Social Sciences

Master of Arts in Social Work and Administration

The Master of Arts in Social Work and Administration is a postgraduate programme that trains professionals in social work practice, social welfare administration, community development, and social policy. The programme prepares graduates for leadership roles in social services, NGOs, government, and community development.

Core areas include social work theory, social welfare administration, community development, social policy, counselling, research methods, project management, and human behaviour. Students engage with both social work theory and practical administration skills.

The programme is offered by the Catholic University of Eastern Africa and Kenyatta University. CUEA offers MA in Social Work at KES 93,375 per semester for full-time study. KU offers MA in Social Work through its School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Students develop competencies in social work practice, welfare administration, community mobilisation, counselling, research, and social policy analysis. The programme includes coursework, field practicum, examinations, research project or thesis, and oral defence.

CUEA charges KES 93,375 per semester full-time (~KES 186,750/year) and KES 62,530 per semester part-time. Entry requires a Bachelor's degree with at least Second Class Honours Upper Division in social work, sociology, or related field.

Graduates pursue careers as social workers, welfare administrators, community development officers, programme managers, and counsellors in government, NGOs, hospitals, schools, and international organisations.

Skills Required

Social Work Practice and Intervention
Social Welfare Administration and Management
Community Development and Mobilisation
Social Policy Analysis and Development
Counselling and Psycho-social Support
Research Methods in Social Work
Project Management and Evaluation
Human Behaviour and Social Systems
Social Justice and Advocacy
Case Management and Social Assessment

Key Subjects

Social Work Theory and Practice
Social Welfare Administration
Community Development
Social Policy and Social Protection
Counselling and Psycho-social Support
Research Methods in Social Work
Human Behaviour and Social Systems
Project Management
Social Justice and Human Rights
Case Management and Social Assessment

Certifications

KNASW Professional Certification
IFSW Social Work Certification

Specializations

Social Welfare Administration

Focuses on social welfare administration, welfare organisations, programme management, funding, and administering social welfare organisations and programmes.

Community Development

Examines community development, community mobilisation, participation, empowerment, and developing and supporting communities.

Counselling and Psycho-social Support

Covers counselling, psycho-social support, mental health, trauma, and providing counselling and psycho-social support services.

Social Policy

Focuses on social policy, policy analysis, social protection, welfare policy, and analysing and developing social policy.

Child and Family Welfare

Examines child and family welfare, child protection, family support, adoption, and supporting children and families.

Medical Social Work

Covers medical social work, hospital social work, health, disability, and providing social work services in health settings.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 220,500
Private, up to: Ksh 186,750
Job market: High

The programme

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

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time, Part-time, Online
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 20 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Social Work Theory and Practice
Social Welfare Administration
Community Development
Social Policy and Social Protection
Counselling and Psycho-social Support
Research Methods in Social Work
Human Behaviour and Social Systems
Project Management
Social Justice and Human Rights
Case Management and Social Assessment

Modules

12 in the programme

Social Work Theory and Practice
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines social work theory, practice, intervention, case management, and understanding social work practice and theory.
Social Welfare Administration
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers welfare administration, welfare organisations, programme management, funding, staffing, and administering social welfare organisations.
Community Development and Mobilisation
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines community development, community mobilisation, participation, empowerment, and developing and supporting communities.
Human Behaviour and Social Systems
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers human behaviour, social systems, family systems, ecological systems, and understanding human behaviour in social contexts.
Social Policy and Social Protection
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines social policy, policy analysis, social protection, welfare policy, and analysing and developing social policy.
Counselling and Psycho-social Support
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers counselling theory, psycho-social support, mental health, trauma, grief, and providing counselling and psycho-social support services.
Research Methods in Social Work
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines social work research methods, design, data collection, analysis, and conducting research in social work, preparing students for their project.
Project Management and Evaluation
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers project management, project cycle, M&E, log frame, and managing and evaluating social work and development projects.
Social Justice and Human Rights
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines social justice, human rights, advocacy, equity, discrimination, and promoting social justice and human rights in practice.
Case Management and Social Assessment
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers case management, social assessment, intake, intervention planning, monitoring, and managing cases in social work practice.
Field Practicum and Supervision
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines field practicum, supervision, professional development, reflective practice, and applying social work skills in field settings.
Research Project or Thesis
Year 2Semester 26 creditsCore
Original research project or thesis on a social work topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Social Welfare Administration
Focuses on social welfare administration, welfare organisations, programme management, funding, and administering social welfare organisations and programmes.
Community Development
Examines community development, community mobilisation, participation, empowerment, and developing and supporting communities.
Counselling and Psycho-social Support
Covers counselling, psycho-social support, mental health, trauma, and providing counselling and psycho-social support services.
Social Policy
Focuses on social policy, policy analysis, social protection, welfare policy, and analysing and developing social policy.
Child and Family Welfare
Examines child and family welfare, child protection, family support, adoption, and supporting children and families.
Medical Social Work
Covers medical social work, hospital social work, health, disability, and providing social work services in health settings.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MA in Social Work and Administration programme begins with morning lectures on social work theory, welfare administration, or community development. Students engage with both social work theory and practical administration skills. Social work theory sessions cover social work practice, intervention, case management, and understanding social work. Welfare administration sessions examine welfare organisations, programme management, funding, staffing, and administering social welfare organisations. Community development sessions cover community mobilisation, participation, empowerment, and developing and supporting communities. Counselling sessions examine counselling theory, psycho-social support, mental health, trauma, and providing counselling services. Social policy sessions cover social policy, policy analysis, social protection, welfare policy, and analysing and developing social policy. Research methods sessions prepare students for their project or thesis, covering social work research methods, design, and data analysis. Field practicum provides hands-on experience with social work agencies, communities, hospitals, and NGOs. Guest lectures from social work practitioners, NGO leaders, government officials, and international social work scholars provide real-world insights. The programme culminates in a research project or thesis.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's social challenges, NGO sector growth, devolution, child protection, and community development create high demand for qualified social work professionals.
CUEA offers the programme with full-time, part-time, and ODeL modes providing flexibility for working professionals.
Career opportunities across government, NGOs, hospitals, schools, UN agencies, and international organisations.
Programme provides versatile social work and administration skills applicable across multiple sectors.

Against it

CUEA private tuition of KES 93,375/semester (~KES 186,750/year) is relatively expensive compared to public universities.
KU fee structure for this exact programme not independently verified.
Social work can be emotionally demanding, requiring resilience and self-care.
Field practicum requires significant time commitment and may involve challenging field conditions.

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

Public216k to 221k

216k at Kenyatta University221k at University of Nairobi

Private130k to 187k

130k at Mount Kenya University187k at Catholic University of Eastern Africa

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 216K/yr (ku.ac.ke). UoN ~220.5K. CUEA 186.8K/yr (PDF). MKU 130K/yr.

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. UNICEF supports child welfare capacity building. IFSW supports social work professional development. The programme's social work and welfare focus attracts UNICEF, child welfare, and international development funding.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
UNICEF Child Welfare Funding
IFSW Professional Development

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate social work studies at recognised universities.
UNICEF Child Welfare Funding
GrantKsh 300,000
UNICEF supports child welfare capacity building in Kenya, providing funding for postgraduate study in social work and child welfare.
IFSW Professional Development
FellowshipKsh 250,000
IFSW supports social work professional development globally, providing fellowships for postgraduate study in social work.

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 social work, sociology, psychology, community development, and related fields. KU requires evidence of research ability. CUEA offers full-time, part-time, and ODeL modes. Two-year programme with field practicum component.

How you are assessed

4 components

Coursework and Continuous Assessment
Coursework40% of the mark
Continuous assessment through coursework assignments, case studies, welfare analysis papers, community assessments, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination30% of the mark
Written examinations covering social work theory, welfare administration, community development, policy, and counselling, conducted at end of each semester.
Field Practicum Assessment
Practical30% of the mark
Assessment of field practicum, including supervised practice, case management, community work, and professional practice in social work settings.
Research Project or Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original research project or thesis on a social work 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). Catholic University of Eastern Africa offers MA in Social Work through its Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Kenyatta University offers MA in Social Work through its School of Humanities and Social Sciences. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate social work training. KNASW provides professional standards for social work practice in Kenya.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. CUEA offers MA in Social Work through its Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. KU offers MA in Social Work through its School of Humanities and Social Sciences. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate social work training.
Kenya National Association of Social Workers (KNASW)
Professional accreditation
KNASW provides professional standards for social work practice in Kenya. Graduates may benefit from KNASW registration and professional development.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Social Worker
High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 400,000
Provides social work services, overseeing case management, counselling, intervention, and supporting individuals, families, and communities.
Welfare Administrator
Moderate demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 500,000
Administers social welfare organisations, overseeing programmes, funding, staffing, governance, and supporting welfare service delivery.
Community Development Officer
High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 400,000
Supports community development, overseeing community programmes, mobilisation, participation, and supporting community empowerment.
Programme Manager
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 500,000
Manages social and development programmes in NGOs, overseeing programme design, implementation, M&E, and supporting programme outcomes.
Counsellor
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 450,000
Provides counselling and psycho-social support, overseeing counselling services, mental health support, and supporting client well-being.
Social Policy Analyst
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Analyses social policy, overseeing policy research, analysis, development, and supporting evidence-based social policy and welfare.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as social workers, welfare administrators, community development officers, and programme managers in government, NGOs, and international organisations.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

SPSS
SoftwarePrimary
Statistical software for social work research, survey analysis, needs assessment, and research data analysis.
NVivo
Software
Qualitative data analysis software for social work research, interviews, case studies, and qualitative data analysis.
KoboToolbox
Software
Data collection platform for field research, community surveys, needs assessment, and collecting social work research data.
Microsoft Project
Software
Project management software for planning, tracking, and managing social work and development projects.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Social work is just about helping people.
Social work involves rigorous theory, research, policy analysis, counselling, case management, and administrative skills beyond simple helping.
Social work is only for NGOs.
Social work skills are applicable across government, hospitals, schools, corporations, international organisations, and private practice.
There is no career growth in social work.
Social work offers career progression to senior administrative, policy, research, and leadership roles in social services and development.
Social work is not a serious profession.
Social work is a recognised profession with professional bodies, standards, ethics, and rigorous academic training.
A master's in social work is redundant after a BA.
The master's provides advanced practice skills, administrative competence, research capability, and career progression to senior social work and welfare positions.
Social work administration is just office management.
Social work administration involves programme design, funding, policy, staff management, governance, and strategic leadership of social welfare organisations.