Master of Science in Natural Resources and Peace
Rationale
Environmental life support systems provide ecosystem goods and services for sustaining
human livelihoods. These environmental goods and services are threatened with
shrinkage due to increasing demands, overexploitation and biodiversity erosion.
Increasing human population and climate change is a growing challenge and this too is
likely to induce significant shifts in further decreases in ecosystem productivity and
increase the vulnerability of marginalized communities. These challenges that threaten
the very existence of humanity must be addressed by trained human capacity with
competence to provide advisory services in areas of sustainable Natural resource
management, resolve natural resource use conflicts, conduct research and carry out
consultancy on the impacts of management activities on ecological and socio-economic
systems in which resources occur and are managed. The M.Sc. in Natural Resources and
Peace is designed to address these challenges and development needs of Kenya, Africa
and beyond.
The Master of Science Degree Programme in Natural Resources and Peace equips
graduates to contribute to solving significant environmental and development issues, such
as the prevention of a global fresh water crisis, the recognition and empowerment of local
and indigenous communities, the enhancement of biodiversity for global life support
systems, and the identification and mitigation of conflicts that arise from development
initiatives, natural resources management, and environmental issues. In particular, they
are able to formulate policies to advance sustainable development at the local, regional
and global levels, to facilitate international cooperation in the design of sustainable
development and environment policy, and to generate strategies for environmental
conflict management. They are also likely to become knowledgeable and well informed
advocacy agents in development and environment matters, in favour of more vulnerable
groups, and to be promoters of change in their society.
Graduates of the Natural Resource and Peace programme are likely to be employed by
national, international and Natural resource development agencies, working in close
contact with local organizations, as well as for environmental and policy making
institutions.
Programme Objectives
The programme aims to develop graduates with holistic natural resource management
skills to address challenges and needs of global development.
The objectives of the programme are to:
i) develop human resource advisory capacity in multidisciplinary domains of natural
resources management.
ii) provide smart and well informed advocacy agents in development
and environmental matters.
iii) produce well informed cadre of professionals for identification of multi-faceted
environmental problems with skills to formulate policies and strategies for
environmental conflict management.
Admission Requirements
Applicants for admission should be holders of a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural
Resource Management, with at least second class honours upper division. or an
equivalent qualification from a recognised institution. Applicants with qualifications from
other related disciplines, such as Forestry, Agriculture, Environmental science, Range
Ecology or Development studies with a minimum of Upper Second Class Honours from a
recognised institution will be considered. Applicants with Second Class Honours Lower
Division. with relevant working experience in the field of Natural resource management
and sustainable development may be considered.
Course Structure and Duration
The Master of Science in natural resource management and peace programme will extend
for a minimum period of eighteen18. months and a maximum period of twenty four24.
months for full time students. The first twelve12. months of the programme must be spent
in the University, while the remaining period will be devoted to independent research.
The Master of science degree in Natural resources and peace will be taken as course
work, examination and thesis .The course work, examination and thesis shall consist of a
minimum of thirty five35. credit factors of course work which will be distributed over
two semesters and fifteen15. credit factors for the thesis to make up the fifty50. credits
needed for graduation.
Candidates who opt for independent thesis research with the guidance of a supervisor
shall write and submit a thesis in partial fulfillment for Master of Science in Natural
Resources and Peace. The thesis shall be awarded grade ―P‖ if accepted, or ―F‖ if it is not.
The regulations of the Board of Post Graduate Studies shall apply in the submission and
examination of theses.
The candidates will be given an option to select courses from the list of electives. Elective
courses can be taken for credit and / or for auditing. The course number shall consist of
three digits, the first representing the Masters level of study.The second digit represents
the programme study areas: 1 Natural Resources Development, 2 Peace and Conflict
Studies, 3 Conservation and Development and 4 Environmental Security. The third digit
represents the serial number of the course. The code 700 represent seminar, while 799
represent Thesis. Courses offered in other departments shall retain their respective coding
where applicable.All courses offered by the Department of Natural Resources shall be
coded NARP.
Examination regulations
All examinations for the MSc in Natural Resources and Peace shall be conducted in
accordance with examination regulations as stipulated in Egerton University StatuteXXIX
Grading
The grading of examination for MSc in Natural Resources and Peace shall be in accordance
with Egerton University Statute XXIX.
Graduation Requirements
To graduate MSc in Natural Resources and Peacet a student shall be required to take and
pass all required courses within the stipulated time.
Degree Classification
The MSc in Natural Resources and Peace is not classified