Health Sciences

Master of Science (Public Health Nutrition)

The Master of Science in Public Health Nutrition is a postgraduate programme that prepares professionals for advanced practice in public health nutrition, community nutrition, and nutrition policy. The programme combines nutritional science with public health methodology and community health practice.

Core areas include public health nutrition, maternal and child nutrition, nutrition assessment, community nutrition, food security, health promotion, epidemiology, nutrition policy, research methods, and thesis. Students engage with both nutritional science theory and practical public health application through coursework and research.

The programme is offered by Maseno University and Mount Kenya University. Maseno is a public university while MKU is a private university, both offering the programme over two academic years through full-time and part-time modes of study.

Students develop competencies in public health nutrition, maternal and child nutrition, nutrition assessment, community nutrition, food security, health promotion, epidemiology, and research methods. The programme includes coursework, field trips, examinations, and a research thesis.

MKU charges approximately KES 159,100/year (KES 79,550/semester). Maseno University fees not independently verified from official sources. Entry requires a Bachelor's degree with Second Class Honours Upper Division in nutrition, dietetics, public health, or related fields from a recognised university.

Graduates pursue careers as public health nutritionists, community nutrition coordinators, nutrition programme managers, food security specialists, nutrition policy analysts, and lecturers in public health nutrition across government, NGOs, health institutions, and universities.

Skills Required

Public Health Nutrition and Community Assessment
Maternal and Child Nutrition Programming
Nutrition Assessment and Surveillance
Food Security and Nutrition in Emergencies
Health Promotion and Nutrition Intervention
Epidemiology and Nutrition Research
Nutrition Policy Analysis and Advocacy
Community-Based Nutrition Programme Management
Research Methods in Public Health Nutrition
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Fundamentals of Public Health Nutrition
Nutrition in Developing Countries
Maternal and Child Nutrition
Health and Nutrition Assessment Methods
Health Promotion and Intervention
Community-Based Nutrition
Food Security and Nutrition in Emergencies
Epidemiology and Public Health Nutrition
Statistics in Nutrition Research
Thesis Research

Certifications

KNDI Professional Registration
WHO Nutrition Training Certification

Specializations

Maternal and Child Nutrition

Focuses on maternal and child nutrition, covering maternal nutrition, infant feeding, child growth, and managing maternal and child nutrition programmes.

Community Nutrition

Examines community nutrition, covering community assessment, nutrition education, community programmes, and managing community nutrition.

Food Security

Covers food security, covering food security assessment, food systems, nutrition in emergencies, and managing food security programmes.

Nutrition Policy

Focuses on nutrition policy, covering policy analysis, policy advocacy, programme evaluation, and managing nutrition policy.

Health Promotion

Examines health promotion, covering behaviour change, health communication, nutrition education, and managing health promotion in nutrition.

Nutrition Epidemiology

Covers nutrition epidemiology, covering nutritional epidemiology, disease risk, research methods, and managing nutrition epidemiology research.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 326,400
Private, up to: Ksh 159,100
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

Fundamentals of Public Health Nutrition
Nutrition in Developing Countries
Maternal and Child Nutrition
Health and Nutrition Assessment Methods
Health Promotion and Intervention
Community-Based Nutrition
Food Security and Nutrition in Emergencies
Epidemiology and Public Health Nutrition
Statistics in Nutrition Research
Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Fundamentals of Public Health Nutrition
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines public health nutrition principles, public health approaches, nutrition programmes, and managing public health nutrition.
Nutrition in Developing Countries
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers nutrition challenges in developing countries, malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and managing nutrition in developing countries.
Maternal and Child Nutrition
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines maternal nutrition, infant feeding, child growth, breastfeeding, and managing maternal and child nutrition programmes.
Health and Nutrition Assessment Methods
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers assessment methods, nutritional surveillance, anthropometry, biochemical assessment, dietary assessment, and managing nutrition assessment.
Health Promotion and Intervention
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines behaviour change, health communication, nutrition education, intervention design, and managing health promotion in nutrition.
Community-Based Nutrition
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers community assessment, nutrition education, community programmes, participatory approaches, and managing community nutrition.
Food Security and Nutrition in Emergencies
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines food security assessment, food systems, nutrition in emergencies, humanitarian response, and managing food security programmes.
Statistics in Nutrition Research
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers statistical methods, data analysis, research statistics, and analysing and interpreting nutrition research data.
Epidemiology and Public Health Nutrition
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines nutritional epidemiology, disease risk, research methods, study designs, and managing nutrition epidemiology research.
Ethics in Public Health Nutrition
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers ethical issues, research ethics, professional conduct, vulnerable populations, and managing ethics in public health nutrition.
Public Health Nutrition Practice
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines professional practice, programme management, policy advocacy, leadership, and managing public health nutrition practice.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 26 creditsCore
Original research thesis on a public health nutrition topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and nutrition knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Maternal and Child Nutrition
Focuses on maternal and child nutrition, covering maternal nutrition, infant feeding, child growth, and managing maternal and child nutrition programmes.
Community Nutrition
Examines community nutrition, covering community assessment, nutrition education, community programmes, and managing community nutrition.
Food Security
Covers food security, covering food security assessment, food systems, nutrition in emergencies, and managing food security programmes.
Nutrition Policy
Focuses on nutrition policy, covering policy analysis, policy advocacy, programme evaluation, and managing nutrition policy.
Health Promotion
Examines health promotion, covering behaviour change, health communication, nutrition education, and managing health promotion in nutrition.
Nutrition Epidemiology
Covers nutrition epidemiology, covering nutritional epidemiology, disease risk, research methods, and managing nutrition epidemiology research.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MSc in Public Health Nutrition programme combines lectures, field trips, seminars, tutorials, group discussions, and independent study. Sessions cover public health nutrition, maternal and child nutrition, nutrition assessment, community nutrition, and food security. Public health nutrition sessions examine nutrition principles, public health approaches, nutrition programmes, and managing public health nutrition. Maternal and child nutrition sessions cover maternal nutrition, infant feeding, child growth, and managing maternal and child nutrition programmes. Nutrition assessment sessions cover assessment methods, nutritional surveillance, anthropometry, biochemical assessment, and managing nutrition assessment. Community nutrition sessions cover community assessment, nutrition education, community programmes, and managing community nutrition. Food security sessions cover food security assessment, food systems, nutrition in emergencies, and managing food security programmes. Health promotion sessions cover behaviour change, health communication, nutrition education, and managing health promotion. Epidemiology sessions cover nutritional epidemiology, disease risk, research methods, and managing nutrition epidemiology. Research methods sessions prepare students for their thesis, covering research design, data collection, and analysis. Field trips provide practical experience with community nutrition programmes, health facilities, and field data collection. Seminars and group discussions provide opportunities for debating current issues in public health nutrition. Guest lectures from experienced nutritionists, public health professionals, and policy makers provide practical insights. The programme culminates in a research thesis on a public health nutrition topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

High demand for public health nutrition professionals with growing malnutrition, food insecurity, and non-communicable diseases in Kenya.
Programme is offered by both public (Maseno) and private (MKU) universities, providing institutional choice.
Programme combines nutritional science with public health, providing versatile skills for both health and nutrition sectors.
MKU offers competitive private university fees at approximately KES 159,100/year.

Against it

Maseno University (public) fees not independently verified, limiting fee comparison.
Only two universities confirmed offering this exact programme, limiting institutional choice.
Programme requires background in nutrition, dietetics, or public health, which may limit access.
Career prospects may be concentrated in government and NGO sectors, limiting options in private sector.

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 349 health sciences courses

Public171k to 326k

171k at Kisii University326k at Kenyatta University

Private120k to 159k

120k at Great Lakes University of Kisumu159k at Mount Kenya 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

KU 326,400/yr (mawese.com). Kisii 170,800 unverified. GLUK 120k (eafinder). MKU unverified.

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. KNDI may provide training support for nutrition professionals. WHO may provide training support for public health nutrition professionals. Some NGOs and health organisations may sponsor staff for postgraduate study.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
KNDI Training Support
WHO Training Support

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
KNDI Training Support
ScholarshipKsh 150,000Kenyan
Kenya Nutritionists and Dieticians Institute supports training for nutrition professionals.
WHO Training Support
GrantKsh 300,000
World Health Organization provides training support for public health nutrition 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: Most universities require Upper Second Class Honours in nutrition, dietetics, public health, or related field. Lower Second Division holders with relevant experience or published research are considered. 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, seminar presentations, field reports, group discussions, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination40% of the mark
Written examinations covering public health nutrition, maternal and child nutrition, nutrition assessment, food security, and epidemiology.
Practical and Field Assessment
Practical30% of the mark
Practical assessment through field trips, community nutrition projects, nutrition assessment exercises, field data collection, and demonstrating public health nutrition skills.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original research thesis on a public health nutrition topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and nutrition knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Maseno University (public) and Mount Kenya University (private) offer MSc in Public Health Nutrition. All programmes meet CUE standards for postgraduate training in public health nutrition. Graduates are eligible for KNDI professional registration and WHO nutrition training certification.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. Maseno University (public) and Mount Kenya University (private) offer MSc in Public Health Nutrition. All programmes meet CUE standards for postgraduate training in public health nutrition. Graduates are eligible for KNDI professional registration and WHO nutrition training certification.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Public Health Nutritionist
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Manages public health nutrition programmes, overseeing nutrition assessment, programme design, implementation, and managing public health nutrition.
Community Nutrition Coordinator
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Coordinates community nutrition programmes, overseeing community assessment, nutrition education, and managing community nutrition.
Nutrition Programme Manager
Moderate demandKsh 140,000 to Ksh 600,000
Manages nutrition programmes, overseeing programme planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and managing nutrition programmes.
Food Security Specialist
Moderate demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 550,000
Manages food security programmes, overseeing food security assessment, food systems, and managing food security programmes.
Nutrition Policy Analyst
Moderate demandKsh 140,000 to Ksh 600,000
Analyses nutrition policy, overseeing policy analysis, policy advocacy, programme evaluation, and managing nutrition policy.
Nutrition Lecturer
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaches public health nutrition 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

WHO AnthroPlus
SoftwarePrimary
WHO AnthroPlus for nutrition assessment, covering growth monitoring, anthropometric analysis, and managing nutrition assessment data.
SPSS
Software
SPSS statistical software for nutrition research, covering data analysis, statistical tests, and managing research data.
ENA for SMART
Software
ENA for SMART for nutrition surveys, covering anthropometric surveys, emergency nutrition assessment, and managing nutrition survey data.
DHIS2
Software
DHIS2 for health information systems, covering nutrition surveillance, health data management, and managing nutrition data.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Public health nutrition is just about telling people what to eat.
Public health nutrition covers comprehensive nutrition science including assessment, programme design, policy analysis, epidemiology, and food security.
This programme is only for those working in hospitals.
Public health nutrition skills are valuable in government, NGOs, community health, research, policy, and any organisation dealing with nutrition and public health.
Public health nutrition has limited career prospects in Kenya.
With growing malnutrition, food insecurity, and non-communicable diseases, demand for public health nutrition professionals is increasing in Kenya.
This programme is the same as clinical nutrition.
Public health nutrition focuses on population-level nutrition and public health, while clinical nutrition focuses on individual patient nutrition management.
Food security is just about food availability.
Food security covers access, utilisation, stability, and nutrition outcomes, requiring comprehensive assessment and programme design.
Nutrition policy is not relevant to Kenya.
Nutrition policy is critical to Kenya's health challenges including stunting, anaemia, obesity, and non-communicable diseases.