Education

Master of Education in Educational Management

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

Core areas of study include educational management theory, school administration, human resource management in education, educational planning, financial management in education, educational policy analysis, curriculum management, quality assurance in education, educational change management, and research methods. Students engage with management challenges in diverse educational contexts from primary schools to universities.

The programme is offered by 15 Kenyan universities including Egerton University, Kenyatta University, KCA University, Catholic University of Eastern Africa, and others. Egerton University offers the programme through its Faculty of Education and Community Studies in full-time and school-based modes. The programme combines management theory with practical administrative application.

Students develop competencies in educational management, institutional administration, strategic planning, human resource management, financial management, policy analysis, quality assurance, change management, and research. The programme includes coursework, examinations, field attachment, and a research thesis, integrating management theory with institutional practice.

The programme is delivered over two years with coursework and thesis components. Full-time, part-time, and school-based modes are available at various institutions. The programme is designed for teachers, school administrators, education officers, and institutional managers seeking advanced management expertise.

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

Skills Required

Educational Management Theory and Practice
School Administration and Governance
Human Resource Management in Education
Educational Planning and Strategy
Financial Management in Educational Institutions
Educational Policy Analysis
Curriculum Management and Supervision
Quality Assurance in Education
Educational Change Management
Research Methods in Education

Key Subjects

Educational Management Theory
School Administration and Governance
Human Resource Management in Education
Educational Planning
Financial Management in Education
Educational Policy Analysis
Curriculum Management and Supervision
Quality Assurance in Education
Educational Change Management
Research Methods in Education

Certifications

KEMI Educational Management Certification
CCEAM Professional Membership

Specializations

School Management

Focuses on school management systems, school administration, institutional governance, and operational management of primary and secondary schools.

Educational Planning

Examines educational planning, strategic planning in education, resource planning, and education sector planning for institutional and system-level development.

Human Resource Management in Education

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

Financial Management in Education

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

Quality Assurance and Institutional Development

Examines quality assurance frameworks, institutional development planning, performance management, and standards-based management in educational institutions.

Educational Policy and Governance

Covers education policy analysis, institutional governance, regulatory frameworks, and the policy environment shaping educational management.

Curriculum Management and Supervision

Focuses on curriculum management, instructional supervision, curriculum implementation oversight, and pedagogical leadership in educational institutions.

Educational Change and Innovation Management

Examines change management in education, leading educational innovation, managing reforms, and implementing change in educational institutions.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 246,000
Private, up to: Ksh 209,292
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: 3 months
Average class: 25 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Educational Management Theory
School Administration and Governance
Human Resource Management in Education
Educational Planning
Financial Management in Education
Educational Policy Analysis
Curriculum Management and Supervision
Quality Assurance in Education
Educational Change Management
Research Methods in Education

Modules

10 in the programme

Educational Management Theory and Practice
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines educational management theory, management principles applied to education, organisational behaviour in educational institutions, and management practice.
School Administration and Governance
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers school administration systems, institutional governance, school management structures, and administrative processes in educational institutions.
Human Resource Management in Education
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines HR management in educational settings, staff recruitment and development, teacher management, performance management, and building effective teams.
Educational Planning and Strategy
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers educational planning, strategic planning in education, resource planning, and education sector planning for institutional and system-level development.
Financial Management in Education
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines financial management of educational institutions, budgeting, resource allocation, school financing, and financial accountability in education.
Educational Policy Analysis
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers education policy analysis, policy implementation, regulatory frameworks, and the policy environment shaping educational management in Kenya.
Curriculum Management and Supervision
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines curriculum management, instructional supervision, curriculum implementation oversight, and pedagogical leadership in educational institutions.
Quality Assurance in Education
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers quality assurance frameworks, institutional evaluation, performance management, standards-based management, and quality improvement in education.
Research Methods in Education
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers qualitative and quantitative research methodologies for conducting original research in educational management, including research design and data analysis.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 26 creditsCore
Original research thesis on an educational management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and management theory, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

School Management
Focuses on school management systems, school administration, institutional governance, and operational management of primary and secondary schools.
Educational Planning
Examines educational planning, strategic planning in education, resource planning, and education sector planning for institutional and system-level development.
Human Resource Management in Education
Covers HR management in educational settings, staff development, teacher management, performance management, and building effective educational teams.
Financial Management in Education
Focuses on financial management of educational institutions, budgeting, resource allocation, school finance, and financial accountability.
Quality Assurance and Institutional Development
Examines quality assurance frameworks, institutional development planning, performance management, and standards-based management in educational institutions.
Educational Policy and Governance
Covers education policy analysis, institutional governance, regulatory frameworks, and the policy environment shaping educational management.
Curriculum Management and Supervision
Focuses on curriculum management, instructional supervision, curriculum implementation oversight, and pedagogical leadership in educational institutions.
Educational Change and Innovation Management
Examines change management in education, leading educational innovation, managing reforms, and implementing change in educational institutions.

A day as a student

A typical day involves attending lectures at Egerton University's Faculty of Education on educational management theory, school administration, or human resource management. Students engage in seminar discussions analysing case studies of management challenges in schools and educational institutions. Group projects involve developing institutional management plans, strategic plans, or quality assurance frameworks for educational settings. Research methodology sessions prepare students for their thesis, with statistics training for educational data analysis. Field attachment provides practical experience in school management, applying management theory in real educational contexts. Guest lectures from experienced school principals, education officers, and KEMI trainers provide real-world insights into educational management practice. Those in the thesis phase conduct independent research on educational management topics, working under faculty supervision.

The trade offs

In its favour

Programme offered at 15 Kenyan universities with flexible study modes including full-time, part-time, and school-based options.
Programme includes field attachment for practical application of management skills in real educational settings.
Kenya's education reforms and devolution create strong demand for qualified educational managers.
Programme covers comprehensive management skills including finance, planning, HR, quality assurance, and change management.

Against it

Programme quality and content may vary between offering institutions, with limited standardisation across universities.
Private university fees are significantly higher, with CUEA charging up to KES 307,920 per year compared to KES 167,900 at Egerton.
Programme may not automatically qualify graduates for TSC promotion without additional TSC requirements or KEMI certification.
Balancing management theory with practical application can be challenging 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

Public168k to 246k

168k at Egerton University246k at Kenyatta University

Private187k to 209k

187k at Catholic University of Eastern Africa209k at KCA 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 246,000/yr. Egerton 167,900/yr. KCA & CUEA from official fee schedules 2025

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 management.
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, school-based, evening, and weekend modes. Application fee is KES 2,000. The programme includes field attachment for practical application of management skills. Designed for teachers, school administrators, education officers, and institutional managers.

How you are assessed

4 components

Continuous Assessment
Coursework40% of the mark
CATs, management analysis essays, strategic planning exercises, policy briefs, and seminar presentations conducted throughout each semester.
Field Attachment
Practical20% of the mark
Practical field attachment in schools or educational institutions, applying educational management skills in real contexts, assessed through attachment reports.
Final Examination
Examination40% of the mark
End-of-semester examination covering educational management theory, planning, finance, and policy, including essay questions and case analysis.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original research thesis on an educational management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and management theory, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

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

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. Egerton University, Kenyatta University, KCA University, CUEA, and all other offering institutions 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.
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 management, institutional development, and education administration 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 management.

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 management 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 management is the same as educational administration.
While related, educational management focuses more on operational management, planning, and institutional development, while educational administration emphasises policy, governance, and regulatory compliance.
This programme is only for aspiring head teachers.
Graduates work in schools, colleges, universities, government, NGOs, and international organisations in diverse management and leadership roles beyond school headship.
Educational management has no career prospects in Kenya.
Kenya's education reforms, devolution of education management, and growing private education sector create strong demand for qualified educational managers.
This is a soft programme with no academic rigour.
The programme involves research methods, statistics, policy analysis, financial management, and a research thesis, meeting postgraduate academic standards.
You need management experience to benefit from this programme.
While management experience is valuable, the programme develops both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, preparing both current and aspiring managers.
Educational management is only about managing teachers.
The programme covers comprehensive institutional management including finance, planning, quality assurance, policy, change management, and stakeholder engagement.