Education

Master of Arts in Peace Education

The Master of Arts in Peace Education is a postgraduate programme that builds the capacity of educators to contribute to educational, social, and cultural change through peace education. The programme prepares graduates for roles in peace education, conflict transformation, and social cohesion in educational institutions and communities.

Core areas include peace education theory, conflict resolution, peacebuilding, human rights education, democracy education, nonviolence, and research methods. Students engage with both peace studies theory and educational practice.

The programme is offered by the University of Nairobi through its Department of Educational Studies. The programme is delivered through Open, Distance and e-Learning (ODeL) mode with limited face-to-face residential sessions.

Students develop competencies in peace education, conflict transformation, human rights education, peace curriculum development, and peace research. The programme includes coursework, examinations, research project, and oral defence.

UoN tuition is KES 13,000 per unit with total programme cost of KES 306,000 (~KES 153,000/year). The programme consists of 14 taught units plus a research project (4 units), totalling 18 units. Entry requires a Bachelor's degree with at least Second Class Honours Lower Division in a relevant field.

Graduates pursue careers as peace educators, conflict resolution officers, human rights educators, peace programme managers, and community peace builders in schools, NGOs, government, and international organisations.

Skills Required

Peace Education Theory and Practice
Conflict Resolution and Transformation
Peacebuilding and Reconciliation
Human Rights Education
Democracy and Citizenship Education
Nonviolence and Peace Advocacy
Peace Curriculum Development
Research Methods in Peace Education
Community Peace Building
Intercultural Dialogue and Mediation

Key Subjects

Peace Education Theory
Conflict Resolution and Transformation
Peacebuilding and Reconciliation
Human Rights Education
Democracy and Citizenship Education
Nonviolence and Peace Advocacy
Research Methods in Peace Education
Peace Curriculum Development
Intercultural Education
Community Peace Building

Certifications

UNESCO Peace Education Certification
NCIC Peace Building Certification

Specializations

Peace Education in Schools

Focuses on peace education in schools, peace curriculum, pedagogy, classroom conflict, and promoting peace and nonviolence in educational settings.

Conflict Resolution

Examines conflict resolution, mediation, negotiation, dialogue, and resolving conflicts in educational and community settings.

Human Rights Education

Covers human rights education, children's rights, democracy education, citizenship, and promoting human rights in educational settings.

Peacebuilding

Focuses on peacebuilding, post-conflict reconstruction, reconciliation, transitional justice, and building peace in conflict-affected communities.

Community Peace Building

Examines community peace building, intercommunal dialogue, social cohesion, community conflict, and building peace in communities.

Nonviolence and Social Change

Covers nonviolence, social movements, peace advocacy, activism, and using nonviolent approaches for social and educational change.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 153,000
Private, up to: Ksh 191,050
Job market: Moderate

The programme

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

Practicalities

Study mode: Blended, Online
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 20 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Peace Education Theory
Conflict Resolution and Transformation
Peacebuilding and Reconciliation
Human Rights Education
Democracy and Citizenship Education
Nonviolence and Peace Advocacy
Research Methods in Peace Education
Peace Curriculum Development
Intercultural Education
Community Peace Building

Modules

12 in the programme

Foundations of Peace Education
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines peace education foundations, concepts, theory, approaches, pedagogy, and understanding peace education as a field of study and practice.
Conflict Analysis and Resolution
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers conflict analysis, conflict theory, causes, dynamics, resolution, mediation, negotiation, and analysing and resolving conflicts.
Human Rights Education
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines human rights education, children's rights, women's rights, democracy, citizenship, and promoting human rights in educational settings.
Peacebuilding and Reconciliation
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers peacebuilding, post-conflict reconstruction, reconciliation, transitional justice, forgiveness, and building peace in conflict-affected communities.
Research Methods in Peace Education
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines research methods, design, data collection, analysis, and conducting research in peace education, preparing students for their project.
Nonviolence and Social Change
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers nonviolence, nonviolent movements, peace advocacy, activism, social change, and using nonviolent approaches for social and educational change.
Democracy and Citizenship Education
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines democracy education, citizenship, civic education, participation, and promoting democracy and citizenship in educational settings.
Peace Curriculum Development
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers peace curriculum development, materials, pedagogy, assessment, and developing peace education curricula for schools and institutions.
Intercultural Education and Dialogue
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines intercultural education, intercultural dialogue, diversity, tolerance, multiculturalism, and promoting intercultural understanding in educational settings.
Community Peace Building
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers community peace building, intercommunal dialogue, social cohesion, community conflict, and building peace in communities.
Gender, Peace and Security
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines gender, peace and security, women and peace, gender-based violence, UNSCR 1325, and understanding gender dimensions of peace and conflict.
Research Project
Year 2Semester 24 creditsCore
Original research project on a peace education topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Peace Education in Schools
Focuses on peace education in schools, peace curriculum, pedagogy, classroom conflict, and promoting peace and nonviolence in educational settings.
Conflict Resolution
Examines conflict resolution, mediation, negotiation, dialogue, and resolving conflicts in educational and community settings.
Human Rights Education
Covers human rights education, children's rights, democracy education, citizenship, and promoting human rights in educational settings.
Peacebuilding
Focuses on peacebuilding, post-conflict reconstruction, reconciliation, transitional justice, and building peace in conflict-affected communities.
Community Peace Building
Examines community peace building, intercommunal dialogue, social cohesion, community conflict, and building peace in communities.
Nonviolence and Social Change
Covers nonviolence, social movements, peace advocacy, activism, and using nonviolent approaches for social and educational change.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MA Peace Education programme begins with reviewing self-instructional study modules through the university's multimedia portal, as the programme is delivered through ODeL mode. Students engage with both peace studies theory and educational practice. Peace education theory sessions cover peace education concepts, theory, approaches, pedagogy, and understanding peace education. Conflict resolution sessions examine conflict, conflict analysis, resolution, mediation, negotiation, and resolving conflicts in educational and community settings. Peacebuilding sessions cover peacebuilding, post-conflict reconstruction, reconciliation, transitional justice, and building peace in conflict-affected communities. Human rights sessions examine human rights education, children's rights, democracy, citizenship, and promoting human rights in educational settings. Nonviolence sessions cover nonviolence, social movements, peace advocacy, activism, and using nonviolent approaches for social change. Peace curriculum sessions cover peace curriculum development, materials, pedagogy, and developing peace education curricula. Community peace building sessions examine community peace building, intercommunal dialogue, social cohesion, and building peace in communities. Research methods sessions prepare students for their project, covering peace research methods, design, and data analysis. Limited face-to-face residential sessions at the commencement and continuation of each semester provide opportunities for interaction, discussion, and examination preparation. Guest lectures from peace practitioners, NCIC officials, UNESCO experts, and international peace scholars provide real-world insights. The programme culminates in a research project.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's experience with electoral violence, ethnic conflicts, and social tensions creates strong demand for peace education and conflict transformation.
UoN offers the programme at KES 153,000/year through ODeL mode, making it accessible and affordable.
Career opportunities in schools, NGOs, government, international organisations, and peace building.
Programme provides unique peace education skills essential for social cohesion and conflict prevention.

Against it

Only UoN is confirmed to offer this exact programme, limiting university choice.
Peace education is a niche field with fewer direct career positions compared to mainstream education.
ODeL mode requires self-discipline and may lack the interaction of face-to-face learning.
Some employers may prefer broader conflict management or international relations degrees.

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 243 education courses

Public94k to 153k

94k at The Open University of Kenya153k at University of Nairobi

Private165k to 191k

165k at Kabarak University191k at Africa International 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

UoN 153,000/yr (306K/2yr, official UoN page). OUK 93,750/yr verified. Kabarak, AIU verified.

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. UNESCO supports peace education globally. NCIC supports peace building in Kenya. The programme's peace education focus attracts UNESCO, NCIC, and peace building funding.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
UNESCO Peace Education Funding
NCIC Peace Building Funding

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate peace education studies at recognised universities.
UNESCO Peace Education Funding
FellowshipKsh 300,000
UNESCO supports peace education globally, providing fellowships for postgraduate study in peace education.
NCIC Peace Building Funding
GrantKsh 250,000Kenyan
NCIC supports peace building in Kenya, providing funding for postgraduate study in peace education and conflict prevention.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: The programme accepts graduates from education, arts, social sciences, peace studies, international relations, and related fields. UoN offers ODeL mode with limited face-to-face residential sessions. Programme consists of 14 taught units plus a research project (4 units). Minimum 4 semesters, maximum 12 semesters.

How you are assessed

3 components

Coursework and Continuous Assessment
Coursework40% of the mark
Continuous assessment through coursework assignments, peace analysis papers, seminar presentations, case studies, and class participation via ODeL platform.
Written Examinations
Examination40% of the mark
Written examinations covering peace education theory, conflict resolution, human rights, and research methods, conducted during residential sessions.
Research Project
Research20% of the mark
Original research project on a peace education topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). University of Nairobi offers MA in Peace Education through its Department of Educational Studies. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate peace education training.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. University of Nairobi offers MA in Peace Education through its Department of Educational Studies. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate peace education training.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Peace Education Officer
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 450,000
Promotes peace education in schools and communities, overseeing programmes, training, curriculum, and supporting peace and conflict prevention.
Conflict Resolution Officer
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Provides conflict resolution services, overseeing mediation, dialogue, negotiation, and supporting conflict transformation in communities.
Human Rights Educator
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 450,000
Promotes human rights education, overseeing programmes, training, advocacy, and supporting human rights awareness and protection.
Peace Programme Manager
Moderate demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Manages peace programmes in NGOs and organisations, overseeing programme design, implementation, M&E, and supporting peace outcomes.
Community Peace Builder
Moderate demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 400,000
Builds peace in communities, overseeing dialogue, reconciliation, social cohesion, and supporting community peace and integration.
University Lecturer
Low demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaches peace education in universities, conducting research and training future peace educators and practitioners.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as peace educators, conflict resolution officers, human rights educators, and peace programme managers in schools, NGOs, and international organisations.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

KoboToolbox
SoftwarePrimary
Data collection platform for peace research, conflict surveys, community assessments, and collecting peace education research data.
NVivo
Software
Qualitative data analysis software for peace research, interviews, focus groups, conflict analysis, and qualitative data analysis.
SPSS
Software
Statistical software for peace research, survey analysis, and quantitative data analysis.
ACLED Conflict Data
Platform
Conflict data platform for conflict analysis, conflict mapping, and accessing conflict event data for research.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Peace education is just about teaching children to be nice.
Peace education involves rigorous theory, conflict analysis, human rights, peacebuilding, and research, far beyond simple kindness.
Peace education is not needed in Kenya.
Kenya's experience with electoral violence, ethnic conflicts, and social tensions creates strong demand for peace education and conflict transformation.
Peace education only leads to teaching careers.
The programme opens careers in NGOs, government, international organisations, peace building, conflict resolution, and community development.
Peace education is not a rigorous discipline.
Peace education involves rigorous research methods, theory, conflict analysis, and scholarly writing comparable to other social sciences.
A master's in peace education is redundant after a BEd.
The master's provides advanced peace theory, research capability, specialisation, and career progression to senior peace education and peacebuilding positions.
Peace education is the same as conflict management.
Peace education focuses on education for peace, prevention, and culture of peace, while conflict management focuses on resolving existing conflicts.