Diploma in Secondary Teacher Education (Humanities)
The Diploma in Secondary Teacher Education (Humanities) is a KNEC-examined programme that prepares trainees to teach humanities subjects in secondary schools. The programme is accredited by the Ministry of Education and examined by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC).
The short answer
- What it costs
- Up to Ksh 67,189 a year at a public institution, Ksh 201,567 for the whole course. Up to Ksh 46,580 a year at a private one.The detail
- Who can get in
- A KCSE mean grade of C or above, plus 1 subject grade. There is another way in without it.The detail
- How long, and when
- Takes 3 years, full-time, with 6 months of attachment. Next intake January 2027, at 3 institutions.The detail
- Where it leads
- 8 careers in the catalogue. The least exposed to AI is Early Childhood Strategist, at 10 out of 100.The detail
The programme
What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.
Overview
Trainees develop competencies in professional studies, history, geography, religious education, social studies, humanities pedagogy, special needs education, and ICT integration. The curriculum combines coursework with extensive teaching practice in secondary schools.
Kenya's education sector under the Competency Based Curriculum emphasises citizenship education, values, and social studies. The programme supports the government's humanities and social sciences education priorities.
The course is delivered through classroom sessions, field work, micro-teaching, and supervised teaching practice. Trainees develop subject mastery across multiple humanities disciplines and pedagogical skills.
Graduates qualify to teach humanities subjects in secondary schools and are eligible for employment by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). The programme provides a foundation for progression to Bachelor of Education (Arts).
This programme is suitable for individuals with a KCSE mean grade of C (plain) who aspire to become secondary school humanities teachers.
What you study
8 subjects- Professional Studies
- History
- Geography
- Religious Education
- Social Studies
- Humanities Pedagogy
- Special Needs Education
- ICT in Education
Modules
8 in the programmeProfessional Studies I
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Introduces educational psychology, learning theories, adolescent development, and principles of teaching and learning.
History for Secondary Teaching
Year 1Semester 14 creditsCore
Covers African and world history content with teaching methodology for secondary school history instruction.
Geography for Secondary Teaching
Year 1Semester 14 creditsCore
Covers physical and human geography content with teaching methodology for secondary school geography.
Religious Education for Secondary Teaching
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers CRE and IRE content with teaching methodology for secondary school religious education.
Social Studies for Secondary Teaching
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers social studies content integrating history, geography, and civics with teaching methodology.
Humanities Teaching Methodology
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Develops pedagogical skills for teaching humanities subjects including inquiry-based learning and field methods.
Special Needs Education
Year 1Semester 12 creditsCore
Introduces special needs education and inclusive teaching practices for humanities classrooms.
ICT Integration in Education
Year 1Semester 12 creditsCore
Develops skills in integrating ICT tools into humanities teaching.
Specialisations
History Teaching
Focuses on teaching African and world history in secondary schools.
Geography Teaching
Specialises in teaching physical and human geography.
Religious Education Teaching
Covers teaching CRE and IRE in secondary schools.
Social Studies Teaching
Focuses on integrated social studies instruction.
A day as a student
A typical day includes morning history and geography content sessions, followed by afternoon religious education and social studies, and pedagogy workshops where trainees practise lesson planning and teaching demonstrations across humanities subjects.
The trade-offs
| In its favour | Against it |
|---|---|
| Broad humanities qualification enables teaching multiple subjects. | Covering multiple humanities subjects requires extensive reading. |
| TSC employment provides job security and pension benefits. | Marking essays across multiple subjects is time-consuming. |
| Clear progression to Bachelor of Education (Arts). | — |
What it costs
Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.
What it costs, and where
Against 243 education coursesAnnual 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
Public TTC 67,189/yr (KUCCPS). Private: MIT TTC 46.6K/yr (mitttc.ac.ke).
HELB loans, KUCCPS capitation, and county bursaries are available for eligible students.
Funding options
HELB Loan
KUCCPS Government Capitation
County Bursary
Scholarships
2 recordedHELB Loan
LoanKsh 60,000Kenyan
Kenyan students in teacher training colleges
KUCCPS Government Capitation
ScholarshipKsh 30,000Kenyan
KUCCPS-placed students in public teacher training colleges
Scholarships you could apply for
1 usable where it is taught- Moringa School Craftbyte Scholarship
QuarterlyFullMoringa School
Full software development course
Getting in
The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.
What you need
KCSE C- (minus) for candidates with disabilities.
When it next starts
Taught at 3 institutionsIncluding Kagumo Teachers Training College, Kibabii Diploma Teachers Training College, Lugari Diploma Teachers Training College.
Including Kagumo Teachers Training College, Kibabii Diploma Teachers Training College, Lugari Diploma Teachers Training College.
Including Kagumo Teachers Training College, Kibabii Diploma Teachers Training College, Lugari Diploma Teachers Training College.
How you are assessed
3 componentsKNEC Year I Summative Assessment
Written examination70% of the mark
Year I summative assessment covering professional studies and humanities content.
KNEC Year II Summative Assessment
Written examination70% of the mark
Year II summative assessment covering advanced content and pedagogy.
Teaching Practice Assessment
Practicum30% of the mark
Assessment of teaching practice in secondary schools.
Accreditation
Kenya National Examinations Council
AcademicRequired
KNEC examines and certifies the Diploma in Secondary Teacher Education (Humanities).
Ministry of Education
AcademicRequired
Ministry of Education regulates teacher training colleges.
Examined by KNEC and regulated by the Ministry of Education. Curriculum designs developed by KICD. Graduates must register with TSC.
Where it leads
The roles it opens, and what you leave with.
Where graduates go
4 rolesSecondary School History Teacher
High demandKsh 35,000 to Ksh 65,000
Teaches history in secondary schools under the CBC curriculum.
Secondary School Geography Teacher
High demandKsh 35,000 to Ksh 65,000
Teaches geography in secondary schools under the CBC curriculum.
Secondary School CRE Teacher
High demandKsh 35,000 to Ksh 65,000
Teaches Christian Religious Education in secondary schools.
Private School Humanities Teacher
High demandKsh 28,000 to Ksh 55,000
Teaches humanities subjects in private secondary schools.
Graduate outcomes
Graduates qualify to teach humanities subjects in secondary schools and are eligible for TSC employment.
Where these fields lead
8 careers- Early Childhood StrategistEducation10Low exposure
- Special Needs EducatorEducation10Low exposure
- Career Guidance CounselorEducation11Low exposure
- Early Literacy SpecialistEducation14Low exposure
- STEM Laboratory EducatorEducation14Low exposure
- TVET Competency AssessorEducation14Low exposure
- Vocational Workshop InstructorEducation14Low exposure
- Montessori EducatorEducation15Low exposure
Certifications
Industry links
Common misconceptions
Humanities teaching is easier than science teaching.
Humanities teaching requires critical analysis, extensive reading, and sophisticated pedagogical skills.
There are no jobs for humanities teachers.
History, geography, and religious education are core subjects with consistent demand in secondary schools.
Diploma teachers cannot teach in secondary schools.
Diploma teachers are professionally qualified and TSC-registered for secondary teaching.
Humanities is just memorisation.
Humanities involves critical thinking, analysis, interpretation, and understanding of complex social phenomena.