Business

Master of Science in Strategic Management

The Master of Science in Strategic Management is a postgraduate programme that prepares professionals for advanced practice in strategic planning, organisational leadership, and business strategy. The programme provides specialised training in strategic management, competitive analysis, corporate strategy, innovation management, and organisational development.

Core areas include strategic management, competitive strategy, corporate governance, strategic planning, innovation and entrepreneurship, organisational behaviour, 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 as a public institution, with Strathmore University offering a closely related Master of Commerce with Strategic Management specialisation as a private institution. The programme is available in part-time and weekend modes over two years, combining coursework with research.

Students develop competencies in strategic analysis, planning, implementation, competitive strategy, corporate governance, and research. The programme includes coursework, examinations, case studies, and a supervised research thesis, preparing graduates for strategic management, leadership, and advisory roles.

JKUAT charges approximately KES 133,707 per year. Strathmore University (private) charges approximately KES 326,323 per year for a closely related programme. Entry requires at least an Upper Second Class Honours degree in Business, Commerce, Economics, or a related field from a recognised institution.

Graduates pursue careers as strategy managers, business consultants, corporate planners, project managers, business analysts, and lecturers across corporate organisations, consulting firms, government agencies, NGOs, and universities.

Skills Required

Strategic Analysis and Planning
Competitive Strategy and Positioning
Corporate Governance and Ethics
Strategic Implementation and Change Management
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Organisational Behaviour and Leadership
Business Model Development
Risk Management and Decision Analysis
Research Methods in Strategic Management
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Strategic Management and Planning
Competitive Strategy and Analysis
Corporate Governance and Ethics
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Organisational Behaviour and Leadership
Strategic Implementation and Change Management
Business Model Development
Risk Management and Decision Analysis
Research Methods in Strategic Management
Thesis Research

Certifications

KIM Professional Membership
SMS Professional Membership

Specializations

Competitive Strategy

Focuses on competitive strategy, covering competition, strategy, positioning, analysis, and managing competitive strategy and market positioning.

Corporate Strategy

Examines corporate strategy, covering corporate, strategy, governance, planning, and managing corporate strategy and governance.

Innovation Management

Covers innovation management, covering innovation, management, entrepreneurship, strategy, and managing innovation and entrepreneurship.

Strategic Planning

Focuses on strategic planning, covering planning, strategy, goals, implementation, and managing strategic planning and implementation.

Change Management

Examines change management, covering change, management, organisational, transformation, and managing organisational change and transformation.

Corporate Governance

Covers corporate governance, covering governance, corporate, ethics, compliance, and managing corporate governance and compliance.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 133,707
Private, up to: Ksh 326,323
Job market: High

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Part-time, Weekend
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 25 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Strategic Management and Planning
Competitive Strategy and Analysis
Corporate Governance and Ethics
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Organisational Behaviour and Leadership
Strategic Implementation and Change Management
Business Model Development
Risk Management and Decision Analysis
Research Methods in Strategic Management
Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Strategic Management and Planning
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines strategic management, covering strategy, management, planning, goals, and managing strategic management and planning.
Competitive Strategy and Analysis
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers competitive strategy, covering competition, strategy, positioning, analysis, and managing competitive strategy and market positioning.
Corporate Governance and Ethics
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines corporate governance, covering governance, corporate, ethics, compliance, and managing corporate governance and compliance.
Organisational Behaviour and Leadership
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers organisational behaviour, covering organisational, behaviour, leadership, management, and managing organisational behaviour and leadership.
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines innovation management, covering innovation, management, entrepreneurship, strategy, and managing innovation and entrepreneurship.
Strategic Implementation and Change Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers change management, covering change, management, organisational, transformation, and managing organisational change and transformation.
Business Model Development
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines business models, covering models, business, development, strategy, and managing business model development and innovation.
Research Methods in Strategic Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers research, methods, strategy, management, and conducting research in strategic management, preparing students for their thesis.
Risk Management and Decision Analysis
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines risk management, covering risk, management, decision, analysis, and managing risk and decision analysis.
International Business Strategy
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers international business, covering international, business, strategy, global, and managing international business strategy.
Strategic Performance Management
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines performance management, covering performance, management, strategy, measurement, and managing strategic performance and measurement.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 212 creditsCore
Original supervised research thesis on a strategic management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and strategic management knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Competitive Strategy
Focuses on competitive strategy, covering competition, strategy, positioning, analysis, and managing competitive strategy and market positioning.
Corporate Strategy
Examines corporate strategy, covering corporate, strategy, governance, planning, and managing corporate strategy and governance.
Innovation Management
Covers innovation management, covering innovation, management, entrepreneurship, strategy, and managing innovation and entrepreneurship.
Strategic Planning
Focuses on strategic planning, covering planning, strategy, goals, implementation, and managing strategic planning and implementation.
Change Management
Examines change management, covering change, management, organisational, transformation, and managing organisational change and transformation.
Corporate Governance
Covers corporate governance, covering governance, corporate, ethics, compliance, and managing corporate governance and compliance.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MSc in Strategic Management programme combines lectures, case studies, seminars, and independent study. Sessions cover strategic management, competitive strategy, corporate governance, innovation, and organisational behaviour. Strategic management sessions examine strategy, management, planning, goals, and managing strategic management. Competitive strategy sessions cover competition, strategy, positioning, analysis, and managing competitive strategy. Corporate governance sessions cover governance, corporate, ethics, compliance, and managing corporate governance. Innovation sessions cover innovation, management, entrepreneurship, strategy, and managing innovation. Organisational behaviour sessions cover organisational, behaviour, leadership, management, and managing organisational behaviour. Change management sessions cover change, management, organisational, transformation, and managing organisational change. Strategic planning sessions cover planning, strategy, goals, implementation, and managing strategic planning. Risk management sessions cover risk, management, decision, analysis, and managing risk and decision analysis. Case studies provide practical experience in analysing real-world strategic management scenarios. Seminars provide opportunities for presenting research findings and discussing current developments in strategic management. The programme culminates in a supervised research thesis on a strategic management topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

Programme develops strategic thinking and leadership skills highly valued in Kenya's corporate sector.
Programme offered at both public and private universities with different fee options.
Graduates are eligible for KIM professional membership and SMS international membership.
Programme combines theoretical knowledge with practical case studies and real-world analysis.

Against it

JKUAT is the only public university confirmed offering MSc in Strategic Management specifically.
Strathmore offers Master of Commerce with Strategic Management specialisation, not MSc specifically.
Strathmore fees are significantly higher at KES 326,323/year compared to JKUAT at KES 133,707/year.
Programme is offered primarily in part-time and weekend modes, which may not suit full-time students.

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

Public134k to 134k

134k at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology134k at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology

Private191k to 326k

191k at KCA University326k at Strathmore 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 133,707/yr (JKUAT discover). KCA ~190K, Strathmore 326K/yr (SBS MCOM)

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. Universities may offer scholarships for eligible students. SMS and international management organisations may offer scholarships and fellowships for strategic management research and education.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
University Scholarship
SMS Scholarship

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
University Scholarship
ScholarshipKsh 133,707Kenyan
Universities may offer scholarships for eligible postgraduate strategic management students.
SMS Scholarship
ScholarshipKsh 200,000
SMS and international management organisations may offer scholarships for strategic management research and education.

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, case study analyses, seminar presentations, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination70% of the mark
Written examinations covering strategic management, competitive strategy, corporate governance, innovation, and organisational behaviour.
Case Study Project
Project40% of the mark
Practical assessment through case study projects, demonstrating strategic analysis, planning, and implementation skills.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original supervised research thesis on a strategic management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and strategic management 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 Strategic Management and Strathmore University (private) offers Master of Commerce with Strategic Management specialisation. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in strategic management. Graduates may interact with KIM for management standards and SMS for international strategic management standards. The programme aligns with SMS and AOM global management frameworks.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. JKUAT (public) offers MSc in Strategic Management and Strathmore University (private) offers Master of Commerce with Strategic Management specialisation. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in strategic management. Graduates may interact with KIM for management standards and SMS for international strategic management standards. The programme aligns with SMS and AOM global management frameworks.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Strategy Manager
High demandKsh 150,000 to Ksh 500,000
Manages organisational strategy, covering strategy, management, planning, and managing strategic management and planning.
Business Consultant
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 450,000
Provides business consulting, covering consulting, business, strategy, analysis, and managing business consulting and advisory.
Corporate Planner
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 400,000
Develops corporate plans, covering planning, corporate, strategy, goals, and managing corporate planning and strategy.
Project Manager
High demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 400,000
Manages projects, covering projects, management, strategy, planning, and managing project management and implementation.
Business Analyst
High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 350,000
Conducts business analysis, covering business, analysis, strategy, data, and managing business analysis and reporting.
Management Lecturer
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 400,000
Teaches strategic 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 Excel
SoftwarePrimary
Excel for strategic analysis, financial modelling, and data management, covering analysis, data, modelling, and managing strategic analysis and reporting.
Power BI
Software
Power BI for business intelligence and data visualisation, covering BI, data, visualisation, and managing business intelligence and analytics.
SPSS
Software
SPSS for research data analysis, covering statistics, data, analysis, and managing research data analysis.
SWOT Analysis Tools
Software
Strategic analysis tools including SWOT, PESTEL, and Porter's Five Forces for strategic management and competitive analysis.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Strategic management is just about making plans.
Strategic management covers competitive analysis, corporate governance, innovation, change management, and organisational behaviour beyond just planning.
This programme is only for business graduates.
Strategic management is for professionals from diverse backgrounds including engineering, social sciences, and public administration, not just business graduates.
Strategic management is the same as an MBA.
Strategic management focuses specifically on strategy formulation, implementation, and competitive analysis, while an MBA covers broader business functions.
This programme is only for senior managers.
Strategic management is valuable for professionals at various career stages seeking to develop strategic thinking and leadership skills.
Strategic management has limited practical application.
Strategic management is highly practical, involving case studies, real-world analysis, and implementation of strategies in organisations.
You need business experience to study strategic management.
While business experience is beneficial, the programme is accessible to professionals from various fields seeking strategic management skills.