Entry requirements for every DLI programme, and how to apply.
Applications for DLI programmes are made in two stages. There is no UTME examination for the Distance Learning Institute. The details below are from the 2024/2025 admission advertisement; check the current advertisement for fees and deadlines.
STAGE 1
Log on to the JAMB CAPS website and register as a Part-Time candidate. Pay the JAMB fee (₦3,500 in 2024/2025) to obtain your registration number.
STAGE 2
1. Go to applications.unilag.edu.ng and click Start Fresh Application.
2. Select Distance Learning Institute and enter your names, JAMB registration number, phone number and email.
3. Pay the application fee (₦17,500 in 2024/2025) online, or print the Remita payment advice and pay at any commercial bank.
4. Return to the portal, click Continue Application, and log in with your payment reference and your surname in lowercase.
5. Complete your details, upload your documents, submit, and print a copy.
• Testimonial (primary or secondary school)
• Birth certificate, or a sworn affidavit dated before the admission advertisement
• ‘O’ Level certificate(s) and all other qualifications
• NYSC certificate or exemption certificate (direct entry candidates)
• Marriage certificate and newspaper publication (married women only)
• Applicants must be at least 16 years old by 31 October of the admission year.
• Admission is subject to the number of places available.
• Online printouts of ‘O’ Level results are not accepted at registration, and candidates awaiting results are not eligible.
• For WASSCE/SSCE/GCE/NECO results obtained before 2020, certificates (not statements of result) are required.
• DLI runs sessional programmes.
Candidates can enter at Year 1 with ‘O’ Level results, or at Year 2 or Year 3 with higher qualifications. Every Year 2 and Year 3 route also requires the Year 1 ‘O’ Level requirements to be met. ‘O’ Level means WASSCE, SSCE, GCE or NECO, with credits obtained in not more than two sittings.
Year 1: Five ‘O’ Level credits including English Language, Mathematics, Economics and any two other subjects.
Year 2: A degree (minimum Pass) in a relevant discipline such as Actuarial Science, Banking and Finance, Business Administration, Economics, Insurance, Statistics, Marketing, Taxation or Accounting, and many science and social science degrees; ICAN Accounting Technician Scheme (ATS III); ND (minimum lower credit) in Accounting or a related field; NCE in Accounting, Business, Economics, Mathematics or a science education subject; or GCE ‘A’ Level / JUPEB / IJMB with credits in Economics and two relevant subjects.
Year 3: A good honours degree in a relevant discipline; HND (minimum lower credit) in Accounting or a related field; or a full professional qualification (ACA, ANAN, ACCA, ACMA, ACIA or ACIB).
Year 1: Five ‘O’ Level credits including English Language, Mathematics, Economics and any two other subjects.
Year 2: A degree (minimum Pass) in a relevant discipline such as Accounting, Banking and Finance, Economics, Estate Management, Human Resource Management, Insurance, Marketing, Business Studies or Mass Communication; ND (minimum lower credit) in Business Administration or a related field; NCE in Accounting, Business, Economics, Mathematics or a science education subject; or GCE ‘A’ Level / JUPEB / IJMB with credits in Economics and two relevant subjects.
Year 3: A good honours degree in a relevant discipline; HND (minimum lower credit) in Business Administration or a related field; or a full professional qualification (ACIA, ACIB or CII).
Year 1: Five ‘O’ Level credits including English Language, Mathematics, Economics and any two other subjects.
Year 2: A degree (minimum Pass) in a relevant discipline such as Actuarial Science, Banking and Finance, Business Administration, Economics, Insurance, Statistics, Marketing, Taxation or Finance; ICAN ATS III; ND (minimum lower credit) in Accounting, Banking and Finance or a related field; NCE in Accounting, Business, Economics or Mathematics education; or GCE ‘A’ Level / JUPEB / IJMB with credits in Economics and two relevant subjects.
Year 3: A good honours degree in a relevant discipline; HND (minimum lower credit) in a related field; or a full professional qualification (ACA, ANAN or ACCA).
Year 1: Five ‘O’ Level credits including English Language, Mathematics, Economics and any two other subjects.
Year 2: A degree (minimum Pass) in Accounting, Banking and Finance, Business Administration, Cooperative Economics, Insurance, Marketing, Purchasing and Supply, Statistics or Taxation; ND (minimum lower credit) in any of these fields or Computer Science; NCE (merit) in Economics and Business Education; GCE ‘A’ Level / JUPEB / IJMB with credits in Economics and two of Business Management, Mathematics and Government/History; or ICAN ATS III.
Year 3: A good honours degree in a relevant discipline, including Economics; HND (minimum lower credit) in a related field; or ACA (ICAN), ANAN or ACCA.
Year 1: Five ‘O’ Level credits including English Language, Mathematics, Government or History and any two other subjects.
Year 2: A degree (minimum Pass) in Business Administration, Economics, Labour Studies, Political Science, Mass Communication, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology or any Arts, Sciences or Engineering course; ND (minimum lower credit) in Public Administration, Local Government Studies, Political Science, Office Technology, Social Work or a related field; NCE (merit) in Political Science, Social Studies, Economics, Business or History; GCE ‘A’ Level / JUPEB / IJMB with credits in Government or History and two relevant subjects; or ICAN ATS III.
Year 3: A good honours degree in a relevant discipline; HND (minimum lower credit) in a related field; ACA, ANAN or ACCA; or a full professional qualification from the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON).
Year 1: Five ‘O’ Level credits including English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and one other subject.
Year 2: A degree (minimum Pass) in a relevant discipline, including Biology; NCE (merit) in Biology and another science; ND (minimum lower credit) in a relevant field, including Laboratory Technology; GCE ‘A’ Level with credits in two relevant subjects such as Biology, Chemistry or Agricultural Science; or JUPEB / IJMB with credits in Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
Year 3: A good honours degree in a relevant discipline, or HND (minimum lower credit) in a relevant field, including Laboratory Technology.
Year 1: Five ‘O’ Level credits including English Language, Mathematics, Chemistry and any two other subjects.
Year 2: A degree (minimum Pass) in a relevant discipline, including Chemistry; NCE (merit) in science subjects; ND (minimum lower credit) in a relevant field, including Laboratory Technology; GCE ‘A’ Level with credits in two relevant subjects; or JUPEB / IJMB with credits in Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
Year 3: A good honours degree in a relevant discipline, or HND (minimum lower credit) in a relevant field.
Year 1: Five ‘O’ Level credits including English Language, Mathematics, Physics and any two other subjects.
Year 2: A degree (minimum Pass) in a relevant discipline, including Physics; NCE (merit) in Physics and one of Biology, Mathematics or Chemistry; ND (minimum lower credit) in a relevant technology, computer or engineering field; GCE ‘A’ Level with credits in Physics and Mathematics; or JUPEB / IJMB with credits in Physics, Chemistry and Biology or Mathematics.
Year 3: An honours degree in a relevant discipline, or HND (minimum lower credit) in a relevant technology, computer or engineering field.
Year 1: Five ‘O’ Level credits including English Language, Mathematics and any three of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Agricultural Science, Further Mathematics and Computer Studies.
Year 2: A degree (minimum Pass) in a relevant discipline, including Mathematics; NCE (merit) in Mathematics and one other science subject or Economics; ND (minimum lower credit) in a relevant technology, computer or engineering field; GCE ‘A’ Level with credits in two relevant subjects such as Mathematics, Chemistry, Economics or Physics; or JUPEB / IJMB with credits in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.
Year 3: A good honours degree in a relevant discipline, or HND (minimum lower credit) in a relevant field.
Year 1: Five ‘O’ Level credits including English Language, Mathematics, Economics and any two other subjects.
Year 2: A degree (minimum Pass) in a relevant discipline, including Economics; NCE (merit) in Economics and a related subject such as Accounting, Business Education, Commerce or Geography, or in a social science; ND (minimum lower credit) in a relevant field; GCE ‘A’ Level with credits in two relevant science or social science subjects; or JUPEB / IJMB with credits in three relevant subjects.
Year 3: A good honours degree in a relevant discipline, or HND (minimum lower credit) in a relevant field.
Year 1: Five ‘O’ Level credits including English Language, Mathematics and any three other subjects.
Year 2: A degree (minimum Pass) in a relevant discipline such as Early Childhood Care, Social Work or Psychology; NCE (merit) in Primary Education Studies or another NCE course; ND (minimum lower credit) in a relevant field such as Social Development; or GCE ‘A’ Level (two credits) / JUPEB / IJMB (three credits) in Arts, Sciences or Social Sciences, excluding Commerce, Typing and Shorthand.
Year 3: A good honours degree in a relevant discipline, or HND (minimum lower credit) in a relevant field.
Year 1: Five ‘O’ Level credits including English Language, Mathematics, Economics and any two other subjects.
Year 2: A degree (minimum Pass) in a relevant discipline; NCE (merit) in an Arts, Science or Social Science field; ND (minimum lower credit) in a relevant business, management or administration field; GCE ‘A’ Level with credits in two relevant subjects such as Mathematics and Economics; or JUPEB / IJMB with credits in three relevant subjects, including Mathematics and Economics.
Year 3: A good honours degree in a relevant discipline, including Educational Administration or Management, or HND (minimum lower credit) in a relevant field.
Year 1: Five ‘O’ Level credits including English Language, Mathematics and any three other subjects.
Year 2: A degree (minimum Pass) in a relevant discipline, including Guidance and Counselling or Educational Psychology; NCE (merit) in any area; ND (minimum lower credit) in a relevant field; GCE ‘A’ Level with credits in two Arts or Social Science subjects; or JUPEB / IJMB with credits in three Arts, Science or Social Science subjects.
Year 3: A good honours degree in a relevant discipline, including Guidance and Counselling or Psychology, or HND (minimum lower credit) in a field such as Social Work, Psychology, Sociology or Philosophy.
Year 1: Five ‘O’ Level credits including English Language, Mathematics, Economics and any two other subjects.
Year 2: A degree (minimum Pass) in a relevant business discipline; ND (minimum lower credit) in Business Administration, Accounting or a related field; NCE in Accounting Education, Business Studies, Secretarial Studies, Economics or a related combination; GCE ‘A’ Level with credits in two relevant subjects; or JUPEB / IJMB with credits in Economics and two relevant subjects.
Year 3: A good honours degree in a relevant discipline; HND (minimum lower credit) in a related field; or a full professional qualification (ACIA, ACIB or CII).
Year 1: Five ‘O’ Level credits including English Language, Mathematics, Literature-in-English and any two of History, Government, Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Economics, Commerce, Geography or French.
Year 2: A degree (minimum Pass) in a relevant discipline such as Communication and Language Arts, Library and Information Science, Mass Communication or Modern European Languages; NCE (merit) in English, Literature-in-English or another language; ND (minimum lower credit) in a relevant field; GCE ‘A’ Level with credits in two relevant subjects such as English Language and Literature; or JUPEB with credits in three relevant subjects.
Year 3: A good honours degree in a relevant discipline, or HND (minimum lower credit) in a relevant field such as Communication Arts or Mass Communication.
• A bachelor’s degree in any discipline from the University of Lagos or another institution recognised by the University Senate, with a minimum of third class; or an HND with a minimum of lower credit.
• Completion of the NYSC scheme, or exemption from it.
• Other regulations of the School of Postgraduate Studies and the University Senate apply.
• Duration: two academic sessions, through the Open and Distance Learning mode.
Source: DLI 2024/2025 admission advertisement. The full list of accepted disciplines for each route is in the official requirements document (PDF).
Call the DLI admissions help lines on +234 810 960 6362, +234 705 240 6470 or +234 907 368 9973, or email dlienquiries@unilag.edu.ng or isdli@unilag.edu.ng.