Business

Master of Science in Procurement & Contract Management

The Master of Science in Procurement and Contract Management is a postgraduate programme that prepares professionals for advanced practice in procurement, contract management, and supply chain governance. The programme provides specialised training in procurement strategy, contract law, negotiation, project management, and public procurement regulation.

Core areas include procurement principles, contract law and management, negotiation and dispute resolution, project management, supply chain management, public procurement, research methods, and thesis. Students engage with both theoretical and practical work through coursework, case studies, and research.

The programme is offered by Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology through the School of Human Resource Development. JKUAT is a public university offering the programme over two years through full-time and part-time study, combining coursework with research.

Students develop competencies in procurement strategy, contract formulation and management, negotiation, supplier management, public procurement compliance, risk management, and research. The programme includes coursework, examinations, case studies, and a supervised research thesis, preparing graduates for procurement, contract management, and supply chain leadership roles.

JKUAT charges approximately KES 126,000 per year for procurement programmes. No private university confirmed offering this exact programme name. Entry requires at least an Upper Second Class Honours degree in a relevant field from a recognised institution.

Graduates pursue careers as procurement managers, contract managers, supply chain consultants, procurement auditors, project managers, and lecturers across public sector organisations, private companies, NGOs, and international organisations.

Skills Required

Procurement Strategy and Planning
Contract Law and Contract Management
Negotiation and Dispute Resolution
Public Procurement and Regulation
Supply Chain Management and Logistics
Supplier Relationship Management
Procurement Risk Management and Auditing
Project Management
Research Methods in Procurement
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Procurement Principles and Strategy
Contract Law and Contract Management
Negotiation and Dispute Resolution
Public Procurement and Regulation
Supply Chain Management and Logistics
Procurement Risk Management and Auditing
Project Management
Supplier Relationship Management
Research Methods in Procurement
Thesis Research

Certifications

KISM Professional Registration
CIPS Professional Certification

Specializations

Contract Management

Focuses on contract management, covering contracts, law, formulation, administration, and managing contract management.

Public Procurement

Examines public procurement, covering public, procurement, regulation, compliance, and managing public procurement.

Negotiation and Dispute Resolution

Covers negotiation, covering negotiation, disputes, resolution, contracts, and managing negotiation and dispute resolution.

Procurement Risk Management

Focuses on procurement risk, covering risk, procurement, management, auditing, and managing procurement risk.

Supplier Relationship Management

Examines supplier relationships, covering suppliers, relationships, management, performance, and managing supplier relationships.

Strategic Procurement

Covers strategic procurement, covering strategy, procurement, planning, sourcing, and managing strategic procurement.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 126,000
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: 25 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Procurement Principles and Strategy
Contract Law and Contract Management
Negotiation and Dispute Resolution
Public Procurement and Regulation
Supply Chain Management and Logistics
Procurement Risk Management and Auditing
Project Management
Supplier Relationship Management
Research Methods in Procurement
Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Procurement Principles and Strategy
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines procurement, strategy, planning, sourcing, and managing procurement principles and strategy.
Contract Law and Contract Management
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers contracts, law, formulation, administration, and managing contract law and contract management.
Public Procurement and Regulation
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines public, procurement, regulation, compliance, and managing public procurement and regulatory compliance.
Negotiation and Dispute Resolution
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers negotiation, disputes, resolution, contracts, and managing negotiation and dispute resolution in procurement.
Supply Chain Management and Logistics
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines supply, chain, logistics, management, and managing supply chain management and logistics.
Procurement Risk Management and Auditing
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers risk, procurement, management, auditing, and managing procurement risk management and auditing.
Project Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines projects, management, planning, execution, and managing project management in procurement contexts.
Supplier Relationship Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers suppliers, relationships, management, performance, and managing supplier relationship management.
Research Methods in Procurement
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines research, design, methods, ethics, and conducting research in procurement, preparing students for their thesis.
Strategic Sourcing and Category Management
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers strategic, sourcing, category, management, and managing strategic sourcing and category management.
E-Procurement and Digital Supply Chain
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines e-procurement, digital, supply, chain, and managing e-procurement and digital supply chain management.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 212 creditsCore
Original supervised research thesis on a procurement or contract management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and procurement knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Contract Management
Focuses on contract management, covering contracts, law, formulation, administration, and managing contract management.
Public Procurement
Examines public procurement, covering public, procurement, regulation, compliance, and managing public procurement.
Negotiation and Dispute Resolution
Covers negotiation, covering negotiation, disputes, resolution, contracts, and managing negotiation and dispute resolution.
Procurement Risk Management
Focuses on procurement risk, covering risk, procurement, management, auditing, and managing procurement risk.
Supplier Relationship Management
Examines supplier relationships, covering suppliers, relationships, management, performance, and managing supplier relationships.
Strategic Procurement
Covers strategic procurement, covering strategy, procurement, planning, sourcing, and managing strategic procurement.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MSc in Procurement and Contract Management programme combines lectures, case studies, group discussions, seminars, and independent study. Sessions cover procurement principles, contract law, negotiation, and public procurement. Procurement sessions examine procurement, strategy, planning, sourcing, and managing procurement. Contract law sessions cover contracts, law, formulation, administration, and managing contract management. Negotiation sessions cover negotiation, disputes, resolution, contracts, and managing negotiation and dispute resolution. Public procurement sessions cover public, procurement, regulation, compliance, and managing public procurement. Supply chain sessions cover supply, chain, logistics, management, and managing supply chain management. Risk management sessions cover risk, procurement, management, auditing, and managing procurement risk. Project management sessions cover projects, management, planning, execution, and managing project management. Research methods sessions cover research, design, methods, ethics, and conducting research in procurement. Case studies provide practical experience in analysing real-world procurement and contract management scenarios. Seminars provide opportunities for presenting research findings and discussing current issues in procurement. The programme culminates in a supervised research thesis on a procurement or contract management topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

Programme addresses procurement and contract management, critical functions in both public and private sectors.
Relatively affordable fees at KES 126,000 per year.
Graduates are eligible for KISM registration and CIPS professional certification.
High job market demand for procurement and contract management professionals in Kenya.

Against it

Only one university (JKUAT, public) confirmed offering this exact programme name.
No private university confirmed offering this programme.
Fee data sourced from comparable JKUAT procurement programmes, not the exact programme listing.
Programme may require relevant work experience for Lower Second Class holders.

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

Public126k to 126k

126k at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology126k at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology

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 126K/yr (JKUAT discover page). Private unverified

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. JKUAT may offer scholarships for eligible students. Some employers, particularly in the public sector, may sponsor staff for postgraduate study in procurement and contract management.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
JKUAT Scholarship
Employer Sponsorship

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
JKUAT Scholarship
ScholarshipKsh 126,000Kenyan
JKUAT may offer scholarships for eligible postgraduate students.
Employer Sponsorship
ScholarshipKsh 252,000Kenyan
Some employers, particularly in the public sector, may sponsor staff for postgraduate study in procurement.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: JKUAT requires at least an Upper Second Class Honours degree. Lower Second Class may be considered with at least three years of working experience. Contact JKUAT for specific admission requirements.

How you are assessed

4 components

Coursework and Continuous Assessment
Coursework30% of the mark
Continuous assessment through coursework assignments, case study analyses, seminar presentations, group discussions, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination70% of the mark
Written examinations covering procurement principles, contract law, public procurement, negotiation, and supply chain management.
Case Study Assessment
Project40% of the mark
Practical assessment through case studies, demonstrating procurement strategy, contract analysis, and problem-solving in real-world scenarios.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original supervised research thesis on a procurement or contract management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and procurement 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 Procurement and Contract Management through the School of Human Resource Development. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in procurement and contract management. Graduates should be registered with KISM and may pursue CIPS professional certification. The programme aligns with PPRA public procurement standards and CIPS global procurement standards.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. JKUAT (public) offers MSc in Procurement and Contract Management through the School of Human Resource Development. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in procurement and contract management. Graduates should be registered with KISM and may pursue CIPS professional certification. The programme aligns with PPRA public procurement standards and CIPS global procurement standards.
Kenya Institute of Supplies Management (KISM)
Professional accreditationRequired
KISM regulates the supply management profession in Kenya. Graduates working in procurement and supply management should be registered with KISM.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Procurement Manager
High demandKsh 150,000 to Ksh 500,000
Manages procurement operations, overseeing procurement, sourcing, contracts, and managing procurement functions.
Contract Manager
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 450,000
Manages contracts, overseeing contracts, administration, compliance, and managing contract management.
Supply Chain Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 150,000 to Ksh 500,000
Provides supply chain consulting services, overseeing advisory, optimisation, strategy, and managing supply chain consulting.
Procurement Auditor
High demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 400,000
Conducts procurement audits, overseeing audits, compliance, risk, and managing procurement auditing.
Project Manager
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 500,000
Manages projects, overseeing projects, planning, execution, and managing project management.
Procurement Lecturer
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 400,000
Teaches procurement at university or college level, overseeing instruction, research, and academic supervision.

Graduate outcomes

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

SAP Ariba
SoftwarePrimary
SAP Ariba for e-procurement and supplier management, covering procurement, sourcing, contracts, and managing e-procurement.
Microsoft Excel
Software
Excel for procurement data analysis and reporting, covering analysis, reporting, data, and managing procurement data.
Contract Management Software
Software
Contract management software for contract administration, covering contracts, tracking, compliance, and managing contract lifecycle.
SPSS
Software
SPSS for statistical analysis of research data, covering statistics, analysis, research, and managing research data.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Procurement is just about buying things.
Procurement involves strategic sourcing, contract management, supplier relationships, risk management, and compliance beyond just purchasing.
Contract management is only for lawyers.
Contract management requires procurement expertise, negotiation skills, and project management knowledge, not just legal training.
This programme is only for those working in government.
Procurement and contract management skills are valuable in private companies, NGOs, international organisations, and consulting firms beyond just government.
Procurement has limited career growth.
Procurement professionals can advance to chief procurement officer, supply chain director, and executive roles with significant career growth potential.
Public procurement is just about following rules.
Public procurement requires strategic thinking, risk management, value optimisation, and innovation within regulatory frameworks, not just rule-following.
Procurement is not relevant in the private sector.
Private sector procurement is critical for cost management, supplier strategy, and competitive advantage, making procurement skills highly valued.