Engineering

Master of Science in Disaster Preparedness and Engineering Management

The Master of Science in Disaster Preparedness and Engineering Management is a postgraduate programme that prepares professionals for advanced practice in disaster preparedness, engineering risk management, and infrastructure resilience. The programme combines engineering principles with practical disaster preparedness, infrastructure assessment, and risk reduction application.

Core areas include disaster preparedness, engineering risk management, infrastructure resilience, structural mitigation, hazard assessment, fire safety engineering, building codes and standards, GIS for hazard mapping, emergency engineering, research methods, and thesis. Students engage with both engineering theory and practical field exercises and laboratory work through coursework and research.

The programme is offered by Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology through the Department of Disaster Preparedness and Engineering Management, established in 2010 within the School of Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance. The department focuses on natural hazards, engineering, and environmental studies involving earth and atmospheric sciences. MMUST offers the programme over two academic years through full-time and part-time modes of study.

Students develop competencies in disaster preparedness, engineering risk management, infrastructure resilience, structural mitigation, hazard assessment, fire safety, building codes, GIS, and emergency engineering. The programme includes coursework, examinations, field exercises, laboratory work, and a supervised research thesis.

MMUST charges approximately KES 165,750/year (KES 331,500 total including KES 30,000 field skills course) for disaster preparedness and engineering management. Entry requires a relevant Bachelor's degree with Second Class Honours Upper Division in engineering, disaster management, environmental science, or related fields from a recognised university.

Graduates pursue careers as disaster preparedness engineers, risk management engineers, infrastructure resilience specialists, fire safety engineers, emergency engineering managers, and lecturers in disaster preparedness and engineering management across government agencies, engineering firms, construction companies, NGOs, and universities.

Skills Required

Disaster Preparedness and Planning
Engineering Risk Management and Assessment
Infrastructure Resilience and Retrofitting
Structural Mitigation and Design
Hazard Assessment and Mapping
Fire Safety Engineering and Management
Building Codes and Standards Compliance
GIS for Hazard Mapping and Analysis
Research Methods in Disaster Engineering
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Disaster Preparedness and Planning
Engineering Risk Management and Assessment
Infrastructure Resilience and Retrofitting
Structural Mitigation and Design
Hazard Assessment and Mapping
Fire Safety Engineering and Management
Building Codes and Standards Compliance
GIS for Hazard Mapping and Analysis
Research Methods in Disaster Engineering
Thesis Research

Certifications

NCA Engineering Certification
UNDRR Sendai Framework Certification

Specializations

Engineering Risk Management

Focuses on engineering risk management, covering risk assessment, structural assessment, infrastructure vulnerability, and managing engineering risk.

Infrastructure Resilience

Examines infrastructure resilience, covering retrofitting, strengthening, resilience design, critical infrastructure, and managing infrastructure resilience.

Fire Safety Engineering

Covers fire safety engineering, covering fire dynamics, fire protection, evacuation, codes, and managing fire safety.

Structural Mitigation

Focuses on structural mitigation, covering seismic design, wind design, flood defence, structural strengthening, and managing structural mitigation.

Hazard Assessment

Examines hazard assessment, covering natural hazards, geological hazards, hydrological hazards, atmospheric hazards, and managing hazard assessment.

Emergency Engineering

Covers emergency engineering, covering temporary structures, emergency repairs, debris management, rapid assessment, and managing emergency engineering operations.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 150,750
Job market: Moderate

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

Disaster Preparedness and Planning
Engineering Risk Management and Assessment
Infrastructure Resilience and Retrofitting
Structural Mitigation and Design
Hazard Assessment and Mapping
Fire Safety Engineering and Management
Building Codes and Standards Compliance
GIS for Hazard Mapping and Analysis
Research Methods in Disaster Engineering
Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Disaster Preparedness and Planning
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines preparedness planning, early warning, evacuation, contingency planning, and managing disaster preparedness.
Engineering Risk Management and Assessment
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers risk assessment, structural assessment, infrastructure vulnerability, and managing engineering risk.
Research Methods in Disaster Engineering
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers research design, data collection, analysis, engineering research methods, and conducting disaster engineering research, preparing students for their thesis.
Infrastructure Resilience and Retrofitting
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines retrofitting, strengthening, resilience design, critical infrastructure, and managing infrastructure resilience.
Structural Mitigation and Design
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers seismic design, wind design, flood defence, structural strengthening, and managing structural mitigation.
Hazard Assessment and Mapping
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines natural hazards, geological hazards, hydrological hazards, atmospheric hazards, and managing hazard assessment.
Fire Safety Engineering and Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers fire dynamics, fire protection, evacuation, codes, and managing fire safety.
Building Codes and Standards
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines codes, standards, compliance, regulations, and managing building code compliance.
GIS for Hazard Mapping and Analysis
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers hazard mapping, risk mapping, spatial analysis, remote sensing, and managing GIS for hazard mapping.
Emergency Engineering and Response
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines temporary structures, emergency repairs, debris management, rapid assessment, and managing emergency engineering.
Field Skills Course
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers field exercises, simulations, infrastructure assessment, hazard mapping, and practical field skills for disaster preparedness and engineering management.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 29 creditsCore
Original supervised research thesis on a disaster preparedness and engineering management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and engineering knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Engineering Risk Management
Focuses on engineering risk management, covering risk assessment, structural assessment, infrastructure vulnerability, and managing engineering risk.
Infrastructure Resilience
Examines infrastructure resilience, covering retrofitting, strengthening, resilience design, critical infrastructure, and managing infrastructure resilience.
Fire Safety Engineering
Covers fire safety engineering, covering fire dynamics, fire protection, evacuation, codes, and managing fire safety.
Structural Mitigation
Focuses on structural mitigation, covering seismic design, wind design, flood defence, structural strengthening, and managing structural mitigation.
Hazard Assessment
Examines hazard assessment, covering natural hazards, geological hazards, hydrological hazards, atmospheric hazards, and managing hazard assessment.
Emergency Engineering
Covers emergency engineering, covering temporary structures, emergency repairs, debris management, rapid assessment, and managing emergency engineering operations.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MSc in Disaster Preparedness and Engineering Management programme combines lectures, laboratory sessions, field exercises, practical workshops, seminars, and independent study. Sessions cover disaster preparedness, engineering risk management, infrastructure resilience, and hazard assessment. Disaster preparedness sessions examine preparedness planning, early warning, evacuation, contingency planning, and managing disaster preparedness. Engineering risk management sessions cover risk assessment, structural assessment, infrastructure vulnerability, and managing engineering risk. Infrastructure resilience sessions cover retrofitting, strengthening, resilience design, critical infrastructure, and managing infrastructure resilience. Structural mitigation sessions cover seismic design, wind design, flood defence, structural strengthening, and managing structural mitigation. Hazard assessment sessions cover natural hazards, geological hazards, hydrological hazards, atmospheric hazards, and managing hazard assessment. Fire safety sessions cover fire dynamics, fire protection, evacuation, codes, and managing fire safety. Building codes sessions cover codes, standards, compliance, regulations, and managing building code compliance. GIS sessions cover hazard mapping, risk mapping, spatial analysis, remote sensing, and managing GIS for hazard mapping. Emergency engineering sessions cover temporary structures, emergency repairs, debris management, rapid assessment, and managing emergency engineering. Research methods sessions prepare students for their thesis, covering research design, data collection, and analysis. Laboratory sessions provide hands-on experience with structural testing, material testing, fire safety equipment, and engineering analysis tools. Field exercises provide hands-on experience with infrastructure assessment, hazard mapping, and rapid damage assessment. Practical workshops provide hands-on experience with GIS, structural assessment tools, and engineering design software. Seminars and discussion groups provide opportunities for debating current issues in disaster preparedness and engineering management. Guest lectures from experienced engineering professionals, disaster managers, and infrastructure experts provide practical insights. The programme culminates in a supervised research thesis on a disaster preparedness and engineering management topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

Unique programme combining engineering principles with disaster preparedness, filling a critical skills gap in Kenya.
MMUST DPEM department established in 2010 with focus on natural hazards, engineering, and environmental studies.
Programme integrates engineering, GIS, fire safety, building codes, and hazard assessment, providing comprehensive skills.
Graduates are eligible for NCA engineering certification and UNDRR Sendai Framework certification, enhancing career prospects.

Against it

Programme is offered by only one university (MMUST), limiting institutional choice.
Additional KES 30,000 field skills course fee increases total cost.
No private university confirmed offering this programme.
Niche field with moderate demand compared to broader engineering or disaster management programmes.

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

Public151k to 151k

151k at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology151k at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology

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

MMUST ~151K/yr (mmust.ac.ke 2018/19). UoN unverified. Private: unverified.

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. MMUST may offer postgraduate bursaries. NDMU may provide training support. Some engineering firms and construction companies may sponsor staff for postgraduate study.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
MMUST Postgraduate Bursary
NDMU Training Support

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
MMUST Postgraduate Bursary
ScholarshipKsh 100,000Kenyan
MMUST offers postgraduate bursaries for eligible students.
NDMU Training Support
GrantKsh 150,000Kenyan
NDMU may provide training support for professionals pursuing postgraduate study in disaster management.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: MMUST requires a relevant Bachelor's degree with Second Class Upper Division, or Second Class Lower Division with relevant experience. Relevant fields include civil engineering, mechanical engineering, disaster management, environmental science, geography, and related disciplines. Contact MMUST for specific admission requirements.

How you are assessed

4 components

Coursework and Continuous Assessment
Coursework30% of the mark
Continuous assessment through coursework assignments, laboratory reports, field exercise reports, design projects, seminar presentations, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination70% of the mark
Written examinations covering disaster preparedness, engineering risk management, infrastructure resilience, and hazard assessment.
Practical and Laboratory Assessment
Practical30% of the mark
Practical assessment through laboratory exercises, structural testing, GIS practicals, field assessments, and demonstrating engineering skills.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original supervised research thesis on a disaster preparedness and engineering management 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). Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (public) offers MSc in Disaster Preparedness and Engineering Management through the Department of Disaster Preparedness and Engineering Management, established in 2010. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in disaster preparedness and engineering management. Graduates are eligible for NCA engineering certification and UNDRR Sendai Framework certification.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (public) offers MSc in Disaster Preparedness and Engineering Management through the Department of Disaster Preparedness and Engineering Management, established in 2010. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in disaster preparedness and engineering management. Graduates are eligible for NCA engineering certification and UNDRR Sendai Framework certification.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Disaster Preparedness Engineer
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 550,000
Engineers disaster preparedness, overseeing planning, assessment, infrastructure, and managing disaster preparedness engineering.
Risk Management Engineer
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 550,000
Manages engineering risk, overseeing assessment, vulnerability, mitigation, and managing engineering risk.
Infrastructure Resilience Specialist
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 550,000
Specialises in infrastructure resilience, overseeing retrofitting, design, assessment, and managing infrastructure resilience.
Fire Safety Engineer
Moderate demandKsh 110,000 to Ksh 500,000
Manages fire safety, overseeing fire protection, evacuation, codes, and managing fire safety engineering.
Emergency Engineering Manager
Moderate demandKsh 110,000 to Ksh 500,000
Manages emergency engineering, overseeing response, repairs, assessment, and managing emergency engineering operations.
Disaster Engineering Lecturer
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaches disaster preparedness and engineering management at university or college level, overseeing instruction, research, and academic supervision.

Graduate outcomes

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

ArcGIS
SoftwarePrimary
ArcGIS for hazard mapping, covering hazard mapping, risk mapping, spatial analysis, and managing GIS for disaster engineering.
SAP2000
Software
SAP2000 for structural analysis, covering structural modelling, seismic analysis, wind analysis, and managing structural assessment.
AutoCAD
Software
AutoCAD for engineering design, covering structural drawings, infrastructure design, and managing engineering drawings.
SPSS
Software
SPSS for statistical analysis, covering engineering data, risk data, research data, and managing statistical analysis.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Disaster preparedness engineering is just about building stronger structures.
Disaster preparedness engineering covers comprehensive risk assessment, infrastructure resilience, hazard assessment, fire safety, building codes, and emergency engineering beyond just stronger structures.
This programme is only for civil engineers.
Disaster preparedness engineering skills are valuable for environmental scientists, disaster managers, architects, planners, and safety professionals beyond just civil engineers.
Fire safety engineering is just about installing alarms.
Fire safety engineering covers comprehensive fire dynamics, fire protection systems, evacuation design, codes, and fire safety management.
Infrastructure resilience is just about retrofitting old buildings.
Infrastructure resilience covers comprehensive design, construction, maintenance, critical infrastructure protection, and resilience planning for new and existing infrastructure.
Hazard assessment is just about identifying danger zones.
Hazard assessment covers comprehensive geological, hydrological, and atmospheric hazard analysis, modelling, mapping, and risk assessment.
Emergency engineering is just about clearing debris.
Emergency engineering covers comprehensive temporary structures, emergency repairs, rapid assessment, debris management, and infrastructure restoration.