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Master of Science in Rangeland and Ecosystem Management

The Master of Science in Rangeland and Ecosystem Management is a postgraduate programme that prepares professionals for advanced practice in rangeland ecosystem management, climate resilience, and sustainable livelihoods in dryland areas. The programme provides specialised training in rangeland ecology, ecosystem dynamics, biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation, and socio-ecological systems.

Core areas include rangeland ecosystem ecology, biodiversity conservation, climate change and rangelands, rangeland rehabilitation, pastoral livelihoods, ecosystem services, research methods, and thesis. Students engage with both theoretical and practical work through coursework, fieldwork, and research.

The programme is offered by South Eastern Kenya University and Taita Taveta University as public institutions. The curriculum was developed in partnership with AICCRA and international agricultural research organisations. The programme is available in full-time and part-time modes over two years, combining coursework with research.

Students develop competencies in rangeland ecosystem assessment, biodiversity monitoring, climate adaptation, rehabilitation techniques, pastoral systems, and research. The programme includes coursework, examinations, fieldwork, and a supervised research thesis, preparing graduates for ecosystem management and advisory roles.

Fee data for this exact programme is not publicly available. The closely related MSc in Range Management at the University of Nairobi charges approximately KES 152,500 per year. No private university confirmed offering this programme. Entry requires at least an Upper Second Class Honours degree in a relevant field from a recognised institution.

Graduates pursue careers as rangeland ecosystem managers, biodiversity conservation officers, climate resilience specialists, environmental consultants, pastoral development officers, and lecturers across government ministries, county governments, NGOs, research institutions, and international development organisations.

Skills Required

Rangeland Ecosystem Assessment and Monitoring
Biodiversity Conservation in Rangelands
Climate Change Adaptation in Drylands
Rangeland Rehabilitation and Restoration
Pastoral Livelihood Systems and Socio-Ecological Resilience
Ecosystem Services Valuation
Sustainable Rangeland Management
Research Methods in Ecosystem Management
Geographic Information Systems for Ecosystems
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Rangeland Ecosystem Ecology and Dynamics
Biodiversity Conservation in Rangelands
Climate Change and Rangeland Resilience
Rangeland Rehabilitation and Restoration
Pastoral Livelihood Systems and Socio-Ecological Resilience
Ecosystem Services and Valuation
Sustainable Rangeland Management
Research Methods in Ecosystem Management
GIS for Rangeland Ecosystems
Thesis Research

Certifications

Society for Range Management (SRM) Membership
UNCCD Professional Certification

Specializations

Rangeland Ecosystem Ecology

Focuses on rangeland ecosystem ecology, covering ecosystems, rangelands, ecology, dynamics, and managing rangeland ecosystem ecology and dynamics.

Biodiversity Conservation

Examines biodiversity conservation, covering biodiversity, conservation, rangelands, species, and managing biodiversity conservation in rangelands.

Climate Change and Rangelands

Covers climate change and rangelands, covering climate, rangelands, adaptation, resilience, and managing climate change adaptation in rangelands.

Rangeland Rehabilitation

Focuses on rangeland rehabilitation, covering rehabilitation, restoration, rangelands, degradation, and managing rangeland rehabilitation and restoration.

Pastoral Livelihoods

Examines pastoral livelihoods, covering pastoral, livelihoods, socio-ecological, communities, and managing pastoral livelihood systems and resilience.

Ecosystem Services

Covers ecosystem services, covering services, ecosystems, rangelands, valuation, and managing ecosystem services in rangelands.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 152,500
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: 20 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Rangeland Ecosystem Ecology and Dynamics
Biodiversity Conservation in Rangelands
Climate Change and Rangeland Resilience
Rangeland Rehabilitation and Restoration
Pastoral Livelihood Systems and Socio-Ecological Resilience
Ecosystem Services and Valuation
Sustainable Rangeland Management
Research Methods in Ecosystem Management
GIS for Rangeland Ecosystems
Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Rangeland Ecosystem Ecology and Dynamics
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines rangeland ecosystem ecology, covering ecosystems, rangelands, ecology, dynamics, and managing rangeland ecosystem ecology and dynamics.
Biodiversity Conservation in Rangelands
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers biodiversity conservation, covering biodiversity, conservation, rangelands, species, and managing biodiversity conservation in rangelands.
Climate Change and Rangeland Resilience
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines climate change and rangelands, covering climate, rangelands, adaptation, resilience, and managing climate change adaptation in rangelands.
Rangeland Rehabilitation and Restoration
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers rangeland rehabilitation, covering rehabilitation, restoration, rangelands, degradation, and managing rangeland rehabilitation and restoration.
Pastoral Livelihood Systems
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines pastoral livelihoods, covering pastoral, livelihoods, socio-ecological, communities, and managing pastoral livelihood systems and resilience.
Ecosystem Services and Valuation
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers ecosystem services, covering services, ecosystems, rangelands, valuation, and managing ecosystem services in rangelands.
Sustainable Rangeland Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines sustainable rangeland management, covering sustainability, rangelands, management, practices, and managing sustainable rangeland management.
Research Methods in Ecosystem Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers research, methods, ecosystem, design, and conducting research in ecosystem management, preparing students for their thesis.
GIS for Rangeland Ecosystems
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines GIS, covering GIS, mapping, rangelands, analysis, and managing geographic information systems for rangeland ecosystems.
Rangeland Monitoring and Assessment
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers rangeland monitoring, covering monitoring, assessment, rangelands, indicators, and managing rangeland monitoring and assessment.
Rangeland Policy and Governance
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines rangeland policy, covering policy, governance, rangelands, management, and managing rangeland policy and governance.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 212 creditsCore
Original supervised research thesis on a rangeland ecosystem management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and ecosystem management knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Rangeland Ecosystem Ecology
Focuses on rangeland ecosystem ecology, covering ecosystems, rangelands, ecology, dynamics, and managing rangeland ecosystem ecology and dynamics.
Biodiversity Conservation
Examines biodiversity conservation, covering biodiversity, conservation, rangelands, species, and managing biodiversity conservation in rangelands.
Climate Change and Rangelands
Covers climate change and rangelands, covering climate, rangelands, adaptation, resilience, and managing climate change adaptation in rangelands.
Rangeland Rehabilitation
Focuses on rangeland rehabilitation, covering rehabilitation, restoration, rangelands, degradation, and managing rangeland rehabilitation and restoration.
Pastoral Livelihoods
Examines pastoral livelihoods, covering pastoral, livelihoods, socio-ecological, communities, and managing pastoral livelihood systems and resilience.
Ecosystem Services
Covers ecosystem services, covering services, ecosystems, rangelands, valuation, and managing ecosystem services in rangelands.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MSc in Rangeland and Ecosystem Management programme combines lectures, fieldwork, laboratory sessions, seminars, and independent study. Sessions cover rangeland ecology, biodiversity, climate change, and rehabilitation. Ecosystem ecology sessions examine ecosystems, rangelands, ecology, dynamics, and managing rangeland ecosystem ecology. Biodiversity sessions cover biodiversity, conservation, rangelands, species, and managing biodiversity conservation. Climate change sessions cover climate, rangelands, adaptation, resilience, and managing climate change adaptation. Rehabilitation sessions cover rehabilitation, restoration, rangelands, degradation, and managing rangeland rehabilitation. Pastoral livelihoods sessions cover pastoral, livelihoods, socio-ecological, communities, and managing pastoral livelihood systems. Ecosystem services sessions cover services, ecosystems, rangelands, valuation, and managing ecosystem services. GIS sessions cover GIS, mapping, rangelands, analysis, and managing geographic information systems for rangeland ecosystems. Research methods sessions cover research, methods, ecosystem, design, and conducting research in ecosystem management. Fieldwork provides practical experience in rangeland ecosystem assessment, biodiversity monitoring, and rehabilitation techniques. Laboratory sessions provide practical experience in soil analysis, plant identification, and ecosystem modelling. The programme culminates in a supervised research thesis on a rangeland ecosystem management topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

Programme addresses critical rangeland ecosystem challenges including climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation.
Curriculum developed with AICCRA and international agricultural research organisations.
Programme combines theoretical knowledge with practical fieldwork and laboratory sessions.
Graduates are eligible for SRM professional membership and UNCCD certification.

Against it

Fee data for this exact programme is not publicly available from offering institutions.
No private university confirmed offering this programme.
Programme may be newly developed and not yet fully established at all partner institutions.
Programme may have limited career paths compared to more general environmental science programmes.

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

Public153k to 153k

153k at University of Nairobi153k 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

UoN ~152.5K/yr (UoN LARMAT PDF 2021). Private unverified

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. Universities may offer scholarships for eligible students. AICCRA and international agricultural research organisations may offer scholarships and fellowships for rangeland ecosystem management research.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
University Scholarship
AICCRA Scholarship

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
University Scholarship
ScholarshipKsh 152,500Kenyan
Universities may offer scholarships for eligible postgraduate rangeland ecosystem management students.
AICCRA Fellowship
ScholarshipKsh 200,000
AICCRA and CGIAR may offer fellowships for rangeland ecosystem management research in Africa.

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 relevant work 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, field reports, laboratory reports, seminar presentations, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination70% of the mark
Written examinations covering rangeland ecology, biodiversity, climate change, and ecosystem management.
Field and Laboratory Assessment
Project40% of the mark
Practical assessment through fieldwork and laboratory work, demonstrating rangeland assessment, biodiversity monitoring, and ecosystem analysis skills.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original supervised research thesis on a rangeland ecosystem management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and ecosystem management knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). South Eastern Kenya University and Taita Taveta University (public) offer MSc in Rangeland and Ecosystem Management or closely related programmes. The curriculum was developed with AICCRA support. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in rangeland ecosystem management. Graduates may interact with KALRO and UNCCD for standards. The programme aligns with ICARDA and UNCCD global rangeland management frameworks.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. South Eastern Kenya University and Taita Taveta University (public) offer MSc in Rangeland and Ecosystem Management or closely related programmes. The curriculum was developed with AICCRA support. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in rangeland ecosystem management. Graduates may interact with KALRO and UNCCD for standards. The programme aligns with ICARDA and UNCCD global rangeland management frameworks.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Rangeland Ecosystem Manager
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 350,000
Manages rangeland ecosystems, overseeing ecosystems, rangelands, management, and managing rangeland ecosystem management functions.
Biodiversity Conservation Officer
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 350,000
Manages biodiversity conservation, covering biodiversity, conservation, rangelands, and managing biodiversity conservation in rangelands.
Climate Resilience Specialist
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 400,000
Manages climate resilience, covering climate, resilience, adaptation, rangelands, and managing climate resilience in rangelands.
Environmental Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 400,000
Provides environmental consulting, covering environment, rangelands, advisory, and managing environmental consulting for rangelands.
Pastoral Development Officer
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 350,000
Manages pastoral development, covering pastoral, development, livelihoods, and managing pastoral development programmes.
Ecosystem Management Lecturer
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 400,000
Teaches rangeland ecosystem 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 rangeland ecosystem mapping and analysis, covering GIS, mapping, rangelands, and managing geographic information systems for rangeland ecosystems.
QGIS
Software
QGIS for rangeland mapping and spatial analysis, covering GIS, mapping, analysis, and managing spatial data for rangelands.
R Statistical Software
Software
R for statistical analysis of ecosystem data, covering statistics, analysis, data, and managing ecosystem data analysis.
Microsoft Excel
Software
Excel for ecosystem data management and reporting, covering data, analysis, reporting, and managing ecosystem data.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Rangeland ecosystem management is just about grazing management.
Rangeland ecosystem management covers ecology, biodiversity, climate resilience, ecosystem services, and socio-ecological systems beyond just grazing management.
This programme is only for those in arid areas.
Rangeland ecosystem management skills are valuable in all rangeland ecosystems, including semi-arid, savannah, and highland pasture areas.
Rangeland management has no career prospects in Kenya.
Rangeland ecosystem management graduates are in demand in county governments, KALRO, NGOs, conservation organisations, and climate resilience programmes.
This programme is the same as general environmental science.
Rangeland ecosystem management focuses specifically on rangeland ecosystems, pastoral systems, and dryland dynamics, distinct from general environmental science.
Rangeland management is outdated in the modern economy.
Rangeland ecosystem management is increasingly relevant due to climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and sustainable development challenges.
You need to be from a pastoral community to study rangeland management.
Rangeland ecosystem management is a scientific discipline accessible to anyone with a relevant bachelor's degree, regardless of background.