Health Sciences

Master of Science in Health Economics

This Master's programme prepares economics and health professionals for advanced health economics practice. It focuses on health economics, healthcare financing, economic evaluation, and health policy — equipping graduates for senior roles in health economics, healthcare financing, and health policy analysis.

Students learn to apply health economics, analyse healthcare financing, conduct economic evaluations, assess health policies, and conduct health economics research. They develop skills in health economic analysis, healthcare financing, economic evaluation, health policy analysis, and health economics research.

Throughout the programme, students examine how Kenya's health landscape — with healthcare financing challenges, health insurance expansion, resource allocation needs, and demand for health economics expertise — requires professionals who can apply economics to health challenges. They learn how health economics expertise serves government health departments, health insurance organisations, international health organisations, research institutions, and universities in informing health policy and financing.

The programme combines coursework, economic analysis projects, evaluation studies, and a thesis or research project over two years. Students study health economics, healthcare financing, economic evaluation, health policy, cost-benefit analysis in healthcare, health insurance, research methods, and econometrics.

Graduates pursue careers as health economists, healthcare financing analysts, economic evaluation specialists, health policy analysts, health consultants, and university lecturers across government health departments, health insurance organisations, international health organisations, research institutions, consulting firms, and universities in Kenya and the region.

The programme is ideal for economics and health professionals who want to build health economics expertise for senior health economic analysis and health policy roles.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 304,500
Private, up to: Ksh 319,500
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: 2 months
Average class: 20 students
Award: Masters

What you study

6 subjects

Microeconomics and Health Economics Principles
Healthcare Financing and Insurance Systems
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
Health Technology Assessment
Health Policy Evaluation
Research Methods

Modules

10 in the programme

Microeconomics for Health Economics
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Microeconomic theory applied to health markets and consumer behaviour.
Health Financing and Insurance Systems
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Health insurance design and health financing reform analysis.
Cost-Effectiveness and Economic Evaluation
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Methods for evaluating the cost-effectiveness of health interventions.
Health Technology Assessment
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Frameworks for assessing new health technologies and treatments for adoption.
Health Policy Analysis
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Applied policy analysis methods for health sector decision-making.
Econometrics for Health Data
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Statistical and econometric methods applied to health economic data.
Health Systems Financing in Africa
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Comparative analysis of health financing reforms across African health systems.
Research Methods in Health Economics
Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore
Research design for health economics and policy studies.
Seminar in Applied Health Economics
Year 3Semester 33 creditsCore
Presentation and critique of ongoing student research.
Research Project Paper
Year 4Semester 16 creditsCore
Independent supervised research project analysing a Kenyan health economics problem.

Specialisations

Health Technology Assessment
Focus on assessing new health technologies for national adoption.
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
Focus on economic evaluation methods for health interventions.
Health Economics Research
Focus on academic and applied health economics research.
Development Health Economics
Focus on health financing work with international development partners.
Health Financing and Insurance
Focus on health insurance design and financing reform analysis.

A day as a student

Evening online and in-person classes on health economic theory and modelling, problem sets applying cost-effectiveness methods to Kenyan health data, and independent research work in later semesters.

The trade offs

In its favour

Highly relevant to Kenya's ongoing Social Health Insurance Fund reforms and UHC agenda
Strong demand from international development partners and research institutions
Blended delivery format allows working professionals to study alongside employment
Rigorous quantitative training transfers well to broader economics and policy careers

Against it

Demanding quantitative content requires strong prior economics or statistics background
Fewer dedicated health economist positions exist compared to clinical or management roles

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

Public187k to 305k

187k at Moi University305k at University of Nairobi

Private149k to 320k

149k at Mount Kenya University320k at United States International University Africa

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 609k/2=304.5k (uonbi); Moi 187.2k; USIU~319.5k; MKU 149.1k.

Some World Bank and WHO-affiliated fellowships support health economics training in Kenya.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan

Scholarships

3 recorded

University of Nairobi Postgraduate Scholarship
MeritKsh 100,000Kenyan
Top-performing applicants at admission
World Bank/WHO Health Financing Fellowship
FellowshipKsh 400,000
Applicants working in health financing or policy roles nominated by their employer
HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 300,000Kenyan
Kenyan citizen admitted to a CUE-accredited university

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: Upper Second Class Honours in Economics, Health Sciences, or a related field
Alternative entry: Applicants without an economics background but with strong quantitative training may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

How you are assessed

5 components

Research Project Paper
Research35% of the mark
Independent research project analysing a Kenyan health economics problem.
Problem Sets and Case Studies
Coursework25% of the mark
Applied cost-effectiveness and health financing modelling exercises.
Seminar Presentation
Exam0% of the mark
Presentation and defence of the research project paper (pass/fail component).
Continuous Assessment Tests
Cat0% of the mark
Ongoing module-based assessment incorporated into overall coursework grade.
Written Examinations
Exam40% of the mark
Semester examinations on health economics theory and methods.

Accreditation

Programme is CUE accredited through the University of Nairobi.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education
NationalRequired
Programme is offered by the University of Nairobi under CUE accreditation.
Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis
Professional
Relevant professional body for economic policy analysts in Kenya.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

5 roles

Health Technology Assessment Officer
Medium demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 300,000
Evaluates new health technologies for national adoption decisions.
Health Economist
Medium demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 300,000
Conducts economic analysis of health interventions for government or research institutions.
Health Financing Policy Analyst
Medium demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 320,000
Analyses and advises on health insurance and financing policy.
Development Partner Health Economist
Medium demandKsh 150,000 to Ksh 380,000
Works with World Bank, WHO, or bilateral agencies on health financing projects.
Research Fellow (Health Economics)
Medium demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 260,000
Conducts health economics research at universities or research institutes such as KEMRI.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as health economists and policy analysts for government, research institutions, and development partners, earning KES 120,000-320,000 depending on employer.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

It's only useful for pure economists
The programme admits health science graduates too, and many graduates end up in clinical policy or health financing roles rather than pure economics research.
This programme has limited career opportunities.
Graduates pursue diverse career paths across multiple sectors in Kenya and internationally.
The programme is only for top-performing students.
While academic excellence is valued, the programme accepts students meeting the minimum KCSE requirements and supports diverse learners.
Graduates cannot find employment in Kenya.
Kenya's growing economy creates demand for qualified graduates across public, private, and NGO sectors.