Business

Bachelor of Science in Co-operative Management

The Bachelor of Science in Co-operative Management is a programme that provides comprehensive training in co-operative business management, microfinance and community-based enterprise development. Offered at the Co-operative University of Kenya and other institutions, the programme prepares graduates for careers in co-operative societies, microfinance institutions and community development.

The curriculum covers co-operative theory, co-operative management, co-operative law, microfinance management, savings and credit management, financial management, accounting, marketing, human resource management, project management, community development, entrepreneurship, business statistics, research methods and a research project. Students develop management and financial skills for co-operative enterprises.

Kenya's co-operative movement, one of the largest in Africa, and the growth of microfinance create strong demand for co-operative management graduates. The programme is offered through lectures, case studies, field visits, industrial attachment and research projects.

Graduates are prepared for careers as co-operative managers, microfinance officers, SACCO managers, credit officers, project managers, community development officers, financial controllers and co-operative consultants. They work in SACCOs, co-operative societies, microfinance institutions, NGOs, government and consulting firms.

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Admission requires KCSE mean grade C+ with C+ in Mathematics and English. KUCCPS Cluster 2.

Prospective students should have strong analytical skills, a commitment to continuous learning, and an interest in contributing to Kenya's socio-economic development. The programme provides a solid foundation for further postgraduate study and professional advancement in related fields.

Duration: 4 years
Public, up to: Ksh 285,500
Private, up to: Ksh 140,000
Job market: High

The programme

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

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time, Part-time
Attachment: 3 months
Average class: 50 students
Award: Bachelor

What you study

10 subjects

Co-operative Theory
Co-operative Management
Co-operative Law
Microfinance Management
Savings and Credit Management
Financial Management
Accounting
Project Management
Community Development
Entrepreneurship

Modules

10 in the programme

Co-operative Theory
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Principles of co-operation. The module covers theoretical foundations, practical applications and industry-relevant skills, assessed through continuous assessment tests, coursework and end-of-semes...
Co-operative Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Managing co-operative enterprises. The module covers theoretical foundations, practical applications and industry-relevant skills, assessed through continuous assessment tests, coursework and end-o...
Co-operative Law
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Legal framework for co-operatives. The module covers theoretical foundations, practical applications and industry-relevant skills, assessed through continuous assessment tests, coursework and end-o...
Microfinance Management
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Microfinance operations. The module covers theoretical foundations, practical applications and industry-relevant skills, assessed through continuous assessment tests, coursework and end-of-semester...
Savings and Credit Management
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
SACCO operations. The module covers theoretical foundations, practical applications and industry-relevant skills, assessed through continuous assessment tests, coursework and end-of-semester examin...
Financial Management
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Financial management. The module covers theoretical foundations, practical applications and industry-relevant skills, assessed through continuous assessment tests, coursework and end-of-semester ex...
Accounting
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Financial accounting. The module covers theoretical foundations, practical applications and industry-relevant skills, assessed through continuous assessment tests, coursework and end-of-semester ex...
Project Management
Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore
Project planning and management. The module covers theoretical foundations, practical applications and industry-relevant skills, assessed through continuous assessment tests, coursework and end-of-...
Community Development
Year 3Semester 33 creditsCore
Community development practice. The module covers theoretical foundations, practical applications and industry-relevant skills, assessed through continuous assessment tests, coursework and end-of-s...
Research Project
Year 4Semester 16 creditsCore
Final year research project. The module covers theoretical foundations, practical applications and industry-relevant skills, assessed through continuous assessment tests, coursework and end-of-seme...

Specialisations

Co-operative Audit
Co-operative auditing. 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.
SACCO Management
SACCO operations. 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.
Community Development
Community development. 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.
Microfinance
Microfinance management. 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

A typical day involves attending co-operative management lectures, studying co-operative law, analysing SACCO financial statements, learning microfinance operations, working on community development projects, researching co-operative trends, and preparing for industrial attachment.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya has one of Africa's strongest co-operative movements
Specialised skills for SACCOs and microfinance sector
Growing demand for professional co-operative managers

Against it

Limited to co-operative and microfinance sectors
May require additional certification for banking roles
Some SACCO positions may have modest salaries

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 331 business courses

Public184k to 286k

184k at Kenyatta University286k at University of Nairobi

Private105k to 140k

105k at Mount Kenya University140k 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

KU B.Com:183.6K. UoN B.Com:285.5K. MKU:105K. Zetech:140K

HELB loans are available for eligible students. County bursaries and NGAAF provide additional support.

Funding options

HELB Loan
County Bursaries
NGAAF Bursary

Scholarships

3 recorded

Higher Education Fund (HEF)
BursaryKenyan
Kenyan undergraduate students placed by KUCCPS in public universities
County Government Bursaries
BursaryKsh 30,000Kenyan
Kenyan students from participating counties
Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) Loan
LoanKsh 60,000Kenyan
Kenyan undergraduate students

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 C+ in Mathematics and English. Diploma in co-operative management, business, banking or related field from a recognised institution. KUCCPS Cluster 2.

Mathematics
C+
English
C+

How you are assessed

4 components

Industrial Attachment
Practicum10% of the mark
3-month attachment at SACCO or MFI
End of Semester Examinations
Written examination50% of the mark
End of semester written exams
Continuous Assessment Tests
Cat30% of the mark
Regular tests, assignments and case studies
Research Project
Project10% of the mark
Final year research project

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Offered at the Co-operative University of Kenya and other institutions. Admission requires KCSE mean grade C+ with C+ in Mathematics and English. KUCCPS Cluster 2.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education
AcademicRequired
Statutory body responsible for accreditation of university programmes in Kenya

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

5 roles

Project Manager
Moderate demandKsh 110,000 to Ksh 300,000
Project management
SACCO Manager
High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 250,000
SACCO management
Credit Officer
High demandKsh 80,000 to Ksh 200,000
Credit management
Co-operative Manager
High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 280,000
Co-operative management
Microfinance Officer
High demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 230,000
Microfinance operations

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as co-operative managers, SACCO managers and microfinance officers in SACCOs, co-operative societies and microfinance institutions.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

QuickBooks
AccountingPrimary
Accounting for co-operative societies
SAP FICO
Erp/accountingPrimary
Financial management for co-operative enterprises
Microsoft Excel
Spreadsheet
Financial analysis and member data management
Sage
Accounting
Accounting software for co-operative societies
Power BI
Data visualization
Business intelligence for co-operative performance
SPSS
Statistical analysis
Statistical analysis for co-operative research

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Co-operative management is just about SACCOs.
The programme covers microfinance, community development, project management and entrepreneurship.
Co-operatives are outdated.
Kenya's co-operative movement is one of the strongest in Africa with growing membership.
This degree has limited career options.
Graduates work in SACCOs, microfinance, NGOs, government and banking.
Co-operative management is less rigorous than business administration.
The programme covers similar business subjects with additional co-operative specialisation.