1-year diploma courses in Kenya

Are you looking to upskill or change career paths quickly? If yes, then you might be glad to know that there are plenty of marketable 1-year diploma courses that you can pursue in Kenya today.

That being so, in this guide, I will be introducing you to some of these courses. In addition, I will also tell you where they are offered, their entry requirements, and possible career paths.

Best 1-year diploma courses in Kenya

In this list, we shall first start with the best and most marketable 1-year diploma programs in Kenya before looking at some other good short-term courses you can also pursue.

Diploma in Digital Marketing

With most businesses transitioning their marketing to online platforms, they have increased the demand for skilled digital marketers.

Just so you know, digital marketing is a broad field encompassing different areas such as social media management, search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), content creation, email copywriting among others.

Entry requirements: At least a mean grade of C- in KCSE and basic computer literacy

Course duration: 12 months

Possible career paths: Digital marketer, social media management, SEO expert, web designer, content marketing manager, e-commerce manager, brand manager, affiliate marketing manager, email marketing specialist among others

The good thing about this course is that it is one of those courses that can enable you to work remotely both for local and foreign companies.

With that in mind, if you’re looking for a comprehensive digital marketing course, you are in luck. At Kenya Online College, we offer one of the most extensive digital marketing curriculums in Kenya – check it out here.

In addition, we also offer a short digital marketing course to get you started in the field. This course normally takes just 2 weeks and costs Ksh. 15,000.

While it might sound pricey, let me mention that this crash course equips you with all the necessary skills to help you set up and manage your business online.

In other words, this is a good specialty course for you if you’re a business owner who is looking to up his/her digital marketing campaigns.

To learn more about the course (or to enroll), feel free to call/WhatsApp our admissions office on 0797 532 345.

ALSO READ: Where to study digital marketing in Kenya

Diploma in Artificial Intelligence

It goes without saying that artificial intelligence (AI) is completely revolutionizing the world at a fast rate.

This has led to a high demand for skilled AI graduates as companies look to find ways they can integrate AI into their systems.

The course introduces and equips you with skills in machine learning, neural networks, natural language processing (NLP), computer vision, robotics, and more.

Entry requirements: At least a C- in KCSE and solid IT skills

Course duration: 12 months

Possible career paths: Data scientist, machine learning engineer, business intelligence analyst, AI software developer, robotics engineer, computer vision engineer

Now, if you are not sure if this is a good course for you, I recommend you enroll in our 2-day AI crash course – it will give you a good grasp of what the course entails before you can make the final decision on whether to pursue it or not.

Diploma in Project Planning and Management

While most institutions offer the course for 2-3 academic years, some universities such as UoN offer the course in 1 academic year.

Basically put, a Diploma in Project Management course prepares you on how to lead teams and manage complex projects efficiently. This can be both in the public and private sectors.

Entry requirements: A minimum mean grade of C- in KCSE, and at least a C- in Mathematics/Business and in English/Kiswahili

However, these entry requirements will vary from one institution to the other. So, be sure to first confirm with the institution of your choice whether you qualify for the course or not.

Possible career paths: Project manager, planning manager, business systems analyst, line manager, project consultant

Diploma in Cyber Security

Today, cyber threats are becoming increasingly common and sophisticated. This has led to organizations seeking skilled professionals to protect their information systems from unwanted access.

That said, the Diploma in Cyber Security course equips you with the necessary skills to protect computer systems from unwanted access and respond to security incidents making you an invaluable asset to any organization.

Entry requirements: At least a mean grade of C- in KCSE or a Certificate in Cyber Security and basic IT skills

Course duration: 1 ½ years

Possible career paths: Penetration tester, cyber security analyst, compliance auditor, network security engineer, security architect, forensic analyst, incident responder

ALSO READ: Diploma in Cyber Security – A Full Career Guide

This can be a good short course to boost your marketability more so if you have a background in IT or you’re passionate about IT.

Fortunately, you can get started with the course here at Kenya Online College – for more details, call/WhatsApp us on 0797 532 345.

Other 1-year diploma courses in Kenya

Below are some other good diploma courses that you can pursue in Kenya and complete within 1 year:

Diploma in Computer Networking

Entry requirements: At least a C- in KCSE and a solid foundation in ICT

Duration: 8-12 months

Where offered: Kenya Online College, JKUAT

Also see: Computer networking courses in Kenya

Diploma in Airport Operations

Entry requirements: At least a D+ in KCSE

Duration: 12 months

Where offered: Eldoret Aviation College, Kenya Institute of Professional Studies (KIPS), ICS Technical College among others

Diploma in Hospitality Management

Entry requirements: C- in KCSE or a pass at the certificate level

Duration: 12 months

Where offered: KIPS

Diploma in Beauty Therapy

Entry requirements: A minimum grade of C- in KCSE

Duration: 9 months

Where offered: Vera Beauty & Fashion College, Beauty Point College, Ashleys Hair & Beauty Academy among others

Diploma in T.O.T (Training of Trainers)

This course equips you with the necessary skills to effectively communicate and motivate students to learn & implement successful instructional planning within the classroom.

Course duration: 12 months

Where offered: Vera Beauty & Fashion College

Diploma in Customer Service

Entry Requirements: A mean grade of C- in KCSE or a pass in certificate level

Course duration: 15 months

Where offered: Kenya Institute of Professional Studies (KIPS)

Diploma in Journalism & Media Studies

Entry requirements: C- or a pass at the certificate level

Duration: 12-15 months

Where offered: KIPS, ICS Technical College, KCA University among others

1-year diploma courses in Kenya – parting words

Let us be honest… Landing a job in Kenya is no longer as easy as it used to be.

But, at Kenya Online College, we do not believe it should be that hard more so when you have the right skills.

That’s why, we continue partnering with various organizations that are looking for fresh talent – we normally refer our students to these companies once an opportunity arises… To give you a grasp of this, you can read some success stories from our past graduates here.

That said, maintaining these relationships and assurances is quite important to us. That’s why we normally offer limited slots to ensure that we give individual attention to all of our students.

This is because we strive to equip them with all the necessary skills required in the job market or for self-employment to make transitioning easy… Just so you know, in some programs, we admit as little as 20 students per cohort.

As such, it goes without saying that the earlier you book your slot the higher your chances for qualifying for our next intake.

To book your slot, call/WhatsApp our admissions office on 0797 532 345.

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