In Kenya, one has numerous options to consider after leaving high school. These include pursuing university studies, joining a college, or a technical institution.
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Whatever the case, the course one chooses can determine how easily one gets job opportunities after graduating. While it’s advisable to consider one’s passion, a course’s marketability is equally important. What are the most marketable courses in Kenya in 2022?
The marketability of a course often depends on numerous factors, including market saturation, industry trends, and a country’s state of economic and industrial development.
Which courses are in-demand in Kenya?
Which courses are the most marketable? Computer-related courses such as computer science, computer security, and IT are among those in huge demand. Medical and marketing courses come quite close, too.
Which courses have the most job opportunities?
What are the best courses to study in Kenya? The answer is those with which one can work in public, private, and self-employment. These include a wide range of courses in marketing, computing, medicine, and agriculture.
The most marketable courses in Kenya touch on wide-ranging fields. These include agriculture, computer science, medicine, and marketing. With most of these courses, one can work in different economic sectors and even venture into self-employment if need be.
25 most marketable courses in Kenya in 2022
- Bachelor of Commerce plus CFA
By itself, a Bachelor of Commerce degree is not considered that attractive in modern-day Kenya. However, throw in a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) designation, and you have got something. Bachelor of Commerce students typically choose among six options: insurance and risk management, finance and banking, accounting, marketing, human resource management, and entrepreneurship.
Why it’s marketable: A CFA course makes a B-Com holder more valuable to the market by giving them skills related to asset allocation, portfolio strategy, and investment analysis. Kenya’s ever-expanding financial markets are ever in need of such professionals.
- Software engineering
Software engineering pertains to the development and maintenance of software systems. The course focuses on basic information technology, machine learning, programming, computer science, big data, and mathematics.
Why it’s marketable: Software engineering is extensive. A person with a degree in this field can work in wide-ranging sectors, including self-employment.
- Actuarial science
Actuarial science deals with the forecasting, evaluation, and control of risk and largely revolves around finance, mathematics, and data. Actuaries are responsible for helping companies increase their profits by regulating risks.
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Why it’s marketable: Companies’ profits are very closely tied to their portfolio risk. This means that they must have people to assess and control the risk profiles to maximize revenue and profit. Since the primary goal for companies is profit generation, actuaries will always be in demand.
- Architecture
An architecture course is developed around the art and science of designing and engineering physical structures such as buildings, bridges, towers, and more. Students who choose to study architecture are typically required to be enthusiastic about the sciences, math, and the arts.
Why it’s marketable: Kenya is a fast-developing country, meaning there are always structures coming up and others needing to be designed.
- Pharmacopoeia.
A person who studies pharmacopeia sciences at university takes modules focusing on chemistry, human biology and physiology, pharmacology (how medicine interacts with the body), and pharmaceutics (how medicines are made).
Most pharmacopeia degrees in Kenya also combine academic research with vocational training to attain professional skills, such as ethical and legal issues in the field.
Why it’s marketable: The demand for professional health services has been on the rise as the Kenyan population continues to grow. This makes pharmacists quite essential for the Kenyan economy.
- Quantity surveying
A quantity surveyor degree equips learners with the theoretical and practical skills to enable them to think conceptually and analytically to come up with solutions to problems in civil engineering. The course is developed around various subjects, including construction measurement, construction law and management, construction economics, and building technology.
Why it’s marketable: Like architects, quantity surveyors are in high demand in Kenya due to the rapidly growing construction sector.
- GIS and remote sensing
GIS deals with spatial analysis and mapping and is the primary concept behind the revolutionary Google Maps and Google Earth. Remote sensing is one of the methods commonly used for collecting physical data to be integrated into a GIS platform.
This is among the rarest courses in Kenya but one of the most marketable ones.
Why it’s marketable: The pursuit of data and useful information continues to grow as consumer devices become more powerful. The possibilities brought by space exploration also make this course quite interesting career-wise.
- Statistics
Statistics courses are taught in almost all major Kenyan universities. If you have a passion for mathematics and analysis, this is one of the best courses to take.
Why it’s marketable: A statistics course is extremely marketable due to its extremely massive scope. In addition, numerous governments, private, and NGOs require statisticians in various departments.
- Civil engineering
Civil engineering is one of the major engineering disciplines. It deals with designing, constructing, and maintaining the natural and physically built environment, including pipelines, roads, dams, railways, canals, and sewage systems.
Why it is marketable: Kenya is among the fastest-growing African countries. This means that the rate at which construction projects are approved and commenced continues to rise.
- Business information technology
As the course title suggests, it integrates modern-day information technology into the conventional business structure. Most businesses today have embraced digital transformation. These organisations often require experts who can develop innovative IT solutions and integrate them into the existing business models for increased efficiency, revenue, and profit.
Why it’s marketable: No modern-day business can escape the current wave of tech. It is a ‘shape up or ship out’ scenario. This makes business information technology degree holders quite marketable.
- Monitoring and evaluation
This is often known as M&E. The course provides learners with the necessary tools to plan, design, and implement projects. More specifically, M&E is used to allocate and reallocate resources for optimal outcomes. The monitoring aspect provides the requisite information, while the evaluation aspect helps a company understand what achievements have been made in each program.
Why it’s marketable: Companies will always want to know how to allocate their limited resources, making an M&E course holder quite marketable.
- Real estate management
The Kenyan real estate market has been on an upward trend for quite a while now. This is shown by the numerous adverts touching on real estate. The course is only offered in a few universities, contributing to its overall marketability. Graduates can work in fintech, construction, real estate marketing, and mortgage companies.
Why it’s marketable: The Kenyan real estate sector continues to show growth potential, meaning that the job opportunities in the sector will possibly keep increasing.
- Procurement and logistics
This course is primarily centred on decreasing operating expenses, maintaining proper inventory, and analysing cons inefficiencies. Organisations are always in need of individuals who can contribute to cost reduction, revenue increment, and profit maximisation.
Why it’s marketable: Due to the interdependence between various organisations, there will always be stuff needing to be purchased and transported to and from a firm. This means that people proficient in procurement and logistics will always be in demand.
- Information technology
An information technology degree is quite broad and gives learners a wide range of opportunities in the modern-day world. The course has numerous subjects, including database administration, programming, website design, and system analysis.
Why it’s marketable: It is easily one of the best courses through which learners can get into self-employment or get freelance jobs. Additionally, numerous organisations are ever in need of skilled IT professionals.
- Computer security & forensics
A computer security and forensics expert is the digital space equivalent of a detective and analyst in the conventional law enforcement field. A degree holder in this field is tasked with looking for and evaluating evidence from network overrides, computer hacks, and data breaches. This will then help solve the crime or prevent another one.
Why it’s marketable: As the world becomes more and more interconnected, cybercrimes keep rising. Organizations, governments, and individuals are ever in need of qualified individuals to mitigate these threats.
- Computer science
By now, you’ve figured out that computer and IT-related jobs are quite marketable in Kenya. As a result, computer science is among the most sought-after courses by technology enthusiasts. The course is quite broad and covers numerous aspects related to the design, implementation, and maintenance of various computer systems and technologies.
Why it’s marketable: Numerous sectors now use computerized systems for record-keeping, service delivery, and quality control, amongst other things. This means that computer science will always be in demand. In addition, there are various ventures one can get into when they have this degree.
- Law
If you have a passion for the justice system, then a course in law is inarguably your best bet. The country needs lawyers, judges, and other legal personnel in the private and public sectors.
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Why it’s marketable: There will always be company-company, company-state, individual-state, company-individual, and individual-individual disputes that require legal intervention.
- Marketing
If you are the kind of person who can sell ice to an Eskimo, then a course and career path in marketing are for you. Marketing is quite broad and basically involves coming up with strategies to get a service or product purchased by the target market.
Why it’s marketable: Every service provision company and goods manufacturer has one primary goal, to sell their service or product. Qualified marketers will always have a place in these companies so long as they can help move the company’s product or service.
- Special needs education
A degree in special needs education opens up opportunities for one to work as a daycare teacher, special education teacher, and even a school administrator. The course equips learners with the skills to teach children with learning disabilities and other challenges.
These include autistic children, the hearing impaired, the visually impaired, and the mentally and physically challenged.
Why it’s marketable: Like many other countries, Kenya reportedly has less than enough special needs teachers. This presents an opportunity for those with the requisite skills.
- Project management
This course equips one with the necessary skills for planning, organising, and executing projects effectively and efficiently. Those who study it will learn how to be responsible for projects and strategies within an organisation.
Why it’s marketable: A developing country like Kenya will always have ongoing projects both in the private and public sectors.
- Journalism
The fourth estate has played a big role in Kenyan politics and continues to shape the country’s future. A degree in journalism will ensure that one can work as a news reporter, editor, or even create their own blog.
In addition, a degree in Journalism gives a person insight into several fields, including the history and ethics of journalism and the techniques to produce digital, broadcast, and print content.
Why it’s marketable: The expansion of social media platforms has given journalists numerous opportunities. The news, updates, and interview shows on social media are just some of the few opportunities available for the course holders.
- Nursing
Nursing is one of the most marketable, albeit challenging, courses to pursue. These healthcare professionals work alongside doctors and clinicians to ensure patients receive the necessary medical care.
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Why it’s marketable: The country’s healthcare needs keep rising as its population grows and people become more health-conscious. The demand for nurses will always be there in private and public health facilities.
- Agriculture and related studies
An increasing number of Kenyan learners have realized that the way we grow food in the country is not sustainable and that the agricultural sector can be quite profitable. Therefore, pursuing an agriculture-related course opens one up to a world of opportunities.
Why it’s marketable. This is one of the courses that have the potential to impact society greatly. Simply put, people will always want to eat, and agriculture plays an unparalleled role in food provision.
- Digital marketing
While conventional marketing courses focus on traditional methods, digital marketing puts more emphasis on selling products and services in the modern-day digital space. This includes social media platforms, email, websites, and video platforms.
Why it’s marketable: As companies transition from conventional selling to marketing through digital platforms, they will require more people to create the marketing content and strategies for the digital space.
- Medicine
What is the most marketable course in Kenya? Medicine has been and still remains the most marketable course in the country. If you have sufficient time and financial resources to enroll in the course, then give it a go.
However, keep in mind that a passion for the medical sector is necessary here. Otherwise, the course can be quite draining. Learners can choose to major in various fields, including surgery, dentistry, homeopathic medicine, medical laboratory technology, physiotherapy, and medical science.
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Why it’s marketable: With a shortage of qualified and specialized doctors, Kenya has numerous opportunities for exemplary holders of medicine degrees.
