JAMB Subject Combinations for Pharmacy and Nursing Science

UTME Subject Combination for Pharmacy

Pharmacy uses the same four-subject combination as Medicine and Surgery: English Language, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. JAMB's subject combination list confirms this combination applies at every Nigerian university running a Bachelor of Pharmacy programme.

Chemistry carries particular weight for Pharmacy, since much of the degree builds on pharmaceutical and organic chemistry from the first year onward.

UTME Subject Combination for Nursing Science

Nursing Science uses the identical combination: English Language, Physics, Biology and Chemistry. Some universities list the subjects in a different order on their admission pages, but the required four stay the same as Pharmacy and Medicine.

O-level Requirements for Both Courses

Pharmacy and Nursing Science both need five O-level credits, including English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics, from WAEC, NECO or an equivalent exam. Most schools want these from one sitting, matching the standard applied to Medicine and Surgery.

Universities differ on whether they merge O-level results across two sittings for these courses. A number of schools allow it with a higher post-UTME cut-off attached, while others hold to a strict one-sitting rule.

Professional Accreditation After Admission

Your UTME subject combination only gets you into the degree programme. Practicing afterward needs separate professional registration.

• Pharmacy graduates register with the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) after completing a mandatory internship year

• Nursing Science graduates register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) after their internship and licensing exam

Both councils accredit university programmes separately from JAMB and the National Universities Commission. A programme without current PCN or NMCN accreditation leaves your degree unrecognised for professional licensing, even where the university itself holds full NUC accreditation.

How the Two Courses Differ in Practice

Since Pharmacy and Nursing Science share an identical UTME and O-level combination, the practical differences between them show up after admission and at the post-UTME stage.

• Pharmacy typically carries a higher post-UTME cut-off at most competitive universities, reflecting fewer available seats relative to applicants

• Nursing Science runs a straight 5-year programme with more clinical placement hours built into the curriculum, while Pharmacy duration depends on the university: legacy B.Pharm tracks still run 5 years, but a growing number of schools have switched to the 6-year Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) track under NUC's 2025 curriculum upgrade

• Direct Entry into Pharmacy usually needs A-level passes weighted toward Chemistry, while Nursing Direct Entry programmes weigh Biology and Chemistry more evenly

Direct Entry Route

Direct Entry candidates for Pharmacy need A-level or IJMB passes in Biology, Chemistry and Physics, with most schools expecting a strong Chemistry grade. Nursing Direct Entry candidates need a similar spread, and some universities accept a Registered Nurse (RN) qualification as a pathway into a BNSc top-up programme.

Direct Entry students in both courses typically start at 200 level rather than 100 level.

Merit and Catchment Area Admission

Both Pharmacy and Nursing Science admission at public universities split across merit, catchment area and educationally disadvantaged states quotas. Your subject combination stays fixed across all three tracks, only the aggregate score threshold shifts.

Subject Combination at a Glance

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Pharmacy subject combination different from Medicine?

No. Pharmacy, Nursing Science and Medicine and Surgery all share the same UTME combination: English, Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

Does Nursing Science admission require lower grades than Pharmacy?

Not by subject requirement. Both courses need the identical four UTME subjects and five O-level credits, though Pharmacy typically runs a higher post-UTME cut-off due to fewer available seats.

Is a Registered Nurse qualification enough to skip UTME entirely for a BNSc?

Some universities run a BNSc top-up route for Registered Nurses through Direct Entry, but this depends on the specific university's nursing faculty policy and still requires meeting its Direct Entry grades.

Before You Register

• Confirm current PCN accreditation for Pharmacy or NMCN accreditation for Nursing at your target university

• Check the previous cycle's post-UTME cut-off, since Pharmacy usually runs higher than Nursing Science

• Keep your five O-level science credits from one sitting where your target school requires it

• Ask about internship and licensing timelines before you commit, since both courses need post-degree registration

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Assuming Nursing Science needs a lower or different subject combination than Pharmacy, it does not

• Applying to a university whose Pharmacy or Nursing programme lacks current PCN or NMCN accreditation

• Underestimating Pharmacy's post-UTME cut-off relative to other science-based courses

Confirm both your UTME subjects and your target university's professional accreditation status before you apply. The subject combination gets you into the classroom, accreditation determines whether your eventual degree lets you practice.