Business

Master of Science in Land and Water Management

The Master of Science in Land and Water Management is a postgraduate programme that prepares professionals for advanced practice in sustainable land and water resource management, soil conservation, water harvesting, and agroecosystem management. The programme combines natural resource science with management principles, policy analysis, and research application.

Core areas include land and water resource management, soil fertility, water harvesting, irrigation, erosion control, agroecosystems, climate change, GIS, research methods, and thesis. Students engage with both theoretical and practical work through coursework, field work, laboratory sessions, and research.

The programme is offered by the University of Nairobi and Kenyatta University. UoN offers MSc in Land and Water Management through the Department of Land Resource Management and Agricultural Technology, and KU offers MSc in Land Water Management through the School of Agriculture and Enterprise Development. Both are public universities offering the programme over two academic years through full-time, part-time, and distance learning modes.

Students develop competencies in land and water assessment, soil conservation, water harvesting, irrigation management, and sustainable land use. The programme includes coursework, examinations, field work, laboratory sessions, and a supervised research thesis, preparing graduates to address land degradation, water scarcity, and food security challenges.

UoN charges approximately KES 433,500/year (KES 865,000 total) and KU charges KES 326,400/year (KES 652,800 total). Entry requires a Bachelor's degree with at least Second Class Honours in agriculture, environmental science, land resources, or related fields from a recognised institution.

Graduates pursue careers as land and water managers, soil conservation officers, irrigation specialists, environmental planners, water resource officers, and lecturers in land and water management across government ministries, water authorities, NGOs, research institutions, and universities.

Skills Required

Land and Water Resource Management
Soil Fertility and Conservation
Water Harvesting and Irrigation
Erosion Control and Watershed Management
Agroecosystem Management
Climate Change Adaptation in Agriculture
GIS and Remote Sensing for Land Management
Sustainable Land Use Planning
Research Methods in Land and Water
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Land and Water Resource Management
Soil Fertility and Conservation
Water Harvesting and Irrigation
Erosion Control and Watershed Management
Agroecosystem Management
Climate Change Adaptation in Agriculture
GIS and Remote Sensing for Land Management
Sustainable Land Use Planning
Research Methods in Land and Water
Thesis Research

Certifications

WRA Water Resources Certification
FAO Land and Water Certification

Specializations

Soil Management

Focuses on soil management, covering fertility, conservation, chemistry, physics, and managing soil resources.

Water Management

Examines water management, covering harvesting, irrigation, drainage, conservation, and managing water resources.

Irrigation and Drainage

Covers irrigation and drainage, covering design, management, efficiency, systems, and managing irrigation.

Erosion Control

Focuses on erosion control, covering assessment, prevention, conservation, rehabilitation, and managing erosion.

Agroecosystems

Examines agroecosystems, covering management, sustainability, biodiversity, productivity, and managing agroecosystems.

Climate Smart Agriculture

Covers climate smart agriculture, covering adaptation, mitigation, resilience, practices, and managing climate-smart systems.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 433,500
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: 20 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Land and Water Resource Management
Soil Fertility and Conservation
Water Harvesting and Irrigation
Erosion Control and Watershed Management
Agroecosystem Management
Climate Change Adaptation in Agriculture
GIS and Remote Sensing for Land Management
Sustainable Land Use Planning
Research Methods in Land and Water
Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Principles of Land and Water Resource Management
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines principles, concepts, assessment, planning, policy, and managing land and water resources.
Soil Fertility and Conservation
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers chemistry, physics, biology, conservation, management, and managing soil fertility.
Research Methods in Land and Water
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers research design, data collection, analysis, research methods, and conducting research, preparing students for their thesis.
Water Harvesting and Management
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines techniques, design, management, efficiency, systems, and managing water harvesting.
Irrigation and Drainage Systems
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers design, management, efficiency, drainage, systems, and managing irrigation.
Erosion Control and Watershed Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines assessment, prevention, conservation, rehabilitation, watershed, and managing erosion.
Agroecosystem Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers management, sustainability, biodiversity, productivity, practices, and managing agroecosystems.
GIS and Remote Sensing for Land Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines mapping, analysis, remote sensing, modelling, software, and managing spatial data.
Climate Change and Agriculture
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers impacts, adaptation, mitigation, resilience, vulnerability, and managing climate change in agriculture.
Sustainable Land Use Planning
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines sustainability, practices, policies, conservation, productivity, and managing sustainable land use.
Land and Water Policy and Governance
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers policy, law, governance, institutions, administration, and managing land and water policy.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 29 creditsCore
Original supervised research thesis on a land and water management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and land and water knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Soil Management
Focuses on soil management, covering fertility, conservation, chemistry, physics, and managing soil resources.
Water Management
Examines water management, covering harvesting, irrigation, drainage, conservation, and managing water resources.
Irrigation and Drainage
Covers irrigation and drainage, covering design, management, efficiency, systems, and managing irrigation.
Erosion Control
Focuses on erosion control, covering assessment, prevention, conservation, rehabilitation, and managing erosion.
Agroecosystems
Examines agroecosystems, covering management, sustainability, biodiversity, productivity, and managing agroecosystems.
Climate Smart Agriculture
Covers climate smart agriculture, covering adaptation, mitigation, resilience, practices, and managing climate-smart systems.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MSc in Land and Water Management programme combines lectures, field work, laboratory sessions, seminars, and independent study. Sessions cover land and water management, soil fertility, water harvesting, irrigation, erosion control, and agroecosystems. Land and water management sessions examine principles, concepts, assessment, planning, and managing land and water resources. Soil fertility sessions cover chemistry, physics, biology, conservation, management, and managing soil fertility. Water harvesting sessions cover techniques, design, management, efficiency, systems, and managing water harvesting. Irrigation sessions cover design, management, efficiency, drainage, systems, and managing irrigation. Erosion control sessions cover assessment, prevention, conservation, rehabilitation, and managing erosion. Agroecosystem sessions cover management, sustainability, biodiversity, productivity, and managing agroecosystems. Climate change sessions cover impacts, adaptation, mitigation, resilience, and managing climate change in agriculture. GIS sessions cover mapping, analysis, remote sensing, modelling, and managing spatial data. Research methods sessions prepare students for their thesis, covering research design, data collection, and analysis. Field work provides hands-on experience with soil sampling, water assessment, and site evaluations. Laboratory sessions provide hands-on experience with soil analysis, water quality testing, and GIS software. Seminars provide opportunities for presenting research findings and debating current issues in land and water management. Guest lectures from experienced land managers, irrigation engineers, and soil scientists provide practical insights. The programme culminates in a supervised research thesis on a land and water management topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

High demand for land and water professionals with Kenya's food security and water scarcity challenges.
Programme offered by two public universities (UoN, KU), providing institutional choice.
KU offers competitive fees at KES 326,400/year compared to UoN's KES 433,500/year.
Programme combines field work, laboratory sessions, and GIS, providing comprehensive practical experience.

Against it

UoN fees are higher at KES 433,500/year compared to KU.
No private university confirmed offering this programme.
Programme requires agriculture, environmental, or related background, limiting access for non-related graduates.
Field work may require travel to remote areas, adding logistical costs.

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 331 business courses

Public326k to 434k

326k at Kenyatta University434k at University of Nairobi

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 (mawese), UoN 427K Yr1 (UoN website). Private unverified.

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. UoN and KU may offer scholarships for eligible students. FAO may offer research grants for land and water research. Some NGOs, water authorities, and government agencies may sponsor staff for postgraduate study.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
UoN Scholarship
FAO Research Grant

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
UoN Scholarship
ScholarshipKsh 200,000Kenyan
University of Nairobi offers scholarships for eligible postgraduate students.
FAO Research Grant
ScholarshipKsh 300,000
FAO provides research grants for land and water management research.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: UoN and KU require a Bachelor's degree with at least Second Class Honours (Upper Division) in agriculture, environmental science, or related fields. Lower Second Class may be considered with at least two years of relevant research experience or a postgraduate diploma. Contact respective universities for specific admission requirements.

How you are assessed

4 components

Coursework and Continuous Assessment
Coursework30% of the mark
Continuous assessment through coursework assignments, field reports, laboratory reports, seminar presentations, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination70% of the mark
Written examinations covering land and water management, soil fertility, irrigation, and erosion control.
Practical and Field Assessment
Practical40% of the mark
Practical assessment through field work, laboratory work, GIS projects, and demonstrating land and water management skills.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original supervised research thesis on a land and water management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and land and water knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). UoN (public) offers MSc in Land and Water Management through the Department of Land Resource Management and Agricultural Technology, and KU (public) offers MSc in Land Water Management through the School of Agriculture and Enterprise Development. Both programmes meet CUE standards for postgraduate training in land and water management. Graduates are eligible for WRA water resources certification and FAO land and water certification.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. UoN (public) offers MSc in Land and Water Management through the Department of Land Resource Management and Agricultural Technology, and KU (public) offers MSc in Land Water Management through the School of Agriculture and Enterprise Development. Both programmes meet CUE standards for postgraduate training in land and water management. Graduates are eligible for WRA water resources certification and FAO land and water certification.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Land and Water Manager
High demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 400,000
Manages land and water resources, overseeing assessment, planning, conservation, and managing land and water resources.
Soil Conservation Officer
Moderate demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 400,000
Manages soil conservation, overseeing assessment, prevention, rehabilitation, and managing soil conservation.
Irrigation Specialist
High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 450,000
Manages irrigation systems, overseeing design, management, efficiency, and managing irrigation.
Environmental Planner
Moderate demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 400,000
Plans environmental management, overseeing assessment, planning, conservation, and managing environmental planning.
Water Resource Officer
High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 450,000
Manages water resources, overseeing assessment, planning, allocation, and managing water resources.
Land and Water Lecturer
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaches land and water 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 GIS analysis, covering mapping, analysis, modelling, and managing spatial data.
SPSS
Software
SPSS for statistical analysis, covering data, statistics, analysis, and managing research data.
CROPWAT
Software
CROPWAT for irrigation management, covering water requirements, irrigation scheduling, and managing irrigation.
SWAT
Software
SWAT for watershed modelling, covering simulation, prediction, analysis, and managing watershed models.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Land and water management is just about farming.
Land and water management covers comprehensive soil, water, irrigation, erosion, agroecosystems, and climate beyond just farming.
This programme is only for agriculturists.
Land and water skills are valuable for environmentalists, engineers, planners, and policy analysts beyond just agriculturists.
Water harvesting is just about collecting rainwater.
Water harvesting covers comprehensive techniques, design, management, efficiency, and systems beyond just collecting rainwater.
Irrigation is just about watering crops.
Irrigation covers comprehensive design, management, efficiency, drainage, and systems beyond just watering crops.
Soil conservation is just about terracing.
Soil conservation covers comprehensive assessment, prevention, rehabilitation, and management beyond just terracing.
This programme has limited career prospects.
Land and water graduates work in diverse sectors including government, water authorities, NGOs, research, and education.