Thank you for the interest you have shown in our services and especially in top-up programmes. Top-ups are specially designed undergraduate courses aimed at assisting those with HND’s to close the gap between their diplomas and a first degree. It is also suitable for holders of a third class degree. While an HND holder can do exact course for a top-up (example: HND computer Science can do BSc Computer Science top-up if available) holders of a third class degree cannot do exactly the same degree as before (for example: BSc Marketing 3^rd class cannot do BSc Marketing to-up). The reason for this is simple; you cannot do a degree twice. Such students will then be able to do BSc Human Resource Management (top-up) and any other variants of business courses but not “Marketing”

There are not many opportunities for all courses to top-up; for instance you can hardly find top-up in Quantity Surveying, Top-up in Biochemistry. The reason is that, it is hardly possible to patch some of these professional courses. Many schools however will admit a 3^rd class or HND in the sciences to do BSc Marketing, Business studies, Business Administration as these are largely seen as conversion course for those who do not have a business background. Many also will allow 3^rd class in Mathematics, Physics etc to do BSc Computing, BSc Business Information Systems etc as these are also seen as conversion courses for those coming from numerate background. Those from physical sciences like Petroleum/chemical engineering will be limited to BSc Environmental Science. In all other cases you will be looking at transferring whatever you had before into higher classes of an existing degree for those who do not have top-up routes. Like Biochemistry, you can transfer into Nursing, Clinical Psychology, Biomedical Engineering, Biotechnology but not into another BSc Biochemistry, except HND Biochemistry which can transfer credit into BSc Biochemistry.

Majority are able to switch back to their original courses (the one they had 3^rd class or HND in) after the top-up degree. The duration of an average top-up is one year. Sometimes if the CGPA is very low, a number of schools will ask the student to do two years, but this is no longer top-up. Most top up degrees condense three semesters of work in two semesters excluding the thesis period which are after the taught aspect. If you are thinking of doing a top-up and working everyday, you need to think twice. They are mostly intense because; if you add the two and half months of thesis to work of three semesters done in two, you would have potentially covered two academic years in just one.

To be able to assist you further, you will need to fill the enquiry form online and indicate the city you are based so we can ask a counsellor there to call you. Please note that top-ups are more available in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and only a few in Canada (this is traditionally looking for admission in a 3+1 course in Canada), transfers of credits are widespread in the USA as well as the countries listed earlier.

Pre-Master’s works differently and they do not plug the hole created by HND or 3^rd class, they will however prepare you within 3 to 6 months to commence a full Master’s degree. They are widely available in the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. They are scantily available in the USA. Pre-Master’s are usually full time.