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Health Sciences

Master of Science in Community Nutrition & Development

The Master of Science in Community Nutrition & Development is a master's programme offered at Kenyan universities. This postgraduate degree prepares professionals for advanced practice and research careers in health sciences.

Duration
1-2 years
Next intake January 2027
Public tuition
Ksh 180,000
Ksh 180,000 to Ksh 360,000 total
Private tuition
Ksh 150,000
Ksh 150,000 to Ksh 300,000 total
Job market
Moderate
Market demand for graduates

The short answer

What it costs
Up to Ksh 180,000 a year at a public institution, Ksh 180,000 to Ksh 360,000 for the whole course. Up to Ksh 150,000 a year at a private one.The detail
Who can get in
A KCSE mean grade of Second Upper Division (2.1) or equivalent or above, plus 4 subject grades. There is another way in without it.The detail
How long, and when
Takes 1-2 years, full-time, part-time, with 0 months of attachment. Next intake January 2027, at 1 institution.The detail
Where it leads
8 careers in the catalogue. The least exposed to AI is Forensic DNA Scientist, at 15 out of 100.The detail

The programme

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

What you study

10 subjects
  • Epidemiology
  • Biostatistics
  • Health Systems Management
  • Public Health Research Methods
  • Health Policy and Planning
  • Clinical Research Methods
  • Health Economics
  • Disease Control
  • Nutrition Assessment
  • Healthcare Ethics

Modules

10 in the programme

  • Community Nutrition and Development Integration

    Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

    Nutrition and development integration, nutrition in development theory, multi-sectoral nutrition, Kenya Vision 2030, SDGs, KDHS, double burden of malnutrition, poverty-nutrition nexus, and applying nutrition-development integration

  • Food Security and Livelihoods

    Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

    Food security, food availability, access, utilisation, stability, livelihoods, livelihood frameworks, coping strategies, FCS, HDDS, HFIAS, Kenya's food insecurity, ASALs, and applying food security and livelihoods

  • Participatory Community Development Methods

    Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore

    Participatory methods, PRA, PLA, resource mapping, seasonal calendars, wealth ranking, community-driven development, CDD, facilitation skills, community engagement, and applying participatory development methods

  • Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture and Food Systems

    Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore

    Nutrition-sensitive agriculture, kitchen gardens, food systems, value chains, crop diversification, livestock, biofortification, OFSP, iron beans, school feeding, Home Grown School Feeding, and applying nutrition-sensitive agriculture

  • Social Protection, Gender and Nutrition

    Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore

    Social protection, cash transfers, NSNP, OVC, gender, women's empowerment, VSLAs, table banking, gender mainstreaming, women's groups, and applying social protection and gender for nutrition

  • Resilience and Nutrition in ASALs

    Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore

    Resilience, ASALs, drought, NDMA, livelihood diversification, beekeeping, poultry, small ruminants, climate-smart agriculture, early warning, emergency nutrition, and applying resilience and nutrition in ASALs

  • School Health, Nutrition and Early Childhood Development

    Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore

    School health, school feeding, school nutrition, early childhood development, ECD nutrition, cognitive development, nutrition and education, WASH in schools, and applying school health and nutrition

  • Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Coordination and Governance

    Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore

    Multi-sectoral nutrition, County Nutrition Coordination Committees, nutrition governance, policy advocacy, Kenya Food and Nutrition Security Policy, SUN movement, civil society, and applying multi-sectoral coordination

  • MEAL and Research Methods

    Year 3Semester 33 creditsCore

    Monitoring, evaluation, accountability, learning, MEAL, logical framework, indicators, data collection, impact evaluation, research methods, biostatistics, scientific writing, and preparing for the thesis

  • Thesis

    Year 4Semester 16 creditsCore

    Original research on a community nutrition and development topic such as impact of kitchen gardens on household nutrition in Kenya's rural communities, role of women's VSLAs in improving child nutrition in Kenya, effectiveness of food-for-assets programmes on nutrition in Kenya's ASALs, or integration of nutrition into county development plans in Kenya

Specialisations

  • Social Protection and Gender

    Focus on social protection, cash transfers, NSNP, women's empowerment, VSLAs, gender mainstreaming, and developing social protection and gender-responsive nutrition programmes

  • Food Security and Livelihoods

    Focus on food security assessment, livelihood frameworks, coping strategies, value chains, kitchen gardens, crop diversification, and developing food security and livelihood programmes

  • Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Governance

    Focus on multi-sectoral nutrition coordination, County Nutrition Coordination Committees, nutrition policy, SUN movement, advocacy, and developing nutrition governance frameworks

  • Resilience and ASAL Development

    Specialisation in resilience, ASAL livelihoods, drought management, NDMA, livelihood diversification, climate-smart agriculture, and developing resilience programmes for Kenya's ASALs

  • Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture

    Specialisation in nutrition-sensitive agriculture, food systems, biofortification, school feeding, Home Grown School Feeding, value chains for nutrition, and developing nutrition-sensitive agriculture programmes

A day as a student

A typical day involves attending public health lectures, analysing epidemiological data, participating in field visits, reviewing medical literature, presenting at journal clubs, and meeting with supervisors to discuss research projects.

The trade-offs

In its favourAgainst it
Integrates nutrition with development for maximum impact — combining nutrition expertise with community development approaches addresses root causes of malnutrition including poverty, food insecurity, and gender inequalityComplex multi-sectoral coordination required — integrating nutrition with agriculture, education, social protection, and WASH requires navigating complex institutional landscapes and coordination challenges
High demand across multiple sectors — county governments, NGOs, UN agencies, FAO, WFP, and development organisations create strong demand for integrated nutrition and development expertiseFieldwork in remote and resource-limited areas — community development fieldwork takes place in rural communities, ASALs, and informal settlements, which can be physically and emotionally demanding

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 349 health sciences courses
Public163k to 180k
163k at University of Eldoret180k at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology
Private120k to 150k
120k at Great Lakes University of Kisumu150k at Kenya Methodist 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

Eldoret Y1=162.6k (uoeld.ac.ke); KeMU 150k/yr; GLUK 120k/yr. MMUST~180k.

WHO, KEMRI, and AMREF offer research grants. HELB provides postgraduate loans. CDC, NIH, and Fogarty International support health research in Kenya.

Funding options

  • HELB Postgraduate Loan

    Loan

    Kenyan citizens enrolled in accredited postgraduate programmes

  • WHO Research Grant

    Grant

    Public health researchers in WHO priority areas

  • KEMRI Research Grant

    Grant

    Health researchers affiliated with KEMRI

Scholarships

5 recorded

  • DAAD Development Studies Scholarship

    FullKsh 4,000,000Kenyan

    Kenyan; Academic excellence; Development studies programme

  • Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program

    FullKsh 8,000,000Kenyan

    Kenyan; Academic excellence; Financial need; Leadership

  • HELB Postgraduate Loan

    LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan

    Kenyan citizens pursuing postgraduate studies.

  • Aga Khan Foundation Scholarship

    FullKsh 6,000,000Kenyan

    Kenyan; Academic excellence; Leadership; Community service

  • FAO Food Security Fellowship

    FellowshipKsh 2,000,000

    African; Food security research; Academic merit; Research proposal

Scholarships you could apply for

2 usable where it is taught
Save one and be reminded before it closes

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade
Second Upper Division (2.1) or equivalentminimum entry
Alternative entry

Bachelor's in related field with experience in nutrition, community development, or food security. KNDI registration can support application.

Subject requirements
Bachelor's degree in Nutrition, Food Science, Agriculture, Community Development, Rural Sociology, Public Health, or related field from a recognised university2.1 or higher
Nutrition or development background with community engagement interestdemonstrated in bachelor's
Experience in community development, nutrition programmes, NGO work, or county governmentpreferred
English proficiency (international applicants)IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 90+

When it next starts

Taught at 1 institution
January 20271 institution

Including Multimedia University of Kenya.

May 20271 institution

Including Multimedia University of Kenya.

September 20271 institution

Including Multimedia University of Kenya.

How you are assessed

4 components

  • Community Projects and Field Practicals

    Project30% of the mark

    Participatory appraisal project, integrated programme design, food security assessment, livelihood intervention design, and seminar presentation

  • Industry Attachment and Seminars

    Cat15% of the mark

    County government/NGO attachment assessment, community field reports, research seminar presentations, and programme evaluation exercise

  • Thesis

    Research30% of the mark

    Original research on a community nutrition and development topic examined by oral defence

  • End of Semester Examinations

    Exam25% of the mark

    Formal written examinations covering nutrition-development integration, food security, participatory methods, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, social protection, resilience, school health, multi-sectoral coordination, and MEAL

Accreditation

  • Kenya Nutritionists and Dieticians Institute

    ProfessionalRequired

    Mandatory professional registration for nutrition practice in Kenya.

  • Commission for University Education

    Academic accreditationRequired

    Mandatory accreditation for university programmes in Kenya.

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Health programmes are also regulated by KMPDC, Pharmacy and Poisons Board, Nursing Council of Kenya, or Clinical Officers Council as applicable.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

5 roles

  • Community Development Officer

    Medium demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 380,000

    Implements community development programmes, facilitates participatory processes, supports livelihoods, and works at county governments, NGOs, or development organisations in Kenya

  • Programme Manager

    Medium demandKsh 140,000 to Ksh 550,000

    Manages nutrition and development programmes, oversees budgets and staff, coordinates donors, supports FAO/WFP/NGO programmes, and works at UN agencies, NGOs, or consulting firms in Kenya

  • University Lecturer

    Low demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 450,000

    Teaches community nutrition and development, conducts research, supervises students, and works at universities in Kenya

  • Nutrition Development Specialist

    High demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 450,000

    Designs integrated nutrition and development programmes, supports county governments, coordinates multi-sectoral nutrition, and works at NGOs, UN agencies, or county governments in Kenya

  • Livelihood Specialist

    Medium demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 450,000

    Designs livelihood interventions, supports value chains, promotes kitchen gardens and diversified farming, and works at NGOs, FAO, or development organisations in Kenya

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as public health officers, clinical specialists, health programme managers, medical researchers, and health policy advisors in Kenya's health sector.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Common misconceptions

  • A Masters in Public Health is only for doctors.

    MPH programmes accept applicants from diverse backgrounds including nursing, pharmacy, social sciences, and environmental health.

  • All health Masters require clinical practice experience.

    While clinical experience is valuable, many public health and health systems Masters require a relevant bachelor's degree, not clinical practice.

  • Health Masters graduates only work in hospitals.

    Graduates work in ministries, NGOs, international organisations, research institutions, insurance companies, and private sector.

  • A Masters in Nursing is the same as a PhD in Nursing.

    A Masters prepares for advanced practice and education roles, while a PhD is focused on research and academic scholarship.

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