WATCH THE VIDEO HERE The upgraded courses include pharmacy, physiotherapy, and optometry degrees. The NUC explained that the upgrade aligns with global best practices for training professionals in these fields. The development was made known in a statement on Wednesday by the NUC Acting Director of Public Affairs, Franca Chukwuonwo. She explained that the decision is in line with global best practices and designed to enhance the quality of training for healthcare professionals in Nigeria. According to her, the degrees did not incorporate the additional clinical training and coursework required to award a doctor status as they were offered as bachelor degrees lasting five years in total. The former nomenclature for the degrees was Bachelor of Pharmacy (B. Pharm), Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT), and Bachelor of Science in Optometry (B.Sc. Optometry). However, Naijaonpoint reports following the upgrade, the new names are Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D), Doctor of Physiotherapy (DPT), and Doctor of Optometry (OD). The change extends the duration of the programmes from five to six years to incorporate additional clinical training and coursework. According to the statement, the programmes have been upgraded from Bachelor’s Degree to Doctor Status in line with NUC’s Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS) and Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS). The NUC clarified, however that the Doctor of Medical Laboratory Science (DMLS) programme does not exist in its Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS) or Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS). “Consequently, MLSD is not an approved programme in the offerings of any Nigerian university,” it added.
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has upgraded some medical-related courses which were offered as Bachelor’s degrees in Nigerian universities to doctoral status.
NUC Upgrades Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Optometry To Doctoral Status
