Technology has transformed every sector of our lives including the education sector. Today, you can learn a whole degree/diploma course online and get a certificate upon completion thanks to technology.
The good news about these online courses is that they offer you the convenience and flexibility to study anytime and from anywhere without adjusting your other commitments.
To this end, in this post, I will be telling you about some of the best online colleges in Kenya and the courses that they offer.
Online colleges in Kenya
Here’s our list of the best online colleges and universities that you can enroll at in Kenya.
1. Kenya Online College – private
At Kenya Online College, we pride ourselves on being the best online institution in Kenya – we offer a variety of different courses that cater to various interests and career goals.
Our courses are normally taught by professional tutors who have years of experience in the job market.
As such, they teach you all the necessary skills needed by employers thereby making your career a success.
In addition, we offer practical sessions and give you real-world projects to work on to make sure you get the ins and outs of the skill you’re studying.
Now, we offer a variety of diploma and certificate courses such as:
Diploma in Cybersecurity
Did you hear about the hackers who made away with over 179 million Kenyan shillings from one of the leading banks in Kenya?
Or the hacking group that hacked over 200 KFC outlets worldwide?
Now, if you had the opportunity to protect computer systems from such cyber criminals, would you take it?
Well, if this seems like something that might interest you, then our Diploma in Cybersecurity course can get you started.
The good news is that as more businesses adopt IT systems, the demand for cybersecurity professionals continues to rise as these businesses look for people to protect their IT systems.
Moreover, you can even land full-time remote jobs with international companies where you can earn as much as $ 10,000/month!
Diploma in Software Engineering
With the world increasingly becoming digital, there has been an increased demand for software developers.
To help you transition into this field, we offer a fully practical software engineering course where you learn by working on real-world projects.
This helps you to have a portfolio (demonstrating your skills and experience) by the time you graduate.
And, this makes it easier for you to land a software engineering job considering that most software engineer employers prefer a good portfolio over years of experience.
You can learn more about our software engineering course here.
Diploma in Digital Marketing
In this program, we teach you everything about digital marketing from content production, SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, e-commerce marketing to influencer marketing and more.
While we have face-to-face classes, we also have fully online and self-paced classes.
The course is very affordable considering you only pay Ksh. 60,000 for the whole program!
At Kenya Online College, we offer the most in-depth digital marketing curriculum in Kenya – you can have a look at it here.
Graphic Design course
If you have a creative mind that can tell stories using shapes and colors, then this course is for you.
With our graphic design course, you will learn various skills such as branding, UI/UX design, creating business cards, flyers, logos, and social media graphics among others.
Furthermore, you’ll get one-on-one career guidance from our trainers and career guidance team.
Just so you know, it will cost you only a mere Ksh. 30,000 to complete the whole course.
So, what do you need to qualify for the program?
Well, you only need to have basic computer skills and at least a D- in KCSE.
Diploma in Artificial Intelligence
With AI taking center stage in most areas of our lives, businesses are looking for AI professionals to help them automate their business processes and make sense of their large datasets.
Our Diploma in Artificial Intelligence course will equip you with various AI and machine learning skills such as:
- Deep learning
- Machine learning
- Natural language processing (NLP)
- Computer vision
But there’s a catch, to qualify for this course, you’ll need to have a solid foundation in ICT – have at least a Diploma in Computer Science/IT.
You will also need to have a KCSE mean grade of at least C-.
Diploma in Human Resource Management
This is another fully online course that we offer… You will only need to show up for the exams.
To qualify for this course, you only need to have a mean grade of C- in KCSE.
The course has three modules with each module taking 6 months to complete.
And just so you know, this is one of our cheapest HRM courses in Kenya – you only pay Ksh. 10,000/month.
ALSO SEE: A full career guide for Human Resource course in Kenya
Other than these diploma courses, we also offer some other professional and technical short-term courses which are fully online.
These courses can be a good fit if you’re looking to advance your career, learn a practical skill, or get a new hobby.
With that in mind, here’s a full list of our other online short courses:
Technical and short-term skills/courses you can learn with Kenya Online College, Kenya’s and Africa’s best online college
Technology & digital-related courses
- IT & software: Cisco cybersecurity courses, web development, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and advanced software tools like Microsoft Power BI, IBM SPSS, advanced MS Excel, Arc GIS, CAD, and Photoshop.
- Creative media: Here, you will get to develop and hone skills in video editing, photography, videography, graphic design, music production, Canva, and 3D animation.
Business skills and how to make money online
- Professional courses: Here, you will professional courses that will help you propel your career to the next level. These courses include Data Analytics, bookkeeping, personal branding, and KASNEB courses such as CPA.
- Remote work: How to get remote jobs such as chat moderation, video editing, social media management, virtual assistance, academic writing, content creation, article writing, and blogging.
- Marketing & sales: Online marketing, drop-shipping, drop-servicing, crypto trading, affiliate marketing, SEO, and social media marketing.
- Entrepreneurship: How to start and manage various businesses such as online businesses, laundromat, Airbnb, business automation, how to import items from China, negotiation skills, and how to invest in treasury bills and bonds among others.
Beauty and personal care courses
- Hairdressing and beauty therapy skills: These include braiding, plaiting, manicure, pedicure, hairdressing, beauty therapy, dreadlocks, barbering, nail technology, and massage therapy.
- Making natural products such as oils, bar soaps, liquid soaps, powder detergents, shampoo, and hair growth oils.
Culinary arts and food production
In this category, we offer a variety of short courses such as how to make pizza, baking & pastry, cooking basics, and food high value-addition for products such as yoghurt, butter & ghee products.
Technical courses
For the most part, this category is focused on entrepreneurs who wish to start small businesses.
Here, we train you in various areas such as CCTV & Wi-Fi installation, electronics repair (TVs, phones, woofers, cookers, washing machines, microwaves, and dispensers), motor vehicle repair, plumbing, welding & fabrication, and fashion & design (tailoring and dressmaking).
Home & craft skills
If you are an avid DIYer, then you might find quite some good courses here.
In this category, you can learn several craft DIY courses such as landscaping, interior design, electrical & solar installation, and glass & aluminum installation.
Languages & communication skills
- Languages: French, Spanish, German, and local languages such as Kiswahili, Kikuyu, Luo, and Maa.
- Soft skills: Here, we teach you how you can improve your people skills through public speaking and negotiation skills.
Special interests and skills
- Agricultural skills: Here, you can choose to learn different farming activities such as urban farming, horticulture, apiculture (bee farming), poultry farming, dairy farming, and aquaculture (fish farming).
- Creative arts: In this category, you can acquire creative skills in several disciplines such as crocheting, beading, carpet making, Deejaying (DJ), music composition, and music audio & video production.
- Hobbies: This category mainly deals with monetizable and fun skills such as house painting, playing musical instruments (such as piano, guitar, keyboard, and drums), and swimming.
So, why choose Kenya Online College?
- Flexibility: With our fully online and self-paced courses, you can study and upskill from anywhere allowing you to balance your studies and other commitments.
- Expert instructors: Our trainers are industry professionals with years of experience in the field. This way, you can rest assured that you will be learning from the best in your chosen field.
- Comprehensive curriculums: All our courses have in-depth curriculums to ensure that you get as much knowledge and skills in the subject area. This helps you stand out from the rest when job searching or if you intend to start your own business.
- Affordability: At Kenya Online College, we strongly believe that education should be available and accessible to everyone. That is why we offer some of the most affordable courses in the country.
- Professional certificates: Once you complete your course, we will award you with a recognized certificate that you can add to your CV and use in your job search.
At this point, if you have any questions regarding our courses (or you would wish to enroll for one of them), you can get in touch with our admissions office on 0797 532 345.
Alternatively, you can fill out our online application form and we will be sure to get back to you.
To get in touch with them, you can use any one of these means:
- Call 0797 532 345
- Email kenyaonlinecollege@gmail.com
- Fill out the online inquiry form
- Visit their student support offices at GatKim Complex, 2nd floor, Temple Road, Behind Ronald Ngala Street Post Office, Nairobi CBD
2. Open University of Kenya (OUK) – public
While some universities in Kenya offer a few online courses, OUK is the only university that offers all of its courses online.
The university was chartered on 3rd August 2023.
Just so you know, the university only offers undergraduate degrees and post-graduate diploma programs.
As of this writing, the university offers the following programs:
- Bachelor of Business and Entrepreneurship
- Bachelor of Economics and Statistics
- Postgraduate Diploma in Leadership and Accountability
- Bachelor of Data Science
- Bachelor of Technology Education
- Postgraduate Diploma in Learning Design and Technology
- Bachelor of Agri-Technology and Food Systems
- Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics
Now, to enroll for their courses, you can either apply from the KUCCPS student portal or from OUK’s admission portal.
The Open University of Kenya offices are located at Konza Technopolis, Konza Complex, Nairobi-Mombasa Road.
For any questions, you can call the institution on 020 200 0212.
3. Kenya Institute of Professional Studies (KIPS) – private
KIPS College offers a limited number of distance learning courses.
For the most part, these courses are business and hospitality-related courses such as:
- Diploma/Certificate in Customer Service
- Diploma/Certificate in Supply Chain Management
- Certificate/Diploma in Sales & Marketing
- Diploma/Certificate in Banking & Finance
- Diploma/Certificate in Catering and Accommodation
- Certificate in Tour Guiding and Travel Operation
- Diploma in Airport Operations
- Diploma in Hospitality Management
Just so you know, their main campus is located on Donholm Road, next to Epren Academy.
Online colleges in Kenya – final words
Unfortunately, not all courses have an online option.
This is more so for medical-related courses such as nursing and pharmacy that require students to attend practical classes.
So, if you’re looking for online nursing courses in Kenya, then you’re not in luck.
One more thing: If you enroll for a Certified Nursing Assistant (healthcare assistant/caregiving) course and you discover it’s online, I would strongly advise looking for another institution that offers it face-to-face with practical sessions.
This is because some countries (such as the US) require caregivers to have attended at least 100 hours of practical classes before they can issue them with caregiving work permits.
MORE FROM OUR BLOG:
Most marketable courses in Kenya
Best colleges in Kenya and courses offered
Marketable short courses in Kenya
Useless courses in Kenya: A career guide
Patrick is a digital marketer and web designer by profession but on the side, he talks about how to use skills to make money online. He studied Applied Statistics at the university. He’s also an avid reader and digital skills trainer. Have any questions? Connect with him on LinkedIn.