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Masters of Education in Language Education (English or Kiswahili)

<p>The Masters of Education in Language Education is a postgraduate programme that prepares professionals for advanced practice in language teaching, pedagogy, and research with specialisation in either English or Kiswahili. The programme provides specialised training in language teaching methodology, linguistics, literature, and curriculum development.

Duration
2 years
Next intake January 2027
Public tuition
Ksh 246,000
Ksh 492,000 total
Private tuition
Ksh 191,050
Ksh 382,100 total
Job market
High
Market demand for graduates

The short answer

What it costs
Up to Ksh 246,000 a year at a public institution, Ksh 492,000 for the whole course. Up to Ksh 191,050 a year at a private one.The detail
Who can get in
A KCSE mean grade of N/A (Postgraduate) or above. There is another way in without it.The detail
How long, and when
Takes 2 years, full-time, part-time, school-based, with 0 months of attachment. Next intake January 2027, at 4 institutions.The detail
Where it leads
8 careers in the catalogue. The least exposed to AI is Early Childhood Strategist, at 10 out of 100.The detail

The programme

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

Overview

Core areas include language teaching methodology, applied linguistics, literature in education, curriculum development, language assessment, research methods, and thesis. Students engage with both theoretical and practical work through coursework, teaching practice, and research.

The programme is offered by Moi University as a public institution through the School of Education, with separate tracks for English and Kiswahili. Kenyatta University offers a related MEd in Educational Communication and Technology (Language Education). Both programmes are available over two years.

Students develop competencies in language pedagogy, applied linguistics, curriculum development, assessment, and research. The programme includes coursework, examinations, teaching practice, and a supervised research thesis, preparing graduates for language education and research roles.

KU charges approximately KES 142,700 per year while Moi University charges approximately KES 187,200 per year. No private university confirmed offering this exact programme. Entry requires at least an Upper Second Class Honours degree in Education or a related field with a language specialisation from a recognised institution.

Graduates pursue careers as language lecturers, language education officers, curriculum developers, language researchers, teacher trainers, and lecturers across universities, secondary schools, education ministries, and teacher training colleges.

Skills Required

  • Language Teaching Methodology and Pedagogy
  • Applied Linguistics in Education
  • Literature in Language Education
  • Curriculum Development in Language Education
  • Language Assessment and Evaluation
  • Second Language Acquisition Theory
  • Educational Communication Technology
  • Materials Development for Language Teaching
  • Research Methods in Language Education
  • Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

  • Language Teaching Methodology and Pedagogy
  • Applied Linguistics in Education
  • Literature in Language Education
  • Curriculum Development in Language Education
  • Language Assessment and Evaluation
  • Second Language Acquisition Theory
  • Educational Communication Technology
  • Materials Development for Language Teaching
  • Research Methods in Language Education
  • Thesis Research

Certifications

  • KICD Curriculum Developer Certification
  • IATEFL Professional Membership

Specializations

English Language Education

Focuses on English language education, covering English, language, education, teaching, and managing English language education and pedagogy.

Kiswahili Language Education

Examines Kiswahili language education, covering Kiswahili, language, education, teaching, and managing Kiswahili language education and pedagogy.

Applied Linguistics

Covers applied linguistics, covering applied, linguistics, language, education, and managing applied linguistics in education.

Literature in Education

Focuses on literature in education, covering literature, education, language, teaching, and managing literature in language education.

Language Assessment

Examines language assessment, covering language, assessment, evaluation, testing, and managing language assessment and evaluation.

Educational Communication Technology

Covers educational communication, covering educational, communication, technology, language, and managing educational communication technology in language education.

What you study

10 subjects
  • Language Teaching Methodology and Pedagogy
  • Applied Linguistics in Education
  • Literature in Language Education
  • Curriculum Development in Language Education
  • Language Assessment and Evaluation
  • Second Language Acquisition Theory
  • Educational Communication Technology
  • Materials Development for Language Teaching
  • Research Methods in Language Education
  • Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

  • Language Teaching Methodology and Pedagogy

    Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

    Examines language teaching, covering language, teaching, methodology, pedagogy, and managing language teaching methodology and pedagogy.

  • Applied Linguistics in Education

    Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

    Covers applied linguistics, covering applied, linguistics, language, education, and managing applied linguistics in education.

  • Second Language Acquisition Theory

    Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

    Examines second language acquisition, covering second, language, acquisition, theory, and managing second language acquisition theory.

  • Literature in Language Education

    Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

    Covers literature in education, covering literature, education, language, teaching, and managing literature in language education.

  • Curriculum Development in Language Education

    Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

    Examines curriculum development, covering curriculum, development, language, education, and managing curriculum development in language education.

  • Language Assessment and Evaluation

    Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

    Covers language assessment, covering language, assessment, evaluation, testing, and managing language assessment and evaluation.

  • Educational Communication Technology

    Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

    Examines educational communication, covering educational, communication, technology, language, and managing educational communication technology.

  • Research Methods in Language Education

    Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

    Covers research, methods, language, education, and conducting research in language education, preparing students for their thesis.

  • Materials Development for Language Teaching

    Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

    Examines materials development, covering materials, development, language, teaching, and managing materials development for language teaching.

  • Sociolinguistics in Education

    Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore

    Covers sociolinguistics, covering sociolinguistics, education, language, society, and managing sociolinguistics in education.

  • Language Policy and Planning in Education

    Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore

    Examines language policy, covering language, policy, planning, education, and managing language policy and planning in education.

  • Research Thesis

    Year 2Semester 212 creditsCore

    Original supervised research thesis on a language education topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and language education knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

  • English Language Education

    Focuses on English language education, covering English, language, education, teaching, and managing English language education and pedagogy.

  • Kiswahili Language Education

    Examines Kiswahili language education, covering Kiswahili, language, education, teaching, and managing Kiswahili language education and pedagogy.

  • Applied Linguistics

    Covers applied linguistics, covering applied, linguistics, language, education, and managing applied linguistics in education.

  • Literature in Education

    Focuses on literature in education, covering literature, education, language, teaching, and managing literature in language education.

  • Language Assessment

    Examines language assessment, covering language, assessment, evaluation, testing, and managing language assessment and evaluation.

  • Educational Communication Technology

    Covers educational communication, covering educational, communication, technology, language, and managing educational communication technology in language education.

A day as a student

A typical day combines lectures, seminars, teaching practice, and independent study. Sessions cover language teaching methodology, applied linguistics, literature in education, curriculum development, and language assessment. Teaching methodology sessions examine language, teaching, methodology, pedagogy, and managing language teaching methodology. Linguistics sessions cover applied, linguistics, language, education, and managing applied linguistics in education. Literature sessions cover literature, education, language, teaching, and managing literature in language education. Curriculum sessions cover curriculum, development, language, education, and managing curriculum development in language education. Assessment sessions cover language, assessment, evaluation, testing, and managing language assessment. The programme culminates in a supervised research thesis on a language education topic.

The trade-offs

In its favourAgainst it
Programme addresses high demand for language education professionals in Kenya's education sector.Fee difference between KU (KES 142,700/year) and Moi (KES 187,200/year).
Two public universities confirmed offering related programmes, providing options for students.No private university confirmed offering this programme.
Programme offers specialisation in either English or Kiswahili, covering Kenya's two official languages.Language teaching roles may require TSC registration in Kenya.
Graduates are eligible for KICD curriculum developer certification and IATEFL professional membership.Programme may require school-based study mode which may not suit all students.

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
Public187k to 246k
187k at Moi 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/yr (ku.ac.ke). Moi ~187K/yr. Kabarak 165K, AIU 191K/yr.

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. Universities may offer scholarships for eligible students. IATEFL may offer fellowships for English language teaching research and education.

Funding options

  • HELB Postgraduate Loan

  • University Scholarship

  • IATEFL Fellowship

Scholarships

3 recorded

  • HELB Postgraduate Loan

    LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan

    Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.

  • University Scholarship

    ScholarshipKsh 187,200Kenyan

    Moi University and KU may offer scholarships for eligible postgraduate language education students.

  • IATEFL Fellowship

    ScholarshipKsh 250,000

    IATEFL may offer fellowships for English language teaching research and education.

Scholarships you could apply for

2 usable where it is taught
Save one and be reminded before it closes

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade
N/A (Postgraduate)minimum entry
Alternative entry

Moi University and KU require at least Upper Second Class Honours in Education or a related field. Lower Second Class may be considered with teaching experience or a Postgraduate Diploma in Education. Contact respective universities for specific admission requirements.

When it next starts

Taught at 4 institutions
January 20274 institutions

Including Alupe University, Kaimosi Friends University, Kenyatta University.

May 20273 institutions

Including Kaimosi Friends University, Kenyatta University, Moi University.

September 20274 institutions

Including Alupe University, Kaimosi Friends University, Kenyatta University.

How you are assessed

4 components

  • Coursework and Continuous Assessment

    Coursework30% of the mark

    Continuous assessment through coursework assignments, teaching practice reports, seminar presentations, and class participation.

  • Written Examinations

    Examination70% of the mark

    Written examinations covering language teaching methodology, applied linguistics, curriculum development, and language assessment.

  • Teaching Practice Assessment

    Project40% of the mark

    Practical assessment through teaching practice, demonstrating language teaching methodology and pedagogy skills.

  • Research Thesis

    Research100% of the mark

    Original supervised research thesis on a language education topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and language education knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

  • Commission for University Education (CUE)

    Academic accreditationRequired

    Programme accredited by CUE. Moi University (public) offers MEd in Language Education (English and Kiswahili) through the School of Education. KU (public) offers MEd in Educational Communication and Technology (Language Education). The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in language education. Graduates may interact with KICD for curriculum development certification and IATEFL for international standards. The programme aligns with CUE, KICD, and IATEFL language education frameworks.

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Moi University (public) offers MEd in Language Education (English and Kiswahili) through the School of Education. KU (public) offers MEd in Educational Communication and Technology (Language Education). The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in language education. Graduates may interact with KICD for curriculum development certification and IATEFL for international standards. The programme aligns with CUE, KICD, and IATEFL language education frameworks.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

  • Language Lecturer

    High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 400,000

    Teaches language at university or college level, covering language, lecturer, teaching, education, and managing language instruction.

  • Language Education Officer

    Moderate demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 300,000

    Manages language education, covering language, education, officer, programmes, and managing language education programmes.

  • Curriculum Developer

    Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 350,000

    Develops language curriculum, covering curriculum, developer, language, education, and managing curriculum development in language education.

  • Language Researcher

    Moderate demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 300,000

    Conducts language research, covering language, researcher, research, education, and managing language education research.

  • Teacher Trainer

    High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 350,000

    Trains language teachers, covering teacher, trainer, language, education, and managing teacher training in language education.

  • Education Lecturer

    Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 400,000

    Teaches language education at university level, overseeing instruction, research, and academic supervision.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as language lecturers, language education officers, curriculum developers, language researchers, teacher trainers, and lecturers across universities, secondary schools, education ministries, and teacher training colleges.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

  • SPSS

    SoftwarePrimary

    SPSS for language education research data analysis, covering statistics, data, analysis, language, and managing language research data analysis.

  • NVivo

    Software

    NVivo for qualitative data analysis in language research, covering NVivo, qualitative, data, analysis, and managing qualitative data analysis.

  • Moodle

    Software

    Moodle for educational communication and online language teaching, covering Moodle, online, teaching, language, and managing online language education.

  • Reference Management Software

    Software

    Reference management for language research and thesis writing, covering references, research, thesis, language, and managing research references.

Common misconceptions

  • Language education is just about teaching grammar.

    Language education covers methodology, linguistics, literature, assessment, curriculum development, and technology beyond just grammar.

  • This programme is only for English or Kiswahili teachers.

    The programme is for professionals from education, linguistics, and related fields, not just language teachers.

  • Language education has limited career prospects in Kenya.

    Language education professionals are in high demand in schools, universities, and teacher training colleges as Kenya emphasises language competence.

  • This programme is the same as a general MA in Linguistics.

    MEd in Language Education focuses on pedagogy and curriculum development, while MA Linguistics focuses on linguistic theory and research.

  • Technology has made language teaching less important.

    Technology has enhanced language education, creating new opportunities in educational communication and digital language learning.

  • You need to be a native speaker to teach language education.

    The programme is accessible to graduates with relevant language qualifications, not just native speakers.

Further reading

Read next