Social Sciences

Master of Arts in Development Studies

The Master of Arts in Development Studies is a postgraduate programme offered at eleven Kenyan universities, providing advanced training in development theory, policy, and practice. The programme prepares graduates to analyse, design, and implement development interventions that address poverty, inequality, governance, and sustainability challenges in Kenya and the Global South.

The curriculum covers development theory, research methodology, development policy analysis, project planning and management, governance and development, gender and development, sustainable development, and contemporary development issues including climate change, urbanisation, and social policy. Students examine the economic, social, political, and environmental dimensions of development from local to global perspectives.

Admission requires a bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline with at least an Upper Second Class Honours from a recognised university. Applicants with a Lower Second Class Honours and relevant work experience may also be considered. The programme is offered through full-time and part-time modes over two years, with some institutions offering evening, weekend, and online options.

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE) and delivered through various faculties and schools across the eleven institutions. These include public universities such as the University of Nairobi, JKUAT, Moi University, and private institutions such as Catholic University of Eastern Africa and Mount Kenya University.

Career prospects include roles in development management, policy analysis, project management, research, consultancy, and academia. Graduates work in non-governmental organisations, government agencies, international development organisations, research institutions, faith-based organisations, and private sector development consultancies.

The programme addresses Kenya's persistent development challenges and the growing need for skilled professionals who can navigate the complex landscape of development policy and practice. With devolution, sustainable development goals, and expanding development partnerships, demand for development studies expertise spans public, private, and civil society sectors.

Skills Required

Development theory and analysis
Development policy analysis
Project planning and management
Research methods in development
Monitoring and evaluation
Governance and development
Gender and development
Sustainable development planning
Resource mobilisation and grant writing
Development advocacy and communication

Key Subjects

Development Theory
Research Methods in Development
Development Policy Analysis
Project Planning and Management
Governance and Development
Gender and Development
Sustainable Development
Social Policy and Financing
Climate Change and Development
Development Economics

Certifications

International Development Evaluation Certification
Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification
Monitoring and Evaluation Certification
CODESRIA Membership

Specializations

Development Policy and Planning

Focuses on development policy formulation, planning processes, and policy analysis at local, national, and international levels.

Project Management

Covers planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of development projects, including results-based management and logical framework approaches.

Governance and Development

Examines governance frameworks, decentralisation, public participation, and the relationship between governance and development outcomes.

Gender and Community Development

Addresses gender dimensions of development, women's empowerment, community mobilisation, and inclusive development practices.

Peace, Security and Development

Explores the intersection of peace, security, conflict, and development, including post-conflict reconstruction and peace-building.

Economic Development

Focuses on economics of development, public policy, global poverty, trade, and economic growth strategies for developing countries.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 266,500
Private, up to: Ksh 220,800
Job market: High

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time, Part-time, Evening, Weekend, Online
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 25 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Development Theory
Research Methods in Development
Development Policy Analysis
Project Planning and Management
Governance and Development
Gender and Development
Sustainable Development
Social Policy and Financing
Climate Change and Development
Development Economics

Modules

11 in the programme

Development Theory
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Classical and contemporary theories of development, including modernisation, dependency, world systems, and post-development theories.
Theory and Design of Development
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Design of development interventions, including programme design, theory of change, and results frameworks for development planning.
Methods of Development Research
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Quantitative and qualitative research methods for development research, including survey design, participatory methods, and data analysis.
Development Policy Analysis
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Analysis of development policy frameworks, policy processes, and the translation of research into policy recommendations.
Project Planning and Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of development projects, including logical framework and results-based management.
Governance and Development
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Governance frameworks, decentralisation, public participation, accountability, and the relationship between governance and development.
Gender and Development
Year 1Semester 23 creditsElective
Gender dimensions of development, including women's empowerment, gender mainstreaming, and addressing gender-based inequalities.
Sustainable Development
Year 1Semester 23 creditsElective
Principles and practices of sustainable development, including environmental sustainability, climate change, and SDGs.
Development Economics
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Economic dimensions of development, including growth theories, poverty economics, trade, and development financing.
Social Policy and Financing
Year 2Semester 33 creditsElective
Social policy frameworks, social protection, health and education financing, and their role in development.
Thesis / Research Project
Year 2Semester 412 creditsCore
Independent research thesis or project paper on a development studies topic, conducted under faculty supervision and assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Development Policy and Planning
Focuses on development policy formulation, planning processes, and policy analysis at local, national, and international levels.
Project Management
Covers planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of development projects, including results-based management and logical framework approaches.
Governance and Development
Examines governance frameworks, decentralisation, public participation, and the relationship between governance and development outcomes.
Gender and Community Development
Addresses gender dimensions of development, women's empowerment, community mobilisation, and inclusive development practices.
Peace, Security and Development
Explores the intersection of peace, security, conflict, and development, including post-conflict reconstruction and peace-building.
Economic Development
Focuses on economics of development, public policy, global poverty, trade, and economic growth strategies for developing countries.

A day as a student

A typical day begins with morning lectures on development theory, policy analysis, or research methods, followed by seminar discussions on contemporary development challenges in Kenya and Africa. Afternoons involve project design workshops, case study analyses, or research methodology sessions. Students regularly engage with guest practitioners from UNDP, World Bank, NGOs, and government agencies. Field visits to development projects provide practical exposure. Independent reading, assignment writing, and thesis research occupy significant time, with regular consultations with faculty supervisors. Evening and weekend options accommodate working professionals in the development sector.

The trade offs

In its favour

Offered at 11 institutions across Kenya, providing the widest choice of any master's programme in terms of location, cost, and institutional culture.
High demand for development professionals driven by Kenya's devolved governance, active NGO sector, and international development partnerships.
Flexible study modes including full-time, part-time, evening, weekend, and online options at various institutions.
Wide range of tuition fees from KES 100,000/year at public universities, making it accessible to diverse income levels.

Against it

Quality and focus vary significantly across 11 institutions, requiring careful institutional selection.
Broad curriculum may lack depth in specific specialisations compared to more focused programmes.
Some employers may prioritise practical development experience over academic qualifications.
Private university fees can be significantly higher than public institutions, though MKU is relatively affordable.

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 241 social sciences courses

Public100k to 267k

100k at Kisii University267k at University of Nairobi

Private131k to 221k

131k at Mount Kenya University221k at Daystar 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 100K/yr (brochure). UoN IDS ~266.5K/yr. MKU 131.1K/yr. Daystar 220.8K/yr (fee PDF).

HELB offers postgraduate loans for Kenyan students. UNDP and international development agencies may provide research grants and scholarship support. CODESRIA offers research grants for African scholars. Individual universities may offer institutional financial aid.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
UNDP Research Grants
CODESRIA Research Grants

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan citizens pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities. Applicants must meet HELB eligibility criteria.
CODESRIA Research Grant
ScholarshipKsh 400,000
African social science researchers and postgraduate students supported by CODESRIA's research capacity building programmes.
UNDP Development Fellowships
ScholarshipKsh 300,000
Development professionals and students may access UNDP-supported fellowship and training programmes.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: The programme is open to graduates from diverse disciplines including development studies, economics, social sciences, education, agriculture, health, and environmental sciences. A postgraduate diploma plus relevant work experience may be considered for non-standard entry. The programme is offered through full-time, part-time, evening, weekend, and online modes depending on the institution.

How you are assessed

4 components

Continuous Assessment
Coursework40% of the mark
Ongoing assessment through assignments, seminar presentations, project design exercises, and research critiques throughout each semester.
End-of-Semester Examination
Examination60% of the mark
Written examination conducted at the end of each semester for each course unit.
Thesis / Research Project
Project100% of the mark
Independent research thesis or project paper on a development studies topic, assessed through written submission and oral defence.
Fieldwork Assessment
Practical30% of the mark
Assessment of practical development skills through field visits, community needs assessments, and project design exercises.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE), Kenya's statutory body for university quality assurance. All eleven offering institutions are CUE-accredited universities.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Statutory accreditation required for all university programmes in Kenya. All eleven offering institutions are CUE-accredited universities.
International Organization for Cooperation in Evaluation (IOCE)
Professional alignment
Global network of evaluation organisations. Graduates working in development evaluation should align with IOCE member standards.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

5 roles

Development Programme Manager
High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 300,000
Manages development programmes for NGOs, international organisations, or government agencies, overseeing planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Policy Analyst
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 250,000
Analyses development policy, conducts research, and provides recommendations to government, NGOs, and international development agencies.
Development Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 110,000 to Ksh 320,000
Provides advisory services on development strategy, programme design, and evaluation for organisations and government agencies.
Research Officer
Moderate demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 230,000
Conducts research on development issues for research institutions, think tanks, and international development agencies.
Project Coordinator
High demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 220,000
Coordinates development projects for NGOs and community organisations, managing teams, budgets, and stakeholder relationships.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers in development management, policy analysis, project management, research, consultancy, and academia across NGOs, government agencies, international organisations, and research institutions.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

SPSS
Research softwarePrimary
Statistical analysis software for development research, survey data analysis, and programme evaluation.
NVivo
Research softwarePrimary
Qualitative data analysis software for analysing interview data, focus group discussions, and participatory research findings.
Microsoft Project
Project management
Project management software for planning, scheduling, and tracking development project activities and budgets.
Google Forms
Data collection
Online survey tool for baseline surveys, needs assessments, and programme monitoring data collection.
EndNote
Reference management
Reference management software for organising citations and bibliographies in academic writing and thesis preparation.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Development studies is just about charity work.
The programme involves rigorous academic study of development theory, policy analysis, economics, research methods, and project management for professional development practice.
Graduates can only work in NGOs.
Graduates work in government, international organisations, private sector consultancies, research institutions, academia, and social enterprises, not only NGOs.
Development studies is not relevant in Kenya's middle-income economy.
Kenya faces persistent development challenges including poverty, inequality, regional disparities, and governance issues requiring skilled development professionals.
The programme is only for those with social science backgrounds.
The programme is open to graduates from diverse disciplines including economics, agriculture, education, health, and environmental sciences.
Development studies has limited career prospects compared to business degrees.
Kenya's devolved governance, active NGO sector, and international development partnerships create strong demand for development professionals with competitive salaries.
All universities offer the same development studies curriculum.
While sharing common foundations, each institution offers different specialisations, delivery modes, and thematic emphases reflecting their institutional strengths.