Education

Master of Education in Educational Administration

The Master of Education in Educational Administration is a postgraduate programme that equips education professionals with advanced knowledge and skills in educational administration, institutional management, and educational governance. The programme prepares graduates for leadership and management roles in educational institutions across all levels of the education system.

Core areas of study include theories and concepts in education, human resource management, administration of education programmes, policy formulation and administration, change management, financing of education, current issues in education, guidance and counselling, legal issues in education, gender issues in education, higher education administration, research methods, and educational statistics. Students engage with administrative challenges in diverse educational contexts.

The programme is offered by numerous Kenyan universities including Maseno University through its School of Education, Kenyatta University, Egerton University, and many others. Maseno University offers a comprehensive curriculum with both full-time and part-time modes. The programme is one of the most widely offered MEd specialisations in Kenya.

Students develop competencies in educational administration, human resource management, policy formulation, financial management, change management, legal compliance, educational governance, and research. The programme combines coursework, examinations, and a research thesis, integrating administrative theory with practical management application.

The programme is delivered over two academic years distributed over four semesters for full-time students, with a maximum of four calendar years for part-time students. Full-time, part-time, and institution-based programme modes are available. The programme is designed for teachers, education officers, school administrators, and institutional managers.

Graduates pursue careers as school principals, education officers, college administrators, university administrators, educational consultants, policy analysts, and educational development specialists in schools, colleges, universities, government education departments, NGOs, and international education organisations.

Skills Required

Educational Administration and Governance
Human Resource Management in Education
Policy Formulation and Administration
Educational Finance and Budgeting
Change Management in Education
Legal Issues in Education
Educational Leadership and Institutional Management
Conflict Management in Educational Settings
Research Methods in Education
Educational Statistics and Data Analysis

Key Subjects

Theories and Concepts in Education
Human Resource Management
Administration of Education Programmes
Policy Formulation and Administration
Change and Management of Change
Financing of Education
Legal Issues in Education
Current Issues in Education
Research Methods in Education
Educational Statistics and Computer Applications

Certifications

KEMI Educational Management Certification
CCEAM Professional Membership

Specializations

School Administration

Focuses on school management, school leadership, school governance, and administrative systems for primary and secondary schools.

Higher Education Administration

Examines university and college administration, higher education governance, academic administration, and institutional management in tertiary institutions.

Educational Policy and Governance

Covers education policy formulation, policy implementation, educational governance frameworks, and the policy environment shaping educational administration.

Educational Finance Management

Focuses on financing of education, educational budgeting, resource allocation, school finance management, and financial accountability in educational institutions.

Human Resource Management in Education

Examines HR management in educational settings, staff development, teacher management, performance management, and building effective educational teams.

Educational Change Management

Covers change management theory, leading educational change, managing reforms, and implementing innovation in educational institutions.

Legal and Regulatory Frameworks in Education

Examines education law, legal issues in educational administration, regulatory compliance, education rights, and legal frameworks governing educational institutions.

Gender and Equity in Education

Focuses on gender issues in educational administration, equity in education, inclusive leadership, and addressing gender disparities in educational management.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 246,000
Private, up to: Ksh 191,050
Job market: High

The programme

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

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time, Part-time, Evening, Weekend, School-based
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 30 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Theories and Concepts in Education
Human Resource Management
Administration of Education Programmes
Policy Formulation and Administration
Change and Management of Change
Financing of Education
Legal Issues in Education
Current Issues in Education
Research Methods in Education
Educational Statistics and Computer Applications

Modules

10 in the programme

Research Methods in Education
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers qualitative and quantitative research methodologies for conducting original research in educational administration, including research design and data analysis.
Theories and Concepts in Education
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines educational theories, administrative concepts, theoretical frameworks for educational administration, and the philosophical foundations of educational management.
Human Resource Management
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers HR management in educational settings, including staff recruitment, development, performance management, teacher management, and building effective educational teams.
Administration of Education Programmes
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines administration of educational programmes, programme management, educational service delivery, and administrative systems in educational institutions.
Policy Formulation and Administration
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers education policy formulation, policy analysis, policy implementation, and the administration of education policies in Kenyan and international contexts.
Change and Management of Change
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines change management theory, leading educational change, managing reforms, and implementing innovation in educational institutions.
Financing of Education
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers education financing, educational budgeting, resource allocation, school finance management, and financial accountability in educational institutions.
Legal Issues in Education
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines education law, legal issues in educational administration, regulatory compliance, education rights, and legal frameworks governing educational institutions.
Current Issues in Education
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines contemporary issues in education, emerging challenges in educational administration, education reforms, and current trends in educational management.
Research Proposal and Thesis Writing
Year 2Semester 26 creditsCore
Original research thesis on an educational administration topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and administrative theory, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

School Administration
Focuses on school management, school leadership, school governance, and administrative systems for primary and secondary schools.
Higher Education Administration
Examines university and college administration, higher education governance, academic administration, and institutional management in tertiary institutions.
Educational Policy and Governance
Covers education policy formulation, policy implementation, educational governance frameworks, and the policy environment shaping educational administration.
Educational Finance Management
Focuses on financing of education, educational budgeting, resource allocation, school finance management, and financial accountability in educational institutions.
Human Resource Management in Education
Examines HR management in educational settings, staff development, teacher management, performance management, and building effective educational teams.
Educational Change Management
Covers change management theory, leading educational change, managing reforms, and implementing innovation in educational institutions.
Legal and Regulatory Frameworks in Education
Examines education law, legal issues in educational administration, regulatory compliance, education rights, and legal frameworks governing educational institutions.
Gender and Equity in Education
Focuses on gender issues in educational administration, equity in education, inclusive leadership, and addressing gender disparities in educational management.

A day as a student

A typical day involves attending lectures at Maseno University's School of Education on educational administration theories, human resource management, or policy formulation. Students engage in seminar discussions analysing case studies of administrative challenges in schools and educational institutions. Group projects involve developing institutional management plans, policy briefs, or change management strategies for educational settings. Research methodology sessions prepare students for their thesis, with statistics and computer applications training for educational data analysis. Guest lectures from experienced school principals, education officers, and KEMI trainers provide real-world insights into educational administration practice. Those in the thesis phase conduct independent research on educational administration topics, working under faculty supervision. The programme emphasises the connection between administrative theory and the practical realities of managing educational institutions in Kenya.

The trade offs

In its favour

Programme is one of the most widely offered MEd specialisations in Kenya, available at over 60 universities with flexible study modes.
Kenya's education sector reforms, devolution, and growing demand for quality education management create strong career opportunities for graduates.
Programme covers comprehensive administrative skills including policy, finance, law, HR, and change management, providing versatile expertise.
Programme aligns with KEMI and TSC professional standards, supporting career advancement in educational management.

Against it

With over 60 offering institutions, programme quality and content may vary significantly between universities.
Large number of graduates may create competition for educational administration positions in the job market.
Programme may not automatically qualify graduates for TSC promotion without additional TSC requirements or KEMI certification.
Balancing administrative theory with practical application can be challenging, especially for students without prior management experience.

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

Public145k to 246k

145k at Pwani University246k at Kenyatta University

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

KU 246K (joweri.com). Pwani 145K (tuko.co.ke). Egerton 167,900 (egerton.ac.ke). Kabarak 165K, AIU 191K

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. TSC may grant study leave with sponsorship for teachers pursuing postgraduate education. KEMI may sponsor education officers for management training. Universities offer limited internal financial aid.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
TSC Study Leave Sponsorship
KEMI Training Sponsorship

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
TSC Study Leave Sponsorship
ScholarshipKsh 167,900Kenyan
TSC-employed teachers may be granted study leave with sponsorship for postgraduate education in educational administration.
KEMI Training Sponsorship
ScholarshipKsh 150,000Kenyan
Education officers and managers may be sponsored by KEMI or county governments for educational management training.

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 available in full-time, part-time, institution-based, school-based, evening, and weekend modes. Application fee is KES 2,000. The programme runs for two academic years (four semesters) full-time or maximum four calendar years part-time. Designed for teachers, education officers, school administrators, and institutional managers.

How you are assessed

4 components

Continuous Assessment
Coursework40% of the mark
CATs, administrative analysis essays, policy brief writing, case study reports, management plan development, and seminar presentations conducted throughout each semester.
Practical Projects
Practical20% of the mark
Practical assessment involving institutional management analysis, policy development exercises, financial planning projects, and administrative case studies.
Final Examination
Examination40% of the mark
End-of-semester examination covering educational administration theory, policy, finance, and law, including essay questions and case analysis.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original research thesis on an educational administration topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and administrative theory, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Maseno University, Kenyatta University, Egerton University, and all other offering institutions are CUE-accredited. The programme aligns with TSC and KEMI professional standards for educational management.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. All offering institutions including Maseno University, Kenyatta University, Egerton University, and others are CUE-accredited.
Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI)
Professional certification
KEMI is Kenya's educational management training institute. Graduates may pursue KEMI certification for professional recognition as education managers.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

School Principal
High demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 350,000
Leads and manages schools, overseeing academic programmes, staff management, student welfare, financial management, and community engagement.
Education Officer
High demandKsh 80,000 to Ksh 300,000
Works in county or national education offices, overseeing school supervision, education policy implementation, and quality assurance in education.
College Administrator
Moderate demandKsh 85,000 to Ksh 320,000
Manages administrative operations in colleges and tertiary institutions, overseeing academic programmes, student services, and institutional governance.
University Administrator
Moderate demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 350,000
Manages university administrative departments, overseeing academic administration, student affairs, faculty management, or institutional planning.
Educational Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 400,000
Provides consulting services on educational administration, institutional development, and education management for schools, NGOs, and international organisations.
Education Programme Manager
High demandKsh 85,000 to Ksh 350,000
Manages education programmes in NGOs, international organisations, or government, overseeing programme design, implementation, and evaluation.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as school principals, education officers, college administrators, university administrators, and educational consultants in schools, government, NGOs, and international organisations.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

SPSS
SoftwarePrimary
Statistical analysis software for educational research, including survey data analysis, institutional performance metrics, and programme evaluation.
NVivo
SoftwarePrimary
Qualitative data analysis software for analysing interview data, case studies, and qualitative research in educational administration studies.
Microsoft Teams
Software
Collaboration platform for educational management, supporting communication, meetings, and coordination in educational institutions.
Google Workspace for Education
Software
Education-focused productivity and collaboration tools supporting school management, communication, and educational administration.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Educational administration is just about being a head teacher.
The programme covers comprehensive educational administration including policy, finance, law, human resources, change management, and governance, preparing leaders for diverse educational management roles.
This programme is only for those already in leadership positions.
The programme is designed for both current and aspiring educational leaders, equipping them with skills and knowledge for future administrative roles.
Educational administration has no career prospects beyond schools.
Graduates work in schools, colleges, universities, government education departments, NGOs, international organisations, and educational consultancies, applying administrative skills across diverse settings.
This is a soft programme with no academic rigour.
The programme involves research methods, statistics, policy analysis, legal studies, and a research thesis, meeting postgraduate academic standards.
You need years of teaching experience to benefit from this programme.
While teaching experience is valuable, the programme accepts professionals from diverse backgrounds who aspire to educational leadership and management roles.
Educational administration is the same as educational leadership.
While related, educational administration focuses on management systems, processes, and governance, while educational leadership emphasises vision, inspiration, and transformation. This programme covers both dimensions.