Business

Master of Security Management and Police Studies

The Master of Security Management and Police Studies is a postgraduate programme that prepares professionals for advanced practice in security management, policing, and law enforcement leadership. The programme provides specialised training in security risk management, police studies, criminology, emergency management, and security governance.

Core areas include security management, police studies, criminology, security risk management, emergency management, corporate security, research methods, and thesis. Students engage with both theoretical and practical work through coursework, case studies, and research.

The programme is offered by Kenyatta University as a public institution through the School of Security, Diplomacy and Peace Studies at the Mombasa Campus. The programme is available in full-time and part-time modes over two years, combining coursework with research.

Students develop competencies in security management, policing strategies, risk assessment, emergency response, and research. The programme includes coursework, examinations, and a supervised research thesis, preparing graduates for security and policing leadership roles.

Kenyatta University charges approximately KES 120,000 per year for East Africans. No private university confirmed offering this exact programme. Entry requires at least a Second Class Honours degree in any field from a recognised institution, with Lower Second Class considered with relevant work experience.

Graduates pursue careers as security managers, police officers, intelligence analysts, risk managers, emergency managers, and lecturers across security agencies, government, corporate sector, and private security firms.

Skills Required

Security Risk Management and Assessment
Police Studies and Law Enforcement
Criminology and Crime Analysis
Emergency Management and Disaster Response
Corporate Security Management
Intelligence Analysis
Security Policy and Governance
Conflict Resolution and Peace Building
Research Methods in Security Studies
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Security Risk Management and Assessment
Police Studies and Law Enforcement
Criminology and Crime Analysis
Emergency Management and Disaster Response
Corporate Security Management
Intelligence Analysis
Security Policy and Governance
Conflict Resolution and Peace Building
Research Methods in Security Studies
Thesis Research

Certifications

ASIS Certified Protection Professional (CPP)
IACP Professional Membership

Specializations

Security Risk Management

Focuses on security risk management, covering security, risk, management, assessment, and managing security risk management and assessment.

Police Studies

Examines police studies, covering police, studies, law, enforcement, and managing police studies and law enforcement.

Criminology and Crime Analysis

Covers criminology, covering criminology, crime, analysis, theories, and managing criminology and crime analysis.

Emergency Management

Focuses on emergency management, covering emergency, management, disaster, response, and managing emergency management and disaster response.

Corporate Security

Examines corporate security, covering corporate, security, management, assets, and managing corporate security and asset protection.

Intelligence and Global Security

Covers intelligence, covering intelligence, global, security, analysis, and managing intelligence and global security.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 147,500
Private, up to: Ksh 700,000
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

Security Risk Management and Assessment
Police Studies and Law Enforcement
Criminology and Crime Analysis
Emergency Management and Disaster Response
Corporate Security Management
Intelligence Analysis
Security Policy and Governance
Conflict Resolution and Peace Building
Research Methods in Security Studies
Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Security Risk Management and Assessment
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines security risk management, covering security, risk, management, assessment, and managing security risk management and assessment.
Police Studies and Law Enforcement
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers police studies, covering police, studies, law, enforcement, and managing police studies and law enforcement.
Criminology and Crime Analysis
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines criminology, covering criminology, crime, analysis, theories, and managing criminology and crime analysis.
Emergency Management and Disaster Response
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers emergency management, covering emergency, management, disaster, response, and managing emergency management and disaster response.
Corporate Security Management
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines corporate security, covering corporate, security, management, assets, and managing corporate security and asset protection.
Intelligence Analysis
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers intelligence analysis, covering intelligence, analysis, security, global, and managing intelligence analysis and global security.
Security Policy and Governance
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines security policy, covering security, policy, governance, management, and managing security policy and governance.
Research Methods in Security Studies
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers research, methods, security, statistics, and conducting research in security studies, preparing students for their thesis.
Conflict Resolution and Peace Building
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines conflict resolution, covering conflict, resolution, peace, building, and managing conflict resolution and peace building.
Ethics and Diversity in Security Management
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers ethics, covering ethics, diversity, security, management, and managing ethics and diversity in security management.
Public Safety and Disaster Management
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines public safety, covering public, safety, disaster, management, and managing public safety and disaster management.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 212 creditsCore
Original supervised research thesis on a security management or police studies topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and security knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Security Risk Management
Focuses on security risk management, covering security, risk, management, assessment, and managing security risk management and assessment.
Police Studies
Examines police studies, covering police, studies, law, enforcement, and managing police studies and law enforcement.
Criminology and Crime Analysis
Covers criminology, covering criminology, crime, analysis, theories, and managing criminology and crime analysis.
Emergency Management
Focuses on emergency management, covering emergency, management, disaster, response, and managing emergency management and disaster response.
Corporate Security
Examines corporate security, covering corporate, security, management, assets, and managing corporate security and asset protection.
Intelligence and Global Security
Covers intelligence, covering intelligence, global, security, analysis, and managing intelligence and global security.

A day as a student

A typical day during the Master of Security Management and Police Studies programme combines lectures, case studies, seminars, and independent study. Sessions cover security risk management, police studies, criminology, emergency management, and corporate security. Security risk sessions examine security, risk, management, assessment, and managing security risk management. Police studies sessions cover police, studies, law, enforcement, and managing police studies and law enforcement. Criminology sessions cover criminology, crime, analysis, theories, and managing criminology and crime analysis. Emergency management sessions cover emergency, management, disaster, response, and managing emergency management. Corporate security sessions cover corporate, security, management, assets, and managing corporate security. Intelligence sessions cover intelligence, global, security, analysis, and managing intelligence and global security. Case studies provide practical experience in analysing security scenarios and developing response strategies. Seminars provide opportunities for presenting research findings. The programme culminates in a supervised research thesis on a security management or police studies topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

Programme addresses critical security challenges with growing demand for security professionals in Kenya and globally.
KU offers both full-time and part-time modes, providing flexibility for working professionals.
Programme is accessible to graduates from any field, not limited to security or police backgrounds.
Graduates are eligible for ASIS CPP certification and IACP professional membership.

Against it

Only one university confirmed offering this exact programme in Kenya.
No private university confirmed offering this programme.
Security management jobs may require additional professional certifications beyond the degree.
Programme may require security clearance for certain career paths, limiting opportunities for some graduates.

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

Public148k to 148k

148k at Kenyatta University148k at Kenyatta University

Private119k to 700k

119k at Mount Kenya University700k 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

KU 147,500/yr (120K+27.5K statutory, official KU page). MKU 119,100/yr (ghanadmission). Strathmore unverified.

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. Universities may offer scholarships for eligible students. ASIS International may offer fellowships for security management research and education.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
University Scholarship
ASIS Fellowship

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
University Scholarship
ScholarshipKsh 120,000Kenyan
Kenyatta University may offer scholarships for eligible postgraduate security management students.
ASIS Fellowship
ScholarshipKsh 300,000
ASIS International may offer fellowships for security 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: Kenyatta University requires a Bachelor's degree with at least Second Class Honours (Upper or Lower Division). Lower Second Class may be considered with at least 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, case study reports, seminar presentations, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination70% of the mark
Written examinations covering security risk management, police studies, criminology, and emergency management.
Case Study Assessment
Project40% of the mark
Practical assessment through case studies, demonstrating security scenario analysis, risk assessment, and response planning skills.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original supervised research thesis on a security management or police studies topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and security knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Kenyatta University (public) offers Master of Security Management and Police Studies through the School of Security, Diplomacy and Peace Studies. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in security management. Graduates may interact with IACP for policing standards and ASIS International for security management certifications. The programme aligns with CUE and ASIS global security management frameworks.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. Kenyatta University (public) offers Master of Security Management and Police Studies through the School of Security, Diplomacy and Peace Studies. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate training in security management. Graduates may interact with IACP for policing standards and ASIS International for security management certifications. The programme aligns with CUE and ASIS global security management frameworks.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Security Manager
High demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 400,000
Manages security operations, covering security, manager, operations, risk, and managing security management and operations.
Police Officer (Senior)
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 350,000
Serves in senior police roles, covering police, officer, senior, law, and managing police operations and law enforcement.
Intelligence Analyst
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 450,000
Conducts intelligence analysis, covering intelligence, analyst, security, analysis, and managing intelligence analysis and security.
Risk Manager
High demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 450,000
Manages security risks, covering risk, manager, security, assessment, and managing risk management and security.
Emergency Manager
Moderate demandKsh 110,000 to Ksh 380,000
Manages emergency response, covering emergency, manager, disaster, response, and managing emergency management and response.
Security Studies Lecturer
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 400,000
Teaches security studies at university or college level, overseeing instruction, research, and academic supervision.

Graduate outcomes

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

Security Risk Assessment Tools
SoftwarePrimary
Security risk assessment tools for vulnerability and threat analysis, covering risk, assessment, security, tools, and managing security risk assessment.
GIS
Software
GIS for security mapping and spatial analysis, covering GIS, security, mapping, spatial, and managing security mapping and analysis.
SPSS
Software
SPSS for crime data analysis and statistical modelling, covering statistics, crime, data, analysis, and managing crime data analysis.
Case Management Software
Software
Case management software for police and security operations, covering case, management, police, operations, and managing case management and operations.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Security management is just about guarding premises.
Security management covers risk assessment, intelligence analysis, emergency management, corporate security, and policy beyond just guarding.
This programme is only for police officers.
Security management is for professionals from military, corporate security, intelligence, and related fields, not just police officers.
Security management has limited career prospects in Kenya.
Security professionals are in high demand in government, corporate sector, private security firms, and international organisations.
This programme is the same as criminology.
Security management focuses on risk management and security operations, while criminology focuses on crime causes and prevention theory.
Police studies is only about law enforcement techniques.
Police studies covers governance, ethics, community policing, policy, and leadership, not just enforcement techniques.
You need a security background to study this programme.
The programme is accessible to graduates from any field seeking security management specialisation, not just security professionals.