Environmental Science

Masters in Environmental Science and Water Management

The Masters in Environmental Science and Water Management is a postgraduate programme that prepares professionals for advanced practice in environmental science, water resource management, and sustainable development. The programme provides specialised training in water resource management, environmental monitoring, pollution control, and watershed management.

Core areas include environmental science, water resource management, watershed management, pollution control, environmental impact assessment, hydrology, research methods, and thesis. Students engage with both theoretical and practical work through coursework, fieldwork, and research.

The programme is offered by the University of Nairobi as a public institution through the Faculty of Agriculture and the Department of Environmental and Biosystems Engineering. Egerton University offers a related MSc in Water Resources and Environmental Management through the Faculty of Engineering. Both programmes are available over two years.

Students develop competencies in environmental analysis, water resource management, watershed planning, pollution control, and research. The programme includes coursework, examinations, fieldwork, and a supervised research thesis, preparing graduates for environmental and water management roles.

UoN charges approximately KES 433,500 per year while Egerton University charges approximately KES 120,000 per year. No private university confirmed offering this exact programme. Entry requires at least an Upper Second Class Honours degree in Environmental Science, Agriculture, Engineering, or a related field from a recognised institution.

Graduates pursue careers as environmental scientists, water resource managers, watershed managers, environmental consultants, pollution control officers, and lecturers across government agencies, water authorities, NGOs, research institutions, and universities.

Skills Required

Environmental Science and Analysis
Water Resource Management and Planning
Watershed Management and Conservation
Pollution Control and Waste Management
Environmental Impact Assessment
Hydrology and Water Quality Analysis
GIS for Environmental Management
Climate Change Adaptation in Water Management
Research Methods in Environmental Science
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Environmental Science and Analysis
Water Resource Management and Planning
Watershed Management and Conservation
Pollution Control and Waste Management
Environmental Impact Assessment
Hydrology and Water Quality Analysis
GIS for Environmental Management
Climate Change Adaptation in Water Management
Research Methods in Environmental Science
Thesis Research

Certifications

NEMA EIA Lead Expert Registration
WRA Water Professional Registration

Specializations

Water Resource Management

Focuses on water resource management, covering water, resource, management, planning, and managing water resource management and planning.

Watershed Management

Examines watershed management, covering watershed, management, conservation, catchment, and managing watershed management and conservation.

Pollution Control

Covers pollution control, covering pollution, control, waste, environmental, and managing pollution control and waste management.

Environmental Impact Assessment

Focuses on EIA, covering environmental, impact, assessment, evaluation, and managing environmental impact assessment.

Hydrology and Water Quality

Examines hydrology, covering hydrology, water, quality, analysis, and managing hydrology and water quality analysis.

Climate Change and Water

Covers climate change, covering climate, change, water, adaptation, and managing climate change adaptation in water management.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 427,000
Private, up to: Ksh 215,250
Job market: High

The programme

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

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time, Part-time
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 20 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Environmental Science and Analysis
Water Resource Management and Planning
Watershed Management and Conservation
Pollution Control and Waste Management
Environmental Impact Assessment
Hydrology and Water Quality Analysis
GIS for Environmental Management
Climate Change Adaptation in Water Management
Research Methods in Environmental Science
Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Environmental Science and Analysis
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines environmental science, covering environmental, science, analysis, monitoring, and managing environmental science and analysis.
Water Resource Management and Planning
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers water resource management, covering water, resource, management, planning, and managing water resource management and planning.
Watershed Management and Conservation
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines watershed management, covering watershed, management, conservation, catchment, and managing watershed management and conservation.
Pollution Control and Waste Management
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers pollution control, covering pollution, control, waste, environmental, and managing pollution control and waste management.
Hydrology and Water Quality Analysis
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines hydrology, covering hydrology, water, quality, analysis, and managing hydrology and water quality analysis.
Environmental Impact Assessment
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers EIA, covering environmental, impact, assessment, evaluation, and managing environmental impact assessment.
GIS for Environmental Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines GIS, covering GIS, environmental, management, spatial, and managing GIS for environmental management.
Research Methods in Environmental Science
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers research, methods, environmental, science, and conducting research in environmental science, preparing students for their thesis.
Climate Change Adaptation in Water Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines climate change, covering climate, change, water, adaptation, and managing climate change adaptation in water management.
Irrigation and Drainage Management
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers irrigation management, covering irrigation, drainage, management, water, and managing irrigation and drainage management.
Environmental Policy and Governance
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines environmental policy, covering environmental, policy, governance, regulation, and managing environmental policy and governance.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 212 creditsCore
Original supervised research thesis on an environmental science or water management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and environmental knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Water Resource Management
Focuses on water resource management, covering water, resource, management, planning, and managing water resource management and planning.
Watershed Management
Examines watershed management, covering watershed, management, conservation, catchment, and managing watershed management and conservation.
Pollution Control
Covers pollution control, covering pollution, control, waste, environmental, and managing pollution control and waste management.
Environmental Impact Assessment
Focuses on EIA, covering environmental, impact, assessment, evaluation, and managing environmental impact assessment.
Hydrology and Water Quality
Examines hydrology, covering hydrology, water, quality, analysis, and managing hydrology and water quality analysis.
Climate Change and Water
Covers climate change, covering climate, change, water, adaptation, and managing climate change adaptation in water management.

A day as a student

A typical day combines lectures, fieldwork, laboratory sessions, and independent study. Sessions cover environmental science, water resource management, watershed management, pollution control, and hydrology. Environmental science sessions examine environmental, science, analysis, monitoring, and managing environmental science and analysis. Water resource sessions cover water, resource, management, planning, and managing water resource management. Watershed sessions cover watershed, management, conservation, catchment, and managing watershed management. Pollution control sessions cover pollution, control, waste, environmental, and managing pollution control. Hydrology sessions cover hydrology, water, quality, analysis, and managing hydrology and water quality. Fieldwork provides practical experience in water sampling, environmental monitoring, and watershed assessment. The programme culminates in a supervised research thesis on an environmental science or water management topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

Programme addresses critical environmental and water challenges with growing demand for professionals in Kenya.
Two public universities confirmed offering related programmes, providing options for students.
Programme covers diverse areas from water management to pollution control to climate adaptation.
Graduates are eligible for NEMA EIA Lead Expert registration and WRA professional registration.

Against it

Significant fee difference between Egerton (KES 120,000/year) and UoN (KES 433,500/year).
Egerton fees estimated from international rates; specific Kenyan fees not separately verified.
No private university confirmed offering this programme.
Fieldwork may require travel to remote sites for water sampling and environmental monitoring.

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 181 environmental science courses

Public187k to 427k

187k at Moi University427k at University of Nairobi

Private165k to 215k

165k at Kabarak University215k at Catholic University of Eastern Africa

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 Land&Water 427K/yr (uonbi.ac.ke). Moi 187K. CUEA 215K, Kabarak 165K/yr.

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. Universities may offer scholarships for eligible students. UNEP and WRA may offer fellowships for environmental and water management research and education.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
University Scholarship
UNEP Fellowship

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
University Scholarship
ScholarshipKsh 433,500Kenyan
UoN and Egerton University may offer scholarships for eligible postgraduate environmental science students.
UNEP Fellowship
ScholarshipKsh 300,000
UNEP and WRA may offer fellowships for environmental and water management research and education.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: UoN and Egerton University require at least Upper Second Class Honours in a relevant field. Lower Second Class may be considered with relevant postgraduate qualifications or experience. Contact respective universities for specific admission requirements.

How you are assessed

4 components

Coursework and Continuous Assessment
Coursework30% of the mark
Continuous assessment through coursework assignments, field reports, seminar presentations, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination70% of the mark
Written examinations covering environmental science, water management, hydrology, and pollution control.
Fieldwork Assessment
Project40% of the mark
Practical assessment through fieldwork, demonstrating water sampling, environmental monitoring, and watershed assessment skills.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original supervised research thesis on an environmental science or water management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and environmental knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). UoN (public) offers MSc in Land and Water Management and MSc in Environmental Governance. Egerton University (public) offers MSc in Water Resources and Environmental Management. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in environmental science and water management. Graduates may interact with NEMA for EIA licensing and WRA for water professional registration. The programme aligns with CUE, NEMA, WRA, and UNEP global environmental frameworks.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. UoN (public) offers MSc in Land and Water Management and MSc in Environmental Governance. Egerton University (public) offers MSc in Water Resources and Environmental Management. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in environmental science and water management. Graduates may interact with NEMA for EIA licensing and WRA for water professional registration. The programme aligns with CUE, NEMA, WRA, and UNEP global environmental frameworks.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Environmental Scientist
High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 350,000
Conducts environmental analysis, covering environmental, scientist, analysis, monitoring, and managing environmental science and analysis.
Water Resource Manager
High demandKsh 110,000 to Ksh 380,000
Manages water resources, covering water, resource, manager, planning, and managing water resource management.
Watershed Manager
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 350,000
Manages watersheds, covering watershed, manager, conservation, catchment, and managing watershed management.
Environmental Consultant
High demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 400,000
Provides environmental consulting, covering environmental, consultant, advisory, EIA, and managing environmental consulting.
Pollution Control Officer
Moderate demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 300,000
Manages pollution control, covering pollution, control, officer, waste, and managing pollution control and waste management.
Environmental Science Lecturer
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 400,000
Teaches environmental science at university or college level, overseeing instruction, research, and academic supervision.

Graduate outcomes

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

ArcGIS
SoftwarePrimary
ArcGIS for environmental spatial analysis and mapping, covering GIS, spatial, analysis, environmental, and managing environmental spatial analysis.
SPSS
Software
SPSS for environmental research data analysis, covering statistics, data, analysis, environmental, and managing environmental research data analysis.
SWAT
Software
SWAT for watershed modelling and simulation, covering SWAT, watershed, modelling, simulation, and managing watershed modelling.
Excel
Software
Excel for water quality data analysis and reporting, covering Excel, data, water, quality, and managing water quality data analysis.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Environmental science is just about planting trees.
Environmental science covers water management, pollution control, hydrology, EIA, and climate change beyond just tree planting.
This programme is only for science graduates.
The programme is for professionals from agriculture, engineering, geography, and related fields, not just pure science graduates.
Environmental science has limited career prospects in Kenya.
Environmental professionals are in high demand in government agencies, water authorities, NGOs, and consultancies as Kenya addresses environmental challenges.
This programme is the same as environmental engineering.
Environmental science focuses on analysis and management, while environmental engineering covers technical design of treatment systems.
Water management is only about drinking water.
Water management covers watersheds, irrigation, pollution, climate adaptation, and ecosystem services beyond just drinking water.
You need field experience to study this programme.
The programme is accessible to graduates from various fields seeking environmental and water management specialisation.