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Environmental Science

Bachelor of Science in Science Disaster Management and Sustainable Development

This Bachelor's programme prepares students for professional careers in disaster management and sustainable development. It develops expertise in disaster risk reduction, emergency management, sustainable development, environmental policy, and resilience planning while building comprehensive skills for managing disasters and development challenges effectively.

Students analyse disaster management needs, design disaster strategies, implement emergency management techniques, evaluate development performance, conduct research, apply ethical principles, manage disaster projects, and develop sustainable development practices. They also strengthen analytical thinking, disaster management skills, communication, teamwork, and environmental abilities.

Kenya requires disaster management and sustainable development to support disaster resilience, enhance emergency response, and promote sustainable development, creating demand for professionals who can work in disaster risk reduction, emergency management, sustainable development, and support the environmental and development sectors.

The programme combines coursework, disaster practice, case studies, research projects, and development training. Students gain hands-on experience through disaster risk reduction, emergency management, and sustainable development.

Graduates pursue careers as disaster managers, emergency managers, sustainable development officers, environmental consultants, and resilience planners across government departments, environmental agencies, development organizations, and consulting firms.

The programme is ideal for students interested in disaster management and sustainable development, disaster risk reduction, emergency management, sustainable development, and resilience planning.

Duration
4 years
Public, up to
Ksh 153,000
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
  • Disaster Management and Sustainable Development
  • Disaster Risk Reduction
  • Emergency Management
  • Sustainable Development
  • Environmental Policy
  • Resilience Planning

Modules

12 in the programme

  • Introduction to Disaster Management and Sustainable Development

    Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

    Comprehensive introduction to disaster management and sustainable development, covering disaster concepts, development principles, and approaches to resilience planning.

  • Disaster Risk Reduction

    Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

    Study of disaster risk reduction, covering risk assessment, risk mitigation, disaster prevention, and risk management.

  • Emergency Management

    Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore

    Examination of emergency management, covering emergency response, crisis management, emergency communication, and emergency coordination.

  • Sustainable Development

    Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore

    Study of sustainable development, covering development principles, sustainable practices, environmental sustainability, and social sustainability.

  • Environmental Policy

    Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore

    Analysis of environmental policy, covering policy development, environmental legislation, regulatory frameworks, and policy implementation.

  • Resilience Planning

    Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore

    Development of resilience planning skills, covering resilience assessment, adaptation planning, community resilience, and resilience building.

  • Disaster Response

    Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore

    Study of disaster response, covering response operations, disaster recovery, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief.

  • Climate Adaptation

    Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore

    Examination of climate adaptation, covering adaptation strategies, climate resilience, adaptation planning, and adaptation implementation.

  • Strategic Management

    Year 3Semester 33 creditsCore

    Study of strategic management, covering strategic analysis, strategy formulation, and strategic implementation in disaster context.

  • Disaster Ethics

    Year 4Semester 13 creditsCore

    Analysis of ethical issues in disaster management, covering humanitarian ethics, environmental ethics, and ethical decision-making in disaster practice.

  • Disaster Management and Sustainable Development Practice

    Year 4Semester 23 creditsCore

    Practical disaster work where students apply learned skills in disaster risk reduction, emergency management, and sustainable development.

  • Disaster Management and Sustainable Development Research Project

    Year 4Semester 36 creditsCore

    Independent research project on disaster or development topic, demonstrating mastery of disaster management and sustainable development theory and practice.

Specialisations

  • Emergency Management

    Specialization in emergency response, crisis management, and disaster recovery. 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.

  • Sustainable Development

    Focus on development principles, sustainable practices, and environmental sustainability. 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.

  • Disaster Risk Reduction

    Focus on risk assessment, risk mitigation, and disaster prevention for disaster risk reduction careers.

  • 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.

A day as a student

Students attend lectures, conduct disaster risk reduction, participate in case studies, and engage in emergency management.

The trade offs

In its favour

  • Growing focus on disaster management and sustainable development due to climate change and environmental challenges.
  • Disaster management offers diverse career opportunities in government, environmental agencies, and development organizations.
  • Disaster risk reduction and emergency management provide hands-on experience with sustainable development and resilience planning.

Against it

  • Disaster work often involves fieldwork in challenging environments and exposure to emergency situations.
  • Disaster management requires understanding of complex disaster systems and development challenges.

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 181 environmental science courses
Public153k to 153k
153k at Kenyatta University153k at Kenyatta 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 arts-based 153K/yr (ku.ac.ke). UoN & private: unverified for this specific course.

HELB loans available for eligible students. Some universities offer scholarships based on academic performance.

Funding options

  • Higher Education Loans Board (HELB)

Scholarships

3 recorded

  • Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) Loan

    LoanKsh 60,000Kenyan

    Kenyan students admitted to recognised universities demonstrating financial need.

  • Higher Education Fund (HEF)

    Government fundingKenyan

    Kenyan students in public universities under the new funding model based on financial need assessment.

  • County Government Bursaries

    BursaryKenyan

    Residents of respective counties pursuing undergraduate studies

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 Environmental Science, Disaster Management, Development Studies, or related fields with Credit pass from recognized institutions may also apply.

  • Biology/Biological Sciences

    C+

  • Chemistry

    C

  • Geography/Mathematics

    C

  • English/Kiswahili

    C

How you are assessed

4 components

  • Continuous Assessment Tests

    Cat30% of the mark

    Regular tests, assignments, and disaster exercises throughout the semester evaluating knowledge and practical skills.

  • End of Semester Examinations

    Exam70% of the mark

    Comprehensive written examinations at the end of each semester testing understanding of disaster risk reduction, emergency management, and sustainable development.

  • Research Project

    Project100% of the mark

    Independent research project on disaster or development topic, demonstrating mastery of disaster management and sustainable development theory and practice.

  • Fieldwork Assessments

    Practicum100% of the mark

    Evaluation of disaster management skills, fieldwork, and practical applications through disaster risk reduction and case studies.

Accreditation

Accredited by Commission for University Education (CUE).

Accredited by

  • Commission for University Education

    NationalRequired

    Mandatory accreditation for all university programmes in Kenya.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

5 roles

  • Sustainable Development Officer

    High demandKsh 52,000 to Ksh 115,000

    Support sustainable development, implement development programs, and work in environmental sustainability and social sustainability.

  • Emergency Manager

    High demandKsh 56,000 to Ksh 125,000

    Manage emergency operations, develop emergency strategies, and coordinate crisis management and emergency coordination.

  • Disaster Manager

    High demandKsh 54,000 to Ksh 120,000

    Manage disaster operations, develop disaster strategies, and coordinate disaster risk reduction and emergency response.

  • Resilience Planner

    High demandKsh 54,000 to Ksh 120,000

    Support resilience planning, develop resilience strategies, and work in community resilience and resilience building.

  • Environmental Consultant

    High demandKsh 56,000 to Ksh 125,000

    Provide environmental expertise, consult on disaster strategy, and support organizations in environmental improvement.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work in disaster management and sustainable development across Kenya's environmental and development sectors.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

  • Microsoft Excel

    SpreadsheetPrimary

  • Power BI

    AnalyticsPrimary

  • QuickBooks

    Accounting

  • SAP

    Enterprise

  • Google Workspace

    Cloud

  • ChatGPT / Claude

    Ai

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

  • This programme has limited career opportunities.

    Graduates pursue diverse career paths across multiple sectors in Kenya and internationally.

  • The programme is only for top-performing students.

    While academic excellence is valued, the programme accepts students meeting the minimum KCSE requirements and supports diverse learners.

  • Graduates cannot find employment in Kenya.

    Kenya's growing economy creates demand for qualified graduates across public, private, and NGO sectors.

  • The degree is not recognised internationally.

    The programme is accredited by CUE and is recognised under regional and international qualification frameworks.

Related courses

Further reading

Keep this

Fees and entry marks for Bachelor of Science in Science Disaster Management and Sustainable Development are restated every intake. Save it and the app keeps this version, so you can see what changed when it does.

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