same standing as master’s degrees delivered by conventional means. The Commission regulates the curriculum, credit load, assessment standards, and external moderation of all approved programs regardless of delivery mode. The degree certificate does not distinguish between online, on-campus, and blended study.

Yes. Promotion criteria in the federal and state public service recognize degrees from institutions and programs approved by the National Universities Commission. Applicants should confirm the specific requirements of their service commission or establishment, as some schemes of service specify particular disciplines for particular cadres.

The programs prepare graduates well for professional doctorates and for research doctorates at institutions that admit on demonstrated research capability. Within Nigeria, applicants should note the distinction drawn between academic and professional master’s degrees. See the section on Doctoral Progression above.

At the end of the first semester, before registration for Research Methods. Research Methods, Project Management, and the Capstone are all undertaken within the declared track, so the choice governs the second half of the program.

The research and project capstone options apply to the Master of Business Administration. Students in the Human Capital Development and Fintech and Digital Financial Services tracks may elect a research capstone in place of the professional project. The election is made at specialization declaration and is subject to a minimum cumulative grade point average and supervisor consent.

Can I switch campuses or study modes during the program?

Yes. Students may move between the Ibadan and Abeokuta campuses and between online, on-campus, and blended study from term to term.

No. Residencies are open to all students and strongly encouraged, but attendance is not a condition of progression or award. Students unable to travel may participate in the sessions delivered online.

Yes. The standard load is two courses per term, and students may take fewer where circumstances require. Extended pathways are available. Students who wish to finish sooner may carry three courses in a term or take selected courses in the four-week accelerated format.

Yes. Tuition may be paid in full or in three installments across the academic calendar. Monthly payment plans are available through EDGE Finance, a partnered third-party provider; monthly plans attract transaction fees in addition to tuition.

Applicants to the Master of Information Technology whose first degree is not in computing or a related discipline complete a zero-credit bridge course, IFT 600, delivered pre-term in the four-week accelerated self-paced format. Applicants to the Master of Business Administration without a business first degree may be advised to complete a comparable bridge in managerial accounting.