Business

Master of Science in Land Resources Planning and Management

The Master of Science in Land Resources Planning and Management is a postgraduate programme that prepares professionals for advanced practice in land resource planning, spatial planning, land management, and environmental conservation. The programme combines planning theory with practical application in land assessment, GIS, and sustainable land use.

Core areas include land resource planning, spatial analysis, land management, environmental planning, GIS and remote sensing, land policy, land economics, research methods, and thesis. Students engage with both theoretical and practical work through coursework, field work, studio sessions, and research.

The programme is offered by Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology as MSc in Land Resource Planning and Management. JKUAT is a public university offering the programme over two academic years through full-time and part-time modes of study.

Students develop competencies in land resource planning, spatial analysis, environmental assessment, GIS applications, and land policy analysis. The programme includes coursework, examinations, studio projects, field work, and a supervised research thesis, preparing graduates to address land planning and management challenges.

JKUAT charges approximately KES 178,500/year (KES 357,000 total) for MSc in Land Resource Planning and Management. Entry requires a Bachelor's degree with at least Second Class Honours (Upper Division) in land-related fields, environmental science, agriculture, or related fields from a recognised institution.

Graduates pursue careers as land resource planners, spatial planners, environmental planners, GIS specialists, land managers, and lecturers in land resources planning across government ministries, county governments, planning consultancies, NGOs, and universities.

Skills Required

Land Resource Planning and Design
Spatial Analysis and GIS
Land Management and Administration
Environmental Planning and Assessment
Remote Sensing and Mapping
Land Policy and Governance
Land Economics and Valuation
Sustainable Land Use Planning
Research Methods in Land Planning
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Land Resource Planning and Design
Spatial Analysis and GIS
Land Management and Administration
Environmental Planning and Assessment
Remote Sensing and Mapping
Land Policy and Governance
Land Economics and Valuation
Sustainable Land Use Planning
Research Methods in Land Planning
Thesis Research

Certifications

NEMA Environmental Certification
FIG Professional Certification

Specializations

Land Use Planning

Focuses on land use planning, covering zoning, allocation, planning, management, and managing land use.

Spatial Planning

Examines spatial planning, covering analysis, design, modelling, policy, and managing spatial planning.

Environmental Planning

Covers environmental planning, covering assessment, management, conservation, policy, and managing environmental planning.

Land Management

Focuses on land management, covering administration, tenure, registration, valuation, and managing land resources.

GIS and Remote Sensing

Examines GIS and remote sensing, covering mapping, analysis, monitoring, applications, and managing spatial data.

Land Economics

Covers land economics, covering valuation, markets, policy, investment, and managing land economics.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 178,500
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: 0 months
Average class: 15 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Land Resource Planning and Design
Spatial Analysis and GIS
Land Management and Administration
Environmental Planning and Assessment
Remote Sensing and Mapping
Land Policy and Governance
Land Economics and Valuation
Sustainable Land Use Planning
Research Methods in Land Planning
Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Principles of Land Resource Planning
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines assessment, planning, design, zoning, policy, and managing land resources.
Spatial Analysis and GIS
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers analysis, modelling, GIS, remote sensing, software, and managing spatial data.
Research Methods in Land Planning
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers research design, data collection, analysis, planning research methods, and conducting research, preparing students for their thesis.
Land Management and Administration
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines administration, tenure, registration, valuation, systems, and managing land resources.
Environmental Planning and Assessment
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers assessment, management, conservation, policy, EIA, and managing environmental planning.
Remote Sensing and Mapping
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines remote sensing, aerial photography, satellite, image processing, interpretation, and managing remote sensing data.
Land Policy and Governance
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers law, governance, policy, administration, tenure, and managing land policy.
Land Economics and Valuation
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines valuation, markets, investment, policy, economics, and managing land economics.
Sustainable Land Use Planning
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers sustainability, practices, policies, conservation, productivity, and managing sustainable land use.
Urban and Regional Planning
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines urban, regional, planning, design, policy, and managing urban and regional planning.
Land Information Systems
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers LIS, cadastre, databases, management, integration, and managing land information systems.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 29 creditsCore
Original supervised research thesis on a land resources planning and management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and land planning knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Land Use Planning
Focuses on land use planning, covering zoning, allocation, planning, management, and managing land use.
Spatial Planning
Examines spatial planning, covering analysis, design, modelling, policy, and managing spatial planning.
Environmental Planning
Covers environmental planning, covering assessment, management, conservation, policy, and managing environmental planning.
Land Management
Focuses on land management, covering administration, tenure, registration, valuation, and managing land resources.
GIS and Remote Sensing
Examines GIS and remote sensing, covering mapping, analysis, monitoring, applications, and managing spatial data.
Land Economics
Covers land economics, covering valuation, markets, policy, investment, and managing land economics.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MSc in Land Resources Planning and Management programme combines lectures, studio sessions, field work, laboratory sessions, seminars, and independent study. Sessions cover land resource planning, spatial analysis, environmental planning, GIS, and land management. Land resource planning sessions examine assessment, planning, design, zoning, and managing land resources. Spatial analysis sessions cover analysis, modelling, GIS, remote sensing, and managing spatial data. Environmental planning sessions cover assessment, management, conservation, policy, and managing environmental planning. Land management sessions cover administration, tenure, registration, valuation, and managing land resources. Land policy sessions cover law, governance, policy, administration, and managing land policy. Land economics sessions cover valuation, markets, investment, policy, and managing land economics. GIS sessions cover mapping, analysis, remote sensing, modelling, software, and managing spatial data. Research methods sessions prepare students for their thesis, covering research design, data collection, and analysis. Studio sessions provide hands-on experience with planning projects, site design, and spatial modelling. Field work provides hands-on experience with land surveys, site assessments, and community consultations. Seminars provide opportunities for presenting research findings and debating current issues in land planning. Guest lectures from experienced planners, surveyors, and land managers provide practical insights. The programme culminates in a supervised research thesis on a land resources planning and management topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

Programme addresses critical land planning and management challenges in Kenya's devolved governance system.
JKUAT offers competitive fees at approximately KES 178,500/year for a public university.
Programme combines studio sessions, field work, and GIS, providing comprehensive practical experience.
Graduates are eligible for NEMA and FIG certifications, enhancing professional recognition.

Against it

Only one university (JKUAT, public) confirmed offering this specific programme.
No private university confirmed offering this programme.
Programme requires land-related, environmental, or agriculture background, limiting access for non-related graduates.
Fees estimated based on comparable JKUAT programmes, not directly verified for this specific programme.

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

Public179k to 179k

179k at JKUAT179k at JKUAT

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

JKUAT 178.5K/yr (kenyaeducationguide: 357K/2yr). Private unverified.

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. JKUAT may offer scholarships for eligible students. FIG may offer research grants for surveying and land management research. Some government agencies, county governments, and planning consultancies may sponsor staff for postgraduate study.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
JKUAT Scholarship
FIG Research Grant

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
JKUAT Scholarship
ScholarshipKsh 178,500Kenyan
JKUAT offers scholarships for eligible postgraduate students.
FIG Research Grant
ScholarshipKsh 300,000
FIG provides research grants for surveying and land management research.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: JKUAT requires Bachelor's degree with at least Second Class Honours (Upper Division) in a relevant field, or Lower Second with proof of two years of relevant experience and professional development, or a postgraduate diploma in the relevant field. Contact the university for specific admission requirements.

How you are assessed

4 components

Coursework and Continuous Assessment
Coursework30% of the mark
Continuous assessment through coursework assignments, studio projects, field reports, seminar presentations, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination70% of the mark
Written examinations covering land resource planning, spatial analysis, environmental planning, and land management.
Practical and Studio Assessment
Practical40% of the mark
Practical assessment through studio projects, GIS work, field surveys, and demonstrating land planning skills.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original supervised research thesis on a land resources planning and management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and land planning knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). JKUAT (public) offers MSc in Land Resource Planning and Management. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in land resource planning and management. Graduates are eligible for NEMA environmental certification and FIG professional certification.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. JKUAT (public) offers MSc in Land Resource Planning and Management. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in land resource planning and management. Graduates are eligible for NEMA environmental certification and FIG professional certification.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Land Resource Planner
Moderate demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 400,000
Plans land resources, overseeing assessment, planning, design, and managing land resource planning.
Spatial Planner
Moderate demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 400,000
Conducts spatial planning, overseeing analysis, design, modelling, and managing spatial planning.
Environmental Planner
Moderate demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 400,000
Plans environmental management, overseeing assessment, planning, conservation, and managing environmental planning.
GIS Specialist
High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 450,000
Manages GIS operations, overseeing mapping, analysis, modelling, and managing spatial data.
Land Manager
Moderate demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 400,000
Manages land resources, overseeing administration, tenure, valuation, and managing land resources.
Land Planning Lecturer
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaches land planning 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.
QGIS
Software
QGIS for open-source GIS, covering mapping, analysis, visualisation, and managing spatial data.
AutoCAD
Software
AutoCAD for design and drafting, covering planning, design, drawing, and managing planning designs.
SPSS
Software
SPSS for statistical analysis, covering data, statistics, analysis, and managing research data.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Land planning is just about drawing boundaries.
Land planning covers comprehensive assessment, spatial analysis, environmental planning, policy, and economics beyond just drawing boundaries.
This programme is only for surveyors.
Land planning skills are valuable for environmentalists, managers, GIS specialists, and policy analysts beyond just surveyors.
GIS is just about making maps.
GIS covers comprehensive spatial analysis, remote sensing, modelling, and applications beyond just making maps.
Land management is just about land registration.
Land management covers comprehensive administration, tenure, valuation, policy, and economics beyond just land registration.
Environmental planning is just about planting trees.
Environmental planning covers comprehensive assessment, management, conservation, policy, and sustainability beyond just planting trees.
This programme has limited career prospects in Kenya.
Land planning graduates work in diverse sectors including government, counties, consultancies, NGOs, and education.