Business

Master of Science in Digital Services Management

The Master of Science in Digital Services Management is a postgraduate programme that prepares professionals for advanced practice in digital service delivery, business process outsourcing, and digital economy management. The programme combines digital services theory with practical service management, process optimisation, and digital transformation application.

Core areas include digital services strategy, business process management, digital transformation, service operations, customer experience management, digital platforms, data-driven decision making, outsourcing management, quality assurance, research methods, and thesis or project. Students engage with both digital services theory and practical case studies and laboratory work through coursework and research.

The programme is offered by the Open University of Kenya as MSc in Digital Services Management through flexible learning, JKUAT as MSc in Information Systems Management through the School of Computing and Information Technology, and KCA University as MSc in Information System Management through the School of Computing. Public and private universities offer programmes over two academic years through full-time, part-time, and flexible learning modes of study.

Students develop competencies in digital services strategy, business process management, digital transformation, service operations, customer experience, digital platforms, and outsourcing management. The programme includes coursework, examinations, case studies, and a supervised research thesis or project.

Open University of Kenya charges KES 93,750/year (KES 187,500 total) for digital services management. JKUAT charges approximately KES 254,100/year (KES 508,200 total) for information systems management. KCA University charges approximately KES 300,000/year as a private university. Entry requires a Bachelor's degree with Second Class Honours Upper Division in IT, business, or related fields from a recognised university.

Graduates pursue careers as digital services managers, business process managers, digital transformation consultants, service delivery managers, outsourcing managers, and lecturers in digital services management across BPO firms, corporate organisations, government agencies, technology companies, consulting firms, and universities.

Skills Required

Digital Services Strategy and Planning
Business Process Management and Optimisation
Digital Transformation and Innovation
Service Operations and Delivery Management
Customer Experience and Relationship Management
Digital Platform Management and Integration
Data-Driven Decision Making and Analytics
Outsourcing and Vendor Management
Research Methods in Digital Services
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Digital Services Strategy and Planning
Business Process Management and Optimisation
Digital Transformation and Innovation
Service Operations and Delivery Management
Customer Experience and Relationship Management
Digital Platform Management and Integration
Data-Driven Decision Making and Analytics
Outsourcing and Vendor Management
Research Methods in Digital Services
Thesis or Project Research

Certifications

IAOP Certified Outsourcing Professional (COP)
ITIL Foundation Certification

Specializations

Business Process Management

Focuses on business process management, covering process analysis, optimisation, automation, BPMN, and managing business processes.

Digital Transformation

Examines digital transformation, covering digital strategy, change management, technology adoption, innovation, and managing digital transformation.

Service Operations

Covers service operations, covering service design, delivery, quality, SLA management, and managing service operations.

Customer Experience Management

Focuses on customer experience, covering CX strategy, journey mapping, feedback, analytics, and managing customer experience.

Outsourcing Management

Examines outsourcing management, covering BPO, vendor selection, contract management, SLAs, and managing outsourcing operations.

Digital Platform Management

Covers digital platforms, covering platform strategy, integration, APIs, ecosystem management, and managing digital platforms.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 254,100
Job market: High

The programme

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

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time, Part-time, Online
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 25 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Digital Services Strategy and Planning
Business Process Management and Optimisation
Digital Transformation and Innovation
Service Operations and Delivery Management
Customer Experience and Relationship Management
Digital Platform Management and Integration
Data-Driven Decision Making and Analytics
Outsourcing and Vendor Management
Research Methods in Digital Services
Thesis or Project Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Digital Services Strategy and Digital Economy
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines digital economy, services strategy, business models, digital ecosystems, and managing digital services.
Business Process Management and Optimisation
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers process analysis, optimisation, automation, BPMN, workflow, and managing business processes.
Research Methods in Digital Services
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers research design, data collection, analysis, digital services research methods, and conducting digital services research, preparing students for their thesis or project.
Digital Transformation and Innovation
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines digital strategy, change management, technology adoption, innovation, and managing digital transformation.
Service Operations and Delivery Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers service design, delivery, quality, SLA management, ITIL, and managing service operations.
Customer Experience and Relationship Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines CX strategy, journey mapping, feedback, analytics, CRM, and managing customer experience.
Digital Platform Management and Integration
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers platform strategy, integration, APIs, ecosystem management, and managing digital platforms.
Data-Driven Decision Making and Analytics
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines data analytics, dashboards, KPIs, metrics, business intelligence, and managing data-driven decisions.
Outsourcing and Vendor Management
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers BPO, vendor selection, contract management, SLAs, risk, and managing outsourcing operations.
Quality Assurance and Service Excellence
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines quality models, standards, monitoring, evaluation, continuous improvement, and managing service quality.
Digital Leadership and Change Management
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers digital leadership, change management, team management, culture, and managing digital leadership and change.
Research Thesis or Project
Year 2Semester 26 creditsCore
Original supervised research thesis or project on a digital services management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and digital services knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Business Process Management
Focuses on business process management, covering process analysis, optimisation, automation, BPMN, and managing business processes.
Digital Transformation
Examines digital transformation, covering digital strategy, change management, technology adoption, innovation, and managing digital transformation.
Service Operations
Covers service operations, covering service design, delivery, quality, SLA management, and managing service operations.
Customer Experience Management
Focuses on customer experience, covering CX strategy, journey mapping, feedback, analytics, and managing customer experience.
Outsourcing Management
Examines outsourcing management, covering BPO, vendor selection, contract management, SLAs, and managing outsourcing operations.
Digital Platform Management
Covers digital platforms, covering platform strategy, integration, APIs, ecosystem management, and managing digital platforms.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MSc in Digital Services Management programme combines lectures, case study workshops, practical laboratory sessions, seminars, and independent study. Sessions cover digital services strategy, business process management, digital transformation, and service operations. Digital services strategy sessions examine digital economy, services strategy, business models, digital ecosystems, and managing digital services. Business process management sessions cover process analysis, optimisation, automation, BPMN, workflow, and managing business processes. Digital transformation sessions cover digital strategy, change management, technology adoption, innovation, and managing digital transformation. Service operations sessions cover service design, delivery, quality, SLA management, and managing service operations. Customer experience sessions cover CX strategy, journey mapping, feedback, analytics, and managing customer experience. Digital platform sessions cover platform strategy, integration, APIs, ecosystem management, and managing digital platforms. Data-driven decision sessions cover data analytics, dashboards, KPIs, metrics, and managing data-driven decisions. Outsourcing management sessions cover BPO, vendor selection, contract management, SLAs, and managing outsourcing operations. Quality assurance sessions cover quality models, standards, monitoring, evaluation, and managing service quality. Research methods sessions prepare students for their thesis or project, covering research design, data collection, and analysis. Case study workshops provide hands-on experience with real digital services challenges, BPO scenarios, and transformation projects. Laboratory sessions provide hands-on experience with BPM tools, CRM platforms, analytics dashboards, and digital service management tools. Seminars and discussion groups provide opportunities for debating current issues in digital services and the digital economy. Guest lectures from experienced digital services managers, BPO professionals, and transformation consultants provide practical insights. The programme culminates in a supervised research thesis or project on a digital services management topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

High demand for digital services professionals with Kenya's digital economy growth, BPO expansion, Ajira programme, and digital transformation across sectors.
Open University of Kenya offers highly competitive fees at KES 93,750/year (KES 187,500 total) with flexible learning.
Programme offered by three universities (2 public, 1 private), providing institutional choice.
Graduates are eligible for IAOP COP and ITIL Foundation professional certifications, enhancing career prospects.

Against it

KCA University (private) charges higher fees at approximately KES 300,000/year.
OUK programme is new and may have limited alumni network and track record.
KCA specific digital services fees not independently verified.
Programme is relatively new in Kenya with limited established curriculum standards.

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 331 business courses

Public94k to 254k

94k at Open University of Kenya254k at JKUAT

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

OUK 93,750/yr verified (ouk.ac.ke, 187.5K/2yr). JKUAT, private unverified.

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. JKUAT may offer postgraduate bursaries. KCA University offers financial aid for eligible students. Some BPO firms and digital services companies may sponsor staff for postgraduate study.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
JKUAT Postgraduate Bursary
KCA University Financial Aid

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
JKUAT Postgraduate Bursary
ScholarshipKsh 100,000Kenyan
JKUAT offers postgraduate bursaries for eligible students.
KCA University Financial Aid
ScholarshipKsh 100,000Kenyan
KCA University offers financial aid for eligible postgraduate students.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: Open University of Kenya accepts a degree with relevant diploma. JKUAT requires relevant undergraduate degree with Upper Second Class Honours. KCA University accepts relevant degree with minimum Upper Second. 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, case study reports, practical exercises, seminar presentations, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination70% of the mark
Written examinations covering digital services strategy, business process management, digital transformation, and service operations.
Practical and Case Study Assessment
Practical30% of the mark
Practical assessment through case studies, BPM exercises, service design, analytics dashboards, and demonstrating digital services skills.
Research Thesis or Project
Research100% of the mark
Original supervised research thesis or project on a digital services management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and digital services knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Open University of Kenya and JKUAT (public) offer MSc in Digital Services Management or Information Systems Management. KCA University (private) offers MSc in Information System Management. All programmes meet CUE standards for postgraduate training in digital services management. Graduates are eligible for IAOP COP and ITIL Foundation professional certifications.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. Open University of Kenya and JKUAT (public) offer MSc in Digital Services Management or Information Systems Management. KCA University (private) offers MSc in Information System Management. All programmes meet CUE standards for postgraduate training in digital services management. Graduates are eligible for IAOP COP and ITIL Foundation professional certifications.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Digital Services Manager
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 600,000
Manages digital services, overseeing delivery, operations, quality, teams, and managing digital services.
Business Process Manager
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Manages business processes, overseeing analysis, optimisation, automation, and managing process improvement.
Digital Transformation Consultant
High demandKsh 140,000 to Ksh 650,000
Provides digital transformation consulting, overseeing advisory, strategy, implementation, and managing transformation.
Service Delivery Manager
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 600,000
Manages service delivery, overseeing SLAs, quality, operations, teams, and managing service delivery.
Outsourcing Manager
Moderate demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 600,000
Manages outsourcing operations, overseeing vendors, contracts, SLAs, quality, and managing outsourcing.
Digital Services Lecturer
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaches digital services management at university or college level, overseeing instruction, research, and academic supervision.

Graduate outcomes

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

Microsoft Dynamics
SoftwarePrimary
Microsoft Dynamics for service management, covering CRM, ERP, service operations, and managing digital services.
Tableau
Software
Tableau for data analytics, covering dashboards, visualisation, KPIs, and managing data-driven decisions.
Jira
Software
Jira for project and process management, covering workflow, tracking, agile, and managing service delivery.
Salesforce
Software
Salesforce for CRM and customer experience, covering customer management, analytics, and managing customer relationships.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Digital services management is just about running call centres.
Digital services management covers comprehensive strategy, process management, transformation, platforms, analytics, and outsourcing beyond just call centres.
This programme is only for IT professionals.
Digital services management skills are valuable for business managers, operations managers, consultants, BPO professionals, and entrepreneurs beyond just IT professionals.
Business process management is just about writing procedures.
Business process management covers comprehensive process analysis, optimisation, automation, BPMN, workflow, and continuous improvement.
Digital transformation is just about adopting new technology.
Digital transformation covers comprehensive strategy, change management, culture, innovation, business models, and organisational transformation.
Outsourcing management is just about cutting costs.
Outsourcing management covers comprehensive vendor selection, contract management, SLAs, quality, risk, and strategic partnership management.
Customer experience is just about customer service.
Customer experience covers comprehensive CX strategy, journey mapping, feedback, analytics, personalisation, and end-to-end customer experience management.