Nairobi, 23 July 2015--- The Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) has launched calls for application for its pioneer Master of Sustainable Urban Development course which kicks off in September.

The two year course course will be offered under the Centre for Urban Studies, established in 2013 by the School of Architecture and Building Sciences in partnership with UN-Habitat, to guide in research, training and development of innovative ideas that will help tackle the inherent complex and diverse issues in urban settings.

JKUAT also signed a MoU with Nairobi City County last year that will enable postgraduate students from Centre for Urban Studies undertake minimum three-month internships among other collaborative activities.

Course to take two academic years

The Master of Sustainable Urban Development programme- to be delivered in two academic years on a full time basis- aims to develop the individual student's skills in a focused manner in order to prepare her/him for further academic studies and/or informed practice.

The programme endeavors

to widen the knowledge base derived from prior educational and professional experience, drawn from other programmes offered from recognized institutions of higher learning.

Qualified and experienced applicants from Kenya and other African states and the diaspora are invited to apply to join its Masters programme. Applicants with potential, motivation and desire to play transformative roles as academicians and urban professionals are particularly encouraged to apply.

Specific learning outcomes of the programme are:

  1. To establish a broad basis of debate on the critical environmental, social, cultural, economic and design issues confronting contemporary urban societies, and the role that sustainable urban development can play in addressing these fundamental issues
  2. To define and analyze current urban development issues.
  3. To develop successful strategies for the implementation of urban development initiatives
  4. To develop an understanding of urban environmental issues, by developing vital and sustainable urban design concepts.
  5. To apply theory to specific projects by working successfully with public, private and international planning institutions.

The course is project-oriented and stress will be put on the importance of its connection to the broader decision-making context of an urban milieu in innovative ways.

Admission Requirements

The admission is divided into two options and under the first option, the applicants must have a Second Class Honours (Upper Division) and above in Architecture, Construction Management, Landscape Architecture, Civil Engineering, Environmental Planning and Management, Urban Design, Urban and Regional Planning, Real Estate Survey and any other built environment course/ programme equivalent and approved by JKUAT senate/CUE or Second Class Honours (Lower Division) with at least 2 years work experience in urban related areas/issues.

In the second option, the applicants must have a Second Class Honours (Upper Division) and above in Geography, Sociology and any other course/ programme equivalent and approved by JKUAT senate/CUE and have worked in Local Authority/ Counties, Non-Governmental Organizations and other institutions dealing with urban issues for at least 2 years or Second Class Honours (Lower Division) with at least 4 years working experience in Local Authorities/ Counties Non-Governmental Organizations and other institutions dealing with urban issues.

Alternatively, the applicants can have any other qualifications equivalent to the above and recognized by JKUAT Senate.