University of Agriculture, Makurdi: Courses, Research, and Admissions

The University of Agriculture in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria, now known as Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi (JSTUM), is a higher education institution with a strong focus on agricultural and educational services. Its underlying philosophy is that the average Nigerian farmer should have easy access to the fruits of scientific agriculture.

Aerial view of Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi

Mission and Focus

Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi aims to transform Nigerian agriculture, particularly for small-scale farmers. The university scientific community must work on practical problems of village farmers. Students must be adequately exposed to the discipline of practical farm planning, production and marketing and a period of supervised farming internship at the village level, in order to become useful and effective extension agents.

The university has a strong emphasis on research and development, with dedicated directorates for these areas. It also has a number of centers focused on specific areas of agricultural development, such as seed technology, agrochemical technology, and food security.

Academic Calendar

The academic calendar typically runs from October to September, divided into two main periods: March to June and June to September.

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Admission Requirements

Applicants generally need to meet specific admission requirements to enroll. These requirements typically include:

  • 5 credits in Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSSC) or West African School Certificate (WASC) or General Certificate of Education (GCE) ('O' level) or equivalent.
  • English Language proficiency.
  • University Matriculation Examination (UME) score.

This might happen because the university has programs where applicants only need to meet admission requirements to enroll and don't necessarily compete with others.

We estimate the above acceptance rate based on admission statistics of closely ranked nearby universities with similar research profiles that do publish such data.

Courses Offered

The list of courses offered by Federal University Of Agriculture, Makurdi (FUAM) are displayed on this page.

FUAM offers a wide range of programs across various disciplines, including Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate degrees. Here's a general overview of the programs available:

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Bachelor's Degree Programs

  • Accountancy
  • Agricultural Business
  • Agricultural Economics
  • Agricultural Education
  • Agricultural Engineering
  • Agricultural Management
  • Animal Husbandry
  • Applied Physics
  • Aquaculture
  • Banking
  • Biochemistry
  • Botany
  • Business Administration
  • Business Education
  • Chemistry
  • Civil Engineering
  • Computer Education
  • Computer Science
  • Crop Production
  • Dietetics
  • Educational and Student Counselling
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Environmental Management
  • Environmental Studies
  • Finance
  • Fishery
  • Food Science
  • Food Technology
  • Home Economics
  • Humanities and Social Science Education
  • Information Sciences
  • Library Science
  • Marketing
  • Mathematics
  • Mathematics Education
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Microbiology
  • Nutrition
  • Physics
  • Plant and Crop Protection
  • Preschool Education
  • Primary Education
  • Public Administration
  • Science Education
  • Soil Science
  • Statistics
  • Technology Education
  • Wildlife
  • Zoology

Postgraduate Diploma Programs

  • Accountancy
  • Agricultural Business
  • Agricultural Economics
  • Agricultural Education
  • Agricultural Engineering
  • Agronomy
  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Animal Husbandry
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Applied Physics
  • Astronomy and Space Science
  • Banking
  • Biochemistry
  • Botany
  • Civil Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Consumer Studies
  • Crop Production
  • Development Studies
  • Dietetics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Environmental Management
  • Environmental Studies
  • Family Studies
  • Farm Management
  • Finance
  • Fishery
  • Food Science
  • Food Technology
  • Forest Products
  • Forestry
  • Harvest Technology
  • Horticulture
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Mathematics
  • Measurement and Precision Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Microbiology
  • Nutrition
  • Physics
  • Plant and Crop Protection
  • Public Administration
  • Science Education
  • Soil Management
  • Soil Science
  • Statistics
  • Sustainable Development
  • Water Management
  • Water Science
  • Wildlife
  • Zoology

Master's Degree Programs

  • Accountancy
  • Agricultural Business
  • Agricultural Education
  • Agricultural Engineering
  • Agricultural Equipment
  • Agricultural Management
  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Anatomy
  • Animal Husbandry
  • Applied Chemistry
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Applied Physics
  • Aquaculture
  • Astrophysics
  • Bacteriology
  • Banking
  • Biochemistry
  • Biotechnology
  • Botany
  • Business Administration
  • Cattle Breeding
  • Chemistry
  • Communication Studies
  • Computer Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Consumer Studies
  • Crop Production
  • Dietetics
  • Ecology
  • Educational Administration
  • Educational and Student Counselling
  • Educational Testing and Evaluation
  • Electronic Engineering
  • Energy Engineering
  • Engineering Drawing and Design
  • English
  • Entomology
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Environmental Management
  • Environmental Studies
  • Epidemiology
  • Family Studies
  • Finance
  • Fishery
  • Floriculture
  • Food Science
  • Food Technology
  • Forest Biology
  • Forest Economics
  • Forest Management
  • Forest Products
  • Forestry
  • Fruit Production
  • Genetics
  • Geophysics
  • Harvest Technology
  • Horticulture
  • Immunology
  • Information Sciences
  • Inorganic Chemistry
  • Library Science
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Materials Engineering
  • Mathematics
  • Mathematics Education
  • Meat and Poultry
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Mechatronics
  • Metallurgical Engineering
  • Microbiology
  • Natural Resources
  • Nutrition
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Parasitology
  • Pathology
  • Pest Management
  • Pharmacology
  • Physical Chemistry
  • Physics
  • Physiology
  • Plant and Crop Protection
  • Plant Pathology
  • Power Engineering
  • Production Engineering
  • Public Administration
  • Public Health
  • Science Education
  • Social and Preventive Medicine
  • Soil Conservation
  • Soil Management
  • Soil Science
  • Solid State Physics
  • Statistics
  • Surgery
  • Sustainable Development
  • Telecommunications Engineering
  • Thermal Engineering
  • Vegetable Production
  • Veterinary Science
  • Virology
  • Water Management
  • Water Science
  • Wildlife
  • Wood Technology
  • Zoology

Master of Philosophy

  • Management

Doctor of Philosophy Programs

  • Accountancy
  • Agricultural Business
  • Agricultural Education
  • Agricultural Engineering
  • Agricultural Equipment
  • Agricultural Management
  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Anatomy
  • Animal Husbandry
  • Applied Chemistry
  • Applied Physics
  • Aquaculture
  • Bacteriology
  • Biochemistry
  • Biotechnology
  • Botany
  • Cattle Breeding
  • Chemistry
  • Child Care and Development
  • Clothing and Sewing
  • Computer Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Consumer Studies
  • Crop Production
  • Dietetics
  • Ecology
  • Educational Administration
  • Educational and Student Counselling
  • Educational Testing and Evaluation
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Electronic Engineering
  • Energy Engineering
  • Engineering Drawing and Design
  • English
  • Entomology
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Environmental Management
  • Environmental Studies
  • Epidemiology
  • Family Studies
  • Fashion Design
  • Finance
  • Fishery
  • Floriculture
  • Food Science
  • Food Technology
  • Forest Biology
  • Forest Economics
  • Forest Management
  • Forest Products
  • Forestry
  • Fruit Production
  • Genetics
  • Harvest Technology
  • Horticulture
  • Immunology
  • Inorganic Chemistry
  • Insurance
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Materials Engineering
  • Mathematics
  • Mathematics Education
  • Meat and Poultry
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Mechatronics
  • Metallurgical Engineering
  • Microbiology
  • Museum Management
  • Natural Resources
  • Nutrition
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Parasitology
  • Parks and Recreation
  • Pathology
  • Pest Management
  • Pharmacology
  • Physical Chemistry
  • Physics
  • Physiology
  • Plant and Crop Protection
  • Plant Pathology
  • Power Engineering
  • Production Engineering
  • Public Health
  • Science Education
  • Social and Preventive Medicine
  • Soil Conservation
  • Soil Management
  • Soil Science
  • Solid State Physics
  • Statistics
  • Surgery
  • Telecommunications Engineering
  • Textile Design
  • Thermal Engineering
  • Vegetable Production
  • Veterinary Science
  • Virology
  • Water Management
  • Water Science
  • Wildlife
  • Zoology

Academic Programs Overview

The table below displays academic fields with programs and courses that lead to Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate degrees offered by University of Agriculture, Makurdi. Note that the table provides a general overview and might not cover all the specific majors available at the university.

Programs Bachelor Master Doctoral
Art & Design No No No
Biology Yes Yes Yes
Business Yes Yes Yes
Chemistry Yes Yes Yes
Computer Science Yes Yes Yes
Economics Yes Yes Yes
Engineering Yes Yes Yes
Environmental Science Yes Yes Yes
Liberal Arts & Social Sciences No No No
Mathematics Yes Yes Yes
Medicine No No No
Physics Yes Yes Yes
Psychology No No No

Research Profile

University of Agriculture, Makurdi has published 3,538 scientific papers with 26,080 citations received. The research profile covers a range of fields, including Biology, Environmental Science, Chemistry, Ecology, Medicine, Engineering, Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, Physics, Geography and Cartography, and Organic Chemistry.

Majors by Publication & Citation Count

Here's a breakdown of the university's research output by major:

  • Biology: 2,759 publications / 19,433 citations
  • Environmental Science: 2,509 / 17,388
  • Chemistry: 1,981 / 15,948
  • Ecology: 1,660 / 11,469
  • Medicine: 1,559 / 10,923
  • Engineering: 1,523 / 13,741
  • Liberal Arts & Social Sciences: 1,437 / 10,124
  • Physics: 1,276 / 12,909
  • Geography and Cartography: 1,214 / 7,211
  • Organic Chemistry: 1,128 / 10,441
  • Agricultural Science: 1,005 / 6,619
  • Geology: 979 / 6,755
  • Biochemistry: 936 / 8,410
  • Botany: 931 / 7,094
  • Materials Science: 797 / 7,233
  • Genetics: 787 / 4,986
  • Computer Science: 763 / 6,802
  • History: 738 / 4,329
  • Mathematics: 733 / 4,584
  • Nutrition and Food Science: 711 / 6,624
  • Archaeology: 703 / 4,219
  • Pathology: 680 / 4,753
  • Horticulture: 638 / 4,066
  • Sociology: 621 / 3,370
  • Statistics: 617 / 4,222
  • Quantum and Particle physics: 611 / 7,832
  • Political Science: 564 / 3,794
  • Paleontology: 558 / 3,451
  • Law: 547 / 3,735
  • Economics: 537 / 3,136
  • Business: 513 / 3,272
  • Animal Science: 470 / 2,097
  • Philosophy: 466 / 3,995
  • Metallurgical Engineering: 432 / 3,680
  • Public Health: 416 / 2,299
  • Veterinary: 387 / 2,308
  • Forestry: 374 / 2,031
  • Psychology: 363 / 3,113
  • Demography: 354 / 1,744
  • Immunology: 321 / 2,174

Annual Publication & Citation Counts

The following table displays the annual publication and citation counts for the University of Agriculture, Makurdi:

Year Publications Citations
1992 14 16
1993 12 12
1994 10 10
1995 10 17
1996 19 28
1997 5 17
1998 10 34
1999 5 36
2000 12 22
2001 11 52
2002 6 48
2003 8 58
2004 15 57
2005 23 90
2006 33 111
2007 18 162
2008 21 180
2009 32 203
2010 51 257
2011 86 353
2012 86 422
2013 103 466
2014 128 640
2015 169 673
2016 190 617
2017 282 864
2018 336 1182
2019 320 1610
2020 363 2340
2021 398 3139
2022 285 3508
2023 266 3961
2024 171 4393

The 73rd Inaugural lecture of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Benue State.

Institutional Links and Collaborations

Institutional links are being forged with federal and state Ministries of Agriculture and other related agencies to identify areas of collaboration and technical support from the University. The university has been involved with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in research on the socio-economic aspects of soybean production.

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Notable Alumni

  • Adenike Oladosu: A Nigerian climate activist, and initiator of the school strike for climate in Nigeria. She has showcased her climate action at international conferences including the UN Climate Change Conference, World Economic Forum, and Elevate festival in Graz-Austria.

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