Business

Master of Science in Project Management

The Master of Science in Project Management is a postgraduate programme that prepares professionals for advanced practice in project planning, execution, monitoring, and evaluation. The programme provides specialised training in project design, project financing, risk management, monitoring and evaluation, and project management information systems.

Core areas include project management principles, project planning and design, project financing, risk management, monitoring and evaluation, project management information systems, 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 and the Technical University of Kenya as public institutions, and Kabarak University as a private institution. Multiple study modes are available including full-time, part-time, and distance learning over two years, combining coursework with research.

Students develop competencies in project planning, execution, risk management, monitoring and evaluation, stakeholder management, and research. The programme includes coursework, examinations, case studies, and a supervised research thesis, preparing graduates for project management leadership roles across sectors.

JKUAT charges approximately KES 126,000 per year while TUK charges approximately KES 191,650 per year. Kabarak University (private) charges approximately KES 140,000 per year. Entry requires at least an Upper Second Class Honours degree in a relevant field from a recognised institution.

Graduates pursue careers as project managers, programme managers, project coordinators, monitoring and evaluation specialists, project consultants, and lecturers across government, NGOs, development agencies, private companies, and consulting firms.

Skills Required

Project Planning and Design
Project Financing and Budgeting
Project Risk Management
Monitoring and Evaluation
Project Management Information Systems
Stakeholder Management and Communication
Project Procurement and Contract Management
Research Methods in Project Management
Environmental Impact Assessment
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Project Management Principles and Planning
Project Financing and Budgeting
Project Risk Management
Monitoring and Evaluation
Project Management Information Systems
Environmental Impact Assessment
Research Methods in Project Management
International Project Management
Public Private Partnership Projects
Thesis Research

Certifications

PMI Project Management Professional (PMP)
IPMA Professional Certification

Specializations

Project Monitoring and Evaluation

Focuses on monitoring and evaluation, covering monitoring, evaluation, projects, indicators, and managing project monitoring and evaluation.

Project Risk Management

Examines project risk management, covering risk, projects, management, assessment, and managing project risk management.

Project Financing

Covers project financing, covering financing, projects, budgeting, funding, and managing project financing and budgeting.

International Project Management

Focuses on international project management, covering international, projects, management, global, and managing international project management.

Project Information Systems

Examines project information systems, covering information, systems, projects, technology, and managing project management information systems.

Public Private Partnership Projects

Covers public private partnerships, covering PPP, projects, partnerships, management, and managing public private partnership projects.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 191,650
Private, up to: Ksh 165,200
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: 25 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Project Management Principles and Planning
Project Financing and Budgeting
Project Risk Management
Monitoring and Evaluation
Project Management Information Systems
Environmental Impact Assessment
Research Methods in Project Management
International Project Management
Public Private Partnership Projects
Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Project Management Principles
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines project management, covering principles, planning, execution, and managing project management principles and frameworks.
Project Planning and Design
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers planning, design, projects, scheduling, and managing project planning and design processes.
Project Financing and Budgeting
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines financing, projects, budgeting, funding, and managing project financing and budget management.
Project Risk Management
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers risk, projects, management, assessment, and managing project risk management and mitigation.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines monitoring, evaluation, projects, indicators, and managing project monitoring and evaluation frameworks.
Project Management Information Systems
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers information, systems, projects, technology, and managing project management information systems and digital tools.
Environmental Impact Assessment
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines environment, impact, assessment, projects, and managing environmental impact assessment for projects.
Research Methods in Project Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers research, design, methods, ethics, and conducting research in project management, preparing students for their thesis.
International Project Management
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines international, projects, management, global, and managing international project management and cross-border projects.
Public Private Partnership Projects
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers PPP, projects, partnerships, management, and managing public private partnership projects and frameworks.
Leading Change in Project-Oriented Settings
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines leadership, change, projects, management, and managing change in project-oriented organisations.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 212 creditsCore
Original supervised research thesis on a project management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and project management knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Project Monitoring and Evaluation
Focuses on monitoring and evaluation, covering monitoring, evaluation, projects, indicators, and managing project monitoring and evaluation.
Project Risk Management
Examines project risk management, covering risk, projects, management, assessment, and managing project risk management.
Project Financing
Covers project financing, covering financing, projects, budgeting, funding, and managing project financing and budgeting.
International Project Management
Focuses on international project management, covering international, projects, management, global, and managing international project management.
Project Information Systems
Examines project information systems, covering information, systems, projects, technology, and managing project management information systems.
Public Private Partnership Projects
Covers public private partnerships, covering PPP, projects, partnerships, management, and managing public private partnership projects.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MSc in Project Management programme combines lectures, case studies, group discussions, seminars, and independent study. Sessions cover project planning, risk management, monitoring and evaluation, and project financing. Project planning sessions examine planning, design, projects, scheduling, and managing project planning and design. Risk management sessions cover risk, projects, management, assessment, and managing project risk management. Monitoring and evaluation sessions cover monitoring, evaluation, projects, indicators, and managing project monitoring and evaluation. Project financing sessions cover financing, projects, budgeting, funding, and managing project financing and budgeting. Information systems sessions cover information, systems, projects, technology, and managing project management information systems. Environmental impact sessions cover environment, impact, assessment, projects, and managing environmental impact assessment. International project sessions cover international, projects, management, global, and managing international project management. PPP sessions cover PPP, projects, partnerships, management, and managing public private partnership projects. Research methods sessions cover research, design, methods, ethics, and conducting research in project management. Case studies provide practical experience in analysing real-world project management scenarios. Seminars provide opportunities for presenting research findings and discussing current issues in project management. The programme culminates in a supervised research thesis on a project management topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

Programme offered at both public and private universities with multiple study modes including distance learning.
Graduates are eligible for PMI PMP and IPMA professional certification, globally recognised credentials.
High job market demand for project management professionals across all sectors in Kenya.
Programme is applicable across all disciplines, making it versatile for professionals from any background.

Against it

Fees vary significantly, from KES 126,000/year at JKUAT to KES 191,650/year at TUK.
Only one private university confirmed offering this programme.
Programme may require relevant work experience for Lower Second Class holders.
Some institutions may have limited industry linkages for practical project experience.

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 192k

126k at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology192k at Technical University of Kenya

Private119k to 165k

119k at Mount Kenya University165k at Kabarak 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, TUK ~191.7K/yr (TUK portal). MKU 119.1K, Kabarak ~165K/yr (Kabarak PDF)

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. Universities may offer scholarships for eligible students. Some employers, particularly in government and NGOs, may sponsor staff for postgraduate study in project management. PMI may offer scholarships for project management education.

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 191,650Kenyan
Universities may offer scholarships for eligible postgraduate project management students.
PMI Scholarship
ScholarshipKsh 150,000
PMI may offer scholarships for project management education and certification.

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 any discipline. Lower Second Class may be considered with relevant work experience. Pass degree holders may be considered with five years of relevant 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 project planning, risk management, monitoring and evaluation, and project financing.
Case Study Assessment
Project40% of the mark
Practical assessment through case studies, demonstrating project planning, risk analysis, and problem-solving in real-world project scenarios.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original supervised research thesis on a project management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and project management knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). JKUAT and TUK (public) and Kabarak University (private) offer MSc in Project Management. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in project management. Graduates may pursue PMI PMP and IPMA professional certification. The programme aligns with PMI global project management standards and IPMA competences.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. JKUAT and TUK (public) and Kabarak University (private) offer MSc in Project Management. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in project management. Graduates may pursue PMI PMP and IPMA professional certification. The programme aligns with PMI global project management standards and IPMA competences.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Project Manager
High demandKsh 150,000 to Ksh 500,000
Manages projects, overseeing planning, execution, monitoring, and managing project management from initiation to closure.
Programme Manager
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 600,000
Manages programmes, overseeing programmes, projects, coordination, and managing programme management and multiple projects.
Project Coordinator
High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 350,000
Coordinates projects, overseeing coordination, scheduling, communication, and managing project coordination.
Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 450,000
Conducts monitoring and evaluation, overseeing M&E, indicators, reporting, and managing project monitoring and evaluation.
Project Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 150,000 to Ksh 500,000
Provides project consulting services, overseeing advisory, planning, strategy, and managing project consulting.
Project Management Lecturer
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 400,000
Teaches project management at university or college level, overseeing instruction, research, and academic supervision.

Graduate outcomes

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

Microsoft Project
SoftwarePrimary
Microsoft Project for project planning and scheduling, covering scheduling, planning, tracking, and managing project schedules and timelines.
Primavera P6
Software
Primavera P6 for enterprise project management, covering planning, scheduling, portfolio, and managing enterprise project portfolios.
Microsoft Excel
Software
Excel for project data analysis and reporting, covering analysis, reporting, data, and managing project data and budgets.
SPSS
Software
SPSS for statistical analysis of research data, covering statistics, analysis, research, and managing research data.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Project management is just about scheduling tasks.
Project management involves strategic planning, risk management, stakeholder engagement, financing, and evaluation beyond just scheduling.
This programme is only for construction projects.
Project management skills are valuable in IT, healthcare, education, development, finance, and any sector that executes projects beyond just construction.
Project management is being replaced by software tools.
Software tools enhance project management, but strategic decision-making, leadership, and stakeholder management remain human-driven functions.
Project management has limited career growth.
Project managers can advance to programme manager, portfolio manager, project management office director, and executive roles with significant career growth.
You need an engineering background to study project management.
Project management is applicable across all disciplines and requires a relevant bachelor's degree in any field, not just engineering.
Project management is the same as operations management.
Project management focuses on temporary, unique endeavours with defined start and end dates, while operations management focuses on ongoing, repetitive processes.