Bayero University Kano (BUK) runs one of the largest postgraduate schools among Nigerian federal universities, offering Postgraduate Diploma (PGD), Master’s, M.Phil, and Ph.D. programmes across faculties as varied as Law, Engineering, Education, Agriculture, and Clinical Sciences. This article sets out the current fee structure for BUK’s postgraduate programmes, explains how fees differ by degree level and field of study, and lists what a prospective postgraduate student should budget for beyond tuition.
Overview of BUK’s Postgraduate School
BUK’s School of Postgraduate Studies coordinates admission and academic administration for postgraduate programmes drawn from across the university’s faculties, and every programme carries National Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation. The school publishes a session-specific fee schedule that assigns each programme to one of several fee bands, based primarily on the programme’s degree level (PGD, Master’s, M.Phil, or Ph.D.) and its academic field (Arts and Social Sciences generally cost less than Sciences, Engineering, and Clinical/Medical Sciences).
Fees are also split by residency status: Nigerian students pay one rate, while non-Nigerian students pay a substantially higher rate for the same programme, a standard practice across Nigerian federal universities. Fresh (newly admitted) students pay slightly more than returning students in their second or later year of the same programme, since the fresh-student figure typically includes a one-time registration component not charged again in subsequent sessions.
BUK Postgraduate Fee Bands by Programme Type
Rather than listing hundreds of individual course titles, it helps to understand that BUK groups its postgraduate programmes into a small number of standard fee bands. The table below summarizes these bands using representative courses from each group.
| Fee Band | Representative Programmes | Fresh (Nigerian) | Returning (Nigerian) | Non-Nigerian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arts, Social Sciences, Law (LL.M), Library Science Master’s | M.A. English, M.Sc. Economics, M.Sc. Sociology, M.Sc. Political Science, M.Sc. Accounting, LL.M (all specializations) | ₦180,500 | ₦166,000 | ₦346,000 |
| Sciences, Agriculture, Engineering (M.Sc./M.Eng.) Master’s | M.Sc. Chemistry, M.Sc. Computer Science, M.Sc. Microbiology, M.Eng. Civil/Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, M.Sc. Medical Laboratory Science | ₦195,500 | ₦181,000 | ₦391,000 |
| Professional/Clinical Master’s | Master of Physiotherapy, Masters in Public Health, Masters in Medical Laboratory Science, Masters in Cyber Security, Masters in Software Engineering | ₦205,500 | ₦191,000 | ₦411,000 |
| Business, Finance, and Health Economics Master’s | Masters in Accounting and Financial Management, Masters in Banking and Finance, Masters in Health Economics, Masters in Taxation and Revenue Administration | ₦215,500 | ₦201,000 | ₦431,000 |
| Master of Law | Master of Law (LL.M by research/professional route) | ₦235,500 | ₦221,000 | ₦471,000 |
| Ph.D./M.Phil, Arts and Social Sciences fields | Ph.D./M.Phil in English, History, Political Science, Sociology, Economics, Education, Law | ₦215,500 | ₦201,000 | ₦431,000 |
| Ph.D./M.Phil, Sciences, Engineering, and Clinical fields | Ph.D./M.Phil in Chemistry, Physics, Biochemistry, Medical Laboratory Science, Public Health, Nursing Science | ₦245,500 | ₦231,000 | ₦491,000 |
This banding explains why two postgraduate students at BUK, both pursuing a Master’s degree, can end up paying noticeably different fees: the deciding factor is less about which specific course title is on the certificate and more about which broad academic field, and which fee band, that course falls under.
Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) Fees
PGD programmes at BUK generally sit at the more affordable end of the university’s postgraduate fee structure, typically falling within the ₦171,300 to ₦250,000 range for Nigerian students, depending on the sponsoring department and faculty. As with Master’s and Ph.D. programmes, non-Nigerian PGD students pay a higher rate than Nigerian students for the same programme.
Notable Postgraduate Courses and What They Cost
A few specific examples help illustrate how the fee bands apply in practice:
- M.Sc. Nursing Science and related clinical postgraduate courses. Nursing Science at the M.Phil/Ph.D. level falls into BUK’s highest fee band for Nigerian students, priced at approximately ₦245,000 for fresh students and ₦231,000 for returning students, reflecting its placement alongside other Sciences and Clinical Sciences postgraduate programmes.
- Master of Public Health (MPH) and related public health specializations, including Child and Adolescent Health, Community Medicine, and Occupational and Environmental Health, sit in the professional/clinical Master’s band, at ₦205,500 for fresh Nigerian students.
- M.Sc. Computer Science and related technology postgraduate courses fall within the Sciences, Agriculture, and Engineering band at ₦195,500 for fresh Nigerian students, while newer specializations such as Masters in Cyber Security and Masters in Software Engineering sit slightly higher, in the professional Master’s band at ₦205,500.
- LL.M programmes across all specializations (Commercial Law, International Law, Islamic Law, Public Law, and Information and Communication Technology Law) share a uniform fee of ₦180,500 for fresh Nigerian students, positioning them with the general Arts and Social Sciences Master’s band rather than the higher Master of Law band.
- Ph.D. programmes in Engineering, Sciences, and Medical Laboratory Science consistently fall into BUK’s top Ph.D./M.Phil fee band, at roughly ₦245,500 for fresh Nigerian students.
Additional Charges Beyond Tuition
The figures listed above represent BUK’s core postgraduate tuition fee, not the full cost of studying at the university. Postgraduate students should budget for the following additional charges:
- Acceptance fee. Newly admitted postgraduate students pay a one-time, non-refundable acceptance fee, generally in the ₦10,000 to ₦12,000 range, to confirm their admission slot before further registration proceeds.
- Hostel accommodation. Students who secure university housing pay a separate hostel fee, which differs by gender: male students generally pay between ₦38,000 and ₦60,000 per session, while female students pay between ₦60,000 and ₦80,090 per session, subject to availability of bed space.
- Late payment penalty. Students who miss the university’s stated payment deadline attract an additional charge, historically set at ₦5,000, on top of their regular fee.
- Thesis, supervision, and examination charges. Ph.D. and research-based Master’s students should also anticipate additional costs tied to thesis submission, external examination, and supervision fees at the point of completing their programme, which are billed separately from the annual tuition figure.
How BUK’s Postgraduate Fee Payment Process Works
Newly admitted and returning postgraduate students follow a defined sequence to complete each session’s financial registration:
- Confirm admission through the offer letter issued by the BUK School of Postgraduate Studies.
- Pay the acceptance fee, for new students only, through the university’s designated payment platform.
- Generate the postgraduate personal fee schedule (BUKPPF) through the university’s online payment system, entering registration details exactly as they appear on official admission documents.
- Pay the session’s tuition fee through Remita e-Payment, using a debit card or bank transfer, or at any of the university’s designated banks nationwide.
- Retain payment confirmation and receipts, which are required for physical registration and course enrollment with the relevant department.
- Complete course registration with the School of Postgraduate Studies and the specific department, once payment has been confirmed on the university’s system.
Since full payment is generally required before registration is considered complete, students should treat the university’s stated payment deadline, typically falling toward the end of May for a given session, as a firm date to plan around.
Why Postgraduate Fees Differ Across Departments
Several factors explain why BUK does not apply a single flat postgraduate fee across all its programmes:
- Laboratory and practical requirements. Science, Engineering, and clinical postgraduate programmes require access to laboratories, specialized equipment, and, in some cases, supervised clinical exposure, which pushes their fee band above purely theoretical Arts and Social Sciences programmes.
- Degree level. Ph.D. and M.Phil programmes consistently cost more than Master’s programmes in the same academic field, reflecting the longer research commitment and additional supervision involved.
- Professional orientation. Programmes with a strong professional or industry-facing component, such as Physiotherapy, Public Health, Cyber Security, and Software Engineering, sit in an intermediate fee band above general science Master’s programmes but below the university’s most specialized clinical Ph.D. tracks.
- Residency status. Non-Nigerian students pay a fee roughly double that charged to Nigerian students across nearly every programme and fee band, consistent with standard practice at Nigerian federal universities.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Master’s degree cost at BUK?
Most Master’s programmes at BUK for Nigerian students fall between ₦180,500 and ₦235,500 for fresh students, depending on the academic field, with Arts and Social Sciences programmes at the lower end and professional or Master of Law programmes at the higher end.
How much does a Ph.D. cost at BUK?
Ph.D. programmes for Nigerian students generally range from ₦215,500 in Arts and Social Sciences fields to ₦245,500 in Sciences, Engineering, and Clinical Sciences fields, for fresh students in a given session.
Do returning postgraduate students pay less than fresh students?
Yes. Returning students consistently pay a slightly lower fee than fresh students in the same programme, since the fresh-student figure includes a one-time registration component that does not recur in later sessions.
Do non-Nigerian students pay more for BUK postgraduate programmes?
Yes. Non-Nigerian students pay a substantially higher fee, generally close to double the Nigerian rate, across virtually every postgraduate programme and fee band at BUK.
Does the postgraduate school fee include hostel accommodation?
No. Hostel accommodation is billed separately from tuition, with rates differing by gender and subject to the availability of bed space in a given session.