General Entry requirements guide for Nigerian students to study at UK universities -

Academic requirements

MPhil and PhD courses:

• Masters or above qualification
• Research proposal

Masters courses:

• Bachelor honours degree or above qualification

Bachelor courses:

• Nigerian National Diploma, Ordinary National Diploma or Diploma and
• Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSSC) or a West African Senior School Certificate (WASSC)

Foundation courses:

• Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSSC) or
• a West African Senior School Certificate (WASSC)

English language requirements

• at least Grade C6 in English on the WAEC/NECO Senior School Certificate Examination
• IELTS or other UKVI approved SELT with score of at least B1 Level for bachelor foundation or pre-sessional English course

Certain courses i.e. PhD/MPhil and subjects education, nursing and midwifery, medicine, physiotherapy social work etc. may require higher level English requirements

Yes, most of the UK universities offer partial scholarships to self-funding Nigerian international students. The amount of scholarships will reduce the published tuition fees to add value to your higher studies. Amount of scholarships and award criteria may vary from university to university.

Yes, you will be able to work if your sponsor has a track record of compliance and your course is full time. Hours allowed to work –

• up to 20 hours a week in term time if you are studying for a qualification at degree level or above. This means that your course is at RQF level 6 or SCQF level 9 or higher
• up to 10 hours a week in term time if you are studying for a qualification below degree level
• full time outside term time (for study at all levels) during vacations, before the course starts, work placements, after the course is completed

You are not allowed to work if your student sponsor -

• does not have 'track record' of compliance status and
• a private provider or
• a publicly-funded college
• an embedded college offering pathway courses

But you might be able to take a work placement as part of your course.

Yes, you can extend/switch your student visa after you complete your course - there are a few options available including -

• Extend student visa for further higher studies
• Switch to Graduate Route visa
• Switch to Skilled Worker Visa
• Switch to dependant visa
• Switch to other immigration route

Extension of your stay will lead to settlement visa in the UK (depending on the visa category you will have during your stay in the UK).

List of supporting documents for university application -

• All academic certificates and official academic transcripts
• Passport copy
• Two academic reference letters
• Up-to-date CV
• Name change documents (if applicable)
• Research proposal (for postgraduate research course)
• Portfolio of works (for applicable course)
• Copy of visa refusal (for any country under any category)
• Documents related to previous UK study/other visa (if applicable)

For more details, please read our blog How to apply for UK University admission from Nigeria?

Yes, international students who study a postgraduate level course at a UK University are eligible to bring dependants (partner and children) during their studies. If your postgraduate level course starts on or after 1 January 2024, it must be either:

• a PhD or other doctorate (RQF level 8)
• a research-based higher degree i.e. RQF level 7 research master's

Dependants can apply for their student dependent visa at the same time of student or at a later time.

If you are coming to study at a University campus inside London for course of 9 months or more duration, you need to have £12006 + any outstanding tuition fees for the 1st year of your course.

If you are coming to study at a University campus outside London for course of 9 months or more duration, you need to have £9207 + any outstanding tuition fees for the 1st year of your course.

If you pay a deposit for student accommodation to the university, then up to £1334 can be offset from the living costs required funds if the campus is inside London or up to £1023 can be offset from the living costs required funds if the campus is outside London.

Any dependent who will apply for entry clearance visa with you will require maintaining £7605 per dependent for University campus inside London for course of 9 months or more duration or £6120 per month for University campus outside London for course of 9 months or more duration.

All funds must be maintained for at least 28 consecutive days at a UKVI approved bank.

No, you will not need to show any maintenance funds or arrange any sponsor during Post Study Visa (Graduate visa) application. You will just need to have the visa application and Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) fees during the application. Please read detailed information about Graduate Visa in our guide on our website.