Through its management of students who, before graduation, submit an extended piece of original research, the School of Postgraduate Studies is central to the University's mandate in research.

Postgraduate studies began in 1981, with the enrolment of eight students for Master's degrees in the Departments of Education and Geography. The creation of a Postgraduate School was to follow four years later, in 1985, after it became clear that the test run in postgraduate studies had been successful.

As it was for long the only one in the Northeast of Nigeria, Maiduguri's Postgraduate School has been the chief provider of advanced university education for personnel in educational and other institutions in the University's catchment area.

There are postgraduate study programmes in most academic Departments of the University, all coordinated by the Postgraduate School, working in close collaboration with academic units. While the former formulates policy and exercises oversight functions, the latter implements such policies in the areas of student selection, teaching and research supervision.

The Executive Head of the School is the Dean of Postgraduate Studies, who works closely with the Board of postgraduate Studies and is responsible to the Vice-Chancellor for the day-to-day administration of the School.