Social Sciences

Master of Arts in Public Administration (Executive - one year)

The Executive Master of Arts in Public Policy and Administration (EMPPA) is a one-year intensive postgraduate programme designed for executives and senior managers in government, private sector, and NGOs. The programme equips senior executives with knowledge, relationships, and tools necessary to drive results at the highest levels of management.

Core areas include public policy analysis, public administration, governance, leadership, strategic management, research methods, and project management. The programme focuses on public policy problem-solving through identifying societal problems, critical analysis, and weighing possible solutions.

The programme is offered by Kenyatta University through its Department of Public Policy and Administration. KU offers the EMPPA on Saturdays at the City Campus, designed for working executives who cannot take study leave. Moi University also offers a related executive programme.

Students develop competencies in public policy analysis, governance, leadership, strategic management, and research. The programme includes 12 taught units and a research project equivalent to 4 units, totalling 16 units over three trimesters.

KU charges KES 400,000 for the entire programme plus KES 32,300 statutory fees. Entry requires a Bachelor's degree with at least Second Class Honours Upper Division and at least two years of senior management experience.

Graduates pursue careers as senior public administrators, policy analysts, executive directors, county commissioners, and governance advisors in government, private sector, and NGOs.

Skills Required

Public Policy Analysis
Public Administration and Governance
Strategic Leadership and Management
Policy Brief Writing
Research Methods in Public Policy
Project Planning and Management
Decision-Making and Problem-Solving
Public Financial Management
Organisational Management
Policy Implementation and Evaluation

Key Subjects

Public Policy Analysis
Public Administration
Strategic Management
Governance and Ethics
Research Methods in Public Policy
Public Financial Management
Leadership and Decision-Making
Project Planning and Management
Policy Implementation
County Governance and Devolution

Certifications

KSG Governance Certification
AAPAM Public Administration Certification

Specializations

Public Policy Analysis

Focuses on public policy analysis, policy process, policy instruments, policy evaluation, and analysing and developing public policy.

Public Administration

Examines public administration, governance, public management, decentralisation, service delivery, and managing public organisations and services.

Strategic Leadership

Covers strategic leadership, strategic management, organisational strategy, change management, and leading and managing organisations strategically.

Governance and Ethics

Focuses on governance, good governance, ethics, accountability, transparency, and promoting good governance and ethical practice.

Public Financial Management

Examines public financial management, budgeting, fiscal policy, revenue, expenditure, and managing public finances and budgets.

County Governance

Covers county governance, devolution, county administration, CIDP, and understanding and managing county governance and development.

Duration: 1 year
Public, up to: Ksh 400,000
Private, up to: Ksh 249,800
Job market: High

The programme

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

Practicalities

Study mode: Part-time, Evening, Weekend
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 15 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Public Policy Analysis
Public Administration
Strategic Management
Governance and Ethics
Research Methods in Public Policy
Public Financial Management
Leadership and Decision-Making
Project Planning and Management
Policy Implementation
County Governance and Devolution

Modules

12 in the programme

Public Policy Analysis
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines public policy analysis, policy process, policy instruments, policy evaluation, and analysing and developing public policy.
Public Administration and Governance
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers public administration, governance, public management, decentralisation, service delivery, and managing public organisations and services.
Strategic Management and Leadership
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines strategic management, strategy, leadership, organisational strategy, change management, and leading and managing organisations strategically.
Research Methods in Public Policy
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers research methods, design, data collection, analysis, and conducting research in public policy and administration, preparing students for their project.
Public Financial Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines public financial management, budgeting, fiscal policy, revenue, expenditure, and managing public finances and budgets.
Governance and Ethics
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers governance, good governance, ethics, accountability, transparency, anti-corruption, and promoting good governance and ethical practice.
Decision-Making and Problem-Solving
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines decision-making, problem-solving, analytical techniques, risk analysis, and executive decision-making and problem-solving.
Project Planning and Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers project planning, project management, project cycle, M&E, and planning and managing projects in public and private sectors.
County Governance and Devolution
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Examines county governance, devolution, county administration, CIDP, intergovernmental relations, and understanding and managing county governance.
Policy Implementation and Evaluation
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Covers policy implementation, policy evaluation, implementation challenges, monitoring, and implementing and evaluating public policy.
Organisational Management
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Examines organisational management, organisational behaviour, HR management, change, and managing organisations and people effectively.
Research Project
Year 1Semester 34 creditsCore
Original research project on a public policy and administration topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Public Policy Analysis
Focuses on public policy analysis, policy process, policy instruments, policy evaluation, and analysing and developing public policy.
Public Administration
Examines public administration, governance, public management, decentralisation, service delivery, and managing public organisations and services.
Strategic Leadership
Covers strategic leadership, strategic management, organisational strategy, change management, and leading and managing organisations strategically.
Governance and Ethics
Focuses on governance, good governance, ethics, accountability, transparency, and promoting good governance and ethical practice.
Public Financial Management
Examines public financial management, budgeting, fiscal policy, revenue, expenditure, and managing public finances and budgets.
County Governance
Covers county governance, devolution, county administration, CIDP, and understanding and managing county governance and development.

A day as a student

A typical day during the EMPPA programme begins with Saturday morning sessions at KU City Campus, as the programme is designed for working executives. Students engage with both theoretical frameworks and practical policy problem-solving. Public policy analysis sessions cover policy process, policy instruments, policy evaluation, and analysing and developing public policy. Public administration sessions examine governance, public management, decentralisation, service delivery, and managing public organisations. Strategic management sessions cover strategy, strategic planning, organisational strategy, change management, and leading organisations strategically. Leadership sessions examine decision-making, problem-solving, executive leadership, and leading at the highest levels. Research methods sessions prepare students for their project, covering policy research methods, design, and data analysis. Public financial management sessions cover budgeting, fiscal policy, revenue, expenditure, and managing public finances. Governance sessions examine good governance, ethics, accountability, transparency, and promoting good governance. Guest speaker presentations from practising executives, government officials, policy experts, and international scholars provide real-world insights. The small class size (10-20 students) provides an ideal setting for networking, exchange of ideas, and personalised interaction between professors and students. The programme culminates in a research project defended by the end of the second semester and submitted for examination in the third semester.

The trade offs

In its favour

One-year intensive format allows working executives to earn a master's without taking study leave.
Programme is offered on Saturdays and evenings, providing flexible scheduling for working professionals.
Small class size (10-20 students) provides ideal setting for networking, exchange of ideas, and personalised interaction.
Kenya's devolution, governance reforms, and public sector modernisation create high demand for qualified public administration executives.

Against it

KES 400,000 for a one-year programme is relatively expensive compared to regular two-year master's programmes.
KU explicitly notes the EMPPA is not intended as a step towards PhD; regular MPPA is recommended for academic careers.
Intensive one-year format requires significant time commitment and strong time management skills.
Moi University fee structure for this exact programme not independently verified.

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

Public187k to 400k

187k at Moi University400k at Kenyatta University

Private130k to 250k

130k at Mount Kenya University250k 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

KU exec 400K unverified. Moi 187.2K. MKU 130K, Daystar 249.8K verified.

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. KSG supports executive training for public servants. AAPAM supports professional development for public administrators in Africa. The programme's executive focus attracts employer sponsorship, KSG, and governance funding.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
KSG Executive Training
AAPAM Professional Development

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate public administration studies at recognised universities.
KSG Executive Training
GrantKsh 300,000Kenyan
KSG supports executive training for public servants in Kenya, providing funding for postgraduate study in public administration.
AAPAM Professional Development
FellowshipKsh 300,000
AAPAM supports professional development for public administrators in Africa, providing fellowships for postgraduate study in public administration.

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 executives from diverse backgrounds including humanities, legal, natural sciences, education, and business management. KU offers the programme on Saturdays at City Campus. The programme is designed for working executives who cannot take study leave. One calendar year consisting of three trimesters, with 12 taught units and a research project (4 units), totalling 16 units.

How you are assessed

4 components

Coursework and Continuous Assessment
Coursework40% of the mark
Continuous assessment through coursework assignments, policy analysis papers, case studies, seminar presentations, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination30% of the mark
Written examinations covering public policy, administration, governance, and research methods, conducted at end of each trimester.
Research Proposal Defence
Practical30% of the mark
Assessment of research proposal defence by end of second semester, including research design, literature review, methodology, and proposal presentation.
Research Project
Research100% of the mark
Original research project on a public policy and administration 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). Kenyatta University offers EMPPA through its Department of Public Policy and Administration. Moi University offers a related executive programme. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate public administration training. Note: KU indicates the EMPPA is a professional degree not intended as a step towards PhD; the regular MPPA is recommended for those pursuing academic careers.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. KU offers EMPPA through its Department of Public Policy and Administration. Moi offers a related executive programme. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate public administration training. KU notes the EMPPA is a professional degree not intended as a step towards PhD.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Senior Public Administrator
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 800,000
Manages public administration at senior levels, overseeing governance, policy, service delivery, and supporting effective public administration.
Policy Analyst
Moderate demandKsh 150,000 to Ksh 650,000
Analyses public policy, overseeing policy research, analysis, development, and supporting evidence-based policy and governance.
Executive Director
Moderate demandKsh 250,000 to Ksh 1,000,000
Leads organisations as executive director, overseeing strategy, operations, governance, and supporting organisational effectiveness and impact.
County Commissioner
Moderate demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 700,000
Serves as county commissioner, overseeing county administration, coordination, security, and supporting county governance and development.
Governance Advisor
Moderate demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 700,000
Advises on governance, overseeing governance reform, policy, institutions, and supporting good governance and democracy.
Management Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 800,000
Provides management consultancy, overseeing strategy, organisational development, policy, and supporting organisational effectiveness and performance.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as senior public administrators, policy analysts, executive directors, and governance advisors in government, private sector, and NGOs.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

Microsoft Excel
SoftwarePrimary
Spreadsheet software for policy analysis, budgeting, data analysis, financial modelling, and managing public administration data and analysis.
SPSS
Software
Statistical software for policy research, survey analysis, public opinion, and quantitative data analysis.
NVivo
Software
Qualitative data analysis software for policy research, interviews, content analysis, and qualitative data analysis.
KoboToolbox
Software
Data collection platform for policy research, surveys, citizen feedback, and collecting public administration research data.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

An executive master's is easier than a regular master's.
The EMPPA is an intensive one-year programme covering the same content as a two-year programme, requiring strong time management and commitment.
The executive master's is not recognised for PhD.
KU explicitly notes the EMPPA is a professional degree not intended as a step towards PhD; the regular MPPA is recommended for those pursuing academic careers.
Executive programmes are only for senior government officials.
The programme is open to executives from diverse backgrounds including private sector, NGOs, faith-based institutions, educational institutions, and foreign missions.
One year is too short for a master's degree.
The programme covers 16 units over three trimesters in 12 months, providing equivalent content to a two-year programme in an intensive format.
Executive programmes lack academic rigour.
The EMPPA includes coursework, examinations, research project, and oral defence, meeting CUE standards for postgraduate training.
The programme is only offered at KU.
Moi University also offers a related executive public administration programme, though with different structure and duration.