Law

Master of Laws

The Master of Laws (LLM) is a postgraduate programme that prepares legal professionals for advanced practice in law. The programme combines legal theory with specialised legal knowledge and research skills.

Core areas include jurisprudence, comparative law, international law, commercial law, intellectual property law, criminal law, constitutional law, research methods, and thesis. Students engage with both legal theory and practical legal application.

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

Students develop competencies in legal research, legal analysis, specialised legal practice, comparative law, international law, commercial law, and academic writing. The programme includes coursework, examinations, research papers, and thesis.

The University of Nairobi charges a total of KES 644,000 over 2 years (~KES 322,000/year). Mount Kenya University charges KES 150,000/semester plus KES 12,000 statutory (~KES 312,000/year). Strathmore University offers an 18-month LLM with specialisations in intellectual property, international criminal law, financial law, and energy law. Entry requires an LLB degree with at least Upper Second Class Honours.

Graduates pursue careers as legal practitioners, corporate counsel, legal consultants, judicial officers, legal researchers, and law lecturers.

Skills Required

Legal Research and Analysis
Comparative Law
International Law Practice
Commercial and Corporate Law
Intellectual Property Law
Constitutional and Human Rights Law
Legal Writing and Drafting
Criminal Law and Justice
Research Methods in Law
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Jurisprudence and Legal Theory
Comparative Law
International Law
Commercial and Corporate Law
Intellectual Property Law
Constitutional and Human Rights Law
Criminal Law and Justice
Research Methods in Law
Legal Writing and Drafting
Thesis Research

Certifications

LSK Advocate Certification
CLE Legal Education Certification

Specializations

Intellectual Property Law

Focuses on intellectual property law, covering patents, trademarks, copyright, and managing IP rights and disputes.

International Criminal Law

Examines international criminal law, covering international crimes, international tribunals, and managing international criminal cases.

International Financial Law and Regulation

Covers international financial law, covering financial regulation, banking law, and managing international financial transactions.

Energy Law and Policy

Focuses on energy law, covering energy regulation, energy policy, and managing legal aspects of energy projects.

Commercial and Corporate Law

Examines commercial and corporate law, covering company law, commercial transactions, and managing corporate legal matters.

Constitutional and Human Rights Law

Covers constitutional law and human rights, covering constitutional interpretation, human rights protection, and managing constitutional litigation.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 322,000
Private, up to: Ksh 312,000
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

Jurisprudence and Legal Theory
Comparative Law
International Law
Commercial and Corporate Law
Intellectual Property Law
Constitutional and Human Rights Law
Criminal Law and Justice
Research Methods in Law
Legal Writing and Drafting
Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Jurisprudence and Legal Theory
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines legal theory, legal philosophy, theoretical foundations of law, and major schools of jurisprudential thought.
Comparative Law
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers comparing legal systems, comparative methodology, analysing different legal traditions, and comparative legal analysis.
International Law
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines public international law, international organisations, international treaties, and managing international legal issues.
Research Methods in Law
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers legal research design, methodology, data collection, analysis, and conducting legal research, preparing students for their thesis.
Commercial and Corporate Law
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers company law, commercial transactions, banking law, corporate governance, and managing corporate legal matters.
Intellectual Property Law
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines intellectual property law, covering patents, trademarks, copyright, IP rights management, and managing IP disputes.
Constitutional and Human Rights Law
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers constitutional interpretation, human rights protection, constitutional litigation, and managing constitutional and human rights cases.
Criminal Law and Justice
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines criminal law theory, criminal justice systems, comparative criminal law, and managing criminal law issues.
Energy Law and Policy
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers energy regulation, energy policy, legal aspects of energy projects, and managing legal issues in the energy sector.
International Financial Law and Regulation
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines international financial law, financial regulation, banking law, and managing international financial transactions.
Research Seminar
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Preparation of research proposal and thesis, including research design, literature review, methodology, and presentation.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 26 creditsCore
Original legal research thesis on a specialised law topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and legal knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Intellectual Property Law
Focuses on intellectual property law, covering patents, trademarks, copyright, and managing IP rights and disputes.
International Criminal Law
Examines international criminal law, covering international crimes, international tribunals, and managing international criminal cases.
International Financial Law and Regulation
Covers international financial law, covering financial regulation, banking law, and managing international financial transactions.
Energy Law and Policy
Focuses on energy law, covering energy regulation, energy policy, and managing legal aspects of energy projects.
Commercial and Corporate Law
Examines commercial and corporate law, covering company law, commercial transactions, and managing corporate legal matters.
Constitutional and Human Rights Law
Covers constitutional law and human rights, covering constitutional interpretation, human rights protection, and managing constitutional litigation.

A day as a student

A typical day during the Master of Laws programme combines lectures, seminars, case discussions, moot courts, research sessions, and independent study. Sessions cover jurisprudence, comparative law, international law, commercial law, and specialised legal topics. Jurisprudence sessions examine legal theory, legal philosophy, and theoretical foundations of law. Comparative law sessions cover comparing legal systems, comparative methodology, and analysing different legal traditions. International law sessions cover public international law, international organisations, and managing international legal issues. Commercial law sessions cover company law, commercial transactions, banking law, and managing corporate legal matters. Intellectual property sessions cover patents, trademarks, copyright, and managing IP rights. Constitutional law sessions cover constitutional interpretation, human rights, and managing constitutional litigation. Research methods sessions prepare students for their thesis, covering legal research design, methodology, and analysis. Moot courts provide practical experience with legal argumentation, court proceedings, and advocacy skills. Case discussions provide practical application of legal theory to real legal scenarios. Seminars and discussion groups provide opportunities for debating current legal issues and developments. Guest lectures from experienced practitioners, judges, and legal scholars provide practical insights. The programme culminates in a research thesis on a specialised legal topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

Programme provides specialised legal knowledge and research skills, enhancing career prospects in legal practice, academia, and corporate sectors.
Programme offered by multiple universities including both public and private, providing institutional choice.
Strathmore offers an 18-month fast-track option, enabling quicker qualification.
Programme offers multiple specialisations including IP, international criminal law, financial law, and energy law.

Against it

UoN fees are relatively high at ~KES 322,000/year (total ~KES 644,000).
Strathmore University fee data not independently verified, limiting cost comparison.
Programme requires an LLB degree, limiting access to law graduates only.
This programme may overlap with the separate Master of Laws (LLM) entry, causing confusion for prospective students.

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 12 law courses

Public322k to 322k

322k at University of Nairobi322k at University of Nairobi

Private312k to 312k

312k at Mount Kenya University312k at Mount Kenya 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

UoN LLM KES 644,000/2yr=322,000/yr (law.uonbi.ac.ke). MKU 150K/sem+12K=312K/yr (plc.mku.ac.ke).

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. LSK may provide professional development support for lawyers. CLE may provide training support for legal educators. Some law firms and organisations may sponsor lawyers for LLM study.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LSK Professional Development
CLE Training Support

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
LSK Professional Development
ScholarshipKsh 150,000Kenyan
Law Society of Kenya supports professional development for lawyers in Kenya.
CLE Training Support
GrantKsh 100,000Kenyan
Council of Legal Education supports training and development for legal educators in Kenya.

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 an LLB with Upper Second Class Honours. Strathmore requires First Class or 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
Coursework30% of the mark
Continuous assessment through coursework assignments, research papers, seminar presentations, moot court participation, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination40% of the mark
Written examinations covering legal theory, specialised law topics, case analysis, and legal problem-solving.
Moot Court and Practical Assessment
Practical30% of the mark
Practical assessment through moot court exercises, legal drafting, case analysis, and demonstrating legal practice skills.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original legal research thesis on a specialised law topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and legal knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE) and the Council of Legal Education (CLE). University of Nairobi (public) and Mount Kenya University and Strathmore University (private) offer LLM programmes. All programmes meet CUE and CLE standards for postgraduate legal education. Graduates are eligible for LSK advocate certification and CLE legal education certification.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE and the Council of Legal Education (CLE). University of Nairobi (public) and Mount Kenya University and Strathmore University (private) offer LLM programmes. All programmes meet CUE and CLE standards for postgraduate legal education. Graduates are eligible for LSK advocate certification and CLE legal education certification.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Legal Practitioner
High demandKsh 150,000 to Ksh 800,000
Practises law in law firms or independently, overseeing legal advisory, litigation, conveyancing, and managing legal matters for clients.
Corporate Counsel
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 1,000,000
Provides legal services within corporations, overseeing corporate legal compliance, contract management, and managing corporate legal matters.
Legal Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 150,000 to Ksh 700,000
Consults on specialised legal matters, providing advisory services, legal opinions, and expert legal guidance for organisations.
Judicial Officer
Low demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 900,000
Serves as a judge or magistrate, overseeing court proceedings, legal adjudication, and managing judicial decisions.
Legal Researcher
Low demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Conducts legal research for organisations, producing research reports, legal briefs, and policy analysis on legal issues.
Law Lecturer
Moderate demandKsh 150,000 to Ksh 600,000
Teaches law at university or college level, overseeing instruction, research, moot court supervision, and academic supervision.

Graduate outcomes