Agriculture

Master of Science in Agricultural and Applied Economics

The Master of Science in Agricultural and Applied Economics is a postgraduate programme that prepares professionals for advanced practice in agricultural economics, applied economic analysis, and policy development. The programme combines economic theory with quantitative methods and agricultural application.

Core areas include microeconomic theory, macroeconomic theory, agricultural economics, econometrics, mathematical economics, welfare economics, agricultural policy, development economics, research methods, and thesis. Students engage with both economic theory and practical agricultural application through coursework and research.

The programme is offered by the University of Nairobi and Egerton University. Both are public universities offering the programme over two academic years through full-time and part-time modes of study.

Students develop competencies in economic theory, econometric analysis, agricultural policy, development economics, welfare analysis, mathematical economics, and research methods. The programme includes coursework, examinations, and a research thesis.

UoN charges approximately KES 433,500/year (KES 867,000 total). Egerton charges approximately KES 188,650/year (KES 377,300 total). Entry requires a Bachelor's degree with Second Class Honours Upper Division in agricultural economics, economics, agriculture, or related fields from a recognised university.

Graduates pursue careers as agricultural economists, economic analysts, policy analysts, development economists, research economists, and lecturers in agricultural and applied economics across government, research institutions, international organisations, and financial institutions.

Skills Required

Microeconomic and Macroeconomic Theory
Econometric Modelling and Quantitative Analysis
Agricultural Policy Analysis and Development
Mathematical Economics and Optimisation
Welfare Economics and Impact Evaluation
Development Economics and Rural Development
Market Analysis and Price Modelling
Cost-Benefit Analysis and Project Appraisal
Research Methods in Applied Economics
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Microeconomic and Macroeconomic Theory
Agricultural Economics and Applications
Econometric Methods and Analysis
Mathematical Economics and Optimisation
Welfare Economics and Impact Evaluation
Agricultural Policy and Development
Development Economics
Research Methods in Applied Economics
Cost-Benefit Analysis and Project Appraisal
Thesis Research

Certifications

KIPPRA Policy Analysis Certification
IFPRI Agricultural Economics Certification

Specializations

Agricultural Policy Analysis

Focuses on agricultural policy analysis, covering policy evaluation, policy design, agricultural subsidies, trade policy, and managing agricultural policy.

Development Economics

Examines development economics, covering economic development, poverty analysis, inequality, growth theory, and managing economic development.

Econometric Analysis

Covers econometric analysis, covering econometric methods, regression analysis, time series, panel data, and managing econometric modelling.

Agricultural Finance

Focuses on agricultural finance, covering agricultural credit, investment analysis, financial planning, risk management, and managing agricultural finance.

Environmental Economics

Examines environmental economics, covering environmental valuation, resource economics, climate economics, sustainability, and managing environmental economics.

International Trade

Covers international trade, covering trade theory, trade policy, agricultural trade, regional integration, and managing international trade.

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

Microeconomic and Macroeconomic Theory
Agricultural Economics and Applications
Econometric Methods and Analysis
Mathematical Economics and Optimisation
Welfare Economics and Impact Evaluation
Agricultural Policy and Development
Development Economics
Research Methods in Applied Economics
Cost-Benefit Analysis and Project Appraisal
Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Microeconomic Theory and Applications
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines consumer theory, producer theory, market structures, general equilibrium, welfare economics, and managing microeconomic analysis.
Econometric Methods and Analysis
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers econometric methods, regression analysis, time series, panel data, hypothesis testing, and managing econometric analysis.
Research Methods in Applied Economics
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers research design, data collection, analysis, ethical issues, and conducting applied economics research, preparing students for their thesis.
Mathematical Economics and Optimisation
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines optimisation, linear algebra, differential equations, dynamic optimisation, game theory, and managing mathematical economics.
Agricultural Economics and Applications
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers production economics, price analysis, agricultural markets, farm management, supply analysis, and managing agricultural economics.
Macroeconomic Theory and Policy
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines national income, economic growth, inflation, fiscal policy, monetary policy, and managing macroeconomic analysis.
Development Economics
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers economic development, poverty analysis, inequality, growth theory, institutions, and managing development economics.
Agricultural Policy Analysis
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines policy analysis, policy evaluation, agricultural subsidies, trade policy, food policy, and managing agricultural policy.
Welfare Economics and Impact Evaluation
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers welfare analysis, efficiency, equity, social welfare, impact evaluation, and managing welfare economics.
Cost-Benefit Analysis and Project Appraisal
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines project appraisal, cost-benefit methods, discounting, sensitivity analysis, risk analysis, and managing project appraisal.
International Trade and Agricultural Markets
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers trade theory, trade policy, agricultural trade, regional integration, commodity markets, and managing international trade.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 26 creditsCore
Original research thesis on an agricultural and applied economics topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and economic knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Agricultural Policy Analysis
Focuses on agricultural policy analysis, covering policy evaluation, policy design, agricultural subsidies, trade policy, and managing agricultural policy.
Development Economics
Examines development economics, covering economic development, poverty analysis, inequality, growth theory, and managing economic development.
Econometric Analysis
Covers econometric analysis, covering econometric methods, regression analysis, time series, panel data, and managing econometric modelling.
Agricultural Finance
Focuses on agricultural finance, covering agricultural credit, investment analysis, financial planning, risk management, and managing agricultural finance.
Environmental Economics
Examines environmental economics, covering environmental valuation, resource economics, climate economics, sustainability, and managing environmental economics.
International Trade
Covers international trade, covering trade theory, trade policy, agricultural trade, regional integration, and managing international trade.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MSc in Agricultural and Applied Economics programme combines lectures, tutorials, computer laboratory sessions, seminars, and independent study. Sessions cover microeconomic theory, econometrics, agricultural economics, mathematical economics, and development economics. Microeconomic theory sessions examine consumer theory, producer theory, market structures, general equilibrium, and managing microeconomic analysis. Macroeconomic theory sessions cover national income, economic growth, inflation, fiscal policy, monetary policy, and managing macroeconomic analysis. Econometrics sessions cover econometric methods, regression analysis, time series, panel data, hypothesis testing, and managing econometric analysis. Mathematical economics sessions cover optimisation, linear algebra, differential equations, dynamic optimisation, and managing mathematical economics. Agricultural economics sessions cover production economics, price analysis, agricultural markets, farm management, and managing agricultural economics. Welfare economics sessions cover welfare analysis, efficiency, equity, social welfare, and managing welfare analysis. Development economics sessions cover economic development, poverty, inequality, growth, institutions, and managing development economics. Agricultural policy sessions cover policy analysis, policy evaluation, agricultural subsidies, trade policy, and managing agricultural policy. Cost-benefit analysis sessions cover project appraisal, cost-benefit methods, discounting, sensitivity analysis, and managing project appraisal. Research methods sessions prepare students for their thesis, covering research design, data collection, and analysis. Computer laboratory sessions provide hands-on experience with econometric software, data analysis, economic modelling, and statistical computing. Seminars and discussion groups provide opportunities for debating current issues in agricultural and applied economics. Guest lectures from experienced economists, policy analysts, and development experts provide practical insights. The programme culminates in a research thesis on an agricultural and applied economics topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

High demand for agricultural and applied economics professionals with growing policy reforms, development needs, and quantitative analysis requirements in Kenya.
Programme is offered by two public universities (UoN, Egerton), providing institutional choice.
Egerton offers competitive fees at approximately KES 188,650/year (KES 377,300 total).
Programme combines economic theory with quantitative methods and agricultural application, providing versatile analytical skills.

Against it

UoN fees are relatively high at approximately KES 433,500/year (KES 867,000 total).
No private university confirmed offering this programme, limiting options.
Programme requires strong quantitative background, which may limit access for non-quantitative graduates.
Large fee gap between Egerton (KES 188,650/year) and UoN (KES 433,500/year) may influence institutional choice.

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

Public189k to 434k

189k at Egerton 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 867K/2=433.5K/yr; Egerton FOA ~188.7K/yr. Private unverified.

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. Egerton may offer postgraduate bursaries for eligible students. The TAGDev programme at Egerton provides full-board scholarships for eligible agricultural economics students. IFPRI and other international organisations may provide training support for applied economics professionals.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
Egerton Postgraduate Bursary
TAGDev Scholarship (Egerton)

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
Egerton Postgraduate Bursary
ScholarshipKsh 100,000Kenyan
Egerton University offers postgraduate bursaries for eligible students.
TAGDev Scholarship (Egerton)
ScholarshipKsh 500,000Kenyan
TAGDev programme at Egerton provides full-board scholarships covering tuition, research, accommodation, and stipend for eligible agricultural economics students.

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 agricultural economics, economics, or related field. Persons with lower qualifications but with publications and postgraduate diplomas after Bachelor's degree are also 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, problem sets, econometric exercises, seminar presentations, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination70% of the mark
Written examinations covering microeconomic theory, econometrics, agricultural economics, mathematical economics, and development economics.
Computer Laboratory Assessment
Practical100% of the mark
Practical assessment through computer laboratory exercises, econometric analysis, data analysis, economic modelling, and demonstrating computational skills.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original research thesis on an agricultural and applied economics topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and economic knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). University of Nairobi and Egerton University (both public) offer MSc in Agricultural and Applied Economics. All programmes meet CUE standards for postgraduate training in agricultural and applied economics. Graduates are eligible for KIPPRA policy analysis certification and IFPRI agricultural economics certification.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. University of Nairobi and Egerton University (both public) offer MSc in Agricultural and Applied Economics. All programmes meet CUE standards for postgraduate training in agricultural and applied economics. Graduates are eligible for KIPPRA policy analysis certification and IFPRI agricultural economics certification.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Agricultural Economist
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Conducts economic analysis, overseeing agricultural economics research, market analysis, policy analysis, and managing economic analysis.
Economic Analyst
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Analyses economic data, overseeing economic research, data analysis, forecasting, policy analysis, and managing economic analysis.
Policy Analyst
High demandKsh 140,000 to Ksh 600,000
Analyses agricultural and economic policy, overseeing policy research, policy evaluation, policy development, and managing policy analysis.
Development Economist
Moderate demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Conducts development economics research, overseeing development analysis, poverty analysis, impact evaluation, and managing development research.
Research Economist
Moderate demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Conducts economic research, overseeing research design, data analysis, econometric modelling, publication, and managing economic research.
Economics Lecturer
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaches agricultural and applied economics at university or college level, overseeing instruction, research, academic supervision, and curriculum development.

Graduate outcomes

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

Stata
SoftwarePrimary
Stata econometric software for applied economics research, covering data analysis, econometric modelling, time series, and managing research data.
R
Software
R statistical software for applied economics research, covering statistical analysis, data visualisation, econometric modelling, and managing research data.
EViews
Software
EViews econometric software for time series analysis, covering forecasting, econometric modelling, time series, and managing economic data.
Excel
Software
Excel for economic analysis, covering financial modelling, cost-benefit analysis, data management, and managing economic data.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Agricultural and applied economics is just about farming economics.
Agricultural and applied economics covers comprehensive economic analysis including microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometrics, development, policy, and welfare beyond just farming.
This programme is only for those from agricultural backgrounds.
Applied economics skills are valuable for anyone interested in economic analysis, policy, development, research, and quantitative methods.
Applied economics is the same as general economics.
Applied economics focuses on practical application of economic theory to real-world agricultural and development problems, with emphasis on quantitative methods.
Agricultural economics has limited career prospects in Kenya.
With growing agricultural commercialisation, policy reforms, and development needs, demand for agricultural and applied economics professionals is increasing in Kenya.
Econometrics is too mathematical to be useful.
Econometrics provides essential tools for data-driven decision-making, policy evaluation, impact assessment, and research in agricultural and applied economics.
Development economics is just about poverty reduction.
Development economics covers comprehensive analysis including growth, institutions, inequality, human capital, trade, and structural transformation.