The National Universities Commission on Wednesday announced the upgrading of some medical-related programmes in Nigerian universities from Bachelor degrees to doctoral status.
A statement issued by the Commission’s Acting Director of Public Affairs, Franca Chukwuonwo said the development aimed at incorporating more clinical and practical sessions to improve foundational course coverage would enhance clinical skills, and address all specialty areas comprehensively.
She said the moves aligns with global best practices for training professionals in these fields.
The statement noted that as part of the changes, the duration of the affected programmes has been extended from five to six years to accommodate additional courses and clinical training.
According to the statement, the programmes upgraded from Bachelors Degree to Doctor Status Bachelors Degree with clinical sessions), which are found in NUC’s Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS) and Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) are Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D), Doctor of Physiotherapy (DPT) and Optometry (O.D Doctor of Optometry).
