Education

Master of Education Educational Communication & Technology

The Master of Education in Educational Communication and Technology is a postgraduate programme that prepares educators for advanced practice in educational communication, media, and technology integration. The programme combines communication theory with educational technology and pedagogical practice.

Core areas include educational communication theory, instructional media design, educational technology integration, e-learning communication, multimedia for education, distance learning communication, educational research methods, and thesis or research project. Students engage with both communication science and educational technology applications.

The programme is offered by the University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, University of Kabianga, and Mount Kenya University. Both public and private universities offer the programme over two academic years through full-time, part-time, and digital learning modes.

Students develop competencies in educational communication, instructional media design, technology integration, e-learning development, multimedia content creation, and educational research methods. The programme includes coursework, examinations, practical projects, and thesis or research project.

The University of Nairobi charges approximately KES 155,500/year (Year 1 total KES 155,500) through its Department of Educational Communication, Technology and Pedagogical Studies. Mount Kenya University charges KES 90,000/semester (total KES 360,000, approximately KES 180,000/year). Entry requires a Bachelor of Education degree with at least Second Class Honours Upper Division or equivalent.

Graduates pursue careers as educational communication specialists, instructional media designers, e-learning developers, educational broadcasters, teacher educators, and education researchers in schools, universities, media organisations, and educational institutions.

Skills Required

Educational Communication Theory
Instructional Media Design
Educational Technology Integration
E-Learning Communication Design
Multimedia Content Creation for Education
Distance Learning Communication
Educational Broadcasting
Educational Research Methods
Digital Pedagogy
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Educational Communication Theory
Instructional Media Design
Educational Technology Integration
E-Learning Communication Design
Multimedia for Education
Distance Learning Communication
Educational Broadcasting
Educational Research Methods
Digital Pedagogy
Thesis or Research Project

Certifications

TSC Teacher Registration
AECT Professional Membership

Specializations

Instructional Media Design

Focuses on designing instructional media for education, covering visual design, audio-visual production, and media selection for learning.

Educational Broadcasting

Examines using broadcast media for education, covering radio, television, and digital broadcasting in educational programming.

E-Learning Communication

Covers communication design for online and blended learning, including online interaction, digital collaboration, and virtual classroom communication.

Distance Learning Communication

Focuses on communication strategies for distance education, covering learner support, feedback systems, and distance learning pedagogy.

Digital Pedagogy

Examines pedagogical approaches for digital learning environments, covering digital learning design, online facilitation, and digital assessment.

Educational Public Relations

Covers communication between educational institutions and their stakeholders, including institutional communication, public relations, and community engagement.

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

What you study

10 subjects

Educational Communication Theory
Instructional Media Design
Educational Technology Integration
E-Learning Communication Design
Multimedia for Education
Distance Learning Communication
Educational Broadcasting
Educational Research Methods
Digital Pedagogy
Thesis or Research Project

Modules

12 in the programme

Educational Communication Theory
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines communication models, message design, and communication processes in educational contexts, covering theory and application.
Instructional Media Design
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers designing and producing instructional media, including visual design, audio-visual production, and media selection for learning.
Educational Technology Integration
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines selecting, implementing, and evaluating educational technology tools for communication and learning in educational settings.
Educational Research Methods
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers research design, data collection, analysis, and conducting educational communication research, preparing students for their thesis or project.
E-Learning Communication Design
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers communication design for online and blended learning, including online interaction, digital collaboration, and virtual classroom communication.
Multimedia for Education
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines creating educational multimedia content using digital tools, covering video production, interactive media, and digital storytelling.
Distance Learning Communication
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers communication strategies for distance education, including learner support, feedback systems, and distance learning pedagogy.
Educational Broadcasting
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines using broadcast media for education, covering radio, television, digital broadcasting, and educational programming design.
Digital Pedagogy
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers pedagogical approaches for digital learning environments, including digital learning design, online facilitation, and digital assessment.
Educational Public Relations and Institutional Communication
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines communication between educational institutions and stakeholders, including institutional communication, public relations, and community engagement.
Research Seminar
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Preparation of research proposal or project plan, including design, literature review, methodology, and presentation.
Research Thesis or Project
Year 2Semester 26 creditsCore
Original research thesis or project on an educational communication and technology topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and practical application, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Instructional Media Design
Focuses on designing instructional media for education, covering visual design, audio-visual production, and media selection for learning.
Educational Broadcasting
Examines using broadcast media for education, covering radio, television, and digital broadcasting in educational programming.
E-Learning Communication
Covers communication design for online and blended learning, including online interaction, digital collaboration, and virtual classroom communication.
Distance Learning Communication
Focuses on communication strategies for distance education, covering learner support, feedback systems, and distance learning pedagogy.
Digital Pedagogy
Examines pedagogical approaches for digital learning environments, covering digital learning design, online facilitation, and digital assessment.
Educational Public Relations
Covers communication between educational institutions and their stakeholders, including institutional communication, public relations, and community engagement.

A day as a student

A typical day during the M.Ed. (Educational Communication and Technology) programme combines lectures, media production practicals, project work, seminars, and independent study. Sessions cover educational communication theory, instructional media, technology integration, and e-learning design. Communication theory sessions examine communication models, message design, and communication processes in educational contexts. Instructional media sessions cover designing and producing instructional media, including visual design, audio-visual production, and media selection. Technology integration sessions examine selecting, implementing, and evaluating educational technology tools for communication and learning. E-learning sessions cover designing online communication, digital collaboration, and virtual classroom facilitation. Multimedia sessions examine creating educational multimedia content using digital tools and media production software. Distance learning sessions cover communication strategies for distance education, learner support, and feedback systems. Educational broadcasting sessions examine using radio, television, and digital broadcasting for education. Research methods sessions prepare students for their thesis or project, covering research design, data collection, and analysis. Media production practicals provide hands-on experience with audio, video, and digital media creation. Project work involves designing and producing educational communication materials and e-learning modules. Seminars and discussion groups provide opportunities for debating current issues in educational communication and technology. Guest lectures from media professionals and educational technology practitioners provide practical insights. The programme culminates in a research thesis or project on an educational communication and technology topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

Programme uniquely combines communication theory with educational technology, providing versatile skills for education, media, and e-learning careers.
Offered by multiple universities including both public and private, providing institutional choice and flexible study modes.
UoN provides detailed official fee structure on its department website, ensuring fee transparency.
Growing demand for educational communication and e-learning skills as education systems adopt digital and distance learning.

Against it

Kenyatta University and University of Kabianga fee data not independently verified, limiting complete cost comparison.
Private university fees (KES 180,000/year at MKU) are significantly higher than public university options.
Programme may overlap with educational technology and instructional methods programmes, causing confusion for prospective students.
Media production practicals require access to equipment and software that may be limited in some institutions.

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 246k

94k at The Open University of Kenya246k at Kenyatta University

Private119k to 191k

119k at Mount Kenya 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 M.Ed 246,000/yr. OUK 93,750/yr. MKU 59,550/sem, AIU 95,525/sem (mawese, official)

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. TSC supports teacher professional development. AECT and other international bodies may provide professional development support. Educational communication and technology is a growing field that may attract funding from media organisations and digital education initiatives.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
TSC Teacher Professional Development
AECT Professional Development

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate education studies at recognised universities.
TSC Teacher Professional Development
ScholarshipKsh 150,000Kenyan
Teachers Service Commission supports professional development for registered teachers pursuing postgraduate educational communication qualifications.
AECT Professional Development
GrantKsh 100,000
Association for Educational Communications and Technology supports professional development and research for educational communication professionals.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: Most universities require a Bachelor of Education degree with Upper Second Class Honours. Lower Second Division holders with relevant experience may be considered. Contact respective universities for specific admission requirements.

How you are assessed

4 components

Coursework and Continuous Assessment
Coursework25% of the mark
Continuous assessment through coursework assignments, media projects, seminar presentations, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination35% of the mark
Written examinations covering educational communication theory, instructional media, technology integration, and e-learning design.
Practical Project Assessment
Practical40% of the mark
Practical assessment through media production projects, instructional material development, e-learning module creation, and demonstrating communication and technology skills.
Research Thesis or Project
Research100% of the mark
Original research thesis or project on an educational communication and technology topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and practical application, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, and University of Kabianga (public) and Mount Kenya University (private) offer M.Ed. in Educational Communication and Technology. All programmes meet CUE standards for postgraduate educational communication and technology training. Graduates are eligible for TSC registration.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, and University of Kabianga (public) and Mount Kenya University (private) offer M.Ed. in Educational Communication and Technology. All programmes meet CUE standards for postgraduate educational communication and technology training. Graduates are eligible for TSC registration.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Educational Communication Specialist
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 450,000
Designs and manages educational communication in institutions, overseeing message design, media production, and stakeholder communication.
Instructional Media Designer
High demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Designs instructional media for education and training, overseeing visual design, audio-visual production, and media selection for learning.
E-Learning Developer
High demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Develops online and blended learning courses, overseeing e-learning design, content creation, and managing online learning platforms.
Educational Broadcaster
Low demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 400,000
Produces educational broadcast content for radio, television, or digital platforms, overseeing programme design, production, and delivery.
Teacher Educator
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 450,000
Educates future teachers on educational communication and technology at university or college level.
Education Researcher
Low demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 400,000
Conducts research on educational communication and technology, overseeing research projects, publishing findings, and contributing to knowledge.

Graduate outcomes

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

Adobe Creative Suite
SoftwarePrimary
Media production software including Premiere Pro, Photoshop, and Audition for creating educational videos, graphics, and audio content.
Moodle
Software
Open-source learning management system for delivering online and blended learning courses and managing educational communication.
Google Workspace for Education
Software
Google's education platform including Classroom, Drive, Meet, and other tools for educational communication and collaboration.
SPSS
Software
Statistical analysis software for educational communication research, data analysis, and analysing and interpreting research data for thesis.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Educational communication and technology is just about using computers in class.
The programme covers communication theory, instructional media design, educational broadcasting, e-learning, and research, not just basic computer use.
This is the same as educational technology.
While related, this programme specifically emphasises communication aspects of education, including message design, media production, and educational broadcasting, alongside technology.
Educational communication is just about giving lectures.
Educational communication covers systematic message design, media selection, digital interaction, distance learning communication, and stakeholder communication, far beyond lecturing.
Only media professionals benefit from this programme.
Educational communication and technology skills are valuable for all educators, trainers, and education professionals who design and deliver learning experiences.
Educational broadcasting is outdated in the digital age.
Educational broadcasting has evolved to include digital broadcasting, podcasting, streaming, and online educational media, remaining highly relevant.
The programme only covers software tools.
The programme covers communication theory, learning theory, media design principles, research methods, and pedagogical frameworks, not just software tools.