Hospitality & Tourism

Bachelor of Catering and Hospitality Management

The Bachelor of Catering and Hospitality Management is a four-year programme that prepares students for management careers in the catering, hospitality and food service industry. Students study food production, catering management, hospitality operations, food safety, nutrition, event management and business management, developing both culinary and managerial competencies. The programme combines practical catering skills with business management principles.

Students develop competencies in food production, catering operations, menu planning, food safety and hygiene, hospitality management, event catering, cost control and customer service. They learn to manage catering operations, plan menus, supervise kitchen staff, ensure food safety standards and deliver quality hospitality services. The programme covers both practical culinary skills and business management for the hospitality sector.

In Kenya, the hospitality and catering industry is a significant contributor to the economy, driven by tourism, conferences, corporate events and a growing dining culture. Hotels, restaurants, catering companies, educational institutions, hospitals and corporate cafeterias require trained catering and hospitality professionals. Kenya's position as a regional hub for conferences and events, including the UN Environment Programme headquarters in Nairobi, creates diverse opportunities. Graduates find roles in hotels, restaurants, catering companies, institutions and event management.

Teaching is delivered through lectures, practical kitchen sessions, catering workshops, industry visits, research projects and industrial attachment. Students practise food preparation, plan menus, manage catering operations and undertake internships in hotels, restaurants or catering companies. The programme includes a final-year research project.

Graduates pursue careers as catering managers, food and beverage managers, restaurant managers, event catering coordinators, hospitality supervisors and institutional catering officers. Some work in hotels, restaurants or catering companies. Others join educational institutions, hospitals or corporate food service providers.

This programme is ideal for individuals with passion for food, service orientation and management aspirations. Students who enjoy culinary arts, customer service and hospitality operations will find this programme particularly engaging.

Duration: 4 years
Public, up to: Ksh 240,000
Private, up to: Ksh 121,300
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: 35 students
Award: Bachelor

What you study

10 subjects

Food Production and Culinary Arts
Catering Management and Operations
Food Safety and Hygiene
Menu Planning and Nutrition
Hospitality Operations Management
Event Management and Catering
Food and Beverage Service
Cost Control and Financial Management
Customer Service and Quality Management
Research Methods in Hospitality

Modules

12 in the programme

Introduction to Hospitality Industry
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Overview of the hospitality and catering industry, including sectors, stakeholders and career opportunities
Food Production and Culinary Arts
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Principles of food preparation, cooking methods, recipe development and culinary techniques
Food Safety and Hygiene
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Food safety standards, HACCP principles, hygiene regulations and safe food handling practices
Menu Planning and Nutrition
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Menu design, nutritional considerations, dietary requirements and cost-effective menu planning
Catering Management and Operations
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Management of catering operations, including kitchen management, staff supervision and service delivery
Food and Beverage Service
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Principles of food and beverage service, including service styles, table setup and customer service
Event Management and Catering
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Planning and managing catering for events, conferences, weddings and corporate functions
Hospitality Operations Management
Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore
Management of hospitality operations, including front office, housekeeping and guest services
Cost Control and Financial Management
Year 3Semester 33 creditsCore
Financial management for catering and hospitality, including costing, budgeting and pricing
Customer Service and Quality Management
Year 4Semester 13 creditsCore
Customer service excellence, quality assurance and service quality management in hospitality
Research Project
Year 4Semester 23 creditsCore
Independent research on a selected catering or hospitality topic producing a scholarly dissertation
Industrial Attachment
Year 4Semester 36 creditsCore
Supervised placement at a hotel, restaurant, catering company or institutional food service

Specialisations

Food and Beverage Management
Specialization in Food and Beverage Management, preparing graduates for careers such as hotel-manager.
Food Safety and Quality
Specialization in Food Safety and Quality, preparing graduates for careers such as catering-manager.
Restaurant Management
Specialization in Restaurant Management, preparing graduates for careers such as hotel-manager. This specialisation equips graduates with discipline-specific competencies for professional practice in Kenya and the East African region, with pathways to postgraduate study and professional certification.
Catering Management
Specialization in Catering Management, preparing graduates for careers such as catering-manager. This specialisation equips graduates with discipline-specific competencies for professional practice in Kenya and the East African region, with pathways to postgraduate study and professional certification.
Institutional Catering
Specialization in Institutional Catering, preparing graduates for careers such as catering-manager. This specialisation equips graduates with discipline-specific competencies for professional practice in Kenya and the East African region, with pathways to postgraduate study and professional certification.
Event Catering
Specialization in Event Catering, preparing graduates for careers such as event-and-conference-manager.

A day as a student

A typical day combines morning lectures on catering management or food safety with afternoon practical kitchen sessions. Students may prepare dishes, plan menus, practise food service, conduct hygiene inspections or work on catering business projects.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's hospitality industry is growing with tourism and events
Diverse career paths across hotels, restaurants, institutions and events
Practical skills directly applicable in workplace
Entrepreneurial opportunities in catering and food service

Against it

Hospitality work often involves long hours, weekends and holidays
Entry-level roles may involve hands-on kitchen or service work
Physical demands of kitchen and service work
Industry can be affected by economic downturns and security concerns affecting tourism

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 91 hospitality & tourism courses

Public146k to 240k

146k at Kenyatta University240k at University of Nairobi

Private111k to 121k

111k at Mount Kenya University121k at Zetech University

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

UoN 240K/yr (uonbi.ac.ke), KU 146K/yr self-sponsored. MKU 111K, Zetech 121.3K/yr.

Students may access HELB loans and county bursaries. Some hotels and catering companies offer internship stipends during attachment periods.

Funding options

Higher Education Loans Board (HELB)
LoanKsh 60,000
National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF)
Bursary
County Government Bursaries
Bursary

Scholarships

5 recorded

Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) Loan
LoanKsh 60,000Kenyan
Kenyan students admitted to recognised universities
County Government Bursaries
BursaryKenyan
Residents of respective counties
Higher Education Fund (HEF)
BursaryKenyan
Kenyan undergraduate students placed by KUCCPS in public universities
Kenya Utalii College Bursary
BursaryKenyan
Students admitted to tourism and hospitality programmes at Kenya Utalii College
Tourism Training Revolution Fund
BursaryKenyan
Students pursuing tourism and hospitality training

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: C+
Alternative entry: Relevant diploma or equivalent qualification

Mathematics A/B
C+
English/Kiswahili
C+
Any Group II, III, IV or V subject
C+
Any Group II, III, IV or V subject
C+

How you are assessed

4 components

Research Project
Coursework100% of the mark
Final Examination
Coursework40% of the mark
Practical Kitchen and Service Assessments
Coursework35% of the mark
Continuous Assessment Tests (CATs)
Coursework25% of the mark

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Professional certifications from Kenya Utalii College and HACCP food safety certification enhance career prospects.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
InstitutionalRequired
Tourism Regulatory Authority (TRA)
InstitutionalRequired

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

5 roles

Catering Manager
High demandKsh 45,000 to Ksh 140,000
Manages catering operations, kitchen staff, food production and service delivery
Food and Beverage Manager
Moderate demandKsh 50,000 to Ksh 160,000
Manages food and beverage operations in hotels, restaurants and hospitality establishments
Event Catering Coordinator
Moderate demandKsh 40,000 to Ksh 120,000
Coordinates catering services for events, conferences and functions
Restaurant Manager
High demandKsh 45,000 to Ksh 130,000
Manages restaurant operations, staff, customer service and financial performance
Institutional Catering Officer
Moderate demandKsh 40,000 to Ksh 110,000
Manages catering services in institutions such as schools, hospitals and corporate cafeterias

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as catering managers, food and beverage managers, restaurant managers, event catering coordinators and institutional catering officers in hotels, restaurants, catering companies, educational institutions and hospitals.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

Opera PMS
Hotel managementPrimary
Microsoft Excel
Spreadsheet
QuickBooks
Accounting
Micros POS
Point of sale
HACCP Systems
Safety
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point food safety management systems

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Catering is just about cooking
The programme covers management, operations, food safety, nutrition, cost control and business management alongside culinary skills.
Hospitality careers are low-paying
Management roles in hospitality and catering can be well-compensated, especially in upscale hotels and corporate catering.
There are limited career opportunities in catering
Every institution needs catering services, from hotels and restaurants to schools, hospitals and corporate cafeterias.
Catering is only for those who cannot get other degrees
Catering and hospitality management is a professional qualification requiring business skills, creativity and management competence.