Health Sciences

Bachelor of Science in Animal Health Management

This Bachelor's programme prepares students for professional careers in animal health management. It develops expertise in animal health, veterinary science, animal production, disease management, and animal welfare while building comprehensive skills for managing animal health and production systems.

Students analyse animal health issues, design health management strategies, implement veterinary techniques, evaluate animal health outcomes, conduct animal health research, apply biological principles, manage animal health projects, and develop sustainable animal health practices. They also strengthen analytical thinking, veterinary skills, communication, teamwork, and biological abilities.

Kenya requires animal health management to support livestock production, enhance animal welfare, and promote food security, creating demand for professionals who can work in animal health, veterinary services, livestock management, and support the agriculture and veterinary sectors.

The programme combines coursework, laboratory work, fieldwork, veterinary practice, and research. Students gain hands-on experience through animal health practice, veterinary clinics, and livestock management.

Graduates pursue careers as animal health officers, veterinary technicians, livestock managers, animal production specialists, and animal welfare officers across government agencies, veterinary clinics, livestock farms, and agricultural institutions.

The programme is ideal for students interested in animal health, veterinary science, animal production, livestock management, and animal welfare.

Duration: 4 years
Public, up to: Ksh 324,000
Job market: High

The programme

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

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time
Attachment: 6 months
Average class: 30 students
Award: Bachelor

What you study

6 subjects

Animal Health Management
Animal Health
Veterinary Science
Animal Production
Disease Management
Animal Welfare

Modules

12 in the programme

Introduction to Animal Health Management
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Comprehensive introduction to animal health management, covering animal health concepts, veterinary principles, and approaches to managing animal health.
Animal Anatomy and Physiology
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Study of animal anatomy and physiology, covering animal body systems, organ functions, and physiological processes in animals.
Animal Nutrition
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Examination of animal nutrition, covering feed composition, nutrient requirements, feeding strategies, and animal diet formulation.
Animal Diseases
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Study of animal diseases, covering disease etiology, disease transmission, disease diagnosis, and disease prevention and control.
Veterinary Pharmacology
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Development of veterinary pharmacology skills, covering veterinary drugs, drug administration, pharmacology, and veterinary therapeutics.
Animal Production
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Analysis of animal production systems, covering livestock production, animal breeding, and production management for various animal species.
Animal Parasitology
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Study of animal parasites, covering parasitic diseases, parasite life cycles, and parasite control strategies.
Animal Microbiology
Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore
Examination of animal microbiology, covering pathogenic microorganisms, microbial diseases, and microbiological diagnostic techniques.
Animal Reproduction
Year 3Semester 33 creditsCore
Study of animal reproduction, covering reproductive physiology, breeding management, and reproductive technologies in livestock.
Animal Welfare
Year 4Semester 13 creditsCore
Analysis of animal welfare principles, covering animal welfare standards, animal behavior, and ethical considerations in animal management.
Animal Health Laboratory
Year 4Semester 23 creditsCore
Practical laboratory work where students apply learned skills in veterinary diagnostics, disease testing, and animal health assessment.
Animal Health Management Project
Year 4Semester 36 creditsCore
Capstone project where students conceive, develop, and produce a major animal health project demonstrating mastery of skills.

Specialisations

General Practice
Broad foundational knowledge covering core principles and practices in the field. 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.
Animal Production
Focus on animal breeding, nutrition, and production management for various animal species. 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.
Livestock Health
Focus on livestock health management, disease control, and livestock production systems. 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.
Veterinary Technology
Specialization in veterinary diagnostics, veterinary support, and veterinary technician skills. 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.

A day as a student

Students attend lectures, conduct laboratory work, participate in fieldwork, and engage in veterinary practice.

The trade offs

In its favour

Growing demand for animal health professionals in livestock production, veterinary services, and agriculture sectors.
Opportunity to contribute to food security and animal welfare through meaningful animal health work.
Laboratory work and fieldwork provide hands-on experience with veterinary practice and animal health management.

Against it

Animal health work can involve exposure to animal diseases and challenging field conditions.
Animal health work requires continuous learning of new veterinary techniques and staying current with disease outbreaks.

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

Public275k to 324k

275k at Kenyatta University324k at University of Nairobi

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 Sch II:324K/yr. KU:275.4K/yr. Egerton:307.3K/yr. Private unverified.

Students can access HELB undergraduate loans, Universities Fund government scholarships and county government bursaries.

Funding options

HELB Undergraduate Loan
Universities Fund Government Scholarship
County Government Bursaries

Scholarships

4 recorded

TAGDev 2.0 Scholarship at Egerton University
ScholarshipKenyan
Students admitted to agriculture, natural resources and food science programmes at Egerton University
Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) Loan
LoanKsh 60,000Kenyan
Kenyan students admitted to accredited universities. Means-tested based on family income.
County Government Bursaries
GrantKsh 50,000Kenyan
Students from specific counties. Criteria vary by county.
Higher Education Fund (HEF)
GrantKsh 200,000Kenyan
Government-sponsored (KUCCPS) students in public universities. Awarded through the Higher Education Funding Model.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: C+ (plus) mean grade at KCSE
Alternative entry: Diploma holders in Animal Health, Agriculture, Animal Science, Veterinary Technology, or related fields with Credit pass from recognized institutions approved by Kenya Veterinary Board may also apply.

How you are assessed

4 components

Laboratory Assessments
Practicum100% of the mark
Evaluation of veterinary skills, diagnostic work, and practical applications through animal health practice and laboratory work.
End of Semester Examinations
Exam70% of the mark
Comprehensive written examinations at the end of each semester testing understanding of animal health, veterinary science, and animal production.
Continuous Assessment Tests
Cat30% of the mark
Regular tests, assignments, and animal health exercises throughout the semester evaluating animal health knowledge and practical skills.
Research Project
Project100% of the mark
Independent research project on animal health topic, demonstrating mastery of animal health theory and practice.

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). The programme is offered at Egerton University. Graduates working in veterinary-related roles may register with the Kenya Veterinary Board (KVB) for professional recognition.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
NationalRequired
CUE accredits all university programmes in Kenya. This programme must be offered by a CUE-accredited university.
Kenya Veterinary Board (KVB)
Professional
Graduates working in veterinary-related roles may register with KVB for professional recognition as animal health technicians.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

5 roles

Animal Health Officer
High demandKsh 50,000 to Ksh 110,000
Manage animal health programs, implement disease control measures, and support animal health in government and private sectors.
Animal Production Specialist
Medium demandKsh 48,000 to Ksh 105,000
Specialize in animal production systems, breeding programs, and production management for various animal species.
Animal Welfare Officer
Medium demandKsh 44,000 to Ksh 95,000
Monitor animal welfare, enforce welfare standards, and support animal welfare in various settings.
Veterinary Technician
High demandKsh 48,000 to Ksh 105,000
Assist veterinarians, conduct diagnostic tests, provide animal care, and support veterinary services.
Livestock Manager
High demandKsh 46,000 to Ksh 100,000
Manage livestock operations, coordinate animal production, and support livestock farming and management.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work in animal health management, veterinary services, and livestock production across Kenya's agriculture and veterinary sectors.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

Microsoft Excel
SoftwarePrimary
Spreadsheet for herd health records, disease surveillance data and farm management.
SPSS
SoftwarePrimary
Statistical analysis software for epidemiological research and animal health data analysis.
R
Software
Programming language for epidemiological modelling and statistical analysis.
QGIS
Software
GIS software for disease mapping, surveillance and spatial epidemiology.
KoboToolbox
Software
Mobile data collection tool for field surveys and animal health assessments.

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Animal Health Management is the same as Veterinary Medicine.
This programme focuses on animal health management, disease control and livestock production. Veterinary Medicine is a separate, longer degree leading to qualification as a veterinary surgeon.
Graduates can treat animals as veterinarians.
Graduates work as animal health management officers under the supervision of registered veterinary surgeons. They cannot practise as full veterinarians without further training.
The programme is only available at multiple universities.
Only Egerton University offers this exact programme in Kenya, as confirmed by KUCCPS.
Career opportunities are limited to veterinary clinics.
Graduates work in veterinary departments, pharmaceutical companies, meat processing firms, dairy enterprises, research institutions and NGOs.
The programme focuses only on disease treatment.
The programme covers animal health management, disease prevention, herd health, animal welfare, livestock production and food safety.
Animal Health Management is a business degree.
While the programme includes management principles, it is fundamentally a science degree focused on animal health, disease control and livestock production.