Environmental Science

Master of Science (Natural Resource Management)

The Master of Science in Natural Resource Management is a postgraduate programme that prepares professionals for advanced practice in natural resource management, environmental conservation, and sustainable development. The programme combines environmental science with resource management methodology and policy analysis.

Core areas include natural resource management, environmental conservation, biodiversity management, water resource management, forest management, land resource management, environmental policy, climate change, research methods, and thesis. Students engage with both resource management theory and practical conservation application through coursework and research.

The programme is offered by Egerton University through the Faculty of Environment and Resource Development. Egerton is a public university offering the programme over two academic years through full-time and part-time modes of study at the Main Campus in Njoro.

Students develop competencies in natural resource management, environmental conservation, biodiversity assessment, water resource management, forest management, land management, environmental policy, and research methods. The programme includes coursework, examinations, and a research thesis.

Egerton charges approximately KES 172,150/year for environmental master's programmes. Entry requires a Bachelor's degree with Second Class Honours Upper Division in natural resource management, environmental science, agriculture, or related fields from a recognised university. Lower Second Division holders with at least two years of relevant experience are also considered.

Graduates pursue careers as natural resource managers, environmental consultants, conservation officers, water resource managers, forest managers, and lecturers in natural resource management across government, NGOs, research institutions, and environmental organisations.

Skills Required

Natural Resource Management and Planning
Environmental Conservation and Biodiversity Management
Water Resource Management and Planning
Forest Management and Conservation
Land Resource Management and Planning
Environmental Policy and Legislation
Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation
Environmental Impact Assessment
Research Methods in Natural Resource Management
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Natural Resource Management and Planning
Environmental Conservation and Biodiversity
Water Resource Management
Forest Management and Conservation
Land Resource Management
Environmental Policy and Legislation
Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation
Environmental Impact Assessment
Research Methods in Natural Resource Management
Thesis Research

Certifications

NEMA Environmental Impact Assessment Certification
UNEP Natural Resource Management Certification

Specializations

Water Resource Management

Focuses on water resource management, covering water planning, watershed management, water quality, water conservation, and managing water resources.

Forest Management

Examines forest management, covering forest conservation, forest planning, forest ecology, sustainable forestry, and managing forest resources.

Biodiversity Conservation

Covers biodiversity conservation, covering biodiversity assessment, species conservation, habitat management, protected areas, and managing biodiversity.

Land Resource Management

Focuses on land resource management, covering land use planning, land degradation, soil conservation, land restoration, and managing land resources.

Climate Change Management

Examines climate change management, covering climate adaptation, climate mitigation, climate policy, carbon management, and managing climate change.

Environmental Policy

Covers environmental policy, covering policy analysis, environmental legislation, regulatory compliance, environmental governance, and managing environmental policy.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 172,150
Private, up to: Ksh 0
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: 15 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Natural Resource Management and Planning
Environmental Conservation and Biodiversity
Water Resource Management
Forest Management and Conservation
Land Resource Management
Environmental Policy and Legislation
Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation
Environmental Impact Assessment
Research Methods in Natural Resource Management
Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Natural Resource Management and Planning
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines resource planning, resource allocation, resource governance, sustainable management, resource economics, and managing natural resources.
Environmental Conservation and Biodiversity
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers biodiversity conservation, habitat management, protected areas, species conservation, ecosystem management, and managing environmental conservation.
Research Methods in Natural Resource Management
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers research design, data collection, analysis, ethical issues, and conducting natural resource research, preparing students for their thesis.
Water Resource Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines watershed management, water quality, water conservation, water allocation, water governance, and managing water resources.
Forest Management and Conservation
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers forest conservation, forest planning, forest ecology, sustainable forestry, forest governance, and managing forest resources.
Land Resource Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines land use planning, land degradation, soil conservation, land restoration, land governance, and managing land resources.
Environmental Policy and Legislation
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers policy analysis, environmental legislation, regulatory compliance, environmental governance, environmental law, and managing environmental policy.
Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines climate adaptation, climate mitigation, climate policy, carbon management, climate resilience, and managing climate change.
Environmental Impact Assessment
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers EIA methodology, environmental auditing, impact prediction, mitigation planning, environmental monitoring, and managing EIA.
Community-Based Natural Resource Management
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines community resource management, participatory approaches, community engagement, livelihoods, and managing community-based natural resource management.
GIS and Remote Sensing for Resource Management
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers GIS applications, remote sensing, spatial analysis, mapping, satellite imagery, and managing spatial data for natural resource management.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 26 creditsCore
Original research thesis on a natural resource management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and resource management knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Water Resource Management
Focuses on water resource management, covering water planning, watershed management, water quality, water conservation, and managing water resources.
Forest Management
Examines forest management, covering forest conservation, forest planning, forest ecology, sustainable forestry, and managing forest resources.
Biodiversity Conservation
Covers biodiversity conservation, covering biodiversity assessment, species conservation, habitat management, protected areas, and managing biodiversity.
Land Resource Management
Focuses on land resource management, covering land use planning, land degradation, soil conservation, land restoration, and managing land resources.
Climate Change Management
Examines climate change management, covering climate adaptation, climate mitigation, climate policy, carbon management, and managing climate change.
Environmental Policy
Covers environmental policy, covering policy analysis, environmental legislation, regulatory compliance, environmental governance, and managing environmental policy.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MSc in Natural Resource Management programme combines lectures, field visits, practical sessions, seminars, and independent study. Sessions cover natural resource management, environmental conservation, water resource management, forest management, and climate change. Natural resource management sessions examine resource planning, resource allocation, resource governance, sustainable management, and managing natural resources. Environmental conservation sessions cover biodiversity conservation, habitat management, protected areas, species conservation, and managing environmental conservation. Water resource management sessions cover watershed management, water quality, water conservation, water allocation, and managing water resources. Forest management sessions cover forest conservation, forest planning, forest ecology, sustainable forestry, and managing forest resources. Land resource management sessions cover land use planning, land degradation, soil conservation, land restoration, and managing land resources. Biodiversity sessions cover biodiversity assessment, species monitoring, ecosystem management, conservation planning, and managing biodiversity. Climate change sessions cover climate adaptation, climate mitigation, climate policy, carbon management, and managing climate change. Environmental policy sessions cover policy analysis, environmental legislation, regulatory compliance, environmental governance, and managing environmental policy. Environmental impact assessment sessions cover EIA methodology, environmental auditing, impact prediction, mitigation planning, and managing EIA. Research methods sessions prepare students for their thesis, covering research design, data collection, and analysis. Field visits and practical sessions provide hands-on experience with natural resource sites, conservation areas, water bodies, and forest ecosystems. Seminars and discussion groups provide opportunities for debating current issues in natural resource management. Guest lectures from experienced conservationists, environmental managers, and policy experts provide practical insights. The programme culminates in a research thesis on a natural resource management topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

Growing demand for natural resource management professionals with increasing environmental challenges, climate change, and conservation needs in Kenya.
Programme combines environmental science with management and policy, providing versatile skills for conservation, government, and NGO sectors.
Programme offers diverse specialisations including water, forest, biodiversity, land, climate, and policy.
Egerton offers competitive fees at approximately KES 172,150/year for environmental programmes.

Against it

Only one university (Egerton) confirmed offering this specific programme, limiting institutional choice.
No private university confirmed offering this programme, limiting options.
Career prospects may be concentrated in government and NGO sectors, limiting private sector opportunities.
Programme requires environmental or natural resource background, which may limit access for non-related graduates.

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

Public172k to 172k

172k at Egerton University172k at Egerton 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

Egerton FERD/FASS ~172,150/yr (egerton.ac.ke). No private confirmed.

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. Egerton may offer postgraduate bursaries for eligible students. UNEP and other international organisations may provide training support for natural resource management professionals. Some environmental NGOs may sponsor staff for postgraduate study.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
Egerton Postgraduate Bursary
UNEP Training Support

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
Egerton Postgraduate Bursary
ScholarshipKsh 100,000Kenyan
Egerton University offers postgraduate bursaries for eligible students.
UNEP Training Support
GrantKsh 300,000
UNEP provides training support for natural resource management professionals in developing countries.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: Egerton University requires Upper Second Class Honours in natural resource management or related field. Lower Second Division holders with at least two years of relevant experience are considered. Contact Egerton University 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, GIS exercises, seminar presentations, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination70% of the mark
Written examinations covering natural resource management, environmental conservation, water resources, forest management, and environmental policy.
Field Project Assessment
Practical100% of the mark
Practical assessment through field projects, environmental assessments, resource mapping, conservation planning, and demonstrating resource management skills.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original research thesis on a natural resource management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and resource management knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Egerton University (public) offers MSc in Natural Resources Management through the Faculty of Environment and Resource Development. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in natural resource management. Graduates are eligible for NEMA environmental impact assessment certification and UNEP natural resource management certification.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. Egerton University (public) offers MSc in Natural Resources Management through the Faculty of Environment and Resource Development. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in natural resource management. Graduates are eligible for NEMA environmental impact assessment certification and UNEP natural resource management certification.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Natural Resource Manager
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Manages natural resource programmes, overseeing resource planning, resource allocation, conservation, and managing natural resource operations.
Environmental Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Consults on environmental matters, overseeing environmental assessment, impact assessment, compliance advisory, and managing environmental consulting.
Conservation Officer
Moderate demandKsh 110,000 to Ksh 450,000
Manages conservation programmes, overseeing biodiversity conservation, habitat management, species protection, and managing conservation operations.
Water Resource Manager
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Manages water resource programmes, overseeing water planning, water quality management, watershed management, and managing water resources.
Forest Manager
Low demandKsh 110,000 to Ksh 450,000
Manages forest resources, overseeing forest planning, forest conservation, sustainable forestry, and managing forest operations.
Natural Resource Lecturer
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaches natural resource management at university or college level, overseeing instruction, research, field supervision, and academic supervision.

Graduate outcomes

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

ArcGIS
SoftwarePrimary
ArcGIS for spatial analysis, covering GIS applications, mapping, spatial analysis, remote sensing, and managing spatial data for natural resource management.
SPSS
Software
SPSS statistical software for natural resource research, covering data analysis, statistical tests, and managing research data.
R
Software
R statistical software for natural resource research, covering statistical analysis, data visualisation, ecological modelling, and managing research data.
Google Earth Engine
Software
Google Earth Engine for remote sensing, covering satellite imagery analysis, land cover mapping, environmental monitoring, and managing spatial data.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Natural resource management is just about planting trees.
Natural resource management covers comprehensive management including water, forests, biodiversity, land, climate, and policy beyond just tree planting.
This programme is only for those who like the outdoors.
Natural resource management skills are valuable for policy analysis, environmental consulting, research, governance, and management in both field and office settings.
Natural resource management has limited career prospects in Kenya.
With growing environmental challenges, climate change, and conservation needs, demand for natural resource management professionals is increasing in Kenya.
Environmental conservation is just about protecting wildlife.
Environmental conservation covers comprehensive management including habitats, ecosystems, biodiversity, water, forests, and sustainable resource use.
Climate change management is just about reducing emissions.
Climate change management covers comprehensive adaptation, mitigation, policy, finance, resilience, and development strategies.
Environmental policy is only for government officials.
Environmental policy knowledge is valuable for consultants, NGO professionals, researchers, and anyone involved in environmental management.