Engineering

Master of Science in Environmental Engineering

The Master of Science in Environmental Engineering is a postgraduate programme that trains graduates in environmental engineering, pollution control, and sustainable environmental systems. The programme prepares graduates for advanced careers in environmental engineering, water and wastewater treatment, pollution management, and environmental infrastructure.

Core areas include environmental engineering, water and wastewater treatment, air pollution control, solid waste management, environmental impact assessment, environmental chemistry, environmental monitoring, sustainable design, environmental systems, and research methods. Students engage with theoretical foundations and practical environmental engineering applications.

The programme is offered by Turkana University College, Kabarak University, and Technical University of Kenya, with Taita Taveta University as a college. TUK offers related Master of Technology in Environmental Resource Management. TTU has a School of Agriculture, Earth & Environmental Sciences. UoN offers related MSc in Environmental and Biosystems Engineering with five specialisation areas.

Students develop competencies in water treatment, wastewater treatment, air pollution control, solid waste management, environmental impact assessment, environmental monitoring, and research. The programme includes coursework, laboratory practicals, field work, examinations, supervised research, and thesis.

The programme is delivered over two years (minimum four semesters) with full-time and part-time study modes. UoN requires Upper Second Class Honours in relevant engineering or science degree, or Lower Second with relevant experience. UoN fees are KES 240,000 per semester (~KES 480,000/year) for related environmental engineering programmes.

Graduates pursue careers as environmental engineers, water treatment engineers, pollution control specialists, environmental consultants, researchers, and lecturers in environmental agencies, water companies, engineering firms, manufacturing companies, and universities.

Skills Required

Water and Wastewater Treatment Design
Air Pollution Control Engineering
Solid Waste Management Systems
Environmental Impact Assessment
Environmental Monitoring and Analysis
Environmental Chemistry and Microbiology
Sustainable Environmental Design
Environmental Systems Engineering
Pollution Control Technology
Environmental Engineering Research Methods

Key Subjects

Environmental Engineering
Water and Wastewater Treatment
Air Pollution Control
Solid Waste Management
Environmental Impact Assessment
Environmental Chemistry
Environmental Monitoring
Sustainable Design
Environmental Systems
Environmental Engineering Research Methods

Certifications

ECK Professional Registration
NEMA EIA Certification

Specializations

Water and Wastewater Engineering

Focuses on water and wastewater treatment, water quality, treatment processes, water supply systems, and designing and managing water and wastewater treatment systems.

Air Pollution Control

Examines air pollution, emission control, air quality monitoring, pollution control technologies, and designing and managing air pollution control systems.

Solid Waste Management

Covers solid waste management, waste collection, waste treatment, recycling, landfill design, and managing and designing solid waste management systems.

Environmental Impact Assessment

Focuses on environmental impact assessment, EIA processes, environmental auditing, and assessing and managing environmental impacts of development projects.

Environmental Monitoring

Examines environmental monitoring, environmental quality assessment, pollution monitoring, environmental sensors, and monitoring and assessing environmental quality.

Sustainable Environmental Design

Covers sustainable environmental design, green engineering, eco-design, sustainable infrastructure, and designing sustainable environmental systems and infrastructure.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 291,000
Private, up to: Ksh 300,000
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

Environmental Engineering
Water and Wastewater Treatment
Air Pollution Control
Solid Waste Management
Environmental Impact Assessment
Environmental Chemistry
Environmental Monitoring
Sustainable Design
Environmental Systems
Environmental Engineering Research Methods

Modules

12 in the programme

Environmental Engineering Principles
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines environmental engineering principles, environmental systems, pollution control fundamentals, and understanding environmental engineering theory and practice.
Water and Wastewater Treatment
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers water and wastewater treatment, treatment processes, coagulation, filtration, disinfection, biological treatment, and designing water and wastewater treatment systems.
Air Pollution Control
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines air pollution, emission sources, air quality, particulate control, gas treatment, and designing and managing air pollution control systems.
Solid Waste Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers solid waste management, waste generation, collection, transport, treatment, recycling, landfill design, and managing and designing solid waste management systems.
Environmental Chemistry and Microbiology
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines environmental chemistry, water chemistry, soil chemistry, atmospheric chemistry, environmental microbiology, and understanding chemical and biological processes in the environment.
Environmental Impact Assessment
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers environmental impact assessment, EIA processes, environmental screening, impact prediction, mitigation, and conducting environmental impact assessments.
Environmental Monitoring and Analysis
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines environmental monitoring, environmental sampling, analysis, quality assessment, sensors, and monitoring and assessing environmental quality.
Sustainable Environmental Design
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers sustainable environmental design, green engineering, eco-design, sustainable materials, renewable energy, and designing sustainable environmental systems.
Environmental Systems Engineering
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines environmental systems, system design, system optimisation, process engineering, and designing and optimising environmental systems and infrastructure.
Environmental Engineering Research Methods
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers research methods for environmental engineering, experimental design, field methods, data analysis, and conducting environmental engineering research, preparing students for their thesis.
Pollution Control Technology
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines pollution control technology, pollution control devices, treatment technologies, emission control, and applying pollution control technologies in industrial and environmental settings.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 26 creditsCore
Original research thesis on an environmental engineering topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and environmental engineering knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Water and Wastewater Engineering
Focuses on water and wastewater treatment, water quality, treatment processes, water supply systems, and designing and managing water and wastewater treatment systems.
Air Pollution Control
Examines air pollution, emission control, air quality monitoring, pollution control technologies, and designing and managing air pollution control systems.
Solid Waste Management
Covers solid waste management, waste collection, waste treatment, recycling, landfill design, and managing and designing solid waste management systems.
Environmental Impact Assessment
Focuses on environmental impact assessment, EIA processes, environmental auditing, and assessing and managing environmental impacts of development projects.
Environmental Monitoring
Examines environmental monitoring, environmental quality assessment, pollution monitoring, environmental sensors, and monitoring and assessing environmental quality.
Sustainable Environmental Design
Covers sustainable environmental design, green engineering, eco-design, sustainable infrastructure, and designing sustainable environmental systems and infrastructure.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MSc Environmental Engineering programme begins with morning lectures on water treatment, air pollution control, or solid waste management. Students engage in theoretical discussions on environmental engineering principles, pollution control, and sustainable design. Water and wastewater treatment sessions cover water treatment processes, coagulation, filtration, disinfection, wastewater treatment, biological treatment, and designing water and wastewater treatment systems. Air pollution control sessions examine emission sources, air quality, particulate control, gas treatment, and designing air pollution control systems. Solid waste management sessions cover waste generation, collection, transport, treatment, recycling, landfill design, and managing solid waste systems. Environmental impact assessment sessions examine EIA processes, environmental screening, impact prediction, mitigation, and conducting environmental impact assessments. Environmental chemistry sessions cover environmental chemistry, water chemistry, soil chemistry, atmospheric chemistry, and understanding chemical processes in the environment. Environmental monitoring sessions involve environmental sampling, analysis, quality assessment, sensors, and monitoring environmental quality. Sustainable design sessions cover green engineering, eco-design, sustainable materials, renewable energy, and designing sustainable environmental systems. Environmental systems sessions examine system design, system optimisation, process engineering, and designing and optimising environmental systems. Pollution control technology sessions cover pollution control devices, treatment technologies, emission control, and applying pollution control technologies. Laboratory sessions provide hands-on experience with water quality analysis, air quality monitoring, waste characterisation, and environmental analysis. Field work provides hands-on experience at water treatment plants, wastewater treatment plants, landfill sites, and industrial facilities. Research methodology sessions prepare students for their thesis, covering environmental engineering research methods, experimental design, and data analysis. Guest lectures from NEMA officials, water company engineers, environmental consultants, and IWA specialists provide real-world insights. The two-year programme culminates in a research thesis.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's environmental regulations, water and sanitation challenges, industrial pollution, and sustainable development needs create high demand for qualified environmental engineering professionals.
Programme covers comprehensive environmental engineering areas including water treatment, air pollution, solid waste, EIA, and sustainable design.
Career opportunities with NEMA, WRA, water companies, engineering firms, manufacturing companies, UNEP, and environmental consulting firms.
UNEP headquartered in Nairobi provides unique opportunities for environmental engineering professionals in Kenya.

Against it

Programme requires engineering or strong science background, which may exclude some graduates.
Laboratory and field work require access to environmental engineering facilities, which may vary across institutions.
Limited number of institutions offering the programme may restrict geographic access for prospective students.
Specific fee structures could not be independently verified from all official websites, making cost planning challenging.

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 291k

151k at Turkana University College291k at Technical University of Kenya

Private165k to 300k

165k at Kabarak University300k at Strathmore 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

TUK Grp I Eng ~291K/yr(eafinder). TUC ~151K/yr(prospectus). Kabarak EnvSci ~165K/yr. Strathmore unverified.

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. NEMA supports environmental management and capacity building. IWA provides research grants for water and environmental engineering. UNEP supports environmental capacity building. The programme's environmental engineering focus attracts industry and international organisation funding.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
NEMA Environmental Grants
IWA Research Grants

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate environmental engineering studies at recognised universities.
NEMA Environmental Grants
GrantKsh 300,000Kenyan
NEMA provides environmental management grants, supporting research and capacity building in environmental engineering and management.
IWA Research Grants
GrantKsh 400,000
International Water Association provides research grants for water and environmental engineering research, supporting training and research globally.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: The programme accepts civil engineering, environmental engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, and related science graduates. Two-year programme (minimum four semesters) with full-time and part-time options. UoN requires Upper Second Class Honours in relevant engineering degree, or Lower Second with relevant experience.

How you are assessed

4 components

Coursework and Assignments
Coursework30% of the mark
Continuous assessment through coursework assignments, design projects, laboratory reports, case studies, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination30% of the mark
Written examinations covering environmental engineering, water treatment, air pollution, and solid waste management, conducted at end of each semester.
Laboratory and Field Assessment
Practical40% of the mark
Assessment of laboratory work, field work, water quality analysis, environmental monitoring, design projects, and practical reports.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original research thesis on an environmental engineering topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and environmental engineering knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). TUK offers MSc in Environmental Engineering. TTU offers through its School of Agriculture, Earth & Environmental Sciences. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate environmental engineering training. ECK regulates engineering practice and NEMA regulates environmental management in Kenya.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. TUK offers MSc in Environmental Engineering. TTU offers through its School of Agriculture, Earth & Environmental Sciences. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate environmental engineering training.
Engineering Council of Kenya (ECK)
Professional accreditationRequired
ECK registers engineers and regulates engineering practice in Kenya. Environmental engineering graduates should register with ECK for professional engineering practice.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Environmental Engineer
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Designs and implements environmental engineering systems, overseeing water treatment, pollution control, and ensuring environmental compliance in organisations.
Water Treatment Engineer
High demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Designs and manages water and wastewater treatment systems, ensuring water quality, treatment efficiency, and compliance with water standards.
Pollution Control Specialist
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Manages pollution control systems, overseeing emission control, waste management, and ensuring compliance with environmental regulations.
Environmental Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Consults on environmental engineering projects, providing expert advice on EIA, environmental management, and pollution control for clients.
Research Engineer
Moderate demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Conducts environmental engineering research, studying treatment technologies, pollution control, and contributing to environmental engineering knowledge.
University Lecturer
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaches environmental engineering in universities, conducting research and training future environmental engineering professionals.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as environmental engineers, water treatment engineers, and pollution control specialists in environmental agencies, water companies, and engineering firms.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

AutoCAD
SoftwarePrimary
Engineering design software for environmental engineering design, treatment plant design, pipeline design, and infrastructure design.
EPANET
SoftwarePrimary
EPA's water distribution modelling software for water supply systems, water quality modelling, and designing and analysing water distribution networks.
SWMM
Software
EPA's Storm Water Management Model for urban drainage, stormwater management, and designing and analysing stormwater systems.
GIS Software
Software
GIS software for environmental mapping, site assessment, spatial analysis, and environmental monitoring and assessment.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Environmental engineering is just about waste management.
The programme involves water treatment, air pollution control, environmental chemistry, sustainable design, and systems engineering, far beyond waste management.
Environmental engineering is not real engineering.
Environmental engineering is a recognised engineering discipline requiring strong technical skills in chemistry, biology, fluid mechanics, and process design, regulated by ECK.
There is limited demand for environmental engineers in Kenya.
Kenya's environmental regulations, water and sanitation challenges, industrial pollution, and sustainable development needs create high demand for qualified environmental engineering professionals.
This programme is only for civil engineering graduates.
The programme accepts graduates from civil engineering, environmental engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, and related science fields with engineering background.
Environmental engineering is low-tech.
Modern environmental engineering involves advanced treatment technologies, sensors, monitoring systems, GIS, and computational modelling for environmental system design.
A master's in environmental engineering is redundant after a bachelor's in civil engineering.
The master's provides specialised environmental engineering knowledge, research capability, and career progression to senior environmental engineering and consulting positions.