Social Sciences

Master of Arts in Sociology (Rural Sociology and Community Development)

The Master of Arts in Sociology (Rural Sociology and Community Development) is a postgraduate programme that provides advanced study of rural sociology, community development, and social change. The programme equips students with research skills, critical analysis, and practical tools for understanding and addressing rural development challenges.

Core areas include rural sociology, community development, social research methods, rural livelihoods, agricultural sociology, rural-urban migration, gender and development, and participatory development. Students engage with both theoretical frameworks and practical community development analysis.

The programme is offered by the University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, and Mount Kenya University. UoN offers the programme through its Department of Sociology, Social Work and African Women Studies. KU offers MA in Sociology through its School of Humanities and Social Sciences. MKU offers MA in Sociology through its School of Social Sciences.

Students develop competencies in rural social analysis, community development planning, participatory research, project management, and policy analysis. The programme includes coursework, examinations, thesis or research project, and oral defence.

UoN tuition is KES 21,000 per unit with total programme cost of approximately KES 441,000 (~KES 220,500/year). KU charges KES 216,000/year. MKU (private) charges KES 59,550 per semester (~KES 119,100/year). Entry requires a Bachelor's degree with at least Second Class Honours in Sociology or related field.

Graduates pursue careers as community development officers, rural development specialists, social researchers, NGO programme coordinators, and policy analysts in government, NGOs, international development agencies, and community organisations.

Skills Required

Rural Sociology and Social Analysis
Community Development Planning
Participatory Research Methods
Project Planning and Management
Social Research and Data Analysis
Gender and Development Analysis
Rural Livelihoods and Poverty Analysis
Policy Analysis and Advocacy
Community Mobilisation and Empowerment
Monitoring and Evaluation

Key Subjects

Rural Sociology
Community Development
Social Research Methods
Rural Livelihoods and Poverty
Agricultural Sociology
Gender and Development
Participatory Development
Rural-Urban Migration
Project Planning and Management
Policy Analysis for Rural Development

Certifications

IRSA Rural Sociology Certification
IACD Community Development Certification

Specializations

Rural Sociology

Focuses on rural sociology, rural social structures, rural communities, rural livelihoods, and understanding and analysing rural society and social change.

Community Development

Examines community development, community mobilisation, participation, empowerment, and supporting community-led development and transformation.

Rural Livelihoods

Covers rural livelihoods, agriculture, natural resources, income diversification, and understanding and supporting rural livelihoods and economic activities.

Gender and Development

Focuses on gender and development, gender analysis, women's empowerment, gender mainstreaming, and promoting gender equality in development.

Participatory Development

Examines participatory development, PRA, PLA, community participation, and using participatory approaches in development planning and implementation.

Rural-Urban Migration

Covers rural-urban migration, migration theory, urbanisation, remittances, and understanding and addressing rural-urban migration and its impacts.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 220,500
Private, up to: Ksh 220,800
Job market: Moderate

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

Rural Sociology
Community Development
Social Research Methods
Rural Livelihoods and Poverty
Agricultural Sociology
Gender and Development
Participatory Development
Rural-Urban Migration
Project Planning and Management
Policy Analysis for Rural Development

Modules

12 in the programme

Rural Sociology
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines rural sociology, rural social structures, rural communities, rural livelihoods, and understanding and analysing rural society and social change.
Community Development Theory and Practice
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers community development, community mobilisation, participation, empowerment, and supporting community-led development and transformation.
Social Research Methods
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines research methods, design, data collection, analysis, and conducting social research, preparing students for their thesis.
Rural Livelihoods and Poverty
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers rural livelihoods, agriculture, natural resources, income diversification, poverty, and understanding and supporting rural livelihoods.
Agricultural Sociology
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines agricultural sociology, farming systems, agricultural change, food systems, and understanding and analysing agriculture and rural society.
Gender and Development
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers gender and development, gender analysis, women's empowerment, gender mainstreaming, and promoting gender equality in development.
Participatory Development
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines participatory development, PRA, PLA, community participation, and using participatory approaches in development planning and implementation.
Rural-Urban Migration
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers rural-urban migration, migration theory, urbanisation, remittances, and understanding and addressing rural-urban migration and its impacts.
Project Planning and Management
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines project planning, project management, project cycle, M&E, and planning and managing development projects in rural and community settings.
Policy Analysis for Rural Development
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers rural development policy, agriculture policy, policy analysis, and analysing and developing policy for rural development.
Research Proposal
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Preparation of research proposal, including research design, literature review, methodology, and proposal presentation for thesis.
Thesis
Year 2Semester 26 creditsCore
Original thesis on a rural sociology or community development topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Rural Sociology
Focuses on rural sociology, rural social structures, rural communities, rural livelihoods, and understanding and analysing rural society and social change.
Community Development
Examines community development, community mobilisation, participation, empowerment, and supporting community-led development and transformation.
Rural Livelihoods
Covers rural livelihoods, agriculture, natural resources, income diversification, and understanding and supporting rural livelihoods and economic activities.
Gender and Development
Focuses on gender and development, gender analysis, women's empowerment, gender mainstreaming, and promoting gender equality in development.
Participatory Development
Examines participatory development, PRA, PLA, community participation, and using participatory approaches in development planning and implementation.
Rural-Urban Migration
Covers rural-urban migration, migration theory, urbanisation, remittances, and understanding and addressing rural-urban migration and its impacts.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MA Sociology (Rural Sociology and Community Development) programme begins with morning lectures on rural sociology, community development, or research methods. Students engage with both theoretical frameworks and practical community development analysis. Rural sociology sessions examine rural social structures, rural communities, rural livelihoods, and understanding and analysing rural society and social change. Community development sessions cover community mobilisation, participation, empowerment, and supporting community-led development. Research methods sessions prepare students for their thesis, covering social research methods, design, data collection, and analysis. Rural livelihoods sessions examine agriculture, natural resources, income diversification, and understanding and supporting rural livelihoods. Gender and development sessions cover gender analysis, women's empowerment, gender mainstreaming, and promoting gender equality in development. Participatory development sessions examine PRA, PLA, community participation, and using participatory approaches in development. Rural-urban migration sessions cover migration theory, urbanisation, remittances, and understanding and addressing migration impacts. Project management sessions cover project planning, implementation, M&E, and managing development projects. Policy analysis sessions examine rural development policy, agriculture policy, and analysing and developing policy for rural development. Field visits to rural communities provide practical exposure to rural sociology and community development practice. Guest lectures from development practitioners, NGO leaders, government officials, and community leaders provide real-world insights. The programme culminates in a thesis or research project on a rural sociology or community development topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's rural development challenges, devolution, and NGO sector create moderate demand for qualified rural sociology and community development professionals.
Programme available at multiple universities (UoN, KU, MKU) providing choice of institution, mode, and cost.
MKU (private) offers affordable tuition at KES 59,550 per semester with flexible modes including digital learning.
Career opportunities across government, NGOs, international development agencies, and community organisations.

Against it

Career paths are primarily in development sector, which may have funding-dependent positions.
UoN per-unit fee structure can be confusing and may vary based on number of units taken per semester.
Field research in rural areas may require additional costs for travel and data collection.
Some positions may require additional qualifications in project management or monitoring and evaluation.

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 221k

187k at Moi University221k at University of Nairobi

Private130k to 221k

130k at Mount Kenya University221k 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

UoN MA Sociology 441K/2=220.5K/yr (Tuko). Moi 187.2K. MKU 130K. Daystar ~221K.

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. NACOSTI supports social science research in Kenya. IACD supports community development globally. The programme's rural and community development focus attracts development agency, NGO, and research funding.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
NACOSTI Research Grants
IACD Development Funding

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate sociology studies at recognised universities.
NACOSTI Research Grants
GrantKsh 250,000Kenyan
NACOSTI supports social science research in Kenya, providing grants for postgraduate research in sociology and community development.
IACD Development Funding
FellowshipKsh 200,000
IACD supports community development globally, providing fellowships for postgraduate study and research in community development.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: KU requires applicants to have studied Sociology as either a major or regular subject at degree level. UoN offers full-time and part-time modes. KU offers full-time and part-time modes at Main, City, and Mombasa campuses. MKU offers full-time, part-time, school-based, distance learning, and weekend modes. Two-year programme with coursework, examinations, and thesis or research project. Intakes in September and January at UoN and KU.

How you are assessed

4 components

Coursework and Continuous Assessment
Coursework40% of the mark
Continuous assessment through coursework assignments, research papers, field reports, seminar presentations, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination30% of the mark
Written examinations covering rural sociology, community development, research methods, and specialisation topics, conducted at end of each semester.
Research Proposal Defence
Practical30% of the mark
Assessment of research proposal, including research design, literature review, methodology, and proposal presentation.
Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original thesis on a rural sociology or community development 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 Sociology (Rural Sociology and Community Development) through its Department of Sociology, Social Work and African Women Studies. Kenyatta University offers MA in Sociology. Mount Kenya University offers MA in Sociology. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate sociology training.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. UoN offers MA in Sociology (Rural Sociology and Community Development) through its Department of Sociology, Social Work and African Women Studies. KU offers MA in Sociology. MKU offers MA in Sociology. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate sociology training.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Community Development Officer
Moderate demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 350,000
Supports community development, overseeing mobilisation, participation, planning, and supporting community-led development in rural and urban areas.
Rural Development Specialist
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Specialises in rural development, overseeing rural programmes, livelihoods, agriculture, and supporting rural development and transformation.
Social Researcher
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 450,000
Conducts social research, overseeing research design, data collection, analysis, and supporting evidence generation for development.
NGO Programme Coordinator
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Coordinates NGO programmes, overseeing programme design, implementation, M&E, partnerships, and supporting programme delivery and impact.
Policy Analyst
Low demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Analyses policy, overseeing policy research, analysis, development, and supporting evidence-based policy for rural and community development.
University Lecturer
Low demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaches sociology in universities, conducting research and training future sociologists and community development professionals.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as community development officers, rural development specialists, social researchers, and NGO programme coordinators in government, NGOs, and international development agencies.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

SPSS
SoftwarePrimary
Statistical software for social research, survey analysis, community assessment, and quantitative data analysis.
NVivo
Software
Qualitative data analysis software for social research, interviews, focus groups, and qualitative data analysis.
KoboToolbox
Software
Data collection platform for field research, surveys, community assessments, and collecting social research data in rural areas.
Microsoft Excel
Software
Spreadsheet software for data analysis, project planning, budgeting, and managing community development data and analysis.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Rural sociology is just about village life.
Rural sociology involves rigorous analysis of rural social structures, livelihoods, migration, gender, policy, and development, far beyond village studies.
Community development is just about helping communities.
Community development involves participatory planning, mobilisation, empowerment, project management, and policy analysis for sustainable development.
There is no demand for rural sociology graduates in Kenya.
Kenya's rural development challenges, devolution, agriculture, food security, and NGO sector create demand for qualified rural sociology and community development professionals.
Sociology is not a rigorous discipline.
Sociology involves rigorous research methods, statistical analysis, qualitative analysis, and scholarly writing comparable to other social sciences.
A master's in sociology is redundant after a BA.
The master's provides advanced research capability, specialisation in rural sociology and community development, and career progression to senior development and research positions.
Rural sociology is outdated in an urbanising world.
Rural areas remain home to significant populations, and rural-urban linkages, food security, and rural development remain critical global challenges.