Health Sciences

Master of Science in Laboratory Management and Epidemiology

The Master of Science in Laboratory Management and Epidemiology is a postgraduate programme that trains graduates in laboratory management, epidemiology, disease surveillance, and public health laboratory science. The programme prepares graduates for advanced careers in laboratory management, epidemiological surveillance, public health diagnostics, and disease control.

Core areas include laboratory management, epidemiology, disease surveillance, laboratory quality assurance, diagnostic methods, public health laboratory science, biosafety, outbreak investigation, and research methods. Students engage with theoretical foundations and practical laboratory and epidemiological applications.

The programme is offered by Zetech University, Great Lakes University of Kisumu, and University of Kabianga, with JKUAT as a college. JKUAT offers MSc in Laboratory Management and Epidemiology through its Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences. JKUAT also offers related MSc in Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Master of Medical Laboratory Sciences.

Students develop competencies in laboratory management, epidemiological methods, disease surveillance, quality assurance, diagnostic testing, and research. The programme includes coursework, laboratory practicals, field work, examinations, supervised research, and thesis.

The programme is delivered over two years with full-time and part-time study modes. JKUAT related MSc Epidemiology fees are KES 496,000 total. JKUAT MMLS fees are KES 393,000 total. GLUK postgraduate fees are KES 60,000 per semester. JKUAT application fee is KES 1,500.

Graduates pursue careers as laboratory managers, epidemiologists, public health laboratory specialists, disease surveillance officers, and lecturers in hospitals, diagnostic laboratories, public health agencies, and universities.

Skills Required

Laboratory Management and Administration
Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance
Laboratory Quality Assurance and Quality Control
Diagnostic Methods and Laboratory Testing
Public Health Laboratory Science
Biosafety and Biosecurity Management
Outbreak Investigation and Response
Laboratory Information Management Systems
Infectious Disease Diagnostics
Laboratory and Epidemiology Research Methods

Key Subjects

Laboratory Management
Epidemiology
Disease Surveillance
Laboratory Quality Assurance
Diagnostic Methods
Public Health Laboratory Science
Biosafety and Biosecurity
Outbreak Investigation
Laboratory Information Management
Laboratory and Epidemiology Research Methods

Certifications

KMLTTB Laboratory Professional Certification
ASLM Laboratory Certification

Specializations

Laboratory Management

Focuses on laboratory management, laboratory operations, staff management, equipment management, quality systems, accreditation, and managing and leading diagnostic laboratories.

Epidemiology and Surveillance

Examines epidemiology, disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, disease modelling, epidemiological methods, and understanding and managing disease outbreaks.

Laboratory Quality Assurance

Covers laboratory quality assurance, quality control, ISO 15189, accreditation, external quality assessment, and ensuring quality in diagnostic laboratories.

Public Health Laboratory Science

Focuses on public health laboratory science, public health diagnostics, reference laboratory services, screening programmes, and supporting public health with laboratory services.

Diagnostic Methods

Examines diagnostic methods, molecular diagnostics, serological diagnostics, culture methods, antimicrobial susceptibility, and applying diagnostic methods in public health.

Biosafety and Biosecurity

Covers biosafety, biosecurity, biosafety levels, laboratory safety, infection control, and ensuring safety and security in diagnostic and public health laboratories.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 170,000
Private, up to: Ksh 179,100
Job market: High

The programme

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

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time, Part-time
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 15 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Laboratory Management
Epidemiology
Disease Surveillance
Laboratory Quality Assurance
Diagnostic Methods
Public Health Laboratory Science
Biosafety and Biosecurity
Outbreak Investigation
Laboratory Information Management
Laboratory and Epidemiology Research Methods

Modules

12 in the programme

Laboratory Management and Administration
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines laboratory management, laboratory operations, staff management, equipment management, quality systems, accreditation, finance, and managing and leading diagnostic laboratories.
Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers epidemiological principles, study designs, measures of disease frequency, disease surveillance, surveillance systems, outbreak investigation, and understanding and applying epidemiological methods.
Laboratory Quality Assurance and Accreditation
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines quality assurance, quality control, internal QC, external QA, ISO 15189, accreditation, quality management systems, and ensuring quality in diagnostic laboratories.
Diagnostic Methods and Laboratory Testing
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers molecular diagnostics, PCR, serological diagnostics, ELISA, culture methods, antimicrobial susceptibility, rapid diagnostic tests, and applying diagnostic methods in public health.
Public Health Laboratory Science
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines public health laboratory services, reference laboratories, screening programmes, population testing, newborn screening, and supporting public health with laboratory services.
Biosafety and Biosecurity in Laboratories
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers biosafety principles, biosafety levels, biosecurity, laboratory safety, infection control, waste management, and ensuring safety and security in diagnostic and public health laboratories.
Outbreak Investigation and Response
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines outbreak detection, outbreak response, field investigation, contact tracing, case investigation, epidemic curves, and investigating and managing disease outbreaks.
Laboratory Information Management Systems
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers LIMS, sample tracking, result reporting, data management, laboratory workflow, electronic health records, and managing laboratory information systems.
Infectious Disease Diagnostics
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines infectious disease diagnostics, bacterial diagnostics, viral diagnostics, parasitic diagnostics, fungal diagnostics, antimicrobial resistance testing, and diagnosing infectious diseases.
Laboratory and Epidemiology Research Methods
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers research methods for laboratory and epidemiology, study design, diagnostic accuracy studies, statistical methods, data analysis, and conducting laboratory and epidemiology research, preparing students for their thesis.
Public Health and Disease Control Programmes
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines public health disease control programmes, immunisation, HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria, neglected tropical diseases, and supporting disease control with laboratory and epidemiology services.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 26 creditsCore
Original research thesis on a laboratory management and epidemiology topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and laboratory and epidemiology knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Laboratory Management
Focuses on laboratory management, laboratory operations, staff management, equipment management, quality systems, accreditation, and managing and leading diagnostic laboratories.
Epidemiology and Surveillance
Examines epidemiology, disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, disease modelling, epidemiological methods, and understanding and managing disease outbreaks.
Laboratory Quality Assurance
Covers laboratory quality assurance, quality control, ISO 15189, accreditation, external quality assessment, and ensuring quality in diagnostic laboratories.
Public Health Laboratory Science
Focuses on public health laboratory science, public health diagnostics, reference laboratory services, screening programmes, and supporting public health with laboratory services.
Diagnostic Methods
Examines diagnostic methods, molecular diagnostics, serological diagnostics, culture methods, antimicrobial susceptibility, and applying diagnostic methods in public health.
Biosafety and Biosecurity
Covers biosafety, biosecurity, biosafety levels, laboratory safety, infection control, and ensuring safety and security in diagnostic and public health laboratories.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MSc Laboratory Management and Epidemiology programme begins with morning lectures on laboratory management, epidemiology, or disease surveillance. Students engage in theoretical discussions on laboratory operations, disease patterns, and public health. Laboratory management sessions cover laboratory operations, staff management, equipment management, quality systems, accreditation, finance, and managing and leading diagnostic laboratories. Epidemiology sessions examine epidemiological principles, study designs, measures of disease frequency, measures of association, bias, confounding, and understanding and applying epidemiological methods. Disease surveillance sessions cover surveillance systems, passive surveillance, active surveillance, sentinel surveillance, syndromic surveillance, and understanding and managing disease surveillance. Quality assurance sessions examine quality assurance, quality control, internal QC, external QA, ISO 15189, accreditation, and ensuring quality in diagnostic laboratories. Diagnostic methods sessions cover molecular diagnostics, PCR, serological diagnostics, ELISA, culture methods, antimicrobial susceptibility, and applying diagnostic methods. Public health laboratory sessions examine public health laboratory services, reference laboratories, screening programmes, population testing, and supporting public health with laboratory services. Biosafety sessions cover biosafety principles, biosafety levels, biosecurity, laboratory safety, infection control, waste management, and ensuring safety in laboratories. Outbreak investigation sessions examine outbreak detection, outbreak response, field investigation, contact tracing, case investigation, and investigating and managing disease outbreaks. Laboratory information management sessions cover LIMS, sample tracking, result reporting, data management, laboratory workflow, and managing laboratory information. Laboratory practicals provide hands-on experience with diagnostic testing, quality control, molecular methods, serological methods, and culture methods. Field work provides hands-on experience in disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, sample collection, and field diagnostics. Research methodology sessions prepare students for their thesis, covering laboratory and epidemiology research methods, study design, and data analysis. Guest lectures from KEMRI researchers, NPHLS directors, KMLTTB officials, Africa CDC experts, and ASLM fellows provide real-world insights. The two-year programme culminates in a research thesis.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's disease burden, emerging infections, public health laboratory needs, disease surveillance requirements, and outbreak response create high demand for qualified laboratory and epidemiology professionals.
Programme combines laboratory management with epidemiology, providing versatile skills for both laboratory management and public health epidemiology career paths.
JKUAT offers through its established Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences with related MSc Epidemiology and MMLS programmes.
Career opportunities with KEMRI, NPHLS, KMLTTB, hospitals, Africa CDC, WHO, ASLM, and international health organisations.

Against it

Programme requires medical laboratory, biomedical, public health, or related health science background, which may exclude some graduates.
Laboratory work requires access to biosafety facilities, diagnostic equipment, and molecular diagnostics platforms, which may vary across institutions.
Programme involves rigorous scientific content including epidemiology, biostatistics, and laboratory science, which may be challenging for some students.
Specific fee structures for this exact programme could not be independently verified from all official websites.

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

Public170k to 170k

170k at Technical University of Kenya170k at Technical University of Kenya

Private179k to 179k

179k at Mount Kenya University179k at Mount Kenya 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 Group II 170K/yr; MKU MSc MLS 179.1K/yr. Kabianga/GLUK unverified. Src: eafinder, kenyaeducationguide

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. KEMRI supports medical and laboratory research. ASLM supports laboratory medicine capacity building in Africa. Africa CDC supports laboratory systems strengthening. The programme's laboratory and epidemiology focus attracts research and international organisation funding.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
KEMRI Research Funding
ASLM Laboratory Capacity Funding

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate laboratory management and epidemiology studies at recognised universities.
KEMRI Research Funding
GrantKsh 400,000Kenyan
KEMRI provides research funding for medical and laboratory research, supporting postgraduate research in laboratory management and epidemiology.
ASLM Laboratory Capacity Funding
GrantKsh 400,000
ASLM supports laboratory medicine capacity building in Africa, providing funding for training and research in laboratory diagnostics.

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 graduates from medical laboratory sciences, microbiology, biomedical sciences, biochemistry, public health, medicine, and related fields. Two-year programme with full-time and part-time modes. JKUAT application fee KES 1,500. JKUAT related MSc Epidemiology KES 496,000 total, MMLS KES 393,000 total. GLUK fees KES 60,000/semester.

How you are assessed

4 components

Coursework and Assignments
Coursework30% of the mark
Continuous assessment through coursework assignments, laboratory reports, epidemiological analysis, case studies, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination30% of the mark
Written examinations covering laboratory management, epidemiology, quality assurance, and diagnostics, conducted at end of each semester.
Laboratory and Field Assessment
Practical40% of the mark
Assessment of laboratory work, field work, diagnostic testing, surveillance exercises, outbreak investigation simulations, and practical reports.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original research thesis on a laboratory management and epidemiology topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and laboratory and epidemiology knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). JKUAT offers MSc in Laboratory Management and Epidemiology through its Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences. JKUAT also offers related MSc in Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Master of Medical Laboratory Sciences. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate laboratory management and epidemiology training. KMLTTB regulates medical laboratory professionals and NPHLS provides public health laboratory services in Kenya.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. JKUAT offers MSc in Laboratory Management and Epidemiology through its Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences. JKUAT also offers related MSc in Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Master of Medical Laboratory Sciences. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate laboratory management and epidemiology training.
Kenya Medical Laboratory Technicians and Technologists Board (KMLTTB)
Professional accreditation
KMLTTB regulates medical laboratory professionals in Kenya. Graduates working in diagnostic laboratories may require KMLTTB registration and professional certification.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Laboratory Manager
High demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Manages diagnostic laboratories, overseeing laboratory operations, quality assurance, staff, equipment, and ensuring efficient and quality laboratory services.
Epidemiologist
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Investigates disease outbreaks, overseeing disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, disease modelling, and supporting public health response.
Public Health Laboratory Specialist
High demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Provides public health laboratory services, overseeing disease surveillance diagnostics, reference laboratory services, and supporting public health response.
Disease Surveillance Officer
High demandKsh 110,000 to Ksh 450,000
Manages disease surveillance, overseeing surveillance systems, data collection, outbreak detection, and supporting disease surveillance and response.
Quality Assurance Officer
Moderate demandKsh 110,000 to Ksh 450,000
Manages quality assurance in laboratories, overseeing quality control, accreditation, ISO compliance, and ensuring diagnostic quality.
University Lecturer
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaches laboratory management and epidemiology in universities, conducting research and training future laboratory and epidemiology professionals.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as laboratory managers, epidemiologists, and public health laboratory specialists in hospitals, diagnostic laboratories, and public health agencies.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

EpiInfo
SoftwarePrimary
Epidemiological software for outbreak investigation, disease surveillance, epidemiological analysis, and public health data management.
SPSS
SoftwarePrimary
Statistical software for epidemiological data analysis, surveillance data analysis, diagnostic accuracy analysis, and statistical modelling in epidemiology research.
LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System)
Software
Laboratory information management software for diagnostic laboratory data management, sample tracking, result reporting, and laboratory workflow management.
R Statistical Computing
Software
Open-source statistical computing for epidemiological data analysis, outbreak modelling, disease surveillance analysis, and research data analysis.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Laboratory management and epidemiology is just about running lab tests.
The programme involves laboratory management, epidemiology, disease surveillance, quality assurance, biosafety, outbreak investigation, and research, covering comprehensive laboratory and epidemiology science.
This programme is only for medical laboratory scientists.
The programme accepts graduates from medical laboratory sciences, microbiology, biomedical sciences, public health, biochemistry, and related health science fields.
There is limited demand for laboratory and epidemiology professionals in Kenya.
Kenya's disease burden, emerging infections, public health laboratory needs, disease surveillance requirements, and outbreak response create high demand for qualified laboratory and epidemiology professionals.
Laboratory management is not relevant to epidemiology.
Laboratory management and epidemiology are closely linked, as laboratory diagnostics are essential for disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, and public health response.
A master's in laboratory management and epidemiology is redundant after a bachelor's in medical laboratory sciences.
The master's provides specialised laboratory management and epidemiology skills, research capability, and career progression to senior laboratory management and epidemiology positions.
This programme is only for those working in hospitals.
Graduates work in hospitals, public health laboratories, research institutions, NPHLS, KEMRI, Africa CDC, WHO, and international health organisations, not just hospitals.