Master of Arts in Economic Policy and Management
<p>The Master of Arts in Economic Policy and Management is a postgraduate programme offered by the University of Nairobi through the School of Economics. The programme provides advanced training in economic policy formulation, implementation, and management, preparing graduates for leadership roles in economic policy across government, private sector, and international organisations.
The short answer
- What it costs
- Up to Ksh 304,500 a year at a public institution, Ksh 609,000 for the whole course. Up to Ksh 130,000 a year at a private one.The detail
- Who can get in
- A KCSE mean grade of N/A (Postgraduate) or above. There is another way in without it.The detail
- How long, and when
- Takes 2 years, full-time, part-time, with 0 months of attachment. Next intake January 2027, at 7 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
The programme combines economic theory with management principles, equipping students with the analytical and managerial tools needed to design, implement, and oversee economic policies. Students develop competence in policy analysis, economic management, public finance, project evaluation, and strategic decision-making in economic contexts.
Core areas of study include microeconomic and macroeconomic theory, econometrics, public finance, monetary economics, international trade, development economics, project appraisal, and economic management. The programme emphasises the practical application of economic theory to policy management challenges.
The University of Nairobi's School of Economics is the largest economics faculty in Kenya and East Africa, with over 50 academic staff members organised across three departments: Economic Theory, Applied Economics, and Mathematics and Quantitative Economics. The school has strong links with government ministries, the Central Bank, and international organisations.
The programme is designed for economics graduates and professionals seeking advanced training for management roles in economic policy. Students complete two years of full-time study comprising coursework, examinations, and a project paper, with one intake per year in September.
Graduates are prepared for careers as economic policy managers, policy analysts, economic advisors, programme managers, and consultants in government ministries, central banking, international organisations, development agencies, and private sector organisations engaged in economic policy and management.
Skills Required
- Economic Policy Formulation
- Economic Management
- Microeconomic Analysis
- Macroeconomic Analysis
- Econometrics
- Public Finance Management
- Project Appraisal
- Policy Evaluation
- Strategic Economic Decision-Making
- Research Methods in Economics
Key Subjects
- Microeconomic Theory
- Macroeconomic Theory
- Econometrics
- Public Finance
- Monetary Economics
- International Trade
- Development Economics
- Project Appraisal
- Economic Management
- Research Methods in Economics
Certifications
- African Economic Research Consortium Membership
- Economics Society of Kenya Membership
Specializations
Fiscal Policy Management
Focuses on managing government taxation, spending, and debt policies, including budget formulation, tax administration, and fiscal sustainability.
Monetary Policy Management
Examines central banking operations, monetary policy implementation, financial sector regulation, and monetary policy transmission mechanisms.
Trade Policy Management
Covers management of trade policy including trade negotiations, regional integration administration, and trade facilitation programmes.
Development Policy Management
Focuses on managing development programmes, including poverty reduction strategies, development project management, and aid coordination.
Public Expenditure Management
Examines public expenditure planning, budget execution, financial accountability, and results-based management in government.
Economic Project Management
Covers project identification, appraisal, implementation, and evaluation in economic development contexts.
Financial Sector Management
Examines financial sector policy, banking regulation, financial market development, and financial stability management.
Industrial Policy Management
Focuses on industrial development policy, trade and industry strategies, and enterprise development programme management.
What you study
10 subjects- Microeconomic Theory
- Macroeconomic Theory
- Econometrics
- Public Finance
- Monetary Economics
- International Trade
- Development Economics
- Project Appraisal
- Economic Management
- Research Methods in Economics
Modules
10 in the programmeMicroeconomic Theory and Policy
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines advanced microeconomic theory and its application to policy management, including market failures, regulatory economics, and welfare analysis.
Macroeconomic Theory and Policy
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers advanced macroeconomic theory and policy management, including growth models, stabilisation policy, and macroeconomic management in developing economies.
Econometrics for Policy Analysis
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers econometric methods for policy analysis including regression analysis, programme evaluation, and impact assessment techniques.
Public Finance Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines public finance management including budget formulation, tax policy, public debt management, and fiscal sustainability analysis.
Monetary Economics and Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers monetary theory, central banking operations, monetary policy implementation, and financial sector management.
International Trade and Policy
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines international trade theory, trade policy management, regional integration, and trade negotiation strategies.
Development Economics and Management
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers development theory, poverty reduction strategies, development project management, and aid coordination mechanisms.
Project Appraisal and Evaluation
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines project identification, cost-benefit analysis, project financing, implementation monitoring, and impact evaluation techniques.
Research Methods in Economics
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers quantitative and qualitative research methodologies for conducting original economic research and policy evaluation.
Project Paper
Year 2Semester 26 creditsCore
Original research project paper on an economic policy management topic, demonstrating mastery of economic analysis and policy management, assessed through written submission.
Specialisations
Fiscal Policy Management
Focuses on managing government taxation, spending, and debt policies, including budget formulation, tax administration, and fiscal sustainability.
Monetary Policy Management
Examines central banking operations, monetary policy implementation, financial sector regulation, and monetary policy transmission mechanisms.
Trade Policy Management
Covers management of trade policy including trade negotiations, regional integration administration, and trade facilitation programmes.
Development Policy Management
Focuses on managing development programmes, including poverty reduction strategies, development project management, and aid coordination.
Public Expenditure Management
Examines public expenditure planning, budget execution, financial accountability, and results-based management in government.
Economic Project Management
Covers project identification, appraisal, implementation, and evaluation in economic development contexts.
Financial Sector Management
Examines financial sector policy, banking regulation, financial market development, and financial stability management.
Industrial Policy Management
Focuses on industrial development policy, trade and industry strategies, and enterprise development programme management.
A day as a student
A typical day involves attending lectures on economic theory, policy management, or econometrics at the University of Nairobi's School of Economics. Students engage in problem-solving sessions, policy case study discussions, and statistical analysis exercises using economic data. The programme includes computer lab sessions for econometric modelling and project appraisal. Students participate in policy management workshops, examining real-world economic management challenges. Those in the project phase conduct independent research on economic policy management topics, analysing data and working on their project paper under faculty supervision.
The trade-offs
| In its favour | Against it |
|---|---|
| Programme combines economic theory with management skills, preparing graduates for leadership roles rather than purely analytical positions. | Only one intake per year in September at UoN, limiting admission flexibility. |
| Offered at UoN's School of Economics, the largest and most established economics faculty in Kenya and East Africa. | Requires at least Upper Second Class Honours degree in Economics, excluding graduates from other disciplines. |
| Affordable fees at KES 609,000 total for a public university programme, with HELB loans and AERC scholarships available. | The programme is rigorous and quantitative, which may be challenging for students without strong mathematics backgrounds. |
| High demand for economic policy management skills across government, central banking, international organisations, and development agencies. | Large class sizes at UoN may limit individual attention from faculty compared to smaller programmes. |
What it costs
Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.
What it costs, and where
Against 331 business 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
UoN 609K/2yr=304.5K/yr(official). MKU 65K/sem*2=130K/yr(eduplace). Strathmore unverified.
Funding options include HELB postgraduate loans for Kenyan students, University of Nairobi bursaries for demonstrated financial need, and AERC Collaborative Masters scholarships for outstanding economics students from East Africa.
Funding options
HELB Postgraduate Loan
University of Nairobi Bursary
AERC Collaborative Masters Scholarship
Scholarships
3 recordedHELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
AERC Collaborative Masters Scholarship
ScholarshipKsh 300,000
Outstanding economics students from East Africa, administered through the African Economic Research Consortium.
University of Nairobi Bursary
ScholarshipKsh 50,000Kenyan
UoN students demonstrating academic merit and financial need.
Scholarships you could apply for
2 usable where it is taught- Chevening Scholarships Kenya
Closes 30 November 2026FullUK Government
Full masters in UK
- AfDB Japan Scholarship Program
Closes 28 February 2027FullAfrican Development Bank
Full graduate study abroad
Getting in
The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.
What you need
Persons with lower qualifications but with publications and postgraduate diplomas after a Bachelor degree are also considered for admission. The programme consists of 2 years of full-time study by coursework, examination, and a project paper. One intake per year in September.
When it next starts
Taught at 7 institutionsIncluding University of Nairobi, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kibabii University.
Including University of Nairobi, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kibabii University.
Including University of Nairobi, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kibabii University.
How you are assessed
4 componentsContinuous Assessment
Coursework40% of the mark
CATs, problem sets, econometric assignments, policy brief assignments, and seminar presentations conducted throughout each semester.
Final Examination
Examination60% of the mark
End-of-semester examination covering economic theory, quantitative methods, and policy management, including essay questions and problem-solving.
Policy Management Project
Practical20% of the mark
Practical assessment involving analysis of a real economic policy management challenge, demonstrating ability to apply theory to practice.
Project Paper
Research100% of the mark
Original research project paper on an economic policy management topic, demonstrating mastery of economic analysis and policy management, assessed through written submission.
Accreditation
Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Statutory accreditation for all Kenyan universities and their degree programmes.
Economics Society of Kenya
Professional membership
Kenyan professional association for economists. Membership recommended for professional networking and career development.
Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE), ensuring recognition across Kenya and the wider East African region. The programme is offered by the University of Nairobi's School of Economics, the largest economics faculty in Kenya and East Africa.
Where it leads
The roles it opens, and what you leave with.
Where graduates go
6 rolesEconomic Policy Manager
High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 350,000
Manages economic policy programmes in government ministries, development agencies, or international organisations, overseeing policy implementation and evaluation.
Economic Advisor
Moderate demandKsh 110,000 to Ksh 400,000
Advises senior government officials, organisations, or international bodies on economic policy formulation, implementation, and management.
Policy Analyst
High demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 300,000
Analyses economic policy issues and provides research and recommendations to government, think tanks, or international organisations.
Programme Manager
Moderate demandKsh 95,000 to Ksh 320,000
Manages economic development programmes for government agencies, NGOs, or international organisations, overseeing design, implementation, and evaluation.
Budget Analyst
Moderate demandKsh 80,000 to Ksh 250,000
Analyses government budgets and expenditure patterns, providing recommendations on fiscal management and resource allocation.
Development Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 350,000
Consults on development policy and programme management for international organisations, NGOs, or government agencies.
Graduate outcomes
Graduates pursue careers as economic policy managers, policy analysts, economic advisors, and programme managers in government, central banking, international organisations, and development agencies.
Where these fields lead
8 careers- Early Childhood StrategistEducation10Low exposure
- Special Needs EducatorEducation10Low exposure
- Career Guidance CounselorEducation11Low exposure
- Adolescent Mentorship OfficerSocial Sciences14Low exposure
- Early Literacy SpecialistEducation14Low exposure
- STEM Laboratory EducatorEducation14Low exposure
- TVET Competency AssessorEducation14Low exposure
- Vocational Workshop InstructorEducation14Low exposure
Tools you will learn
STATA
SoftwarePrimary
Statistical software widely used in economics for data analysis, econometric modelling, and policy evaluation.
EViews
SoftwarePrimary
Econometric software for time series analysis, forecasting, and macroeconomic modelling used in economic policy research.
R
Software
Open-source statistical programming language for data analysis, econometrics, and data visualisation in economic research.
Microsoft Excel
Software
Spreadsheet software used for economic data management, budget analysis, and financial modelling in policy management.
Industry links
Common misconceptions
Economic policy and management is just a longer version of an economics degree.
The programme specifically combines economic theory with management skills, preparing graduates for leadership roles in policy implementation rather than purely analytical positions.
This programme only leads to government jobs.
Graduates work in central banks, international organisations, development agencies, private sector companies, and consulting firms, applying policy management skills across sectors.
You need a first class degree to be admitted.
The minimum requirement is an Upper Second Class Honours degree in Economics, with equivalent qualifications from recognised institutions also accepted.
The management component makes this less rigorous than a pure economics programme.
The programme maintains the same rigorous economic theory and quantitative methods as the MA in Economics, adding management dimensions rather than replacing analytical content.
Economic policy management is only relevant to national government.
Policy management skills are applicable at county, national, and international levels, with graduates working across multiple tiers of government and in international organisations.
The programme has limited practical application.
The programme includes project appraisal, policy evaluation, and case studies of real policy management challenges, ensuring strong practical relevance.