The advancement of education and inclusion of females in education over the centuries has improved significantly across the globe, spreading to even Africa, which has been the continent whose level of education is low, but now the continent is enjoying the inclusion of female education.
Science class in secondary school across all high schools in Nigeria has the highest number of students with a mixed ratio of female and male students, but the males are significantly more present, and there are also higher numbers of female students in such classes.
As a science student who just finished higher secondary school in Nigeria, it is a necessity that you know and plan ahead the kind of courses you should study, most especially in a country where the level of unemployment is high, but there are still courses in the country that are heavily demanded in the labour market, and that is why we will list in this article the best science courses that you can study across all Nigerian universities no matter the level of your academic excellence.
When much emphasis and focus will be on the best science courses for female students, students who are also in the science field can also go through the list and use it to make decisions. These courses are perfectly okay for both male and female students alike.
Accredited Universities that offer Medicine and Surgery in Nigeria
Best Science Courses for Female Students in Nigeria
1. Medicine and Surgery
One of the most competitive and the most sought skills in the Nigerian labor market is, as a result of the high migration of skilled doctors to overseas because of greener pastures, creating a bigger vacuum that has to be fixed, most especially in a country like Nigeria with a large population.
While Medicine and Surgery is a good science course that you can study as a female in Nigeria, as it offers a high employment guarantee, job stability, and a better salary, it will test your inner strength as a female during your undergraduate and internship period, but if you can scale through it, it is worth it.
Female medical doctors can specialised in areas such as pediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, surgery, internal medicine, radiology, psychiatry, dermatology, and many other medical specialties.
Just because you are female won’t exempt you from the strict admission requirement that is also demanded that male students have to attain. To study for medicine and surgery in Nigeria as a female, you are expected to have a JAMB score of at least 320 and above with an excellent O-level result in one sitting.
2. Nursing
It is not a doubt that the course is one of the courses in the science field that is heavily dominated by females; hence, female students won’t find it difficult to study for the course.
Nursing is a lucrative course in Nigeria, also offering job stability, a high employment guarantee, and also a better salary as you climb in ranks and grades.
While nursing is also a medical course like medicine and surgery in Nigeria, it is very easy to study nursing in Nigeria as a female. Compared to medicine and surgery, you can get to study nursing at a university or college of nursing if you don’t meet the strict admission requirement that is demanded by the university.
It is very advisable that you take the route of university if you want to study nursing in Nigeria, as they offer you better job opportunities when you graduate.
Nursing offers different areas of specialization, including critical care, paediatric nursing, mental health nursing, public health nursing, midwifery, and other fields.
To study nursing in Nigeria, students are required to score at least 250 and above for university, while the College of Nursing might demand that students score 200 and above in their UTME examination.
3.Radiography and Radiation Science
Radiography and Radiation Science is a beautiful course you can study in Nigeria as a female science student, most especially if you plan to relocate to another country if you finish your education.
Radiographers use medical imaging technologies to help healthcare professionals examine the human body. Depending on their specialization and professional scope, they may work with imaging technologies such as X-rays, CT, and MRI.
Radiography and radiation science is not as stressful and time-consuming as medicine and surgery. Which will take years before you are certified. As a graduate of the Radiography and Radiation Science course, you get to work with doctors, and you can decide to advance your career later in the future.
The Radiography and Radiation Science course is not a popular course in Nigeria, so the universities offering it may not be many, but there are still universities in Nigeria that still offer the course, so do well to do proper research.
For the Radiography and Radiation Science course, a minimum JAMB score of 300 and above might be required for public universities, while private universities might require less than 300.
4. Pharmacy
Humans across the globe consume thousands, if not million drugs everyday as a means of curing a certain disease, an enhancer, or a substance that will prolong the life of a certain user. It can’t be denied that drugs are very essential in today’s modern world, and that is why pharmacy is a good course to study.
As a female student, most especially if you are looking for career stability, then pharmacy is a good choice for you if you are not able to cope with the pressure of nursing and medicine and surgery, as their pressure is lesser compared to the mentioned above.
Pharmacy students learn about medicines, drug development, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacology, dispensing, and the safe use of medications, and as graduates, you can pursue careers in community pharmacies, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, regulatory organisation, research institutions, and other healthcare organisation.
Pharmacy is a competitive course, and for students who want to study the course in most Nigerian universities to be on the safer side, it is best recommended that such students should score nothing less than 270, and even above if that student’s aim is to study at a public university, be it a federal or state-owned university in Nigeria.
5. Physiotherapy
The world and Nigeria in particular are experiencing massive mental issues because of the economic situation and other problems, and now is a better time for a student to be a professional in the area of mental healthcare.
Physiotherapists should not be underestimated, as they also offer better salaries, especially if you are situated in the urban area, and they also offer better job opportunities, and they also offer professional courses, which means you must be certified before you can render service.
Graduates of the course can work in hospitals, rehabilitation centre, sports organisation, clinics, and other healthcare environments, and even with the advent of artificial intelligence, people will still pay to have conversations with real humans.
6. Dentistry
Dentistry is a course that diagnoses, prevents, and treats diseases and conditions affecting the teeth, gums, and other parts of the mouth.
Dentistry is a good course, most especially for females who don’t want to be overwhelmed with too much work. The dentistry course can offer this while presenting better job opportunities and better salaries.
Dental training also involves extensive study of anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, and dental procedures, alongside practical and clinical training.
Just like other medical courses, you have to be certified by the same professional body that regulates the medicine and surgery profession in Nigeria, and that is the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), so dentistry is a very good course.
Dentistry is a professional course and quite competitive, so students who want to study the course must score a good JAMB score. I mean a JAMB score that is very high.
7. Medical Laboratory Science
Ranking number seven in the list is the Medical Laboratory Science course, which is also classified as one of the best courses you can study in Nigeria, most especially in the science field. The course duration is a maximum of 5 years, and it is not as bulky and complex as Radiography and Radiation Science.
Medical laboratory scientists perform and interpret laboratory investigations that help healthcare professionals diagnose and monitor diseases.
Graduates of the Medical Laboratory Science Course can work in hospitals, diagnostic laboratories, research institutions, public health laboratories, and other relevant organisation.
How to Choose the Best Science Course as a Female Student
° Consider Your Strongest Subjects
° Consider Your Interests
° Consider the Cost and Duration
° Consider Professional Requirements
° Consider Your Career Goals
° Consider Your Interests
Frequently Asked Questions
° Which science course has the highest salary?
The course with the highest salary in Nigeria depends on profession, specialization, experience, employer, and location, but courses like medicine and surgery, nursing, and other medical courses offer better salaries.
° What is the best science course for a female?
The best science course for a female depends on the student’s interest, capacity, and also financial strength, as the higher the competitiveness of a course in Nigeria, the more finances that will be needed.
° Which science course is best for females who want to work abroad?
The best science courses that are suitable for females that want to work abroad are medicine and surgery, nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy, and other medical courses.
° What science course can I study without Further Mathematics?
You can study all of the medical courses without the use of further mathematics. The subjects required by Nigeria for admission are mathematics, English language, chemistry, biology, and physics, except for engineering courses, which might demand that you have further mathematics and not even all engineering courses.
° Which science courses are good for females who love biology?
If you love biology, then you are fit for most medical courses, and examples of such courses are medicine, nursing, pharmacy, medical laboratory science, microbiology, biochemistry, biotechnology, and many more. Students who enjoy biology can consider medicine, nursing, pharmacy, medical laboratory science, microbiology, biochemistry, biotechnology, and many more.
Conclusion
You should not be surprised when the list of courses mentioned above are all medical courses. This is not fantasy but true reality. Medical courses in Nigeria offer the best employment, job stability, and better salary compared to others. You might not start making a huge amount of money when you start your career, but you won’t be stranded in the labour market.
Olamilekan Stephen is a graduate of Economics, an education enthusiast, and a passionate advocate for promoting quality education in Nigeria. He is well-grounded in the field of education and has founded several education websites that have helped students at every stage of their academic journey. Through his work, he is committed to providing accurate, reliable, and up-to-date educational information to support students in achieving academic success.