The National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved the unbundling of the Department of Mass Communication at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), into five separate undergraduate degree programmes, marking a significant expansion of media and communication education at the institution.
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The approval, which will take effect from the 2026/2027 academic session, authorises the university to offer full-time Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degrees in Advertising, Broadcasting, Development Communication Studies, Journalism and Media Studies, and Public Relations.
According to the NUC, the approval followed a comprehensive resource verification exercise carried out by a panel of experts to assess the availability of qualified academic staff, facilities, and other resources required to run the new programmes.
The decision was conveyed in an official letter dated June 19, 2026, signed on behalf of the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Prof. Abdullahi Yusuf Ribadu.
The Commission clarified that the approval covers only full-time programmes, adding that the university must obtain separate approval before introducing part-time or postgraduate programmes under the newly created departments.
The NUC also directed the university to retain the approved programme titles, noting that any future changes to their nomenclature or structure would require prior regulatory approval.
The development has been widely welcomed within the university community, with many describing it as a major milestone in UNN’s efforts to modernise its communication curriculum and align with evolving global standards in media education.
Reacting to the approval, the Head of the Department of Mass Communication, Prof. Michael Ukonu, expressed gratitude to the university management for its support throughout the verification process. He specifically commended the Vice-Chancellor and the Director of Academic Planning, Prof. Anthony Attama, for their leadership and commitment, which he said contributed significantly to the successful outcome.
Prof. Ukonu described the approval as a major step toward the department’s long-term goal of attaining faculty status, adding that the unbundling exercise would strengthen academic excellence, promote specialised training, and position the university to meet the changing demands of the communication industry.
He further noted that the new degree programmes would provide students with broader academic opportunities, encourage greater specialisation across different fields of communication, and reinforce the University of Nigeria, Nsukka’s reputation as one of Nigeria’s leading institutions for media and communication studies.
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