Agriculture

Master of Science (Agricultural Resource Management)

The Master of Science in Agricultural Resource Management is a postgraduate programme that prepares professionals for advanced practice in agricultural resource planning, management, and sustainability. The programme combines agricultural science with natural resource management and environmental stewardship.

Core areas include agricultural production systems, resource economics, environmental management, climate change, GIS and remote sensing, agro-meteorology, project planning, research methods, and thesis. Students engage with both resource management theory and practical agricultural application.

The programme is offered by the University of Nairobi, University of Embu, and South Eastern Kenya University. All are public universities offering the programme over two academic years through full-time and part-time modes.

Students develop competencies in agricultural resource assessment, resource economics, environmental management, climate change adaptation, GIS applications, agro-meteorology, project management, and research methods. The programme includes coursework, field practicum, examinations, and thesis.

University of Embu charges approximately KES 188,500/year for science-based masters. UoN and SEKU also offer the programme with similar fee structures. Entry requires a Bachelor's degree in agricultural science, biological science, environmental science, or related fields with at least Second Class Honours Upper Division.

Graduates pursue careers as agricultural resource managers, environmental consultants, agricultural project managers, climate change specialists, research officers, and lecturers in agricultural resource management.

Skills Required

Agricultural Resource Assessment and Planning
Resource Economics and Valuation
Environmental Management and Conservation
Climate Change Adaptation in Agriculture
GIS and Remote Sensing Applications
Agro-meteorology and Climate Analysis
Project Planning and Management
Agricultural Production Systems Analysis
Research Methods in Agricultural Science
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Agricultural Production Systems
Agricultural Resource Economics
Environmental Management and Post-Harvest Technology
Agro-meteorology and Climate Change
Remote Sensing and GIS
Project Planning and Management
Biometrics for Agricultural Sciences
Research Methods and Scientific Communication
Agricultural Development Planning
Thesis Research

Certifications

KAAA Professional Membership
KSSA Professional Membership

Specializations

Land Resource Management

Focuses on land resources, covering land assessment, land use planning, soil management, and managing land resources for agricultural production.

Water Resource Management

Examines water resources, covering water assessment, irrigation management, water conservation, and managing water resources for agriculture.

Climate Change and Agriculture

Covers climate change adaptation, covering climate analysis, adaptation strategies, climate-smart agriculture, and managing climate risks in agriculture.

Environmental Management

Focuses on environmental management, covering environmental assessment, environmental conservation, environmental impact, and managing environmental resources in agriculture.

Agricultural Resource Economics

Examines resource economics, covering resource valuation, resource allocation, cost-benefit analysis, and managing agricultural resource economics.

Agro-meteorology

Covers agro-meteorology, covering weather analysis, climate monitoring, crop-weather relationships, and managing agro-meteorological information.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 433,500
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

Agricultural Production Systems
Agricultural Resource Economics
Environmental Management and Post-Harvest Technology
Agro-meteorology and Climate Change
Remote Sensing and GIS
Project Planning and Management
Biometrics for Agricultural Sciences
Research Methods and Scientific Communication
Agricultural Development Planning
Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Biometrics for Agricultural Sciences
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines statistical methods, biometrics, experimental design, data analysis, and analysing and interpreting agricultural data.
Research Methods and Scientific Communication
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers research design, data collection, analysis, scientific writing, and conducting agricultural research, preparing students for their thesis.
Remote Sensing and GIS
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines remote sensing, GIS applications, spatial analysis, image processing, and managing geographic data for agricultural resource management.
Agricultural Production Systems
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers cropping systems, livestock systems, production efficiency, sustainable production, and managing agricultural production systems.
Markets and Marketing of Agricultural Products
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines agricultural markets, marketing systems, market analysis, agricultural trade, and managing agricultural product marketing.
Environmental Management and Post-Harvest Technology
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers environmental management, environmental assessment, post-harvest technology, food loss reduction, and managing environmental resources in agriculture.
Agro-meteorology and Climate Change
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines agro-meteorology, weather analysis, climate monitoring, climate change adaptation, and managing climate risks in agriculture.
Project Planning and Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers project design, project implementation, project monitoring, project evaluation, and managing agricultural and resource management projects.
Agricultural Development Planning
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines agricultural development planning, covering development theory, planning methods, development strategies, and managing agricultural development.
Agricultural Resource Economics
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers resource economics, resource valuation, resource allocation, cost-benefit analysis, and managing agricultural resource economics.
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 research thesis on an agricultural resource management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and agricultural resource knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Land Resource Management
Focuses on land resources, covering land assessment, land use planning, soil management, and managing land resources for agricultural production.
Water Resource Management
Examines water resources, covering water assessment, irrigation management, water conservation, and managing water resources for agriculture.
Climate Change and Agriculture
Covers climate change adaptation, covering climate analysis, adaptation strategies, climate-smart agriculture, and managing climate risks in agriculture.
Environmental Management
Focuses on environmental management, covering environmental assessment, environmental conservation, environmental impact, and managing environmental resources in agriculture.
Agricultural Resource Economics
Examines resource economics, covering resource valuation, resource allocation, cost-benefit analysis, and managing agricultural resource economics.
Agro-meteorology
Covers agro-meteorology, covering weather analysis, climate monitoring, crop-weather relationships, and managing agro-meteorological information.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MSc in Agricultural Resource Management programme combines lectures, field visits, GIS laboratory sessions, seminars, and independent study. Sessions cover agricultural production systems, resource economics, environmental management, climate change, and GIS applications. Agricultural production sessions examine cropping systems, livestock systems, production efficiency, and managing agricultural production. Resource economics sessions cover resource valuation, resource allocation, cost-benefit analysis, and managing agricultural resource economics. Environmental management sessions cover environmental assessment, environmental conservation, environmental impact, and managing environmental resources. Climate change sessions cover climate analysis, adaptation strategies, climate-smart agriculture, and managing climate risks. GIS sessions cover remote sensing, spatial analysis, GIS applications, and managing geographic data for agriculture. Agro-meteorology sessions cover weather analysis, climate monitoring, crop-weather relationships, and managing agro-meteorological information. Project planning sessions cover project design, project implementation, project monitoring, and managing agricultural projects. Research methods sessions prepare students for their thesis, covering research design, data collection, and analysis. Field visits provide hands-on experience with resource assessment in agricultural settings, environmental monitoring, and field data collection. GIS laboratory sessions provide practical experience with GIS software, remote sensing data, and spatial analysis. Seminars and discussion groups provide opportunities for debating current issues in agricultural resource management. Guest lectures from experienced resource managers, environmental consultants, and agricultural scientists provide practical insights. The programme culminates in a research thesis on an agricultural resource management topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

High demand for agricultural resource management professionals with growing concerns about climate change, food security, and environmental sustainability.
Programme is offered by multiple universities (UoN, Embu, SEKU), providing institutional choice.
Programme combines resource management with GIS, climate change, and environmental management, providing versatile skills.
University of Embu offers affordable fees at approximately KES 188,500/year for science-based masters.

Against it

UoN and SEKU fees not independently verified, limiting fee comparison.
No private university confirmed offering this exact programme, limiting options for private institution preference.
Programme may overlap with MSc in Environmental Science or Natural Resource Management, causing confusion for prospective students.
Field practicum may require travel to agricultural sites and rural areas, which can be challenging for some students.

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 303 agriculture courses

Public110k to 434k

110k at Rongo University434k at University of Nairobi

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 ~433.5K/yr (Faculty of Agriculture, uonbi.ac.ke). Rongo 110K/yr (eafinder.com). Private unverified.

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. Ministry of Agriculture may provide training support for agricultural staff. FAO may provide training support for agricultural development professionals. Some agricultural organisations and counties may sponsor staff for postgraduate study.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
Ministry of Agriculture Training Support
FAO Training Support

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
Ministry of Agriculture Training Support
ScholarshipKsh 150,000Kenyan
Ministry of Agriculture supports training for agricultural staff involved in resource management.
FAO Training Support
GrantKsh 200,000
Food and Agriculture Organization provides training support for agricultural development professionals in developing countries.

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 Upper Second Class Honours in agriculture or related field. Lower Second Division holders with relevant experience or Postgraduate Diploma are 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, field reports, GIS exercises, seminar presentations, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination50% of the mark
Written examinations covering agricultural production, resource economics, environmental management, climate change, and GIS.
Practical and Field Assessment
Practical20% of the mark
Practical assessment through field exercises, GIS practicals, resource assessment projects, and demonstrating resource management skills.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original research thesis on an agricultural resource management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and agricultural resource knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). University of Nairobi, University of Embu, and South Eastern Kenya University (all public) offer MSc in Agricultural Resource Management. All programmes meet CUE standards for postgraduate training in agricultural resource management. Graduates are eligible for KAAA and KSSA professional membership.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. University of Nairobi, University of Embu, and South Eastern Kenya University (all public) offer MSc in Agricultural Resource Management. All programmes meet CUE standards for postgraduate training in agricultural resource management. Graduates are eligible for KAAA and KSSA professional membership.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Agricultural Resource Manager
High demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Manages agricultural resources in organisations, overseeing resource assessment, resource planning, and managing agricultural resource use.
Environmental Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Consults on environmental management in agriculture, providing advisory services, environmental assessment, and technical guidance.
Agricultural Project Manager
Moderate demandKsh 150,000 to Ksh 600,000
Manages agricultural and resource management projects, overseeing project planning, implementation, monitoring, and managing project operations.
Climate Change Specialist
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Specialises in climate change adaptation in agriculture, overseeing climate analysis, adaptation planning, and managing climate-smart agriculture.
Agricultural Research Officer
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Conducts agricultural research, overseeing research design, data collection, analysis, and managing research activities.
Agricultural Lecturer
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaches agricultural resource management at university or college level, overseeing instruction, research, field supervision, and academic supervision.

Graduate outcomes

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

ArcGIS
SoftwarePrimary
GIS software for agricultural resource management, covering spatial analysis, resource mapping, land assessment, and managing geographic data.
SPSS
Software
Statistical analysis software for agricultural research, data analysis, and analysing and interpreting research data for thesis.
ERDAS Imagine
Software
Remote sensing software for image processing, covering satellite imagery, image classification, land cover analysis, and managing remote sensing data.
Microsoft Excel
Software
Spreadsheet software for agricultural data management, resource analysis, budgeting, and managing agricultural resource data.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Agricultural resource management is just about farming.
Agricultural resource management covers comprehensive resource planning including land, water, climate, environmental management, and economic analysis of agricultural resources.
This programme is only for those working in agriculture.
Resource management skills are valuable in environmental management, climate change adaptation, conservation, consulting, and any organisation managing natural resources.
Resource management has limited career prospects.
With growing concerns about climate change, food security, and environmental sustainability, demand for agricultural resource management professionals is increasing.
This programme is not relevant to modern challenges.
Agricultural resource management is critical to addressing climate change, food security, environmental degradation, and sustainable development challenges.
GIS and remote sensing are too technical for agriculture.
GIS and remote sensing are essential tools for modern agricultural resource management, providing spatial data for planning, monitoring, and decision-making.
Resource management is only about conservation.
Resource management balances conservation with productive use, covering resource economics, production systems, and sustainable resource use for agricultural development.