Kenyan University/Distance Learning

I want to talk about two things in this thread. First, interacting with university personnel at Kenyan Universities. Second, list some schools offering distance learning programs.

I have been exploring programs in various campus-based programs in Kenya. Some of the programs I have considered include the LL.B. (law), M.A. in Counseling Psychology, MA in Security Studies, Ph.D. in Security Studies, and Ph.D. in Public Policy & Admin). Based on some of my communications, I appreciate higher education institutions in the U.S.

1. Let me start by saying Kenyan university staff/faculty are responsive. Generally, when I send an email (typically around the after in the U.S.), I will wake up the following day to a response. Kenya is 8 to 9 hours ahead of Central Time (depending on the time of the year).

2. They are secretive with their curriculum. I rarely email/call any school in the U.S. because program websites are detailed, and one can easily access the catalog. Below are excerpts from different administrators at different institutions:

"Sorry we cannot share our curriculum, that is an official university document." - A Dept. Chair

"Curriculum is given out when you have registered the course." - A Dean

What's the big secret? How will I know if I want to pursue that program without seeing the courses involved?

3. Sometimes, they don't answer some of your questions. For example, I may ask five questions, and they may answer 2-3 and ignore the rest.

4. Some can come across as condescending or rude. Here are two excerpts:

"You have used my personal email but I advise that you use the official Chairman's email (email address provided) for future correspondence." - A Dept. Chair

What she referred to as her personal email address is actually her official school email address. However, she wanted me to use her chair department chair email, which isn't what they listed on her profile.

"Kindly delve into our website for detailed information on what you have requested." - A Dean

I could not answer any of the questions I asked him by exploring the website, which is why I emailed him.

5. I must admit that some chairs and deans were helpful. They responded to my questions sufficiently and shared curricula and tuition/fees.

One of the things I have to give the U.S. credit for is good customer service. Indeed, I can't compare the service to the world. But I can compare it to Jamaica and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where they have no clue what customer service is. I can also compare my experience interacting with schools internationally (including the U.K.), and they generally fall short of my expectations.

Now, let me share some schools offering distance learning programs in Kenya.

Kenyatta University - https://www.ku.ac.ke/dsvol/academics/programs
Mount Kenya University - https://www.odel.mku.ac.ke/programmes/
Egerton University - https://ecampus.egerton.ac.ke/mainpages/courses
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology - http://sodel3.jkuat.ac.ke/
Maseno University - https://ecampus.maseno.ac.ke/
Moi University - https://iodl.mu.ac.ke/
Africa Nazarene University - https://www.anu.ac.ke/programs-on-distance-learning/
Africa International University - https://elearning.aiu.ac.ke/
Catholic University of East Africa - https://www.cuea.edu/?page_id=7189

 

How easy/difficult would it actually be to pursue a Kenyan degree as an international student? For India, the chance is essentially nil (with a couple of exceptions). For South Africa, it's apparently theoretically possible, but the South African evaluator seems to be slow and even worse than WES when it comes to accuracy.

At ~$1000 per year for a Master's degree, some students might be willing to overlook the poor customer service and other issues. Assuming, of course, that they can even enroll in the first place.

 

Certainly! I will re-emphasize that not all my encounters were poor. The admissions department at MKU and CUEA is phenomenal. In either case, what I shared was my subjective experience. Another person may experience something entirely different.

In terms of admitting international students, they do. They typically charge 20-30% more for tuition and fees for non-East African students. At MKU, I could earn the MA in Security Studies & Criminology for $2,430 (international student tuition and fees).

Kenyan universities' online programs use LMS like Sakai, Canvas, and Moodle. I also know that some of these schools use video proctoring for final exams, similar to what I encountered at Don Bosco (India). My experience at Don Bosco was great. The University18 support team was beyond excellent. They worked with me to create a payment plan when I couldn't pay the second half of my fee in full. They were always responsive, including when I graduated, and needed my provision certificate, final certificate, and transcripts. They even sent me a regalia. I cannot say enough good things about DBU Global.

 

Hi Chris, did you gathered any info on doctorates? Thanks

 

I went to each link. One (the last, IIRC) had doctorates available in quite a few areas. None of the others offered them explicitly, but who knows what one can negotiate?

 

I've only inquired about campus-based Ph.D. programs - one at University of Nairobi and the other at Kenyatta University.

Many of the doctorates I saw at Mount Kenya University and Kenyatta University are thesis only degrees. Like Rich mentioned, you may be able to negotiate a distance option with them. I think that's very possible with a thesis only program.

 

I'll share some updates on the application process.

So, I applied to Kenyatta University about a week and a half ago. They reached out to request that I get an evaluation done. I have no issues getting an evaluation done, but here's the trick.

So, there has been a debate about who has the authority to evaluate degrees in Kenya. Anyway, some schools require Kenya National Quality Authority (KNQA) to evaluate/align secondary school qualifications, while the Commission on University Education (CUE) evaluates college-level qualifications.

Kenyatta wants me to get my bachelor's evaluated by CUE (Ksh. 12,000/$87) and my secondary school certificates evaluated by KNQA (Ksh. 10,000/$73). I asked them if it was necessary to do both since I applied for a master's, which stipulated a bachelor’s degree. They said yes. So, I'm looking at an alternative option - KCA University.

KCA University (formerly Kenya College of Accountancy) is primarily a business and technology university. They also offer counseling psychology, criminal justice, and education. However, most of their degrees are in business, finance, data science, etc., including all three of their Ph.D. programs.

The M.A. in Counseling Psychology at KCA University is advertised as a part-time, blended program. However, when I contacted the dean, who was super welcoming and helpful, she confirmed that the courses are taught.

"Thank you for developing an interest in studying with us. The course is delivered online with a lot of online demonstrations. Students are taught online every week. 10 hours of personal therapy is a must for the course. During the practicum attachment period, students are expected to cover a total number of 200 hours. Please feel free to seek further clarification."

So, when I told her that I'd reach out to admissions for the application procedure and contact her if I had any more program-specific questions, she replied with the following:

"You are welcome. Also reach out in case of a delay with the admissions process."

I really like how responsive she was. I emailed her around 7 p.m. Kenyan time, and she replied after 10 p.m. Her second response was almost immediately.

I am particularly interested in KCA because of its online nature. While I was initially looking forward to studying on campus, I feel online will be best since I may want to bounce back and forth between Nairobi and Mombasa. I may even settle for Mombasa (the coast) if I date someone I'm "talking" to now. In addition, I plan to travel to Western Asia in November and West Africa in December. So, I want to have the flexibility of now being stuck in Nairobi if I have to travel elsewhere.

The program at KCA costs around Ksh. 338,000 ($2,500). I will be applying. However, I first have to get my bachelor's evaluated by CUE. Unlike Kenyatta, they haven't mentioned the need for me to evaluate my high school credentials. I spent $96 getting all my qualifications, passport, and a declaration form notarized. I will submit my application once their system is back up... lol. The system worked perfectly when I created my login on there but the server error only occurred a few days ago. However, they are aware of the issue and are working to have it resolved.

I'll let you guys know how the evaluation goes and my application to KCA.

 

@TEKMAN I'm waiting for you to tell me how horrible of a name KCA University is lol

 

I saw the name and thought “TEKMAN is gonna hate that one.” Hahaha

 

The PhD at KCA is approx 6,200 US. That is certainly good. Of course, they are only in Business, Information Systems, etc and you must have Masters in the field.

If it is DL through research then likely beats the heck out of Azteca/UCN in terms of credibility.

 

The Kenya College of Accountancy name shake is fine except KCA University (Kenya College of Accountancy University). Is it a college or university? Might I recommend Accountancy College of Kenya University (ACKU)?

 

Haha. It's a university. The name is KCA University (they don't include the actual words Kenya College of Accountancy). But if you check their history, you will know what KCA means.

I think they could have left the whole KCA out once they changed to a university. Perhaps Kenya Accountancy University (KAU). Well, that's too specific, especially since they are branching out of solely business and technology programs.

 

The program are not DL. They are blended (face-to-face and online).

They are also not thesis only. The programs consist of coursework, examination, and thesis.

 

KFC no longer means "Kentucky Fried Chicken." SAT no longer means "Scholastic Achievement Test."

But WTF still means...you know.

(I get why they held onto the acronym, BTW. IMHO, it's GTG.)

 

FYI, the Ph.D. programs at KCA require students to publish two peer-reviewed articles in reputable journals to earn the degree.

On another note, for those considering an affordable online MBA, you can look into Africa Nazarene University (Kenya).

 

6200 US not bad. The exchange does favour Canadian but still worth investigating.

 

This is a vital observation.

Funny how we need to point it out these days. When I first entered Union, there were exactly 4 accredited (and one candidate) choices for a short-residency doctorate: Fielding, Union, Nova Southeastern, International Graduate School (now defunct) and the University of Sarasota (died with Argosy). Walden wasn't accredited yet. Capella didn't exist. Phoenix didn't offer the doctorate (and wasn't online yet anyway). And so forth.

Now? Now we almost assume short- or non-residency, especially for programs that look attractive to mid-career professionals.

So, sure. $US6.2K sounds like a bargain. Until you factor in all those flights to Nairobi.

 

Meanwhile, University of Maryland University College sounds like someone was trying to nervously make up a college name on the spot.

 

Back in the day, University College was designated as a college/school for distance learning or extension learning within a university. I believe the University of Maryland System used that to differentiate from other University of Maryland campuses. Although unlike other universities, the University of Maryland University College was a stand-alone institution. Now, they are adopting Global Campus to meet their missions.