7 Alternative Courses To Nursing (If you didn’t meet cut-off)

This list applies only to University aspirants (Federal and State Universities). I will also include career prospects for these courses

1. B.Sc. Food Science
JAMB Cut-off: 200
What It’s About:
Food Science is the study of how food is produced, processed, preserved, and made safe and nutritious for consumption. It combines chemistry, biology, and engineering principles.

Career Prospects:

Food Safety Officer (for NAFDAC, SON, etc.)
Quality Control/Assurance in food manufacturing companies
Nutrition Analyst
Food Technologist
Product Development Specialist
Jobs in regulatory agencies, food labs, breweries, and FMCG companies

Good Alternative For: Students interested in health, biology, and chemistry but want a broader, industry-facing career.

2. DVM – Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
JAMB Cut-off: 200
What It’s About:
Veterinary Medicine focuses on animal health, diagnosis, treatment, surgery, and disease prevention—similar to human medicine, but for animals.

Career Prospects:

Veterinary Doctor (clinics, farms, zoos)
Animal Researcher
Animal Health Officer (government or private sector)
Wildlife Conservationist
Work with NAFDAC, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock or Animal Control agencies
Entrepreneurship (pet care, livestock consulting)

Good Alternative For: Students who love biology and medicine but are open to animal-focused care.

3. B.Sc. Anatomy
JAMB Cut-off: 220
What It’s About:

Anatomy is the study of the structure of the human body. It’s a foundational course for medicine, surgery, physiotherapy, and biomedical research.

Career Prospects:

Lecturer or Researcher (with M.Sc. or PhD)
Medical Laboratory Analyst
Embalmer or Mortuary Scientist
Work in forensic labs or hospital pathology units
Medical Illustrator (with extra skills)
Transition into Physiotherapy, Radiology, or Medicine via direct entry/postgraduate

Good Alternative For: Students who still want a strong link to human medicine and are open to academic or research careers.

4. B.Sc. Physiology
JAMB Cut-off: 220
What It’s About:

Physiology is the study of how the human body functions—muscles, nerves, hormones, organs, etc. It overlaps with medicine and biology.

Career Prospects:

Researcher (especially in drug testing or pharmacology)
Physiologist in hospitals or sports clinics
Work in biomedical companies or health regulatory bodies
Lecturer (with postgraduate qualifications)
Entry into postgraduate Medicine, Nursing, or related fields

Good Alternative For: Students interested in clinical sciences or health tech research.

5. Doctor of Optometry (OD)
JAMB Cut-off: 220
What It’s About:
Optometry deals with the diagnosis and treatment of vision problems. An Optometrist examines, diagnoses, and manages eye diseases and prescribes glasses or contact lenses.

Career Prospects:

Licensed Optometrist (clinics, hospitals, NGOs)
Eye Care Consultant
Vision Researcher
Health Outreach and Vision Screening Specialist
Entrepreneur (open your own optical centre)

Good Alternative For: Nursing students interested in a direct clinical role with patients and strong job demand.

6. B.Sc. Biochemistry
JAMB Cut-off: 220
What It’s About:

Biochemistry studies chemical processes within living organisms—blood, enzymes, hormones, DNA, etc. It’s a core foundation for biotechnology and medical science.

Career Prospects:

Biomedical Scientist (labs, hospitals)
Biotech or Pharmaceutical Industry Roles
Forensic Analyst
Clinical Research Associate
Food and Drug Testing (e.g. NAFDAC, SON)
Further studies in medicine, pharmacology, or genetics

Good Alternative For: Science-driven students who enjoy chemistry and want medical research or lab-based careers.

7. B.Sc. Microbiology
JAMB Cut-off: 220
What It’s About:
Microbiology is the study of microorganisms—bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc.—and how they affect humans, animals, plants, and the environment.

Career Prospects:

Clinical Microbiologist in hospitals or labs
Public Health Analyst
Quality Control in pharma, food or water industries
Epidemiologist (with postgraduate training)
Environmental Health Officer
Jobs at NCDC, WHO, NGOs, or research institutes

Good Alternative For: Those passionate about infection control, disease prevention, and diagnostics.

If you have other courses, please recommend in the comment section