Business

Diploma in Marketing

This Level 5 competency-based programme prepares students to sell, promote, and market products and services for businesses, combining traditional selling skills with modern digital marketing. It trains marketing assistants, sales representatives, and customer-service staff who help organisations reach and win customers in a competitive market.

Students learn to apply marketing principles, understand consumer behaviour, sell effectively, plan and run promotions and advertising, run digital and social-media marketing, carry out basic market research, deliver customer service, set prices and distribution, and support brand and marketing campaigns. They also develop skills in communication, numeracy, digital literacy, and entrepreneurship central to selling and marketing.

These skills matter because every business, SACCO, NGO, and county enterprise needs to reach customers, build loyalty, and grow sales. Graduates help organisations understand their markets, communicate value, win and retain customers, and compete using both face-to-face selling and digital channels. Their work drives revenue, jobs, and business growth across the economy.

The programme blends classroom teaching, digital-marketing labs, sales role-plays, market-research exercises, and a supervised industrial attachment with a marketing department, sales team, or agency. Assessment is competency-based, with learners judged on demonstrating real marketing and selling skills.

Graduates pursue careers as marketing assistants, sales representatives, digital-marketing assistants, customer-service assistants, and promotions staff in businesses, SMEs, agencies, and retail, with progression to higher marketing qualifications.

The programme is ideal for outgoing, communicative, business-minded students who enjoy selling and engaging customers and want a practical route into marketing and sales careers.

Duration: 3 years
Public, up to: Ksh 67,189
Private, up to: Ksh 107,700
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: 45 students
Award: Diploma

What you study

8 subjects

Marketing Principles and the Marketing Mix
Consumer Behaviour and Market Segmentation
Personal Selling and Sales Techniques
Digital and Social-Media Marketing
Advertising, Promotion and Brand Support
Market Research and Customer Insight
Customer Service and Relationship Management
Pricing, Distribution and Retail Marketing

Modules

12 in the programme

Principles of Marketing
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Marketing concepts, the marketing mix, market segmentation, and the role of for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Marketing Planning and Strategy
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Developing marketing plans, setting objectives, analysing the market and competition.
Consumer and Buyer Behaviour
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Understanding customer needs, buying behaviour, decision-making for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Brand Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Building, positioning, and protecting brands, brand identity for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Personal Selling and Sales Techniques
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
The selling process, prospecting, sales presentations, handling objections for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Product Management and the Product Life Cycle
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Managing products from launch through growth and maturity, product mix decisions.
Digital and Social-Media Marketing
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Websites, email, SEO basics, social-media marketing, content creation for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Integrated Marketing Campaigns
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Planning and coordinating campaigns across digital, print, broadcast for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Digital Marketing Management
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Managing websites, social media, email, paid ads, SEO, and e-commerce for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Advertising, Promotion and Public Relations
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Planning advertising and sales promotions, choosing media, basic PR for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Sales and Marketing Analytics
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Tracking sales, market share, and campaign performance, using spreadsheets and dashboards.
Market Research and Customer Insight
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Designing simple surveys, collecting and analysing customer and competitor data.

Specialisations

Personal Selling and Field Sales
Selling products and services, building customer relationships, and meeting sales targets, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.
Customer Service and Retail Marketing
Delivering service, handling complaints, merchandising, and managing retail customer relationships, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.
Market Research and Customer Insight
Designing surveys, analysing customer and competitor data, and turning insight into decisions, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards.
Digital and Social-Media Marketing
Running websites, email, social media, and online advertising and measuring digital results, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.
Advertising and Brand Promotion
Planning advertising, promotions, and brand campaigns and maintaining consistent brand presentation, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.

A day as a student

A typical day blends theory with hands-on marketing practice. Mornings cover lectures on marketing principles, consumer behaviour, selling, advertising, and digital marketing. Afternoons shift to practical exercises and digital labs, where students run sales role-plays, plan promotions, create social-media posts and simple ads, design basic market-research surveys, and analyse customer data. Students also role-play customer-service scenarios. During industrial attachment, they work with a marketing department, sales team, or agency, applying selling, digital-marketing, and customer-service skills in a real business.

The trade offs

In its favour

Every business needs marketing and sales, so marketing assistants and sales reps are in steady demand across sectors.
Combines traditional selling with high-demand digital-marketing skills, opening many career paths.
Lower entry bar (KCSE D+) widens access, with progression to Level 6 and diploma marketing qualifications.
Strong self-employment and commission potential through sales, social-media management, and small trading businesses.

Against it

Sales targets and commission-based roles can be pressurised, with performance closely measured.
Entry-level marketing pay is modest until experience, results, and further qualifications are built.

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

Public56k to 67k

56k at Kisii University67k at Public TVET colleges

Private108k to 108k

108k at Kabarak University108k at Kabarak 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

Kisii 56,420, TVET 67,189/yr; Kabarak 107,700/yr (scholarmedia.africa, kabarak.ac.ke).

Funding is available through the HELB TVET loan, NG-CDF and county government bursaries, the Mastercard Foundation TVET scholarship, and government capitation for public TVET students.

Funding options

HELB TVET Loan
NG-CDF Bursary
Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program

Scholarships

5 recorded

Government TVET Capitation
GrantKsh 30,000Kenyan
Kenyan student placed in a public TVET institution; subsidised tuition through government capitation.
HELB TVET/Diploma Loan
LoanKsh 60,000Kenyan
Kenyan citizen enrolled in an accredited TVET institution; financial need.
NG-CDF Bursary
BursaryKsh 15,000Kenyan
Resident of the constituency; needy student in a TVET programme.
Mastercard Foundation TVET Scholars Program
SponsorshipKsh 67,000Kenyan
Kenyan youth from disadvantaged backgrounds; TVET business programme; academic promise.
County Government Bursaries
BursaryKsh 20,000Kenyan
Resident of the county; business student; financial need.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: KCSE mean grade D+ (Plus)
Alternative entry: A relevant Level 4 certificate, a Craft Certificate in Business or Sales, or an equivalent qualification from a recognised institution. Prior learning and experience may be assessed for entry.

English or Kiswahili
D (plain)
Mathematics
D (plain)

How you are assessed

5 components

Marketing Project
Project10% of the mark
A supervised project such as a marketing plan, campaign, or market-research study for a real or simulated business.
Final Competency Assessment (KNEC/CDACC)
Exam20% of the mark
Final practical and theory competency assessment administered and certified for the Level 5 qualification.
Practical and Digital-Marketing Demonstrations
Practicum40% of the mark
Competency-based assessment where learners demonstrate selling, promotions, social-media, and research skills against CDACC standards.
Industrial Attachment Assessment
Practicum10% of the mark
Assessment of competencies demonstrated during supervised workplace attachment, verified by the employer and trainer.
Theory Assessments
Cat20% of the mark
Written assessments covering marketing principles, consumer behaviour, selling, and digital-marketing theory.

Accreditation

A competency-based qualification quality-assured by TVETA, with curriculum and assessment developed by the Curriculum Development, Assessment and Certification Council (CDACC) and certification by KNEC.

Accredited by

Technical and Vocical Education and Training Authority
NationalRequired
Mandatory accreditation for TVET institutions and programmes in Kenya.
Kenya National Examinations Council
NationalRequired
Administers competency assessment and issues certification for TVET Level 5 qualifications.
Curriculum Development, Assessment and Certification Council
NationalRequired
Develops the competency-based curriculum and assessment tools for this Level 5 qualification.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

5 roles

Marketing Assistant
High demandKsh 28,000 to Ksh 60,000
Supports marketing campaigns, promotions, events, and digital content for businesses, SMEs, and agencies.
Promotions / Brand Assistant
Medium demandKsh 28,000 to Ksh 60,000
Runs in-store and event promotions and supports brand activities for consumer-goods and retail companies.
Digital-Marketing Assistant
High demandKsh 30,000 to Ksh 65,000
Runs social media, email, and online content, and tracks digital-marketing results for businesses and agencies.
Sales Representative
High demandKsh 30,000 to Ksh 80,000
Sells products and services, builds customer relationships, and meets sales targets for FMCG, retail, and service firms.
Customer-Service Assistant
Medium demandKsh 28,000 to Ksh 55,000
Handles customer enquiries, complaints, and service for retail, telecoms, and service companies.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as marketing assistants, sales representatives, digital-marketing assistants, customer-service assistants, and promotions staff in businesses, SMEs, agencies, and retail, with progression to higher marketing qualifications.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

Google Analytics
Analytics softwarePrimary
Web analytics platform for tracking marketing performance
Hootsuite
Social media managementPrimary
Social media management platform for marketing campaigns
Canva
Design software
Graphic design tool for marketing materials
Microsoft Excel
Data analysis
Spreadsheet for marketing data analysis and reporting

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Marketing is just advertising and posting on social media.
Marketing covers strategy, consumer behaviour, pricing, distribution, research, and selling, with digital channels as one part of the mix.
Sales jobs are low-status and commission-only.
Skilled sales and marketing staff are among the most valued employees, with salaries, bonuses, and clear progression into management.
Level 5 qualifications only lead to low-level jobs.
Graduates enter marketing and sales roles and can progress to Level 6 and diploma qualifications, building long-term marketing careers.
You must be a natural talker to do marketing.
Marketing needs listening, analysis, creativity, and digital skills, which the competency-based training develops step by step.