SECTION 2

Academic Programs & Entry Requirements

Program levels, duration, admission requirements, and registration

2.1 Academic Programs

Academic programs are all instructional activities, research, and research-related public service activities of the institution, including SIWES, internship, teaching/lecturing, research assistantship, and cooperative/part-time education at all levels of study.

2.1.1 Definition of an Academic Program

An academic program means any group of courses constituting a major National Diploma (ND) or Higher National Diploma (HND) option, regular/non-regular or part-time, certificate program, or any similar entity.

2.1.2 Levels of Academic Programs

S/No	Level	Program	Year
1	100	National Diploma I (ND I)	Year One
2	200	National Diploma II (ND II)	Year Two
3	300	Higher National Diploma I (HND I)	Year One
4	400	Higher National Diploma II (HND II)	Year Two

2.1.3 Academic Program Structure

The institution runs a Course Unit System (CUS) on a semester basis. Courses are classified into:

Core/Foundation Courses — Indispensable courses in the curriculum of a discipline
General Studies (GNS) — Mandatory courses not directly related to the program
Electives — Courses outside the student's main discipline that may be useful in future careers. Every elective offered must be passed to warrant the award of ND/HND certificates.

2.1.4 Duration

The minimum period for both ND and HND programs is four (4) semesters; the maximum period is eight (8) semesters (termed the tenancy period).

2.1.5 Semester System

The institution operates a two-semester system for regular programs and a three-semester system for part-time programs in an academic calendar year. Each semester consists of approximately 15 weeks of coursework, continuous assessment, and examinations.

2.1.6 Credit Hours / Units

A one (1) credit unit course has one (1) hour of lecture/tutorial plus two hours of staff-based practice per week per semester.

2.1.7 Contact Hours

Regular Students: Minimum of 15 credit units and maximum of 25 credit units per semester. Maximum 30 contact hours per semester.

Non-Regular (Part-Time) Students: Minimum of 10 credit units and maximum of 15 credit units per semester. Maximum 25 contact hours per semester.

2.1.8 Class Attendance

The minimum required class attendance for each course registered is 75% of total contact hours per semester. All departments shall keep attendance registers for this purpose.

2.1.9 Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES)

ND programs include a period of supervised industrial work experience as a national policy:

SIWES is only for ND programs and is a four (4) month training experience.
SIWES is a four (4) credit load course, forming part of the third-semester assessment.
Assessment is based on employer evaluation, logbook content, and technical report.
Technical reports must be submitted to the SIWES Division through departments within one month of return to campus.
No student shall graduate or be issued a certificate without satisfactorily completing the SIWES.

2.1.10 General Studies and Entrepreneurship Programs

All students (regular and non-regular) must register for and pass all prescribed GNS and ENT courses. Examples include:

GNS 101 — Use of English I
GNS 102 — Communication in English I
GNS 111 — Citizenship Education I
GNS 121 — Citizenship Education II
GNS 211 — Introduction to Sociology
GNS 228 — Research Methods
ENT 126 — Introduction to Entrepreneurship
ENT 216 — Practice of Entrepreneurship

2.2 Admission Requirements

2.2.1 ND Programs (Regular & Non-Regular)

Candidates must satisfy the general admission requirements of the Polytechnic, as well as the special entry requirements for the School, Department and specific program. All candidates must be at least 16 years old.

In addition to an acceptable UTME score, a candidate must hold at least one of the following with credit passes in English Language, Mathematics, and at least four other relevant subjects, obtained in not more than two sittings:

Senior School Certificate (SSC) from WAEC or NECO
General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (GCE O/Level)
National Technical Certificate (NTC) from NABTEB
Any other equivalent qualification approved by the Academic Board

Important: To be admitted into an ND program, you must score the UTME minimum cut-off points (specified by JAMB) and obtain 5 credit-level passes in relevant subjects (not more than 2 sittings), including Mathematics and English.

2.2.2 HND Programs (Regular & Non-Regular)

SSCE/GCE/NABTEB with credit passes in English Language, Mathematics, and any three relevant subjects.
National Diploma (ND) in a relevant area with a minimum classification of Lower Credit.
Minimum of one-year post-ND cognate industrial/work experience.

2.2.3 Prohibition of Name Change After Admission

A student shall only use the name with which they were admitted. This name shall be used in all certificates issued by the Institution.

2.2.4 Entry Qualification Irregularities

All qualifications used to gain admission are subject to verification. A Verification Fee applies to all new students, payable as part of initial registration fees. Candidates may also be required to provide valid scratch cards for online verification.

2.2.5 Procedure for Investigating Irregularities

The Committee requests the affected student to explain the discrepancies.
If the student denies alteration, the result is taken to the issuing institution for verification.
If the institution confirms the discrepancy was due to its own error, written confirmation must be signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education of the relevant State or the Federal Ministry of Education.
If the institution denies issuing the falsified result, it shall be assumed the student effected the falsification.

2.2.6 Punishments for Falsification of Entry Qualification

Expulsion: A student who falsified their entry qualification shall be expelled from the Polytechnic — regardless of whether the falsification affected admission or not.

Withdrawal: If the falsification is due to an error of the school attended and affected the student's admission chances, the student shall be withdrawn.

Exoneration: If the falsification is due to an error of the school and did not affect admission chances, the student shall be exonerated.

2.3 Registration

2.3.1 Central Registration

Every student must centrally register and pay all appropriate registration fees at the beginning of each session. Returning students must complete registration within two weeks from the start of registration. Failure to do so means the student is registering late.

2.3.2 Course Registration

Courses must be registered sequentially — year I courses before year II. When registering, a student shall first enter lower-level courses (failed or not taken earlier) before higher-level ones.

Important: A student shall not repeat any course that has been passed, irrespective of the passing grade.

If a student fails a required course, they must register for it as a carry-over in all subsequent sessions until cleared (except where prevented by industrial/internship attachments lasting a whole semester).

2.3.3 Change of Program

A student wishing to change programs or departments may do so upon payment of non-refundable fees (as set by the Academic Board) and subject to satisfying the minimum academic requirements for the new program.

2.3.4 Transfer from Other Institutions

Applicants for transfer must have:

Obtained at least a GPA of 2.50 from a recognized institution
Been enrolled in courses accredited by NBTE
Satisfied all admission requirements for the program applied for
Good conduct, attested by the Registrar of the former institution

Recommendations must be made from the receiving Department/School to the Academic Board.

2.3.5 Transfer Grade Computation

A transferred student shall spend a minimum of one complete session at HAFEDPOLY. The final GPA for graduation is computed from the transferred GPA and the GPA from courses taken at HAFEDPOLY.

Note: A student cannot earn credit in any course not duly registered through the normal registration or add/drop process. Sitting for an examination without proper registration will result in cancellation of that result.