Health Sciences

Bachelor of Arts (Medical Sociology)

The Bachelor of Arts (Medical Sociology) is a four-year degree that applies sociological perspectives to health, illness, healthcare systems, and medicine, preparing graduates for careers in public health, healthcare administration, research, social work, and health policy. Students study sociological theory, medical sociology, health and illness, healthcare systems, social determinants of health, research methods, biostatistics, social psychology, public health, health policy, and medical anthropology.

Graduates find opportunities in hospitals, public health organisations, NGOs, research institutions, government health ministries, healthcare administration, and community health programmes. The programme is delivered over eight semesters at universities offering BA Sociology with medical sociology specialisations.

Graduates work as public health officers, healthcare administrators, research assistants, social workers, community health coordinators, and health programme officers. This programme suits students with interest in both social sciences and health, analytical aptitude, and desire to work at the intersection of society and healthcare.

Medical sociology skills are increasingly relevant in Kenya's evolving health system and global health initiatives. Skills RequiredSociological Theory and AnalysisMedical Sociology and Health BehaviourSocial Determinants of HealthHealthcare Systems AnalysisResearch Methods in Social SciencesBiostatistics and Health Data AnalysisPublic Health and Health PolicyCommunity Health and Social WorkMedical AnthropologyHealth Programme Planning and EvaluationKey SubjectsSociological TheoryMedical SociologySociology of Health and IllnessHealthcare Systems

in KenyaSocial Determinants of HealthResearch Methods in SociologyBiostatisticsPublic Health and EpidemiologyHealth Policy and PlanningMedical AnthropologyCertificationsKenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) TrainingPublic Health Officers and Technicians Council (PHOTC) RegistrationKenya Society of Sociologists MembershipSpecializationsPublic Health and EpidemiologyFocus on disease patterns, health promotion, epidemiological methods, and public health programme planning for careers in public health organisations and government health ministries.

Healthcare Administration and PolicyFocus on healthcare management, health policy analysis, health systems strengthening, and healthcare planning for careers in hospital administration and health policy. Social Determinants of HealthFocus on how social, economic, and environmental factors influence health outcomes for careers in health research, NGOs, and community health programmes.

Duration: 4 years
Public, up to: Ksh 189,004
Private, up to: Ksh 202,800
Job market: High

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time
Attachment: 3 months
Average class: 40 students
Award: Bachelor

What you study

10 subjects

Sociological Theory
Medical Sociology
Sociology of Health and Illness
Healthcare Systems in Kenya
Social Determinants of Health
Research Methods in Sociology
Biostatistics
Public Health and Epidemiology
Health Policy and Planning
Medical Anthropology

Modules

12 in the programme

Introduction to Sociological Theory
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Foundational concepts in sociology including classical sociological theories, social structures, institutions, and the sociological imagination applied to health and society.
Introduction to Medical Sociology
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Introduction to the sociology of health and illness including social constructions of health, illness behaviour, healthcare systems, and the role of sociology in understanding health.
Sociology of Health and Illness
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Social dimensions of health and illness including disease distribution, illness behaviour, doctor-patient relationships, and social construction of medical knowledge.
Research Methods in Sociology
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Qualitative and quantitative research methods including survey design, interviewing, observation, data collection, and research ethics applied to health research.
Social Determinants of Health
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
How social, economic, environmental, and cultural factors influence health outcomes — examining poverty, education, gender, and inequality as determinants of health.
Biostatistics and Health Data Analysis
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Statistical methods for health research including descriptive statistics, probability, hypothesis testing, and health data interpretation using statistical software.
Healthcare Systems in Kenya
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Structure and function of Kenya's healthcare system including public, private, and traditional healthcare, health financing, referral systems, and health reforms.
Public Health and Epidemiology
Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore
Principles of public health including disease prevention, health promotion, epidemiological methods, outbreak investigation, and public health programme planning.
Health Policy and Planning
Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore
Health policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation in Kenya including health sector reforms, universal health coverage, and health planning processes.
Medical Anthropology
Year 4Semester 13 creditsCore
Cultural perspectives on health, illness, and healing including traditional medicine, cultural health beliefs, and cross-cultural healthcare delivery in African contexts.
Community Health and Social Work
Year 4Semester 13 creditsCore
Community health interventions, health education, patient advocacy, social support, and community-based health programme implementation.
Final Year Research Project
Year 4Semester 26 creditsCore
Final-year research project on a medical sociology topic, with fieldwork in healthcare settings, data analysis, written dissertation, and oral defence.

Specialisations

Public Health and Epidemiology
Focus on disease patterns, health promotion, epidemiological methods, and public health programme planning for careers in public health organisations and government health ministries.
Healthcare Administration and Policy
Focus on healthcare management, health policy analysis, health systems strengthening, and healthcare planning for careers in hospital administration and health policy.
Social Determinants of Health
Focus on how social, economic, and environmental factors influence health outcomes for careers in health research, NGOs, and community health programmes.
Medical Anthropology and Cultural Health
Focus on cultural beliefs and practices affecting health, illness, and healing for careers in cross-cultural health programmes and community health.
Health Research and Biostatistics
Focus on research methodology, data analysis, health surveys, and statistical methods for careers in research institutions and health data analysis.
Community Health and Social Work
Focus on community health interventions, social support, patient advocacy, and health education for careers in community health organisations and social work.

A day as a student

A typical day combines morning lectures on sociological theory, health behaviour, or healthcare systems with afternoon seminars and fieldwork. Students analyse health data, discuss social determinants of health, conduct community health assessments, and work on research projects. Evenings involve reading sociology and public health literature, writing research papers, and preparing fieldwork reports.

The trade offs

In its favour

Medical sociology sits at the intersection of social sciences and health — a growing field in Kenya as the country invests in universal health coverage and community health programmes.
The programme develops research, analytical, and policy skills that are transferable across healthcare, government, NGOs, and international health organisations.
Graduates can work in diverse settings including hospitals, research institutions, public health programmes, healthcare administration, and community health — providing versatile career options.
Offered at multiple universities including public and private institutions, providing options for different budgets and locations.

Against it

This is not a clinical degree — graduates cannot diagnose, treat, or prescribe, which limits direct patient care roles compared to medicine, nursing, or clinical officer programmes.
Medical sociology as a distinct undergraduate specialisation is not widely offered in Kenya — it is typically taken as a specialisation track within broader BA Sociology programmes.
Entry-level positions in healthcare administration and research pay modestly (KES 35,000–59,120/month), with higher-paying positions requiring postgraduate qualifications and experience.

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 349 health sciences courses

Public153k to 189k

153k at Kenyatta University189k at University of Nairobi

Private105k to 203k

105k at Mount Kenya University203k at Catholic University of Eastern Africa

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

KU 153K/yr; UoN 189K/yr. CUEA self-spon 202,800/yr; MKU 105K/yr (official PDFs).

Students can access HELB loans, county government bursaries, and university-specific scholarships and bursaries.

Funding options

HELB Undergraduate Loan
County Government Bursaries
University Scholarships and Bursaries

Scholarships

5 recorded

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.
Higher Education Fund (HEF)
BursaryKenyan
Kenyan undergraduate students placed by KUCCPS in public universities
AMREF International University Scholarships
ScholarshipKenyan
Health sciences students demonstrating financial need
Ministry of Health Kenya Scholarships
ScholarshipKenyan
Healthcare workers sponsored by national or county governments

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: C+
Alternative entry: KCSE mean grade C+ with a Diploma in Sociology, Social Work, Public Health, Community Health, or a related field from a recognised institution. KACE with two principal passes and one subsidiary pass.

How you are assessed

4 components

Continuous Assessment Tests
Coursework30% of the mark
Written tests covering sociological theory, medical sociology, public health, and research methods, assessed through mid-semester and end-of-semester examinations.
Fieldwork and Community Health Practicals
Coursework25% of the mark
Community health assessments, healthcare facility visits, fieldwork reports, and health survey exercises assessed through practical submissions and presentations.
Research Papers and Data Analysis Assignments
Coursework15% of the mark
Research papers, literature reviews, data analysis exercises, and health policy briefs assessed throughout each semester.
Final Examinations and Research Project
Examination30% of the mark
End-of-semester written examinations and a final-year research project on a medical sociology topic, with fieldwork, written dissertation, and oral defence.

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). The programme is offered as a BA Sociology with medical sociology specialisation at CUE-accredited universities. The Public Health Officers and Technicians Council provides professional registration for public health practice.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Statutory accreditation for all Kenyan universities offering degree programmes.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

5 roles

Public Health Officer
High demandKsh 35,000 to Ksh 65,000
Works in public health programmes implementing disease prevention, health promotion, community health education, and health surveillance activities in government and NGOs.
Healthcare Administrator
Moderate demandKsh 40,000 to Ksh 70,000
Manages healthcare facility operations, coordinates health programmes, handles patient services, and supports health system management in hospitals and clinics.
Research Assistant (Health Research)
High demandKsh 35,000 to Ksh 60,000
Supports health research projects in institutions like KEMRI, APHRC, and universities — collecting data, conducting interviews, analysing results, and contributing to publications.
Community Health Coordinator
High demandKsh 35,000 to Ksh 60,000
Coordinates community health programmes, trains community health workers, conducts health assessments, and implements health interventions in communities.
Civil Service Officer (CSG 10)
High demandKsh 42,970 to Ksh 59,120
Entry-level government position in the Ministry of Health or county health departments handling health administration, programme coordination, and health data management.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as public health officers, healthcare administrators, research assistants, social workers, community health coordinators, and health programme officers in healthcare, NGOs, government, and research institutions.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

SPSS
SoftwarePrimary
Statistical analysis software for social and health research including survey analysis, cross-tabulations, regression, and hypothesis testing — essential for health data analysis.
Microsoft Office Suite
SoftwarePrimary
Productivity tools including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access for research documentation, data management, presentations, and professional communication.
Google Workspace
Software
Collaboration and productivity tools for document creation, project coordination, email communication, and team collaboration in research and health programme work.
EpiInfo
Software
Public health software for epidemiological analysis, outbreak investigation, survey design, and disease surveillance — developed by CDC for public health practitioners.
NVivo
Software
Qualitative data analysis software for coding interviews, focus group data, and field notes — essential for qualitative health research and community health studies.

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Medical sociology is the same as medicine or nursing.
Medical sociology is a social science that studies the social dimensions of health, illness, and healthcare — it does not involve clinical practice or patient treatment.
This degree qualifies you to treat patients.
Graduates are not medical practitioners. They work alongside healthcare professionals in research, administration, public health, and community health — analysing social factors affecting health.
Medical sociology has limited career prospects in Kenya.
Kenya's healthcare sector is growing with opportunities in public health, NGOs, research institutions, healthcare administration, and community health programmes — all requiring social science expertise.
Sociology is just common sense about society.
Sociology is a rigorous social science using theoretical frameworks, research methods, statistical analysis, and evidence-based reasoning to understand social phenomena — it requires analytical and research skills.
Medical sociology is only useful in hospitals.
Medical sociology graduates work in diverse settings including government, NGOs, research institutions, public health programmes, insurance, pharmaceutical companies, and international health organisations.