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Environmental Science

Bachelor of Science in Science Disaster Risk Management and Sustainable Development

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

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

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

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

Graduates pursue careers as disaster risk 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 risk management and sustainable development, disaster risk assessment, risk mitigation, emergency management, 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 Risk Management and Sustainable Development
  • Disaster Risk Assessment
  • Risk Mitigation
  • Emergency Management
  • Sustainable Development
  • Resilience Planning

Modules

12 in the programme

  • Introduction to Disaster Risk Management and Sustainable Development

    Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

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

  • Disaster Risk Assessment

    Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

    Study of disaster risk assessment, covering risk analysis, hazard identification, vulnerability assessment, and risk evaluation.

  • Risk Mitigation

    Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore

    Examination of risk mitigation, covering risk reduction, disaster prevention, mitigation strategies, and risk management.

  • Emergency Management

    Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore

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

  • Sustainable Development

    Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore

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

  • 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 risk management, covering humanitarian ethics, environmental ethics, and ethical decision-making in disaster practice.

  • Disaster Risk Management and Sustainable Development Practice

    Year 4Semester 23 creditsCore

    Practical disaster work where students apply learned skills in disaster risk assessment, risk mitigation, and sustainable development.

  • Disaster Risk Management and Sustainable Development Research Project

    Year 4Semester 36 creditsCore

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

Specialisations

  • Risk Mitigation

    Specialization in risk reduction, disaster prevention, and mitigation strategies. 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 Assessment

    Focus on risk analysis, hazard identification, and vulnerability assessment for disaster risk assessment 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 assessment, participate in case studies, and engage in risk mitigation.

The trade offs

In its favour

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

Against it

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

  • End of Semester Examinations

    Exam70% of the mark

    Comprehensive written examinations at the end of each semester testing understanding of disaster risk assessment, risk mitigation, and sustainable development.

  • Continuous Assessment Tests

    Cat30% of the mark

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

  • Research Project

    Project100% of the mark

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

  • Fieldwork Assessments

    Practicum100% of the mark

    Evaluation of disaster risk management skills, fieldwork, and practical applications through disaster risk assessment 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.

  • Environmental Consultant

    High demandKsh 56,000 to Ksh 125,000

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

  • Disaster Risk Manager

    High demandKsh 54,000 to Ksh 120,000

    Manage disaster risk operations, develop risk strategies, and coordinate disaster risk assessment and risk mitigation.

  • Emergency Manager

    High demandKsh 56,000 to Ksh 125,000

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

  • Resilience Planner

    High demandKsh 54,000 to Ksh 120,000

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

Graduate outcomes

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

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

  • Google Workspace

    Cloud

  • Microsoft Excel

    SpreadsheetPrimary

  • Power BI

    AnalyticsPrimary

  • QuickBooks

    Accounting

  • SAP

    Enterprise

  • 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 Risk 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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