Environmental Science

Master of Arts in Environmental Governance (Women, Children & Nature Rights)

The Master of Arts in Environmental Governance (Women, Children & Nature Rights) at the University of Nairobi is a unique two-year postgraduate programme offered by the Faculty of Law. It addresses the intersection of gender, generational equity, and environmental governance, focusing on the rights of women, children, and nature within environmental decision-making frameworks.

The programme equips learners with multidisciplinary and transformative skills to facilitate meaningful participation of women and children in environmental governance and the protection of nature's rights. It draws on legal, social scientific, and environmental perspectives to address global environmental crises through an African lens.

Students engage with core concepts including environmental governance, women's rights in environmental contexts, children's rights, and nature's rights. The curriculum integrates indigenous knowledge systems, gender justice, and environmental justice frameworks, preparing graduates to critique existing paradigms and formulate alternative governance approaches.

Elective modules allow specialisation in areas such as corporate environmental responsibility, marine governance, urban sustainability, biodiversity, and climate change livelihoods. A research project equivalent to four units enables students to conduct original research applying critical and contextual approaches to environmental governance challenges.

The programme is delivered through face-to-face, e-learning, and blended learning modes, accommodating diverse student needs. Teaching methods include seminars, experiential field exercises, and group assignments, fostering practical engagement with environmental governance issues.

Graduates are prepared for roles in environmental policy, natural resource governance, gender and environmental advocacy, research, and academia. The programme's accreditation by the Commission for University Education ensures recognition across Kenya and the wider East African region.

Skills Required

Environmental Governance
Environmental Law and Policy
Research Methodology
Gender and Environmental Justice
Women's Rights Advocacy
Children's Rights in Environmental Contexts
Indigenous Knowledge Systems
Climate Change Policy
Corporate Environmental Responsibility
Transformative Jurisprudence

Key Subjects

Environmental Governance
Women's Rights in Environmental Governance
Children's Rights in Environmental Governance
Nature's Rights in Environmental Governance
Advanced Research Methodology
Gender, Generational and Environmental Justice
Indigenous Knowledge and Customary Practices
Corporate Responsibility and Environmental Social Governance
Disaster and Risk Management Policies
Livelihoods and Climate Change

Certifications

NEMA Registered Environmental Associate Practitioner
Environmental Institute of Kenya Membership

Specializations

Women's Rights in Environmental Governance

Focuses on women's access, use, and ownership of natural resources, and their meaningful participation in environmental decision-making.

Children's Rights in Environmental Governance

Examines the intersection of children's rights with environmental governance, recognising children as stakeholders in environmental sustainability.

Nature's Rights and Environmental Jurisprudence

Explores the emerging field of nature's rights in environmental law, developing transformative jurisprudence for environmental protection.

Corporate Environmental Responsibility

Covers corporate social responsibility and environmental social governance frameworks in the context of environmental sustainability.

Marine and Ocean Governance

Focuses on governance frameworks for marine and ocean resources, addressing sustainability challenges in blue economy contexts.

Climate Change and Livelihoods

Examines the intersection of climate change impacts and community livelihoods, exploring policy responses and adaptation strategies.

Urban Sustainability Governance

Addresses environmental governance challenges in urban contexts, including sustainable urbanisation and environmental planning.

Indigenous Knowledge and Environmental Governance

Explores the role of indigenous knowledge and customary practices in environmental governance and natural resource management.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 426,000
Job market: Moderate

The programme

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

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time, Part-time, Blended, Online
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 15 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Environmental Governance
Women's Rights in Environmental Governance
Children's Rights in Environmental Governance
Nature's Rights in Environmental Governance
Advanced Research Methodology
Gender, Generational and Environmental Justice
Indigenous Knowledge and Customary Practices
Corporate Responsibility and Environmental Social Governance
Disaster and Risk Management Policies
Livelihoods and Climate Change

Modules

12 in the programme

Advanced Research Methodology
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers quantitative and qualitative research methodologies for conducting original research in environmental governance and related fields.
Environmental Governance
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines frameworks, principles, and institutions of environmental governance at local, national, and international levels.
Women's Rights in Environmental Governance
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Focuses on women's access, use, and ownership of natural resources, and their meaningful participation in environmental decision-making.
Children's Rights in Environmental Governance
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines the intersection of children's rights with environmental governance, recognising children as stakeholders in environmental sustainability.
Nature's Rights in Environmental Governance
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Explores the emerging field of nature's rights in environmental law, developing transformative jurisprudence for environmental protection.
Indigenous Knowledge and Customary Practices in Environmental Governance
Year 1Semester 23 creditsElective
Explores the role of indigenous knowledge systems and customary practices in environmental governance and natural resource management.
Gender, Generational and Environmental Justice
Year 1Semester 23 creditsElective
Examines the intersection of gender, generational equity, and environmental justice, addressing systemic inequalities in environmental governance.
Corporate Responsibility and Environmental Social Governance
Year 1Semester 23 creditsElective
Covers corporate social responsibility and environmental social governance frameworks, addressing private sector environmental accountability.
Seminars in Research Design
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Advanced seminars on research design, preparing students for their research project through proposal development and methodological refinement.
Disaster and Risk Management Policies and Practices
Year 2Semester 13 creditsElective
Examines disaster risk management policies and practices in the context of environmental governance and climate change.
Livelihoods and Climate Change
Year 2Semester 13 creditsElective
Explores the intersection of climate change impacts and community livelihoods, examining policy responses and adaptation strategies.
Research Project
Year 2Semester 212 creditsCore
Original research project equivalent to four units, applying critical and contextual approaches to environmental governance challenges.

Specialisations

Women's Rights in Environmental Governance
Focuses on women's access, use, and ownership of natural resources, and their meaningful participation in environmental decision-making.
Children's Rights in Environmental Governance
Examines the intersection of children's rights with environmental governance, recognising children as stakeholders in environmental sustainability.
Nature's Rights and Environmental Jurisprudence
Explores the emerging field of nature's rights in environmental law, developing transformative jurisprudence for environmental protection.
Corporate Environmental Responsibility
Covers corporate social responsibility and environmental social governance frameworks in the context of environmental sustainability.
Marine and Ocean Governance
Focuses on governance frameworks for marine and ocean resources, addressing sustainability challenges in blue economy contexts.
Climate Change and Livelihoods
Examines the intersection of climate change impacts and community livelihoods, exploring policy responses and adaptation strategies.
Urban Sustainability Governance
Addresses environmental governance challenges in urban contexts, including sustainable urbanisation and environmental planning.
Indigenous Knowledge and Environmental Governance
Explores the role of indigenous knowledge and customary practices in environmental governance and natural resource management.

A day as a student

A typical day involves attending seminars on environmental governance, women's rights, or nature's rights at the Faculty of Law. Students engage in case study discussions, analyse environmental policies and legal frameworks, and participate in group assignments on environmental justice issues. Those in the research phase spend time conducting fieldwork in communities affected by environmental challenges, collecting data for their research project, and working in the library on literature reviews and policy analysis.

The trade offs

In its favour

Unique programme addressing the critical intersection of gender, generational equity, and environmental governance in an African context.
Multidisciplinary approach accepts graduates from diverse fields including law, environmental sciences, gender studies, and human rights.
Offered at the University of Nairobi, Kenya's premier public university, with competitive public university fee rates.
Flexible delivery modes including face-to-face, e-learning, and blended learning accommodate working professionals.

Against it

Only one institution in Kenya offers this exact programme, limiting choice and geographic accessibility.
Niche focus on women, children, and nature rights may limit broader environmental career opportunities compared to general environmental management programmes.
Programme is relatively new, meaning limited alumni networks and established career pathways compared to more traditional environmental programmes.
Fee structure is not directly published for this specific programme, requiring estimation based on similar Faculty of Law programmes.

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 181 environmental science courses

Public187k to 426k

187k at Moi University426k 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 ~KES 426K/yr (wmi.uonbi.ac.ke). Moi ~KES 187K/yr. Private unverified.

Funding options include HELB postgraduate loans for Kenyan students, UoN postgraduate bursaries for demonstrated financial need, and the MasterCard Foundation Scholars Programme for academically talented Africans.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
UoN Postgraduate Bursary
MasterCard Foundation Scholars Programme

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
UoN Postgraduate Bursary
ScholarshipKsh 50,000Kenyan
Postgraduate students demonstrating financial need at the University of Nairobi.
MasterCard Foundation Scholars Programme
ScholarshipKsh 400,000
Academically talented young Africans facing economic, social, or institutional barriers.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: Holders of a Pass degree in the specified areas plus a Postgraduate Diploma in a relevant field and two years of relevant experience may be considered. Holders of a Pass degree with five years of relevant experience may also apply.

How you are assessed

4 components

Continuous Assessment Tests
Coursework40% of the mark
CATs, seminar presentations, group assignments, and case study analyses conducted throughout each semester.
Final Examination
Examination60% of the mark
End-of-semester examination covering all module content, including policy analysis and legal reasoning questions.
Research Project
Research100% of the mark
Original research project equivalent to four units, assessed through written submission and oral defence.
Seminar Participation
Coursework30% of the mark
Active participation in seminars including presentations, debates, and critical discussions on environmental governance topics.

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE), ensuring recognition across Kenya and the wider East African region. The programme is offered by the Faculty of Law at the University of Nairobi.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Statutory accreditation for all Kenyan universities and their degree programmes.
National Environment Management Authority
Professional registration
Kenyan environmental regulatory body. Registration as an environmental associate practitioner is recommended for professional practice.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Environmental Policy Analyst
Moderate demandKsh 80,000 to Ksh 200,000
Analyses and develops environmental policies for government agencies, NGOs, and international organisations. NEMA environmental officers earn approximately KES 89,000 per month.
Environmental Lawyer
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 250,000
Practises environmental law, advising on compliance, litigation, and policy advocacy. NEMA lawyers earn approximately KES 150,000 per month.
Gender and Environmental Advocacy Officer
Moderate demandKsh 70,000 to Ksh 180,000
Works with NGOs and international organisations advocating for gender-responsive environmental governance and women's participation in natural resource management.
Sustainability Manager
High demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 220,000
Develops and implements sustainability strategies for corporations, ensuring compliance with environmental social governance standards.
University Lecturer
Moderate demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 200,000
Teaches environmental law, governance, or policy courses at universities, contributing to training the next generation of environmental professionals.
Environmental Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 80,000 to Ksh 200,000
Provides advisory services on environmental compliance, impact assessments, and governance frameworks to public and private sector clients.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue roles in environmental policy, natural resource governance, gender and environmental advocacy, research, and academia across Kenya's growing environmental governance sector.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

SPSS
SoftwarePrimary
Statistical software used for research data analysis in environmental governance studies.
GIS Software
SoftwarePrimary
Geographic Information Systems for spatial analysis of environmental data and natural resource mapping.
Microsoft Excel
Software
Used for data management, policy analysis, and project planning in environmental governance work.
NVivo
Software
Qualitative data analysis software for analysing text-based research data in environmental governance studies.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Environmental governance is only about conservation and tree planting.
The programme covers legal frameworks, policy analysis, gender justice, corporate responsibility, and transformative jurisprudence in environmental decision-making.
The programme is only for law graduates.
The programme is multidisciplinary, accepting graduates from environment, physical and biological sciences, natural resource management, gender studies, human rights, and social science-related fields.
Women and children's rights are peripheral to environmental governance.
The programme centres women and children as key stakeholders in environmental governance, recognising their disproportionate vulnerability to environmental degradation and their critical role in sustainable resource management.
Nature's rights is a fringe legal concept with no practical application.
Nature's rights is an emerging field in environmental jurisprudence with growing recognition in international law and environmental governance frameworks globally.
Environmental governance has limited career prospects in Kenya.
Growing environmental regulation, climate change policy, ESG compliance, and natural resource management create demand for qualified environmental governance professionals across public, private, and NGO sectors.
The programme is purely theoretical with no practical engagement.
The programme includes experiential field exercises, seminars, and a research project that requires practical engagement with environmental governance challenges in real-world contexts.