Engineering

Master of Science in Civil Engineering

The Master of Science in Civil Engineering is a postgraduate programme that prepares professionals for advanced practice in structural engineering, transportation, water resources, geotechnical engineering, and construction management. The programme combines civil engineering theory with practical design and research application.

Core areas include structural engineering, transportation engineering, water engineering, geotechnical engineering, construction management, environmental engineering, research methods, and thesis. Students engage with both engineering theory and practical laboratory and design work through coursework and research.

The programme is offered by the University of Nairobi through the Faculty of Engineering and JKUAT through the Department of Civil Engineering. Both are public universities offering the programme over two academic years through full-time study.

Students develop competencies in structural engineering, transportation engineering, water engineering, geotechnical engineering, construction management, environmental engineering, and research methods. The programme includes coursework, examinations, laboratory work, design projects, and a supervised research thesis.

UoN charges KES 528,000/year (KES 1,056,000 total) for civil engineering, with tuition at KES 480,000/year. JKUAT charges approximately KES 181,000/year (KES 362,000 total). Entry requires a Bachelor's degree with Second Class Honours Upper Division in civil engineering or related engineering fields from a recognised university.

Graduates pursue careers as structural engineers, transportation engineers, water engineers, geotechnical engineers, construction managers, project managers, and lecturers in civil engineering across construction companies, consulting firms, government agencies, infrastructure developers, and universities.

Skills Required

Structural Analysis and Design
Transportation Engineering and Highway Design
Water Resources Engineering and Hydraulics
Geotechnical Engineering and Foundation Design
Construction Management and Project Planning
Environmental Engineering and Sustainability
Finite Element Analysis and Computational Methods
Building Information Modelling (BIM)
Research Methods in Civil Engineering
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Structural Analysis and Design
Transportation Engineering and Highway Design
Water Resources Engineering and Hydraulics
Geotechnical Engineering and Foundation Design
Construction Management and Project Planning
Environmental Engineering and Sustainability
Finite Element Analysis and Computational Methods
Building Information Modelling (BIM)
Research Methods in Civil Engineering
Thesis Research

Certifications

EBK Professional Registration
ASCE Professional Membership

Specializations

Structural Engineering

Focuses on structural engineering, covering structural analysis, design, steel structures, concrete, seismic design, and managing structural engineering.

Transportation Engineering

Examines transportation engineering, covering highway design, traffic engineering, pavement design, transport planning, and managing transportation engineering.

Water Resources Engineering

Covers water resources, covering hydraulics, hydrology, water supply, drainage, irrigation, and managing water resources engineering.

Geotechnical Engineering

Focuses on geotechnical engineering, covering soil mechanics, foundation design, slope stability, ground improvement, and managing geotechnical engineering.

Construction Management

Examines construction management, covering project planning, cost estimation, contract management, quality control, and managing construction projects.

Environmental Engineering

Covers environmental engineering, covering water treatment, waste management, environmental impact, pollution control, and managing environmental engineering.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 528,000
Job market: High

The programme

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

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 15 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Structural Analysis and Design
Transportation Engineering and Highway Design
Water Resources Engineering and Hydraulics
Geotechnical Engineering and Foundation Design
Construction Management and Project Planning
Environmental Engineering and Sustainability
Finite Element Analysis and Computational Methods
Building Information Modelling (BIM)
Research Methods in Civil Engineering
Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Advanced Structural Analysis and Design
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines structural analysis, design, steel structures, concrete, seismic design, and managing structural engineering.
Transportation Engineering and Highway Design
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers highway design, traffic engineering, pavement design, transport planning, and managing transportation engineering.
Research Methods in Civil Engineering
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers research design, data collection, analysis, experimental methods, and conducting civil engineering research, preparing students for their thesis.
Water Resources Engineering and Hydraulics
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines hydraulics, hydrology, water supply, drainage, irrigation, flood control, and managing water resources engineering.
Geotechnical Engineering and Foundation Design
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers soil mechanics, foundation design, slope stability, ground improvement, earth retention, and managing geotechnical engineering.
Construction Management and Project Planning
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines project planning, cost estimation, contract management, quality control, safety, and managing construction projects.
Environmental Engineering and Sustainability
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers water treatment, waste management, environmental impact, pollution control, sustainability, and managing environmental engineering.
Finite Element Analysis and Computational Methods
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines FEM, computational methods, numerical modelling, structural optimisation, and managing computational analysis.
Building Information Modelling and Digital Construction
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers BIM, 3D modelling, collaboration, digital construction, project lifecycle, and managing BIM.
Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines seismic analysis, structural dynamics, earthquake-resistant design, vibration, and managing earthquake engineering.
Infrastructure Planning and Development
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers infrastructure planning, feasibility, financing, PPP, policy, and managing infrastructure development.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 29 creditsCore
Original supervised research thesis on a civil engineering topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and engineering knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Structural Engineering
Focuses on structural engineering, covering structural analysis, design, steel structures, concrete, seismic design, and managing structural engineering.
Transportation Engineering
Examines transportation engineering, covering highway design, traffic engineering, pavement design, transport planning, and managing transportation engineering.
Water Resources Engineering
Covers water resources, covering hydraulics, hydrology, water supply, drainage, irrigation, and managing water resources engineering.
Geotechnical Engineering
Focuses on geotechnical engineering, covering soil mechanics, foundation design, slope stability, ground improvement, and managing geotechnical engineering.
Construction Management
Examines construction management, covering project planning, cost estimation, contract management, quality control, and managing construction projects.
Environmental Engineering
Covers environmental engineering, covering water treatment, waste management, environmental impact, pollution control, and managing environmental engineering.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MSc in Civil Engineering programme combines lectures, laboratory sessions, design studios, practical workshops, seminars, and independent study. Sessions cover structural engineering, transportation, water resources, geotechnical engineering, and construction management. Structural engineering sessions examine structural analysis, design, steel structures, concrete, seismic design, and managing structural engineering. Transportation engineering sessions cover highway design, traffic engineering, pavement design, transport planning, and managing transportation engineering. Water resources sessions cover hydraulics, hydrology, water supply, drainage, irrigation, and managing water resources engineering. Geotechnical engineering sessions cover soil mechanics, foundation design, slope stability, ground improvement, and managing geotechnical engineering. Construction management sessions cover project planning, cost estimation, contract management, quality control, and managing construction projects. Environmental engineering sessions cover water treatment, waste management, environmental impact, pollution control, and managing environmental engineering. Finite element analysis sessions cover FEM, computational methods, numerical modelling, and managing computational analysis. BIM sessions cover building information modelling, 3D modelling, collaboration, and managing BIM. Research methods sessions prepare students for their thesis, covering research design, data collection, and analysis. Laboratory sessions provide hands-on experience with material testing, soil testing, hydraulic experiments, and structural testing. Design studios provide hands-on experience with structural design, highway design, water system design, and foundation design. Seminars and discussion groups provide opportunities for debating current issues in civil engineering. Guest lectures from experienced civil engineers, project managers, and industry leaders provide practical insights. The programme culminates in a supervised research thesis on a civil engineering topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

High demand for civil engineering professionals with growing infrastructure development, urbanisation, road construction, water projects, and housing in Kenya.
Programme offered by two well-established public universities (UoN, JKUAT) with strong engineering reputations.
JKUAT offers competitive fees at approximately KES 181,000/year for civil engineering.
Graduates are eligible for EBK professional registration and ASCE professional membership, enhancing career prospects.

Against it

UoN fees are significantly higher at KES 528,000/year (KES 1,056,000 total) for civil engineering.
Only two universities confirmed offering this programme, limiting institutional choice.
No private university confirmed offering this programme, limiting options.
Programme requires civil engineering or related engineering background, which limits access for non-engineering graduates.

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 332 engineering courses

Public181k to 528k

181k at JKUAT528k 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 ~528K/yr (uonbi.ac.ke). JKUAT ~181K/yr (kenyaeducationguide). Private: unverified.

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. UoN may offer engineering bursaries for eligible students. EBK may provide professional development support. Some construction and engineering companies may sponsor staff for postgraduate study.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
UoN Engineering Bursary
EBK Professional Development Support

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
UoN Engineering Bursary
ScholarshipKsh 100,000Kenyan
University of Nairobi offers bursaries for eligible engineering students.
EBK Professional Development Support
GrantKsh 150,000Kenyan
EBK and partner organisations may provide professional development support for engineering professionals.

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 civil engineering or related fields. Lower Second Division holders with relevant experience 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, design projects, laboratory reports, seminar presentations, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination70% of the mark
Written examinations covering structural, transportation, water, geotechnical, and construction management.
Laboratory and Design Assessment
Practical30% of the mark
Practical assessment through laboratory exercises, material testing, soil testing, structural design, and demonstrating civil engineering skills.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original supervised research thesis on a civil engineering topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and engineering knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). University of Nairobi and JKUAT (both public) offer MSc in Civil Engineering. All programmes meet CUE standards for postgraduate training in civil engineering. Graduates are eligible for EBK professional registration and ASCE professional membership.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. University of Nairobi and JKUAT (both public) offer MSc in Civil Engineering. All programmes meet CUE standards for postgraduate training in civil engineering. Graduates are eligible for EBK professional registration and ASCE professional membership.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Structural Engineer
High demandKsh 160,000 to Ksh 700,000
Designs and analyses structures, overseeing structural design, analysis, safety, and managing structural engineering.
Transportation Engineer
High demandKsh 150,000 to Ksh 650,000
Designs transportation systems, overseeing highway design, traffic engineering, planning, and managing transportation engineering.
Water Resources Engineer
Moderate demandKsh 150,000 to Ksh 650,000
Designs water systems, overseeing hydraulics, water supply, drainage, and managing water resources engineering.
Geotechnical Engineer
Moderate demandKsh 150,000 to Ksh 650,000
Designs foundations, overseeing soil analysis, foundation design, slope stability, and managing geotechnical engineering.
Construction Manager
High demandKsh 160,000 to Ksh 700,000
Manages construction projects, overseeing planning, cost, quality, safety, and managing construction projects.
Civil Engineering Lecturer
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaches civil engineering at university or college level, overseeing instruction, research, and academic supervision.

Graduate outcomes

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

AutoCAD
SoftwarePrimary
AutoCAD for engineering drawing, covering structural drawings, highway design, site plans, and managing engineering drawings.
SAP2000
Software
SAP2000 for structural analysis, covering structural modelling, analysis, design, and managing structural analysis.
EPANET
Software
EPANET for water distribution modelling, covering hydraulic analysis, water quality, and managing water systems.
PLAXIS
Software
PLAXIS for geotechnical analysis, covering soil modelling, foundation analysis, and managing geotechnical engineering.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Civil engineering is just about building houses.
Civil engineering covers comprehensive structural, transportation, water, geotechnical, environmental, and construction management beyond just building houses.
This programme is only for practising engineers.
Civil engineering skills are valuable for research, consulting, regulation, academia, project management, and entrepreneurship beyond just practising engineering.
Civil engineering has limited career prospects in Kenya.
With growing infrastructure development, urbanisation, road construction, water projects, and housing, demand for civil engineering professionals is high in Kenya.
Structural engineering is just about calculating loads.
Structural engineering covers comprehensive analysis, design, steel, concrete, seismic, wind, and failure analysis.
Water engineering is just about pipes.
Water engineering covers comprehensive hydraulics, hydrology, water supply, drainage, irrigation, flood control, and water treatment.
Geotechnical engineering is just about soil testing.
Geotechnical engineering covers comprehensive soil mechanics, foundation design, slope stability, ground improvement, and earth retention.