In a previous post on how to build a successful career in Nigeria, we outlined many tips on how to become a successful you and one of them was to study a professional course. Whether you graduate from a university, polytechnic, monotechnic, college of education or any other tertiary institutes, you can still come out with a professional certificate, depending on the course you studied. There are the four-years short professional courses in Nigeria such as banking and finance and the five, six and even seven year courses like law, medicine and engineering.
One of the major advantages of studying any of these professional courses is that you do not have to compulsorily pass through the stress of looking for a job. No matter where you stay, Lagos, Owerri, Abuja, Adamawa, Calabar or even outside Nigeria, you can always get yourself a job. If there aren't any waiting jobs for you, it will be so easy to create yourself one in your field of study. Self-employment is presently the best way to survive in Nigeria and you should adapt to that.
Aside the above advantage, it is also more stress-less to come out of university with a direct professional degree or other certificate. You get into the same university with others, and you all are graduated with the same degree after the same duration of studies, yet you are a step above them.
We will see some of these professional courses below.
Top Professional Courses You Should Study As A Nigerian Student
It's either you are the boss or you will be bossed. There are so many career defining options for undergraduates today, and you must get a good grade before you will be hired and paid well. Pick any of these and so many other professional courses today, and you might have paved the way to an independent career for yourself.
- Accounting
Accountancy is a four-year course, just like many other courses but accountants do not have the same opportunities with the others. It is one of the 15 most popular courses studies by Africans and possessing a certificate from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, better known as ICAN, you really will be a hot cake in the job market.It is best to enroll for this ICAN examination while still an undergraduate, so that you can be immediately become a chartered accountant immediately you graduate if you pass the exams.
You can even start your own business, check out these 10 best business opportunities for Africans.
- Banking And Finance
Banking and finance isn't one of the most popular courses now, but with a certificate from the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Nigeria, you can pave a great way for yourself in the job market.The Chartered Institute of Bankers in Nigeria (CIBN) certificate not only keeps you ahead of other banking and finance degree holders, but also increases your chances of getting a good job and making a better reputation in the job industry. Studying in a foreign country like France no doubt also boosts your CV.
- Engineering
A normal degree in engineering runs for 5 years, but you can extend your own study to keep a head above the millions of other engineers out there. Engineering is among the 7 courses which pay higher than medicine, and shouldn't be toiled with. If you intend studying outside your country, why not check out these top engineering colleges Africans attend in India? There are so many telecoms companies, oil and gas firms, huge manufacturing companies and IT establishments where you can get a good job as an engineer.Some engineering courses you can pursue include:
- Petroleum Engineering: Petroleum engineers learn how to handle the mining or extraction of oil from under the earth. It is a lucrative course especially following the fact that so many countries in the world such as Libya, Venezuela, Algeria, Kuwait, Nigeria, Azerbaijan, Brunei Darussalam, Sudan and Iraq are dependence on petroleum products.
- Mechanical Engineering: This is the branch of engineering which deals with the designing, constructing, and usage of machines.
- Mechatronics Engineering: This is also another option for the hybrid engineers, and has to do with mechanical equipment. It is not a very popular course but I have a friend studying this in one of the Nigerian universities.
- Computer Engineering: This is no doubt my favorite and is all about both electrical engineering and computer sciences. After graduating successfully, you can get a job in the networking, Software application development, telecommunications, cybersecurity/ network security, cloud computing, web development and so many others.
- Aerospace Engineering: This is all about the study of space and air travel. Aerospace Engineering might also include military aircraft development and design, together with the satellite technology and commercial airline design.
- Biomedical Engineering: Biomedical engineers combine the studies of biology and medicine.
- Biomechanical Engineering: Biomechanical Engineering involves the study of mechanics and organisms and also how the two of them solve issues in a combination.
- Automotive Engineering: From the name, we can see that it involves the creation and designs of automobiles.
- Civil Engineering: Civil Engineering is all about the building and development of infrastructure such as bridges, buildings, roads construction, railways and other general constructions.
- Structural Engineering: Structural Engineering is also a branch of Civil Engineering and involves the erection of structures.
- Architectural Engineering: Architectural Engineers plan,construct and design different phases of projects.
- Electrical Engineering: Electrical Engineers study about energy and how to bring the best out of it.
- Electronics Engineering: We all use electronics everyday, from our mobile phones to the electric cooker and electric bulb, so an electronic engineer studies about all these.
- Robotics Engineering: This is about the automation of machines and their usage to assist in our daily activities, and the study of how to do this.
- Microelectronic Engineering: This is a form of Electrical Engineering too.
- Chemical Engineering: This is all about the study of chemistry and it's practical application.
- Environmental Engineering: Environmental Engineering is a very popular form of engineering and is about the studying of science and engineering in order to learn how to improve our environment.
- Materials Science Engineering: Materials Science Engineering is about the study of different materials and why they behave and react the different ways they do.
- Agricultural Engineering: From the name, we can almost know what Agricultural Engineering is all about. It involves studying and knowing how to apply engineering techniques to agriculture to assist in different areas such as ground preparation, soil conservation and salinity, farm machinery design, irrigation and also effective harvesting strategies.
- Paper Engineering: Paper Engineering involves the studying of things related to paper production.
- Sustainability Design: This studies the three major areas of sustainability, which include environmental impact, social considerations and economic considerations.
- Industrial Engineering: Industrial Engineers work for different industries and establishments.
- Systems engineering: This is a multi-disciplined course.
- Manufacturing Engineering: Manufacturing Engineering focus mainly on manufacturing machinery, processes and quality control.
- Geological engineering: The Geological Engineers study how to combine engineering skills together with research skills for the different mining and construction projects.
- Nuclear Engineering: Nuclear Engineers all have to do with the fast-growing nuclear energy.
- Marine Engineering: They study how to develop marine technologies.
- Engineering Physics: Engineering Physics combines physics with engineering.
- Photonics Engineering: Photonics Engineering is all about the exploration of photons, which is a form of light.
- Nanotechnology Engineering: Nanotechnology Engineers study the extremely small elements like molecules and single atoms, then they also study the production of the extremely small devices.
- Mining Engineering: From the name, Mining Engineers study how to extract mined resources from the earth.
- Ceramics Engineering: They learn how to produce different objects from ceramics.
- Metallurgical Engineering: Metallurgical Engineers study how to extract and purify metals.
- Geomatics Engineering: Geomatics Engineers learn the exact measurements for the mapping of the earth's environment by the usage of advanced techniques and equipment.
- Estate Management
It is advisable to enroll with the Nigeria Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers after studying your normal four-year degree, because it will give you an edge over your colleagues who may just have the normal degree in estate management.Moreover, if you have a degree in estate management and the Nigeria Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, it increases your chances of getting a better employment with the degree, especially because so many other valuers and estate surveyors are not presently working with this prerequisite certificate .
- Law
A normal degree in law takes five-years to pursue in Nigeria, but you can still study further. You can get a degree in law from almost all Nigerian universities. Some of the law courses you can pursue include:- Criminal Law: Criminal law is the body of law which is concerned with the punishment of defaulters and offenders.
- Contract Law: Contract law is the system of law that relates to the making and enforcement of agreements
- Company Law: Corporate law (otherwise called business or enterprise law) is the body of law governs the rights, relations, and conduct of individuals, companies, businesses and organizations.
- Commercial Law: Commercial law(otherwise called trade law) applies to the rights, relations, and conduct of businesses and persons who are engaged in commerce, trade, merchandising, and sales.
- Constitutional Law: Constitutional law involves rights that were carved out in the federal and state constitutions.
- Land Law: This sees to land issues.
- Law of Torts: A tort is a civil wrong that causes a claimant to suffer loss or harm resulting in legal liability for the person who commits the tortious act.
- Law of Equity and Trusts: This has to do with issues relating to trusts and equity.
- Law of Evidence: These lawyers have to deal with evidences.
- Legal Methods: They see to the different legal methods.
- Jurisprudence: This is the the theory or philosophy of law.
- Nigerian Legal System: They study the Nigerian legal system.
After studying any of these laws, you will have to pursue another one-year certificate in any of the Nigerian Law Schools, and you can pursue any of these courses:
- Corporate Law& Practice: This are lawyers who advice their clients in their offices.
- Civil Litigation: Civil litigation is distinguishes the lawyer court work in the different non-criminal streams of actions in the law.
- Criminal Litigation: Criminal Litigation involves the going to trial in a criminal court either for prosecution or defend oneself in a criminal matter.
- Law in Practice (Ethics & Skills): This is also a branch of law.
After that, you can now be called to the bar and then be one of the incusions in the Roll of Legal Practitioners, which is maintained by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Once included, you can now practice as a Nigerian lawyer, anywhere in the country.
- Medicine
Medicine is a six-year course in most Nigerian universities, however some others make it take longer depending. Before you become a full medical partitioner in Nigeria, you will need to pass through a year of horsemanship, and then will be recognized by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria as one of their members.The medical field is so broad and are all lucrative. Some of the specialities from which you can make a choice include:
General medicine
- Oncology: This is about the treatment of tumours.
- Obstetrics: This is the branch of medicine and surgery that is concerned with childbirth and midwifery.
- Psychiatry: Psychiatry is the medical specialty that is devoted to the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of mental disorders.
- Radiology: Radiology uses medical imaging to diagnose and treat diseases that are within the body.
- Pathology: Pathology is concerned mainly with the study of the causes of disease, whether they are caused by pathogens or other non-infectious physiological disorder.
- Neurology: Neurology has to do with dealing with general disorders of the nervous system.
- Gynecology: This is the branch of medicine that deals with the functions and diseases, mostly specific to females, especially those affecting their reproductive system.
- Dermatology Emergency medicine: Dermatology has to do with the skin, hair, nails, and its diseases.
- Geriatric medicine: This is relating to the older people, especially with regards to their medicine.
- Pediatrics: This involves the general medical care of infants, children, and adolescents.
- Medical research and education: This is the general medical researches and education.
- Pharmacy
Pharmacy is a very popular course in Nigeria. It is a five-year course and studied in so many Nigerian universities. After studying, it is essential to a 1-year internship, and after then you will be recognized by the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria.They will now give you the license to practice as a pharmacist in any part of the country.
Thanks for reading along. Did you see a course of your choice here? Did we miss anything? You can use the feedback form to get back to us.
Don't forget to share to your friends!
We give you the best daily information on news, technology, lifestyle, career, health tips, agriculture, business and entertainment. If you can write very well and want to make a living writing online, click HERE!