Engineering

Bachelor of Science in Science - Water Engineering

The Bachelor Of Science In Science - Water Engineering is a degree programme that equips students with knowledge and skills in in science - water engineering. The programme falls under the Engineering & Technology category and typically spans 4 years of full-time study at accredited Kenyan universities.

The curriculum covers Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics, Hydrology and Water Resources, Water Supply and Water Treatment, Wastewater Treatment and Sanitation, Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, Dam Engineering and Hydraulic Structures. Students engage with both theoretical foundations and practical applications, developing competencies in technical and analytical competencies. The coursework is designed to build progressive understanding from foundational concepts to advanced topics.

Throughout the programme, students study Flood Control and Watershed Management, Final Water Engineering Research Project or Dissertation, Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, Environmental Engineering and Waste Management, Groundwater Engineering and Water Quality. The teaching approach combines lectures, laboratory practicals, tutorials, assignments and independent research projects. This blend ensures graduates can apply theoretical knowledge to real-world problems in their field.

The programme offers specialisations in Dam and Hydraulic Structures, Groundwater and Water Resources, Sanitation and Wastewater Engineering. Students can focus their studies on areas of particular interest, allowing them to tailor their degree to specific career goals. The flexibility enables graduates to pursue diverse professional paths within the sector.

Graduates of the Bachelor Of Science In Science - Water Engineering pursue careers as Irrigation Engineer / Drainage Engineer, Environmental Engineer / Engineering Consultant, Dam Engineer / Hydraulic Engineer, Water Engineer / Water Resources Engineer. They find employment in various sectors including government agencies, private companies, research institutions, non-governmental organisations and academic institutions. The degree opens doors to both local and international opportunities.

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE) and offered at recognised universities across Kenya. Students benefit from industry attachments, fieldwork and practical training that complement classroom learning and enhance employability upon graduation.

Duration: 4 years
Public, up to: Ksh 441,000
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: 25 students
Award: Bachelor

What you study

10 subjects

Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics
Hydrology and Water Resources
Water Supply and Water Treatment
Wastewater Treatment and Sanitation
Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Dam Engineering and Hydraulic Structures
Groundwater Engineering and Water Quality
Flood Control and Watershed Management
Environmental Engineering and Waste Management
Water Engineering Research Methods

Modules

12 in the programme

Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Engineering mathematics, fluid mechanics, hydraulics, open channel flow, pipe flow, pumps, pumping stations, understanding hydraulics, and supporting hydraulic engineering.
Hydrology and Water Resources
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Hydrology, hydrological cycle, rainfall, runoff, streamflow, water resources, watershed management, understanding hydrology, and supporting water resources engineering.
Water Supply and Water Treatment
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Water supply systems, water treatment, coagulation, filtration, disinfection, distribution networks, understanding water supply, and supporting water supply engineering.
Wastewater Treatment and Sanitation
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Wastewater treatment, sewerage, sanitation, sewage treatment, effluent management, understanding sanitation, and supporting sanitation engineering.
Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Irrigation engineering, irrigation systems, sprinkler irrigation, drip irrigation, drainage, water management, understanding irrigation, and supporting irrigation engineering.
Dam Engineering and Hydraulic Structures
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Dam engineering, hydraulic structures, spillways, weirs, gates, reservoirs, understanding dams, and supporting hydraulic structure engineering.
Groundwater Engineering and Water Quality
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Groundwater engineering, wells, boreholes, aquifer management, water quality, water quality management, water quality testing, and supporting groundwater and water quality engineering.
Flood Control and Watershed Management
Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore
Flood control, erosion control, watershed management, stormwater management, understanding flood control, and supporting flood and watershed engineering.
Environmental Engineering and Waste Management
Year 3Semester 33 creditsCore
Environmental engineering, waste management, GIS, remote sensing, sustainability, understanding environmental, and supporting environmental engineering.
Engineering Economics, CAD and Research Methods
Year 4Semester 13 creditsCore
Engineering economics, entrepreneurship, CAD, engineering drawing, safety, occupational health, research methods, and supporting engineering practice.
Industrial Attachment
Year 4Semester 23 creditsCore
Supervised industrial attachment at a water utility, engineering consulting firm, construction company, or government water project, applying water engineering skills.
Final Water Engineering Research Project or Dissertation
Year 4Semester 36 creditsCore
Final year water engineering research project or dissertation, assessed through written report and oral defence.

Specialisations

Sanitation and Wastewater Engineering
Specialises in wastewater treatment, sewerage, sanitation, effluent management, and supporting sanitation engineering.
Irrigation and Drainage
Concentrates on irrigation systems, drainage, water management, and supporting irrigation engineering.
Water Supply and Treatment
Focuses on water supply systems, water treatment, distribution networks, and supporting water supply engineering.
Dam and Hydraulic Structures
Focuses on dam engineering, hydraulic structures, spillways, reservoirs, and supporting hydraulic structure engineering.
Groundwater and Water Resources
Concentrates on groundwater engineering, wells, boreholes, aquifer management, water resources, and supporting groundwater and water resources engineering.

A day as a student

A typical day starts with a morning lecture on hydraulics, water treatment, or hydrology, followed by laboratory work, field surveys, or design projects. Students work on water system designs, treatment plant designs, hydraulic structure designs, dam designs, irrigation designs, water quality tests, GIS exercises, and water engineering research. Laboratory work for water quality and treatment, field visits to water treatment plants and dams, and industrial attachment at a water utility, consulting firm, or construction project provide practical experience.

The trade offs

In its favour

High demand — water security, sanitation, irrigation, and dam construction create strong demand for water engineers.
National priority — water and sanitation are government priorities with significant investment in infrastructure.
Versatile career — graduates work in water utilities, consulting, construction, irrigation, government, and NGOs.

Against it

Field work intensive — water engineering involves working at dams, treatment plants, and water projects in various conditions.
Demanding programme — requires strong mathematics and physics with heavy coursework.
Long registration process — EBK registration requires years of supervised practice after graduation.

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 332 engineering courses

Public200k to 441k

200k at Technical University of Kenya441k 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 Eng 441K/yr Y1 (engineering.uonbi.ac.ke); TUK 199.5K/yr (tukenya.ac.ke). Private: unverified.

Students can access HELB undergraduate loans, Universities Fund government scholarships, and county government bursaries. Some water utilities, irrigation agencies, and development agencies offer scholarships for water engineering students.

Funding options

HELB Undergraduate Loan
Universities Fund Government Scholarship
County Government Bursaries

Scholarships

5 recorded

Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) Student Scholarships
ScholarshipKenyan
Student members of IEK pursuing accredited engineering programmes
KCDF More Girls for Engineering Opportunities
ScholarshipKenyan
Young women from disadvantaged backgrounds pursuing engineering
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.
Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program
SponsorshipKsh 500,000
Academically talented but economically disadvantaged African students at partner universities.

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 with credit pass in Water Engineering, Civil Engineering, or related fields from recognised institutions may join.

Mathematics
C+ (plus)
Physics
C+ (plus)
Chemistry
C (plain)
English or Kiswahili
C (plain)

How you are assessed

5 components

End of Semester Examinations
Exam40% of the mark
Comprehensive written examinations covering hydraulics, hydrology, water treatment, sanitation, irrigation, and dam engineering.
Project / Practical Assessment
Practicum20% of the mark
Assessment of water system designs, treatment plant designs, hydraulic structure designs, dam designs, and water quality tests.
Continuous Assessment Tests
Cat30% of the mark
Regular tests, assignments, problem sets, and laboratory exercises throughout the semester.
Industrial Attachment Report
Practicum5% of the mark
Assessment of industrial attachment at a water utility, consulting firm, or construction project. Includes logbook, supervisor evaluation, and written report.
Final Water Engineering Research Project or Dissertation
Research5% of the mark
Final year water engineering research project or dissertation, assessed through written report and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). EBK registration is mandatory for professional engineering practice. WRA and NEMA regulations govern water and environmental engineering practice.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education
NationalRequired
CUE accredits all university programmes in Kenya. EBK registration is mandatory for professional engineering practice. WRA and NEMA regulations govern water and environmental engineering practice.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

5 roles

Irrigation Engineer / Drainage Engineer
Medium demandKsh 60,000 to Ksh 230,000
Designs irrigation systems, manages drainage, supports water management, and supporting irrigation engineering.
Environmental Engineer / Engineering Consultant
Medium demandKsh 65,000 to Ksh 280,000
Manages environmental compliance, provides consulting, advises on water systems, and supporting environmental and consulting engineering.
Dam Engineer / Hydraulic Engineer
Medium demandKsh 65,000 to Ksh 280,000
Designs dams, manages hydraulic structures, supports reservoirs, and supporting dam and hydraulic engineering.
Water Engineer / Water Resources Engineer
High demandKsh 60,000 to Ksh 250,000
Designs water systems, manages water resources, supports water infrastructure, and supports water engineering.
Sanitation Engineer / Water Treatment Engineer
Medium demandKsh 60,000 to Ksh 230,000
Designs treatment plants, manages water treatment, supports sanitation, and supporting water treatment and sanitation engineering.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as water engineers, water resources engineers, and sanitation engineers. Water engineering is in high demand driven by water security and sanitation. Starting salaries range from KES 60,000 to 100,000 per month, with experienced engineers earning KES 120,000 to 300,000. Water utilities, WRA, NIA, county governments, water works development agencies, consulting firms, construction companies, and NGOs offer the main opportunities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

Oscilloscope and Multimeter
EquipmentPrimary
Electronic test instruments for circuit analysis, signal measurement, and fault diagnosis
Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC)
EquipmentPrimary
Industrial computers for automating manufacturing processes, including Siemens, Allen-Bradley, and Mitsubishi PLCs
Calibration Instruments
EquipmentPrimary
Pressure calibrators, temperature calibrators, and signal generators for instrument calibration
SCADA and HMI Software
Software
Supervisory control and data acquisition software for process monitoring and control
Megger Insulation Tester
TestingPrimary
For testing insulation resistance in electrical installations

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Water engineering is just about pipes and plumbing.
This programme covers hydrology, hydraulics, water treatment, sanitation, irrigation, dams, groundwater, water quality, and environmental engineering. It's a comprehensive water engineering discipline.
Water engineers only work for water companies.
Graduates work in water utilities, consulting firms, construction companies, irrigation authorities, government ministries, county governments, NGOs, and as independent consultants.
Water engineering has limited career prospects.
Water security, sanitation, irrigation expansion, and dam construction create strong demand for qualified water engineers in Kenya.
This programme has limited career opportunities.
Graduates pursue diverse career paths across multiple sectors in Kenya and internationally.