NOUN Project Proposal Format (2026): Sample, Structure and How to Submit Your Topics

Quick summary:

A NOUN project proposal usually covers a working title (23 words or fewer), a short introduction, the statement of the problem, the purpose and objectives, research questions or hypotheses, significance, scope, a brief literature review, the methodology (design, population, sample, instrument and method of analysis) and references in APA style. Before writing it, register for the research project course, then submit three proposed topics, with your project payment receipt, to the Project Desk Officer at your Study Centre. Your supervisor approves one topic and may ask you to expand the proposal into Chapters One to Three.

Studying at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) means doing most things on your own. There is no lecturer reminding you in class that your proposal is due, and many students only find out what a proposal should contain after their first one is returned.

This guide shows the NOUN proposal format, a filled sample you can adapt, and the steps NOUN gives for submitting topics and getting a supervisor. It follows the Faculty of Education's Research Project Manual and NOUN's official FAQ. Your faculty or supervisor may ask for small changes, so treat their instructions as final.

Step 1: Register for the project before anything else

According to NOUN's FAQ, you must first register for the research project course on your portal. Only then can you submit topics.

You will need:

• Your project registration (it shows on your course registration)
• Your project payment receipt
• Three proposed topics
• Your name, phone number and email address

NOUN says you submit these to the Project Desk Officer at your Study Centre. Keep a copy of everything you hand in, and take a photo of the slip if one is issued.

Step 2: Choose three topics you can actually research

Your three topics are not three random titles. Each one should be something you can collect data on from where you live or work, within one or two semesters.

A good NOUN topic:

• Has a clear population you can reach (your workplace, a school near you, a local market, a ward or LGA)
• Uses data you can collect yourself or find in records
• Fits your programme and course code
• Has a title of 23 words or fewer, which is the limit in NOUN's research manual

Many NOUN students are already working. Use that. A banker can study customer satisfaction at their branch; a teacher can study a teaching method in their school. Your supervisor will be more comfortable approving a topic you can clearly finish.

Need ideas? See our list of NOUN project topics by faculty, or generate topics for your exact course with the free tool below.

NOUN project proposal format

There is no single proposal template for every NOUN faculty. Most supervisors expect the sections below, which follow the opening chapters of the official NOUN project format.

1. Title page

• Working title (23 words or fewer)
• Your full name (first name, middle name and surname, with surname in capital letters is common)
• Matric number
• Programme and department
• Study Centre
• Name of supervisor (if already assigned)
• Month and year

2. Introduction or background to the study

Start broad, then narrow down to your exact problem and location. NOUN's manual calls this a "funnel" structure: from the general situation, to Nigeria, to your study area.

3. Statement of the problem

What is going wrong, and what gap will your study fill? Keep it to two or three short paragraphs and make it specific to your study area.

4. Purpose and objectives of the study

The purpose is an expansion of your title. Then list three to five specific objectives, each tied to one variable.

5. Research questions and, where needed, hypotheses

Turn each objective into a question. If your study tests relationships or differences, state hypotheses in the null form (for example, "There is no significant difference between...").

6. Significance of the study

Who benefits from your findings, and how? Name real groups: students, teachers, managers, policymakers, future researchers.

7. Scope of the study

NOUN's manual asks for both content scope (the variables you cover) and geographical scope (where the study takes place).

8. Brief review of literature

For a proposal, this is shorter than a full Chapter Two. Cover:

• The key concepts in your title
• The theory that supports your study
• Three to six recent studies close to your topic
• The gap your study fills

9. Methodology

• Research design (for example, descriptive survey)
• Population of the study
• Sample size and sampling technique (see how to calculate sample size)
• Instrument for data collection (questionnaire, interview guide, records)
• Validity and reliability of the instrument
• Method of data analysis (percentages, mean, chi-square, t-test, and so on)

10. References

NOUN's manual says APA format should be strictly followed. Every source you mention in the text must appear in the reference list.

Formatting

The NOUN research manual sets these rules for the full project, and most supervisors apply them to the proposal too:

Sample NOUN project proposal (Education)

Below is a short sample built on the example used in NOUN's own manual. Replace every detail with your own study.

Title: Gender Differences in Senior School Certificate Examination Chemistry Performance in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State

Background to the study (opening lines)

Science education is central to Nigeria's development goals, and Chemistry is a core subject for students who hope to study medicine, engineering and pharmacy. Over the last decade, results in the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) have raised concern about performance in Chemistry, and some studies suggest that boys and girls do not perform equally. In Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State, ...

Statement of the problem (opening lines)

Although government and schools have introduced programmes to encourage girls in science, there is little recent evidence on whether male and female students in Ikorodu LGA differ in SSCE Chemistry performance. Without this evidence, ...

Purpose of the study

The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of gender on the academic performance of students in SSCE Chemistry in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State. Specifically, the study will:

1. Assess the extent to which male and female students differ in their SSCE Chemistry performance
2. Determine the influence of home background on students' SSCE Chemistry performance
3. Find out whether the type of school students attend influences their SSCE Chemistry performance

Research question 1: To what extent do male and female students differ in their SSCE Chemistry performance?

Hypothesis 1: There is no significant difference between male and female students in their SSCE Chemistry performance.

Methodology (summary)

The study will adopt a descriptive survey design. The population will comprise all SS3 Chemistry students in public and private secondary schools in Ikorodu LGA. A sample will be selected using stratified random sampling. Data will be collected with a structured questionnaire and students' SSCE Chemistry results, and analysed using mean, standard deviation and t-test at 0.05 level of significance.

Sample NOUN project proposal (Management Sciences)

Title: Effect of Mobile Banking on Customer Satisfaction in Selected Deposit Money Banks in Abuja

Purpose of the study: The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of mobile banking on customer satisfaction in selected deposit money banks in Abuja. Specifically, the study will:

1. Examine the effect of mobile banking ease of use on customer satisfaction
2. Assess the effect of mobile banking reliability on customer satisfaction
3. Determine the effect of mobile banking security on customer satisfaction

Research question 1: What is the effect of mobile banking ease of use on customer satisfaction in selected banks in Abuja?

Hypothesis 1: Mobile banking ease of use has no significant effect on customer satisfaction in selected banks in Abuja.

Method (summary): Survey design; population of customers of three selected banks; sample size by Taro Yamane's formula; structured questionnaire on a five-point Likert scale; analysis with descriptive statistics and regression.

What happens after your proposal is approved

1. Write Chapters One to Three. Your approved proposal becomes most of these chapters. See how to write Chapter One of your NOUN project.
2. Collect data and write Chapters Four and Five. Follow the full NOUN research project format.
3. Submit for moderation and defence. NOUN's manual says students submit soft-bound copies for moderation and defence, then hard-bound copies after corrections. Undergraduate projects are bound in purple, the school colour.

If you have not been assigned a supervisor

NOUN's FAQ says to visit the Project Desk Officer at your Study Centre to lodge a complaint. If it is not resolved, raise a ticket at support.nou.edu.ng. You can also raise a ticket there if you need a different supervisor, giving valid reasons.

Common proposal mistakes NOUN students make

• A title longer than 23 words. Cut it before you submit.
• A topic you cannot reach. A study of "all banks in Nigeria" is hard to finish. Choose a place you can visit.
• Objectives that do not match your title. Every variable in the title should appear in an objective.
• Copying a proposal from the internet. Supervisors recognise recycled work, and NOUN's manual warns students to be conscious of plagiarism.
• No references, or references in mixed styles. Use APA throughout.

More for NOUN students

• NOUN research methodology (Chapter Three)
• NOUN project cover page and title page
• NOUN project defence: process and likely questions
• NOUN project topics by faculty
• NOUN seminar format and presentation guide
• NOUN SIWES guide: portal, logbook and report
• NOUN research project format
• How to write Chapter One of your NOUN project
• How NOUN calculates your GPA and CGPA
• NOUN CGPA calculator (free)

FAQs

How many topics should I submit to NOUN?

NOUN's FAQ says to submit three proposed topics at your Study Centre, with your project payment receipt and contact details.

Where do I submit my NOUN project topics?

To the Project Desk Officer at your Study Centre, after registering for the project course on your portal.

How long should a NOUN project proposal be?

There is no fixed length for all faculties. Many supervisors expect 8 to 15 pages for a short proposal, while others ask you to write full Chapters One to Three. Ask your supervisor which they want.

What referencing style does NOUN use?

APA. NOUN's research manual says APA format should be strictly adhered to.

What is the maximum length of a NOUN project title?

23 words, according to the Faculty of Education's Research Project Manual.

Can I change my topic after approval?

Talk to your supervisor first. A change usually needs their approval and may need to be recorded at your Study Centre.