Health Sciences

Master of Science in Health Systems Management

The Master of Science in Health Systems Management is a postgraduate programme that prepares professionals for advanced practice in healthcare management, health systems leadership, health policy, and healthcare quality assurance. The programme combines management theory with practical healthcare application, leadership development, and research.

Core areas include health systems management, healthcare leadership, health financing, health policy, quality management, human resources for health, health information management, health commodities management, research methods, and thesis. Students engage with both theoretical and practical work through coursework, case studies, and research.

The programme is offered by Amref International University as MSc in Health Systems Management through virtual delivery, Mount Kenya University through the School of Public Health, and Kenya Methodist University through the School of Medicine and Health Sciences. All are private universities offering programmes over two academic years through full-time, part-time, distance learning, and virtual modes.

Students develop competencies in healthcare management, leadership, policy analysis, quality assurance, and health systems strengthening. The programme is designed for managers and executives in healthcare institutions, providing a broad view of issues and challenges of healthcare management in Africa.

Mount Kenya University charges approximately KES 159,100/year (KES 79,550/semester for 4 semesters). AMIU and KeMU fees not independently verified. Entry requires a Bachelor's degree with Upper Second Class Honours or GPA 3.0/4.0 in a relevant health or management field from a recognised institution.

Graduates pursue careers as health systems managers, hospital administrators, healthcare programme directors, health policy analysts, quality assurance managers, and health consultants across hospitals, government ministries, NGOs, health insurance organisations, pharmaceutical companies, and international health organisations.

Skills Required

Health Systems Management and Leadership
Healthcare Quality Management and Assurance
Health Financing and Economics
Health Policy Analysis and Implementation
Human Resources for Health Management
Health Information Management
Healthcare Commodities and Supply Chain Management
Health Project Planning and Evaluation
Research Methods in Health Systems
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Health Systems Management and Leadership
Healthcare Quality Management and Assurance
Health Financing and Economics
Health Policy Analysis and Implementation
Human Resources for Health Management
Health Information Management
Healthcare Commodities and Supply Chain Management
Health Project Planning and Evaluation
Research Methods in Health Systems
Thesis Research

Certifications

WHO Health Systems Certification
International Hospital Federation Certification

Specializations

Healthcare Management

Focuses on healthcare management, covering operations, strategy, resources, quality, and managing healthcare organisations.

Health Policy

Examines health policy, covering analysis, formulation, implementation, evaluation, and managing health policy.

Health Financing

Covers health financing, covering economics, insurance, funding, sustainability, and managing health financing.

Quality Management

Focuses on quality management, covering standards, assurance, improvement, accreditation, and managing healthcare quality.

Human Resources for Health

Examines HR for health, covering workforce, planning, development, retention, and managing health workforce.

Health Information Management

Covers health information, covering data, systems, records, analysis, and managing health information.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 326,400
Private, up to: Ksh 216,450
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

Health Systems Management and Leadership
Healthcare Quality Management and Assurance
Health Financing and Economics
Health Policy Analysis and Implementation
Human Resources for Health Management
Health Information Management
Healthcare Commodities and Supply Chain Management
Health Project Planning and Evaluation
Research Methods in Health Systems
Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Fundamentals of Health Systems Management
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines health systems concepts, structures, functions, management, and managing health systems.
Management and Leadership for Health
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers management, leadership, change, governance, strategy, and managing healthcare leadership.
Health Services Management
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines services, delivery, operations, planning, and managing health services.
Managing Human Resources for Health
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers workforce, planning, development, retention, performance, and managing health workforce.
Health Financing and Economics
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines economics, insurance, funding, sustainability, equity, and managing health financing.
Healthcare Quality Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers standards, assurance, improvement, accreditation, safety, and managing healthcare quality.
Health Information Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines data, systems, records, analysis, and managing health information.
Health Systems Research Methods
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers research design, data collection, analysis, statistics, and conducting research, preparing students for their thesis.
Healthcare Commodities Management
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines supply chain, procurement, distribution, inventory, and managing healthcare commodities.
Health Project Management and Evaluation
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and managing health projects.
Health Policy and Governance
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines policy, governance, ethics, regulation, law, and managing health policy.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 29 creditsCore
Original supervised research thesis on a health systems management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and health systems knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Healthcare Management
Focuses on healthcare management, covering operations, strategy, resources, quality, and managing healthcare organisations.
Health Policy
Examines health policy, covering analysis, formulation, implementation, evaluation, and managing health policy.
Health Financing
Covers health financing, covering economics, insurance, funding, sustainability, and managing health financing.
Quality Management
Focuses on quality management, covering standards, assurance, improvement, accreditation, and managing healthcare quality.
Human Resources for Health
Examines HR for health, covering workforce, planning, development, retention, and managing health workforce.
Health Information Management
Covers health information, covering data, systems, records, analysis, and managing health information.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MSc in Health Systems Management programme combines lectures, case studies, seminars, practical workshops, and independent study. Sessions cover health systems management, healthcare leadership, health financing, quality management, and health policy. Health systems management sessions examine fundamentals, operations, strategy, resources, and managing health systems. Leadership sessions cover management, leadership, change, governance, and managing healthcare leadership. Health financing sessions cover economics, insurance, funding, sustainability, and managing health financing. Quality management sessions cover standards, assurance, improvement, accreditation, and managing healthcare quality. Health policy sessions cover analysis, formulation, implementation, evaluation, and managing health policy. Human resources sessions cover workforce, planning, development, retention, and managing health workforce. Health information sessions cover data, systems, records, analysis, and managing health information. Commodities sessions cover supply chain, procurement, distribution, and managing healthcare commodities. Research methods sessions prepare students for their thesis, covering research design, data collection, and analysis. Case studies provide opportunities for analysing real healthcare management scenarios. Seminars and discussion groups provide opportunities for debating current issues in health systems management and presenting research findings. Guest lectures from experienced healthcare managers, policy makers, and consultants provide practical insights. The programme culminates in a supervised research thesis on a health systems management topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

High demand for health systems managers with Kenya's health sector reforms and universal health coverage initiatives.
Programme offered by three private universities (AMIU, MKU, KeMU), providing institutional choice.
Multiple study modes available including virtual, part-time, and distance learning for working professionals.
MKU offers competitive fees at approximately KES 159,100/year (KES 318,200 total).

Against it

No public university confirmed offering this specific programme.
AMIU and KeMU specific fees not independently verified.
Programme designed for healthcare managers, requiring relevant background or experience.
All offering institutions are private, which may limit affordability for some students.

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

Public171k to 326k

171k at Kisii University326k at Kenyatta University

Private159k to 216k

159k at Mount Kenya University216k at Amref International 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

KU 326.4k/yr (ku.ac.ke); Kisii~~170.8k; MKU 159.1k; Amref~~216.5k.

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. Amref may offer scholarships through the Mastercard Foundation Africa Health Collaborative programme. WHO may offer health systems fellowships. Some hospitals and NGOs may sponsor staff for postgraduate study.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
Amref Scholarship
WHO Health Systems Fellowship

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
Amref Mastercard Foundation Scholarship
ScholarshipKsh 400,000Kenyan
Amref International University offers scholarships through the Mastercard Foundation Africa Health Collaborative programme.
WHO Health Systems Fellowship
ScholarshipKsh 500,000
WHO provides fellowships for health systems training and research.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: AMIU requires Bachelor's degree with Upper Second or Second Division in health sciences, education, or social sciences, or a Master's degree from a related discipline. MKU requires Bachelor's degree with Upper Second, or Lower Second with at least two years of relevant work experience. KeMU requires Bachelor's degree with GPA 3.0/4.0 or Upper Second in relevant field. Contact respective universities for specific admission requirements.

How you are assessed

3 components

Coursework and Continuous Assessment
Coursework40% of the mark
Continuous assessment through coursework assignments, case study analyses, project work, seminar presentations, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination60% of the mark
Written examinations covering health systems management, leadership, financing, quality, and policy.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original supervised research thesis on a health systems management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and health systems knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Amref International University, Mount Kenya University, and Kenya Methodist University (all private) offer MSc programmes in Health Systems Management. All programmes meet CUE standards for postgraduate training in health systems management. Graduates are eligible for WHO health systems certification and International Hospital Federation certification.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. Amref International University, Mount Kenya University, and Kenya Methodist University (all private) offer MSc programmes in Health Systems Management. All programmes meet CUE standards for postgraduate training in health systems management. Graduates are eligible for WHO health systems certification and International Hospital Federation certification.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Health Systems Manager
High demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Manages health systems, overseeing operations, strategy, resources, quality, and managing health systems.
Hospital Administrator
High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 450,000
Administers hospital operations, overseeing management, finance, staff, and managing hospital administration.
Healthcare Programme Director
High demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Directs healthcare programmes, overseeing planning, implementation, monitoring, and managing programmes.
Health Policy Analyst
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 450,000
Analyses health policy, overseeing research, analysis, recommendations, and managing health policy.
Quality Assurance Manager
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 450,000
Manages healthcare quality, overseeing standards, assurance, improvement, and managing quality.
Health Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Provides health consulting, overseeing advisory, planning, evaluation, and managing health consulting.

Graduate outcomes

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

SPSS
SoftwarePrimary
SPSS for statistical analysis, covering data, statistics, analysis, and managing health systems data.
Excel
Software
Excel for health management, covering planning, budgeting, analysis, and managing health data.
DHIS2
Software
DHIS2 for health information management, covering data, reporting, analysis, and managing health information.
Project Management Software
Software
Project management software for health projects, covering planning, scheduling, monitoring, and managing health projects.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Health systems management is just about hospital administration.
Health systems management covers comprehensive systems, policy, financing, quality, workforce, and information beyond just hospital administration.
This programme is only for doctors.
Health systems management skills are valuable for nurses, administrators, pharmacists, social scientists, and managers beyond just doctors.
Health financing is just about budgets.
Health financing covers comprehensive economics, insurance, funding, sustainability, and equity beyond just budgets.
Quality management is just about inspections.
Quality management covers comprehensive standards, assurance, improvement, accreditation, and patient safety beyond just inspections.
Health policy is just about government rules.
Health policy covers comprehensive analysis, formulation, implementation, evaluation, and stakeholder engagement beyond just government rules.
This programme is only for those in public health.
Health systems management skills are valuable for private hospitals, insurance, pharmaceuticals, NGOs, and international organisations beyond just public health.