Environmental Science

Master of Science in Sustainable Energy Access

The Master of Science in Sustainable Energy Access is a postgraduate programme that prepares professionals for advanced practice in clean energy technologies, energy access, and sustainable energy systems. The programme provides specialised training in renewable energy, energy policy, energy planning, clean energy technologies, and energy project management.

Core areas include sustainable energy, energy access, clean energy technologies, energy policy and regulation, energy planning, renewable energy systems, energy economics, research methods, and thesis. Students engage with both theoretical and practical work through coursework, projects, and research.

The programme is offered by Moi University as a public institution through the School of Engineering, Department of Mechanical, Production and Energy Engineering. The programme is available in full-time and part-time modes over two years, combining coursework with a dissertation.

Students develop competencies in clean energy technologies, energy planning, project management, energy policy, and research. The programme includes coursework, examinations, projects, and a supervised research dissertation, preparing graduates for energy sector roles across government, private sector, and development organisations.

Moi University charges approximately KES 187,200 per year. Strathmore University (private) offers a closely related MSc in Sustainable Energy Transitions. Entry requires at least an Upper Second Class Honours degree in Engineering, Energy, Physics, Economics, Environmental Sciences, Applied Mathematics, or Business Management from a recognised institution.

Graduates pursue careers as energy engineers, energy consultants, renewable energy specialists, energy planners, project managers, and lecturers across energy companies, government ministries, development organisations, consulting firms, and universities.

Skills Required

Clean Energy Technologies and Systems
Energy Access and Rural Electrification
Energy Policy and Regulation
Energy Planning and Modelling
Renewable Energy Systems Design
Energy Economics and Finance
Energy Project Management
Energy Efficiency and Conservation
Research Methods in Sustainable Energy
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Sustainable Energy and Energy Access
Clean Energy Technologies and Systems
Energy Policy and Regulation
Energy Planning and Modelling
Renewable Energy Systems
Energy Economics and Finance
Energy Project Management
Energy Efficiency and Conservation
Research Methods in Sustainable Energy
Thesis Research

Certifications

EPRA Professional Registration
IRENA Professional Membership

Specializations

Clean Energy Technologies

Focuses on clean energy technologies, covering clean, energy, technologies, systems, and managing clean energy technologies and systems.

Energy Access

Examines energy access, covering energy, access, rural, electrification, and managing energy access and rural electrification.

Energy Policy and Regulation

Covers energy policy, covering policy, energy, regulation, governance, and managing energy policy and regulation.

Renewable Energy Systems

Focuses on renewable energy, covering renewable, energy, systems, solar, wind, and managing renewable energy systems and design.

Energy Planning

Examines energy planning, covering planning, energy, modelling, forecasting, and managing energy planning and modelling.

Energy Economics

Covers energy economics, covering economics, energy, finance, markets, and managing energy economics and finance.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 187,200
Private, up to: Ksh 0
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: 20 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Sustainable Energy and Energy Access
Clean Energy Technologies and Systems
Energy Policy and Regulation
Energy Planning and Modelling
Renewable Energy Systems
Energy Economics and Finance
Energy Project Management
Energy Efficiency and Conservation
Research Methods in Sustainable Energy
Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Sustainable Energy and Energy Access
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines sustainable energy, covering energy, sustainable, access, clean, and managing sustainable energy and energy access.
Clean Energy Technologies and Systems
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers clean energy technologies, covering clean, energy, technologies, systems, and managing clean energy technologies and systems.
Energy Policy and Regulation
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines energy policy, covering policy, energy, regulation, governance, and managing energy policy and regulation.
Energy Planning and Modelling
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers energy planning, covering planning, energy, modelling, forecasting, and managing energy planning and modelling.
Renewable Energy Systems
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines renewable energy, covering renewable, energy, systems, solar, wind, and managing renewable energy systems and design.
Energy Economics and Finance
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers energy economics, covering economics, energy, finance, markets, and managing energy economics and finance.
Energy Project Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines energy project management, covering projects, energy, management, planning, and managing energy projects and implementation.
Research Methods in Sustainable Energy
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers research, methods, energy, sustainable, and conducting research in sustainable energy, preparing students for their dissertation.
Energy Efficiency and Conservation
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines energy efficiency, covering efficiency, energy, conservation, management, and managing energy efficiency and conservation.
Rural Electrification and Mini-Grids
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers rural electrification, covering rural, electrification, mini-grids, energy, and managing rural electrification and mini-grid systems.
Energy Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines energy entrepreneurship, covering entrepreneurship, energy, innovation, business, and managing energy entrepreneurship and innovation.
Research Dissertation
Year 2Semester 212 creditsCore
Original supervised research dissertation on a sustainable energy topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and sustainable energy knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Clean Energy Technologies
Focuses on clean energy technologies, covering clean, energy, technologies, systems, and managing clean energy technologies and systems.
Energy Access
Examines energy access, covering energy, access, rural, electrification, and managing energy access and rural electrification.
Energy Policy and Regulation
Covers energy policy, covering policy, energy, regulation, governance, and managing energy policy and regulation.
Renewable Energy Systems
Focuses on renewable energy, covering renewable, energy, systems, solar, wind, and managing renewable energy systems and design.
Energy Planning
Examines energy planning, covering planning, energy, modelling, forecasting, and managing energy planning and modelling.
Energy Economics
Covers energy economics, covering economics, energy, finance, markets, and managing energy economics and finance.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MSc in Sustainable Energy Access programme combines lectures, laboratory work, seminars, field visits, and independent study. Sessions cover sustainable energy, clean energy technologies, energy policy, energy planning, and renewable energy systems. Sustainable energy sessions examine energy, sustainable, access, clean, and managing sustainable energy and access. Clean energy technology sessions cover clean, energy, technologies, systems, and managing clean energy technologies. Energy policy sessions cover policy, energy, regulation, governance, and managing energy policy and regulation. Energy planning sessions cover planning, energy, modelling, forecasting, and managing energy planning and modelling. Renewable energy sessions cover renewable, energy, systems, solar, wind, and managing renewable energy systems. Energy economics sessions cover economics, energy, finance, markets, and managing energy economics and finance. Energy project management sessions cover projects, energy, management, planning, and managing energy projects. Laboratory sessions provide practical experience in energy systems analysis and renewable energy technologies. Field visits to energy projects provide real-world exposure. Seminars provide opportunities for presenting research findings. The programme culminates in a supervised research dissertation on a sustainable energy topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

Programme addresses critical energy access challenges in Kenya and sub-Saharan Africa.
AfDB partial scholarships available through Moi University School of Engineering.
Programme accepts graduates from diverse backgrounds including economics, business, and environmental sciences.
Programme combines theoretical knowledge with practical laboratory work and field visits.

Against it

Moi University fee data is estimated from general postgraduate fees, not confirmed for this programme specifically.
Strathmore offers Sustainable Energy Transitions, not Sustainable Energy Access specifically.
Strathmore fee data is estimated from a related programme benchmark.
Programme is relatively new and may have limited alumni networks.

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 181 environmental science courses

Public187k to 187k

187k at Moi University187k at Moi 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

Moi ~187,200/yr (worldscholarshipforum). No private confirmed.

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. AfDB partial scholarships are available through Moi University School of Engineering. DAAD scholarships may be available for energy studies. IEA and IRENA may offer fellowships for sustainable energy research.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
AfDB Partial Scholarship
DAAD Scholarship

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
AfDB Partial Scholarship
ScholarshipKsh 187,200Kenyan
AfDB partial scholarships available through Moi University School of Engineering for MSc in Sustainable Energy and Energy Access students.
DAAD Scholarship
ScholarshipKsh 300,000
DAAD scholarships may be available for energy studies at Moi University.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: Moi University requires at least an Upper Second Class Honours degree in a relevant field. Lower Second Class may be considered with a postgraduate diploma or two years of relevant work experience. Contact the university for specific admission requirements.

How you are assessed

4 components

Coursework and Continuous Assessment
Coursework30% of the mark
Continuous assessment through coursework assignments, project reports, seminar presentations, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination70% of the mark
Written examinations covering sustainable energy, clean energy technologies, energy policy, energy planning, and renewable energy systems.
Energy Project
Project40% of the mark
Practical assessment through energy projects, demonstrating energy system design, analysis, and planning skills.
Research Dissertation
Research100% of the mark
Original supervised research dissertation on a sustainable energy topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and sustainable energy knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Moi University (public) offers MSc in Sustainable Energy and Energy Access and Strathmore University (private) offers MSc in Sustainable Energy Transitions. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in sustainable energy. Graduates may interact with EPRA for energy sector regulation and IRENA and IEA for international energy standards. The programme aligns with IEA and IRENA global sustainable energy frameworks.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. Moi University (public) offers MSc in Sustainable Energy and Energy Access and Strathmore University (private) offers MSc in Sustainable Energy Transitions. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in sustainable energy. Graduates may interact with EPRA for energy sector regulation and IRENA and IEA for international energy standards. The programme aligns with IEA and IRENA global sustainable energy frameworks.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Energy Engineer
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 450,000
Designs and manages energy systems, covering energy, engineering, systems, and managing energy engineering and systems.
Energy Consultant
High demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 400,000
Provides energy consulting, covering consulting, energy, advisory, analysis, and managing energy consulting and advisory.
Renewable Energy Specialist
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 450,000
Manages renewable energy projects, covering renewable, energy, projects, systems, and managing renewable energy projects and systems.
Energy Planner
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 400,000
Develops energy plans, covering planning, energy, modelling, forecasting, and managing energy planning and modelling.
Energy Project Manager
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 450,000
Manages energy projects, covering projects, energy, management, planning, and managing energy projects and implementation.
Energy Lecturer
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 400,000
Teaches sustainable energy at university or college level, overseeing instruction, research, and academic supervision.

Graduate outcomes

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

HOMER Energy
SoftwarePrimary
HOMER for renewable energy system design and optimisation, covering energy, renewable, design, optimisation, and managing renewable energy system modelling.
RETScreen
Software
RETScreen for clean energy project analysis, covering energy, clean, analysis, projects, and managing clean energy project analysis.
MATLAB
Software
MATLAB for energy systems modelling and simulation, covering modelling, energy, systems, simulation, and managing energy systems modelling.
GIS Software
Software
GIS for energy access mapping and planning, covering GIS, energy, mapping, access, and managing energy access mapping and planning.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Sustainable energy access is just about solar panels.
The programme covers policy, planning, economics, multiple renewable technologies, and energy access challenges beyond just solar panels.
This programme is only for engineers.
Sustainable energy access is for professionals from economics, environmental science, business, and policy backgrounds, not just engineers.
Energy access has limited career prospects in Kenya.
Energy graduates are in high demand in government, energy companies, development organisations, and consulting firms.
This programme is the same as general energy engineering.
Sustainable energy access focuses on energy access, policy, and clean energy for underserved populations, distinct from general energy engineering.
Sustainable energy is only about renewable energy.
The programme covers energy efficiency, policy, economics, planning, and project management alongside renewable energy technologies.
You need an engineering degree to study sustainable energy.
The programme accepts graduates from physics, economics, environmental sciences, applied mathematics, and business management.