They are many. They are mostly served in public universities. They lead to little or no chances of a job after graduation – the stale degree courses rot that pervades majority learning institutions.
According to a survey conducted by Elimika Mashinani Trust (EMT) and the Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK), more than 300 course approved by the Commission on University Education (CUE) either attract nil or few students – yet they have all never used or underutilized lecturers.
From the survey conducted on phone between June 2 and June 15, at least 4 in every 10 (40%) students are affected by such courses that were put in place long time ago or their job market has since been saturated.
Taking a bold step early this year, the cash-strapped Egerton University scrapped eight such courses. On February 28, 2023 Egerton shut doors Industrial Technology; Technology in Civil Engineering; Soil, Environment and Land Use Management and Dairy Technology and Management.
Other affected courses were Wildlife Management and Enterprise; Integrated Forest Resource Management; Dairy Land Resources Management and Applied Aquatic Science.
In the EMT & COFEK survey, 8 out of 10 students who take such courses did not receive any form of career advice either from school or their parents. The priority for such students is about securing any form of ‘available degree’ certification.
In the study that involved 250 graduate respondents spread across 25 Counties, 60% blame the Kenya Universities Placement Service for retaining on the admission menu courses that are ‘stale’. 30% blamed the CUE while 10% blamed students for falling for ‘any available’ degree course.
Market-driven
The survey showed that only 20% of the public universities link their choice of courses to the market. On the other hand, private universities peg at least 70% of their course offering on employability ratio.
Incidentally, both public and private universities rank very low on actual link with the industry. While public universities scored ‘less than 10%’, private universities only had ‘less than 40%’.
As a result most of the course offerings at universities, especially the public ones, are engaging in what the survey’s 60% respondents call as ‘useless courses’.
Such courses are costing both the government and parents a collective fortune yet they do not attract interest from the market. They equally offer no skills for the graduates to opt for meaningful self-employment.
Incidentally, the Commission for University Education (CUE) on June 27, 2023 released a list of 13 institution said were providing degree programs without its’ accreditation.
CUE Warning
Members of the public have since been warned not to enroll at the 13 institutions. It was the position of the CUE, then and as at now, that they lacked the proper authorization to provide certain courses.
Some of the courses offered by the colleges listed include a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Theology, a Bachelor of Arts in Bible and Theology, and a Bachelor of Theology Master of Christian Leadership.
The institutions blacklisted by CUE include Eldoret Bible College; Al-Munawarrah College;Grace Life Bible College; Africa Theological Seminary; Regions Beyond Ministry Bible College; Baraton College; Africa Talent University and Breakthrough Bible College.
Others are Theophilus Theological College; Northwestern Christian University; Logos University; Harvest Land University.
TSC, GAA
According to the CUE website, and based on review of Government Advertising Agency (GAA), even the Teachers Service Commission requires one to have two teaching subjects; 47 County websites, Public Service Commission and even for selected employers reviews – none of these courses has been required by employers in Government and private sector for the past 10 years!
Question: Why are they still on offer? Why are unsuspecting parents and students wasting their money on them?
Bachelor of Arts in Japanese; Bachelor of Arts Programmes; Bachelor of Christian Studies; Bachelor of Education; Bachelor of Music; Bachelor of Religion and Social Development; Bachelor of Science (Animal Science); Bachelor of Science (Pure Physics); Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (Animal Science); Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology; Bachelor of Science in Population Health; Bachelor of Science (Aerospace Engineering); Bachelor of Science (Physics) and Bachelor of Social Work
Mineralogy
Others are Bachelor of Science in Aquatic Science; Bachelor of Arts; Bachelor of Arts(Geography); Bachelor of Arts (History); Bachelor of Arts (Kiswahili); Bachelor of Arts (Linguistics); Bachelor of Arts (Literature); Bachelor of Arts (Religious Studies); Bachelor of Science Geo-Physics and Mineralogy; Bachelor of Science in Biology; Bachelor of Science in Natural Products; Bachelor of Science (Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics); Bachelor of Arts (Peace Education); Bachelor of Science in Utilization and Sustainability of Arid Lands; Bachelor of Arts (Cultural Studies); Bachelor of Education (Guidance and Counseling); Bachelor of Science (General); Bachelor of Science(Chemistry); Bachelor of Science (Mathematics); Bachelor of Arts in Political Science; Bachelor of Education in Home Science; Bachelor of Science in Agronomy
Bachelor of Science in Earth Science; Bachelor of Science in Ethno- Botany and Medicinal Plant Science, with Information Technology; Bachelor of Education in Psychology; Bachelor of Entrepreneurship & Small Business Management; Bachelor of Science (Natural Resources); Bachelor of Science (Wildlife Enterprise & Management
Bachelor of Arts in Kiswahili & Geography; Bachelor of Engineering Physics; Bachelor of Science in Ecotourism; Bachelor of Science in Mining Physics; Bachelor of Arts in Technical and Professional Communication; Bachelor of Science in Management in Mathematics; Bachelor of Arts in Monitoring and Evaluation; Bachelor of Science in Applied Aquatics Sciences
Bachelor of Science in Integrated Forest Resources Management; Bachelor of Science in Military Science; Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources Management; Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering; Bachelor of Science in Applied Bioengineering; Bachelor of Science in Botany; Bachelor of Science in Geomatic Engineering; Bachelor of Science in Industrial Mathematics
Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering; Bachelor of Science in Soil Water and Environment Engineering; Bachelor of Science in Zoology; Bachelor of Science in Zoology (Genomic Science); Bachelor of Enterprise Management; Bachelor of Forensic Science; Bachelor of Education in Music; Bachelor of Arts in Church Music and Theology
Music Theory
Bachelor of Music Theory and Composition; Bachelor of Science in Forestry; Bachelor of Arts Pastoral Theology; Bachelor of Science in Agriculture; Bachelor of Science in Bio-resources Management and Conservation; Bachelor of Science in Sugar Technology; Bachelor of Education Technology (Computer Studies); Bachelor of Science (Geographic Information Science)
Bachelor of Science (Global Community Health and Travel Medicine); Bachelor of Science (Health Professions Medical Education); Bachelor of Science (Paramedical Sciences); Bachelor of Technology (Cosmetology and Beauty Science); Bachelor of Science (Biology Science & Physical Science Options); Bachelor of Arts (Penology, Correction, and Administration); Bachelor of Business Management (Marine Business Management)
Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship Studies; Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology and Fisheries; Bachelor of Arts in Child Care and Protection; Bachelor of Education (AGED); Bachelor of Science in Management of Agri. Ecosystems; Bachelor of Science in Population Health; Bachelor of Arts in Translation Studies; Bachelor of Science (Events and Convention Management); Bachelor of Applied Technology; Bachelor of Science in Agro-Forestry and Rural Development; Bachelor of Arts in Human Rights
Bachelor of Education & Psychology; Bachelor of Science in Technology Education; Bachelor of Technology in Agriculture; Bachelor of Science in Analytical Chemistry with Computing; Bachelor of Science in Applied Animal Laboratory ScienceBachelor of Science in Ethnobotany
Bachelor of Science in Seed Science & Technology; Bachelor of Science in Wood Science and Industrial Processes; Bachelor of Arts in Archeology and Paleoanthropology; Bachelor of Range Management; Bachelor of Science in Astronomy and Astrophysics; Bachelor of Science in Atmospheric Science; Bachelor of Science in Meteorology; Bachelor of Science in (Bio System Engineering); Bachelor of Arts in Sustainable Human Development; Bachelor of Science in (Physical Therapy
EMT/COFEK
The EMT/COFEK survey, separately, went on to list some of the under-listed Bachelors courses majority Kenyans consider either stale, not attractive to the market and or can provide easy self-employment.
COFEK and Elimika Mashinani Trust (EMTnow calls on the Commission on University Education as well as the Ministry of Education to move with speed and #DeleteStaleDegreeCourses ;
- Commerce in Human Resource
- Dryland Natural Resource Management
- Operations Research
- African Religion and Culture
- Applied Communication
- Agribusiness management
- Animal Science
- Mining Physics
- Community Development
- Geomatic Engineering Geospatial Information System
- Telecommunication and Information Engineering
- Sociology and Religious Studies
- Animal Health Management
- Ecotourism and Hospitality Management
- Instrumentation and Control Engineering
- Integrated Forest Resources
- Soil Environment and Land Use Management
- Water and Environmental Engineering
- International Tourism Management
- Construction Management
- Soil Science
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Zoology
- Cooperative Business
- Quality Survey
- Agribusiness Development Extension Development
- Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
- Agricultural Economics and Rural Development
- Agricultural Engineering and Rural Entrepreneurship
- Animal Health, Production and Processing
- Botany
- Control and Instrumentation Syllabus
- Ecology
- Financial Engineering
- Food Service and Post-harvest Technology
- Industrial Mathematics
- Mechatronic Engineering
- Pure Mathematics
- Curriculum Studies
- Church Music
- Musicology
- Organizational Development
- Business Management
- Forestry
- Gaming and Animation Technology
- Travel and Tourism Management
- Japanese
- German Program
- Biblical Studies
- Biblical Theology
- Records and Archives Management
- Philosophy in Hospitality
- Agribusiness Management and Trade
- Agriculture Resource Management
- Conservation Biology
- Energy Engineering
- Manufacturing Engineering
- Recreation and Sports Management
- Water Engineering
- Environmental Health
- Petroleum Engineering
- Tourism Studies
- Cooperation and Human Development
- Agriculture and Biotechnology
- Bio-Resource Management and Conversation
- Catering and Hotel Management
- Dairy Technology and Management
- Cultural Studies
- Tours and Travel Management
- Environmental Management
- Earth Sciences
- Forestry Ecosystem Management
- Parks Recreation and Leisure Management
- Wildlife Management
- Agronomy
- Aquatic Resources Conservation and Development
- Ecotourism, Hotel and Institution Management
- Mathematical Sciences
- Soil Science and Plant Nutrition
- Anthropology
- Conflict Resolution and Conflict Management
- Electrical and Communications Engineering
- Religion
- Agriculture and Biotechnology
- Global Community Health and Travel Medicine
- Paramedical Sciences
- Biological Science and Physical Science Options
- Penology, Correction and Administration
- Physical Therapy
- Sports Management
- Media Science
- Applied Communication
- Control and Instrumentation
- Business Leadership
- Land Resource Management
- Range Management
Got feedback on another ‘stale’ course: hotline@cofek.africa