Bachelor of Arts (Gender and Social Studies)

Introduction to Gender Studies

Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

Foundational concepts of gender studies including sex and gender, gender socialisation, gender stereotypes, gender roles, and the evolution from women's studies to gender studies.

Gender and Culture

Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

Examination of the relationship between gender and culture, including cultural construction of gender, cultural practices affecting gender relations, and cultural change in African societies.

Introduction to Feminist and Gender Theories

Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

Survey of feminist theories including liberal, radical, socialist, Marxist, black, postcolonial, and African feminism, and their application to gender analysis.

Introduction to Social Studies

Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

Introduction to social science perspectives including sociology, anthropology, and political science as they relate to understanding social structures, institutions, and change.

Gender and Sexuality

Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

Examination of gender and sexuality including biological vs social construction, sexual rights, reproductive health, and the intersection of gender, sexuality, and culture.

Gender and Development

Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore

Gender and development theory including Women in Development, Women and Development, Gender and Development approaches, and gender-responsive development planning.

Masculinity in the African Perspective

Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore

Study of masculinities in African contexts including constructions of manhood, male gender roles, changing masculinity patterns, and men's involvement in gender equality.

Poverty, Policies and Gender

Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore

Analysis of the intersection of poverty, policy, and gender including feminisation of poverty, gender-responsive budgeting, and poverty reduction strategies.

Gender Research and Report Writing

Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore

Research methodology for gender studies including research design, data collection, gender-sensitive indicators, and academic report writing.

Gender Conflict and Post-Conflict Reconstruction

Year 4Semester 13 creditsCore

Gender dynamics in conflict and post-conflict settings including women's experiences in conflict, UNSCR 1325, and gender-responsive post-conflict reconstruction.

Gender Mainstreaming Strategies

Year 4Semester 13 creditsCore

Gender mainstreaming theory and practice including gender analysis frameworks, mainstreaming tools, institutional mechanisms, and gender-responsive policy formulation.

Final Year Research Project

Year 4Semester 26 creditsCore

Final-year research project applying gender analysis to a real-world issue, with fieldwork, data analysis, written dissertation, and oral defence.

Gender Mainstreaming and Policy

Focus on gender analysis frameworks, gender mainstreaming strategies, policy formulation, and gender-responsive planning for careers in government, policy institutions, and international organisations.

Gender-Based Violence Prevention

Focus on GBV prevention, survivor support, safeguarding policies, and legal frameworks for careers in NGOs, UN agencies, and government gender departments.

Women's Economic Empowerment

Focus on women's economic rights, entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, and economic justice for careers in development organisations and microfinance institutions.

Gender and Development

Focus on gender and development theory, poverty analysis, SDGs, and gender-responsive development planning for careers in development agencies and county governments.

Social Research and Gender Analysis

Focus on research methodology, gender analysis tools, data collection, and evidence-based advocacy for careers in research institutions and policy think tanks.

Gender, Conflict and Peacebuilding

Focus on gender dynamics in conflict, post-conflict reconstruction, women peace and security, and gender-responsive peacebuilding for careers in peacebuilding organisations and international agencies.

HELB Undergraduate Loan

County Government Bursaries

University Scholarships and Bursaries

Higher Education Fund (HEF)

BursaryKenyan

Kenyan undergraduate students placed by KUCCPS in public universities

NGAAF Bursary

BursaryKenyan

Women, youth and persons with disabilities from vulnerable backgrounds

Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) Loan

LoanKsh 60,000Kenyan

Needy Kenyan students placed through KUCCPS in public universities.

County Government Bursaries

BursaryKsh 30,000Kenyan

Students from the respective county, applied through county education offices.

University Internal Bursaries

BursaryKsh 20,000Kenyan

Needy students enrolled at the respective university, applied through the financial aid office.

Continuous Assessment Tests

Coursework25% of the mark

Mid-semester and end-of-semester written tests covering gender theory, social research methods, and development studies.

Research Assignments and Essays

Coursework25% of the mark

Research papers, gender analysis assignments, policy briefs, and essay assignments assessed throughout each semester.

Fieldwork and Community Project Reports

Coursework20% of the mark

Fieldwork reports, community engagement projects, gender assessments, and industrial attachment evaluations assessed through written reports and presentations.

Final Examinations and Research Project

Examination30% of the mark

End-of-semester written examinations and a final-year research project with fieldwork, data analysis, written dissertation, and oral defence.

Commission for University Education (CUE)

Academic accreditationRequired

Statutory accreditation for all Kenyan universities offering degree programmes.

Gender Officer I (CSG 10)

High demandKsh 42,970 to Ksh 59,120

Entry-level government position implementing gender mainstreaming, conducting gender analysis, supporting gender-responsive policy formulation, and coordinating gender programmes at the State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action.

Social Worker

High demandKsh 30,000 to Ksh 50,000

Provides social support services, conducts case management, supports vulnerable groups including women and children, and links communities to social services in government departments and NGOs.

NGO Programme Officer (Gender)

High demandKsh 30,000 to Ksh 50,000

Implements gender justice and economic empowerment projects, conducts community mobilisation, monitors programme outcomes, and supports advocacy for gender equality in NGO organisations.

Community Development Officer

High demandKsh 35,000 to Ksh 55,000

Facilitates community development programmes with gender-sensitive approaches, conducts socio-economic surveys, mobilises communities, and implements development projects for county governments and NGOs.

NGEC Programme Officer II

Moderate demandKsh 78,622 to Ksh 118,486

Supports the National Gender and Equality Commission in promoting gender equality, developing strategies for gender mainstreaming, and coordinating with government agencies and NGOs on gender programmes.

SPSS

SoftwarePrimary

Statistical analysis software for social research data, survey analysis, and gender-disaggregated data analysis — standard tool in social science and gender research.

Microsoft Excel

SoftwarePrimary

Spreadsheet software for data analysis, gender statistics, budget tracking, project monitoring, and data management in gender and development work.

NVivo

Software

Qualitative data analysis software for coding and analysing interview transcripts, focus group discussions, and qualitative gender research data.

Google Workspace

Software

Collaboration and productivity tools for document creation, project coordination, email communication, and team collaboration in NGO and government gender programmes.

KoboToolbox

Software

Open-source data collection tool for field surveys, gender assessments, and community research — widely used by NGOs and research organisations for mobile data collection.

Gender and Social Studies is only for women.

The programme examines gender as a social system affecting all people, including masculinity studies. Men are actively encouraged to enrol, and male gender specialists are in demand for mainstreaming gender in male-dominated sectors.

Gender studies graduates cannot find employment.

The State Department for Gender, NGEC, county governments, NGOs, and international organisations regularly recruit gender officers and programme officers. Kenya's constitutional two-thirds gender rule creates institutional demand for gender expertise.

Gender studies is not a rigorous academic discipline.

The programme involves feminist theory, social research methods, policy analysis, statistical analysis, and empirical research. It draws on sociology, anthropology, economics, and political science to examine gender as a social system.

Gender and Social Studies is the same as Sociology.

While related, gender studies specifically examines gender as a system of social relationships, power structures, and identity formation. Sociology is broader, studying all social phenomena. This programme combines gender-specific analysis with social studies.

Gender graduates only work in NGOs.

Graduates work in government ministries, county governments, constitutional commissions, research institutions, private sector HR departments, international organisations, and academia. Gender mainstreaming is required across all sectors.