There are many courses to study in Kenya, but not all of them can be considered as “hotcake”. So which are the hotcake courses in Kenya? A hotcake course is one that will help you build your career and advance yourself professionally or academically. The following are the popular hotcake courses to study in Kenya:
- Medicine and Surgery
- Computer Science
- Pharmacy
- Geospatial engineering
- Civil and structural engineering
- Electrical and electronics engineering
- Mechanical engineering
- Law
- Architecture
- Business Management and administration
- Public administration
- Information technology (IT)
- Marketing
- Real estate
- Cyber security
1. Medicine and Surgery
Medicine and surgery is the most marketable course to pursue in Kenya. It is a field that has been in demand since the time of human existence.
Medical and surgery schools are always full because many students want to pursue this course across Kenya. The course is promising as many medical students get employed within 3 months after graduating.
One advantage of pursuing medicine is that you can opt not to get employed and start your own clinic. The law in Kenya permits medical practitioners to start clinics provided they are well-experienced to provide medical services to the public.
Medical doctors in leading private hospitals earn more than Ksh. 300,000. The best universities to pursue medicine are the University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, Mount Kenya University, and Moi University.
Minimum requirement
A minimum average grade of C+ in KCSE
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2. Computer Science
The modern world is powered by technology. Technology has extensively revolutionized the job market. Many industries are trying to keep up with the changing trends in technology. For this reason, all offices have an IT department that deals with technological needs.
The Government of Kenya has initiated many IT initiatives to transform the country into a technology hub. Professionals with computer science degrees are employed by leading banks, software companies, telecommunication firms among other organizations.
Computer science is a promising course as it provides an opportunity for people to be self-employed. If you don’t want the pressure that comes with employment, you can finish your computer science course and opt to start a private firm. Some of the services you can opt to provide after graduation are web design and development, software services, and app development.
Minimum entry requirement
Minimum average grade C+ in KCSE
3. Pharmacy
Pharmaceuticals is among the fastest growing industries globally. Since chemistry is the basis of the pharmaceuticals business, it attracts a lot of people each year. When you study pharmacy in Kenya, one thing that sticks to your mind as an advantage over other countries is the low fees.
After completing your 5-year pharmacy course, you can get employed by the National or County government. The good thing wit study pharmacy in Kenya is that you can opt to start your private pharmacy. If you are employed as a pharmacy by the government, you can employ someone in your pharmacy. This is a good approach to increase your earnings.
Minimum entry requirement
Mean grade of at least C+ at K.C.S.E
4. Geospatial Engineering
Geospatial services are on-demand in Kenya. The country is currently experiencing a huge demand for cadastral surveyors. A lot of people are interested in doing geospatial services due to the high pay rates offered by both government and private companies.
Geospatial engineering also has improved prospects, as it’s highly needed in many areas such as transportation management, agricultural development, environmental monitoring among other key sectors in the country.
Taking a geospatial course gives you an opportunity to work in diverse fields. With a degree in this field, you can work as an engineering surveyor, GIS analyst, or even a land surveyor. Thus, geospatial engineering is among hotcake courses in Kenya due to its diversity.
The best institutions where you can pursue geospatial engineering are:
- The Technical University of Kenya (TUK)
- Kenya Institute of Surveying and Mapping (KISM)
- University of Nairobi (UON)
- Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).
Minimum entry requirement
Mean grade of at least C+ at K.C.S.E
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5. Civil and Structural Engineering
Kenya is on the rise in its structural facilities. The real estate sector is in high demand as many people opt to build houses. On the other hand, the government, both National and County governments are coming up with many construction projects like roads, bridges, and social amenities. All these construction works need civil and structural engineers.
Civil and structural engineering is an exciting field that covers many aspects of building, designing, and renovating. The 5-year course is offered at the University of Nairobi (UON), Technical University of Kenya (TUK), Moi University, and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).
Minimum entry requirement
Mean grade of at least C+ at K.C.S.E
6. Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Electrical and electronics engineering is a course in high demand in Kenya. As many companies and organizations are expanding their operations, they hire electrical engineers to ensure all the machines are working well.
The National government has invested immensely in electrical covering. The aim of the government is to ensure that most people are covered with electricity. What comes to your mind on hearing this? Electrical engineers are highly needed. This should inform you that electrical and electronics engineering is among hotcake courses in Kenya.
The course is offered at JKUAT, TUK, UON, and Moi University. The course is good for those who love mobile jobs. You will have to travel to different places in the country working as an electrical and electronics engineer.
7. Mechanical Engineering
Studying mechanical engineering in Kenya is another great opportunity. The reason why this course is hotcake in Kenya is that there are various opportunities offered by the government and private sectors.
The first thing you will do as a mechanical engineer is to work with different companies assembling and dismantling machines used for the production of goods like food and garments. Remember food and garment production are essential services for the survival of human beings. Therefore, your services will always be needed provided there are people living in the country.
8. Law
With a law degree in Kenya, you will be able to contribute to the establishment of good laws. This is a very important aspect because, without proper law enforcement, there can never be crime prevention and punishment which are key elements in maintaining peace and order within any given country.
Law professionals are needed in high capacity in the country. It’s evident from mainstream media that many people are seeking representation in courts. You can see this through the many times we see prominent lawyers like James Orengo and Otiende Amollo representing businesses and individuals in court.
Moreover, constitutional interpretation is an ongoing process. Lawyers are responsible for this. Therefore, pursuing law is an advantage in Kenya.
9. Architecture
Architecture involves the design and construction of structures. It is always necessary in every country because the population keeps growing and the demand for new infrastructure is high.
Construction companies like Epco builders, Put Sarajevo, and Seyani brothers are looking for skilled architects to build housing complexes, schools among others. The advantage you get by studying architecture in Kenya is that you will get to learn the national building policy. This makes architecture one of the hotcakes courses in Kenya.
10. Business Management and Administration
In Kenya, business administration entails managing an organization or company either for profit or not for profit entities. It can also mean managing the resources of an organization. This is one of the promising courses in Kenya because most companies are looking for managers who understand how to manage their money and business operations well.
Most students taking this course want to work as administrators after they graduate but there are others who choose it as a stepping stone for further studies like MBAs.
Some of the renowned institutions where you can learn this course are the University of Nairobi (UON), Kenyatta University, KCA University, and Multimedia University.
11. Public Administration
This course will enable you to manage public institutions like the police, hospitals, and prisons among others. It entails training on how to use resources efficiently in solving problems for an organization or society as a whole. After completion of this course, one is able to work with government departments, NGOs, and other organizations doing similar tasks. Some students opt to study this course because they are interested in law enforcement, human resources management, and policymaking.
The public administration course will give you an opportunity to earn a living and play your part in nation-building.
12. Information Technology (IT)
This course will help you develop the skills required to design, implement, use, maintain and troubleshoot computer networks. This includes managing storage systems such as disk arrays/tape libraries, designing system infrastructure for data security with business continuity plans, information assurance requirements of computer systems, and handling business process automation with the help of software.
Due to high internet coverage in the country, IT specialists are in high demand. The demand for this type of professionals is expected to increase further in the coming years. This denotes that IT is among the most marketable courses in Kenya.
13. Marketing
Marketing is an underrated hotcake course in Kenya. It is a course that opens doors to various lucrative opportunities. It quickly builds an individual’s career for brighter prospects in the long run.;
The demand for marketing specialists is expected to increase in the coming years as more businesses get online. Thus, this proves how popular it has become among college students and graduates; both local and international alike. Therefore, marketing is a high-demand course in Kenya due to the high number of agencies and people looking for marketing services.
14. Real Estate
The real estate sector in Kenya is experiencing rapid expansion. The different real estate companies in Kenya are constantly looking for real estate agents and valuers. Pursuing a course in the real estate sector will not only provide you with the relevant knowledge and skills of real estate but also help you secure employment in the lucrative real estate industry.
Kenyan institutions providing courses in real estate are:
- University of Nairobi (UON)
- Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology
- Kenyatta University
- Mount Kenya University
- Sensei Institute of Technology
Minimum entry requirements
- A mean grade of B- in KCSE
- Minimum aggregate grade of C+ in cluster subjects (English/Kiswahili, Mathematics, Physics/Physical Science, Geography/Building, Construction/Drawing, Economics/Accounting/Commerce).
15. Cyber Security
The rate of cyber-attacks has increased tremendously in Kenya. Many financial and government institutions have been losing money to cyber attackers at an alrming rate in the country. This denotes the importance of cyber security experts in the country.
Cyber security has been ranked among the hotcake courses in Kenya due to the demand of institutions looking to secure themselves from cyber threats.
Cyber security is a perfect course for anyone who has an interest in information technology and cyber threats. Apart from the fact that it is a booming industry, the future of cyber security looks promising as there are many openings available to recent graduates or those with relevant experience.
Kenyan institutions offering cyber security courses are:
- The United States International University (USIU)
- Kenya College of Accountancy (KCA)
- Strathmore University
- Computer Pride Learning Center
Minimum entry requirement
At least a B (Plain) in KCSE
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which courses are in demand in Kenya?
The top 3 courses that are on-demand in Kenya are medicine, computer science, and pharmacy. Medicine and pharmacy deal directly with the health of people. Kenya is facing many health challenges at the moment. Many people are losing their lives due to infectious diseases. Therefore, doctors are in high demand to help save lives. As the government puts up more hospitals to deal with the increasing population, doctors, pharmacists, surgeons, and other medical practitioners are needed in these hospitals. As a result, medicine and pharmacy are high-demand courses in Kenya.
Computer science is also a course in high demand in Kenya. Many operations in different institutions are being computerized. Moreover, cybercrime is high in the country as many financial and governmental institutions lose money to cyber attackers. For these reasons, computer experts are needed in the country to help avert such fraudulent activities.
Which is the hardest diploma course in Kenya?
The hardest diploma courses in Kenya can be identified through the minimum entry grade requirement. The higher the minimum entry grade, the harder the course. Based on this criterion, the top 5 hardest diploma courses in Kenya are:
- Acuarial science
- Electrical and electronics engineering
- Financial engineering
- Architecture
- Computer science
