Business

Master of Science in Procurement and Logistics

The Master of Science in Procurement and Logistics is a postgraduate programme that prepares professionals for advanced practice in procurement, logistics, and supply chain management. The programme provides specialised training in procurement strategy, logistics management, transport management, inventory management, and supply chain optimisation.

Core areas include procurement principles, logistics management, transport management, inventory management, supply chain management, warehousing, distribution, 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, Chuka University, Meru University of Science and Technology, and Taita Taveta University. All are public universities offering procurement and logistics programmes over two years through full-time and part-time study, combining coursework with research.

Students develop competencies in procurement, logistics, transport, inventory, warehousing, distribution, supply chain optimisation, and research. The programme includes coursework, examinations, case studies, and a supervised research thesis, preparing graduates for procurement, logistics, and supply chain leadership roles.

JKUAT charges approximately KES 126,000 per year while Chuka University charges approximately KES 130,000 per year. No private university confirmed offering this exact programme. Entry requires at least an Upper Second Class Honours degree in a relevant field from a recognised institution.

Graduates pursue careers as procurement managers, logistics managers, supply chain managers, transport managers, distribution managers, and lecturers across manufacturing, retail, transport, government, NGOs, and consulting firms.

Skills Required

Procurement Strategy and Sourcing
Logistics Management and Operations
Transport Management and Planning
Inventory Management and Control
Supply Chain Management and Optimisation
Warehousing and Distribution Management
Procurement and Logistics Risk Management
Project Management
Research Methods in Procurement and Logistics
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Procurement Principles and Strategy
Logistics Management and Operations
Transport Management and Planning
Inventory Management and Control
Supply Chain Management and Optimisation
Warehousing and Distribution Management
Procurement and Logistics Risk Management
Project Management
Research Methods in Procurement and Logistics
Thesis Research

Certifications

KISM Professional Registration
CIPS Professional Certification
CILT Professional Membership

Specializations

Logistics and Transport Management

Focuses on logistics and transport, covering logistics, transport, management, operations, and managing logistics and transport management.

Procurement Management

Examines procurement management, covering procurement, strategy, sourcing, contracts, and managing procurement management.

Inventory and Warehousing

Covers inventory and warehousing, covering inventory, warehousing, storage, control, and managing inventory and warehousing.

Distribution Management

Focuses on distribution management, covering distribution, channels, delivery, management, and managing distribution management.

Supply Chain Optimisation

Examines supply chain optimisation, covering supply, chain, optimisation, efficiency, and managing supply chain optimisation.

Procurement and Logistics Risk Management

Covers risk management, covering risk, procurement, logistics, management, and managing procurement and logistics risk.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 130,000
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
Logistics Management and Operations
Transport Management and Planning
Inventory Management and Control
Supply Chain Management and Optimisation
Warehousing and Distribution Management
Procurement and Logistics Risk Management
Project Management
Research Methods in Procurement and Logistics
Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Procurement Principles and Strategy
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines procurement, strategy, sourcing, planning, and managing procurement principles and strategy.
Logistics Management and Operations
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers logistics, operations, management, warehousing, and managing logistics management and operations.
Transport Management and Planning
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines transport, management, planning, operations, and managing transport management and planning.
Inventory Management and Control
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers inventory, management, control, stock, and managing inventory management and control.
Supply Chain Management and Optimisation
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines supply, chain, optimisation, efficiency, and managing supply chain management and optimisation.
Warehousing and Distribution Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers warehousing, storage, distribution, management, and managing warehousing and distribution management.
Procurement and Logistics Risk Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines risk, procurement, logistics, management, and managing procurement and logistics risk management.
Project Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers projects, management, planning, execution, and managing project management in procurement and logistics contexts.
Research Methods in Procurement and Logistics
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines research, design, methods, ethics, and conducting research in procurement and logistics, preparing students for their thesis.
E-Procurement and Digital Logistics
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers e-procurement, digital, logistics, technology, and managing e-procurement and digital logistics.
International Procurement and Global Logistics
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines international, procurement, global, logistics, and managing international procurement and global logistics.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 212 creditsCore
Original supervised research thesis on a procurement or logistics topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and procurement and logistics knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Logistics and Transport Management
Focuses on logistics and transport, covering logistics, transport, management, operations, and managing logistics and transport management.
Procurement Management
Examines procurement management, covering procurement, strategy, sourcing, contracts, and managing procurement management.
Inventory and Warehousing
Covers inventory and warehousing, covering inventory, warehousing, storage, control, and managing inventory and warehousing.
Distribution Management
Focuses on distribution management, covering distribution, channels, delivery, management, and managing distribution management.
Supply Chain Optimisation
Examines supply chain optimisation, covering supply, chain, optimisation, efficiency, and managing supply chain optimisation.
Procurement and Logistics Risk Management
Covers risk management, covering risk, procurement, logistics, management, and managing procurement and logistics risk.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MSc in Procurement and Logistics programme combines lectures, case studies, group discussions, seminars, and independent study. Sessions cover procurement, logistics, transport, and supply chain management. Procurement sessions examine procurement, strategy, sourcing, contracts, and managing procurement. Logistics sessions cover logistics, operations, management, warehousing, and managing logistics management. Transport sessions cover transport, management, planning, operations, and managing transport management. Inventory sessions cover inventory, management, control, stock, and managing inventory management. Supply chain sessions cover supply, chain, optimisation, efficiency, and managing supply chain optimisation. Warehousing sessions cover warehousing, storage, distribution, management, and managing warehousing and distribution. Risk management sessions cover risk, procurement, logistics, management, and managing procurement and logistics risk. Research methods sessions cover research, design, methods, ethics, and conducting research in procurement and logistics. Case studies provide practical experience in analysing real-world procurement and logistics scenarios. Seminars provide opportunities for presenting research findings and discussing current issues in procurement and logistics. The programme culminates in a supervised research thesis on a procurement or logistics topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

Programme combines procurement and logistics, covering both sourcing and movement of goods.
Programme offered at multiple public universities providing choice and flexibility.
Graduates are eligible for KISM registration, CIPS and CILT professional certification.
High job market demand for procurement and logistics professionals in Kenya's growing economy.

Against it

No private university confirmed offering this exact programme name.
Fees are relatively similar across institutions, limiting cost-based choice.
Programme may require relevant work experience for Lower Second Class holders.
Some institutions may have limited industry linkages for practical training.

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 130k

126k at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology130k at Chuka 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

JKUAT 126K, Chuka 130K/yr (Chuka MSc PDF). Private unverified

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. Universities may offer scholarships for eligible students. Some employers, particularly in the public sector and logistics industry, may sponsor staff for postgraduate study.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
University Scholarship
Employer Sponsorship

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
University Scholarship
ScholarshipKsh 130,000Kenyan
Universities may offer scholarships for eligible postgraduate procurement and logistics students.
Employer Sponsorship
ScholarshipKsh 260,000Kenyan
Some employers in logistics, manufacturing, and government may sponsor staff for postgraduate study.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: Most universities require at least an Upper Second Class Honours degree in a relevant field. Lower Second Class may be considered with at least three years of working experience. 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, case study analyses, seminar presentations, group discussions, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination70% of the mark
Written examinations covering procurement, logistics, transport, inventory, and supply chain management.
Case Study Assessment
Project40% of the mark
Practical assessment through case studies, demonstrating procurement strategy, logistics analysis, and problem-solving in real-world scenarios.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original supervised research thesis on a procurement or logistics topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and procurement and logistics knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). JKUAT, Chuka University, Meru University of Science and Technology, and Taita Taveta University (all public) offer MSc in Procurement and Logistics. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in procurement and logistics. Graduates should be registered with KISM and may pursue CIPS and CILT professional certification. The programme aligns with PPRA public procurement standards and CIPS and CILT global standards.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. JKUAT, Chuka University, Meru University of Science and Technology, and Taita Taveta University (all public) offer MSc in Procurement and Logistics. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in procurement and logistics. Graduates should be registered with KISM and may pursue CIPS and CILT professional certification. The programme aligns with PPRA public procurement standards and CIPS and CILT global 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.
Logistics Manager
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 450,000
Manages logistics operations, overseeing logistics, transport, warehousing, and managing logistics operations.
Supply Chain Manager
High demandKsh 150,000 to Ksh 500,000
Manages supply chain operations, overseeing supply, chain, optimisation, and managing supply chain management.
Transport Manager
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 400,000
Manages transport operations, overseeing transport, fleet, planning, and managing transport management.
Distribution Manager
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 400,000
Manages distribution operations, overseeing distribution, channels, delivery, and managing distribution management.
Procurement and Logistics Lecturer
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 400,000
Teaches procurement and logistics at university or college level, overseeing instruction, research, and academic supervision.

Graduate outcomes

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

SAP ERP
SoftwarePrimary
SAP ERP for procurement and logistics management, covering procurement, logistics, inventory, and managing enterprise procurement and logistics.
Microsoft Excel
Software
Excel for procurement and logistics data analysis, covering analysis, reporting, data, and managing procurement and logistics data.
Warehouse Management Systems
Software
Warehouse management systems for inventory and warehousing, covering warehousing, inventory, tracking, and managing warehouse operations.
SPSS
Software
SPSS for statistical analysis of research data, covering statistics, analysis, research, and managing research data.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Procurement and logistics is just about buying and moving goods.
Procurement and logistics involves strategic sourcing, supply chain optimisation, risk management, and data analytics beyond just buying and transporting.
This programme is only for those working in warehouses.
Procurement and logistics skills are valuable in manufacturing, retail, consulting, government, NGOs, and international organisations beyond just warehouses.
Logistics is being replaced by technology.
Technology enhances logistics through automation, tracking, and analytics, but strategic decision-making and management remain human-driven functions.
Procurement and logistics has limited career growth.
Procurement and logistics professionals can advance to supply chain director, chief procurement officer, and executive roles with significant career growth.
This programme is the same as supply chain management.
While related, procurement and logistics focuses specifically on sourcing and movement of goods, while supply chain management is broader, covering end-to-end supply chain integration.
Logistics is not important in the digital age.
E-commerce, global trade, and last-mile delivery make logistics more critical than ever, with growing demand for skilled logistics professionals.