Highly demanding courses in Kenya Archives - Kenya Education Guide

Top 10 highly demanding courses in Kenya [Crazily tough courses!]

John Gitahi — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 14:27:57 +0000

In this post, we shall be naming some of the top 10 highly demanding courses in Kenya…that is courses that are, in general, more involving than others in terms of the coursework and of course, the exams when studying for them locally.

But as you might notice, some of these courses are also highly rewarding…

Yeah, most of the careers that these insanely demanding courses take you to pay handsomely so do not shy away from taking the course (you are likely to end up becoming a high-earning professional at the end of it all).

So let’s dive into our list of tough courses in Kenya right away…

Top 10 highly demanding courses in Kenya (the hardest courses in Kenya)

Medicine and Surgery

And obvious one this one…you’ll be spending about 7 years in the medical school (at the university) reading voluminous books about everything to do with the human body.

True…Not easy (there’s lots of reading and memorizing to get things to stick)– but again it is medicine (to treat human beings and save lives)- so there’s no room for errors.

So yes, prepare for long studying days ahead if this is the course of your dreams but as mentioned earlier, doctors are paid well (overall).

Law (LL.B)

A surprising one to many students this is, but it is true that Law involves a lot of reading(‘bulky’ reading)..

You see, cases are determined mostly based on case law (judgements passed in past cases) so you need to understand case law and our jurisprudence before you can qualify to be referred to as “my learned friend”!

Oh, and you also have to crack the tough as nails bar exams to be admitted to the bar(become an advocate of the high court in Kenya).

However, just as with medicine, lawyers (especially after you build a name) earn good money in their entire careers.

Also remember lawyers can transit to occupy prestigious positions such as magistrates and high court judges (at some point, if you so wish) so it’s a really good course, despite the hard schooling time.

Computer science

What makes Computer science tougher than many courses is the programming bit –you cannot code until you have mastered problem solving and logical reasoning..

And the models that you sometimes use can be extremely difficult to grasp..

Do not also forget that there are algorithms, data structures, and even discrete mathematics to learn as part of the course.

Electrical engineering

To be frank, there’s no easy engineering course but it is universally agreed that electrical engineering takes the crown of the toughest guy in the group.

Okay, there are no bulky books to read(as with law and medicine) but trust me: you are likely to take quite some time to understand just a single concept.

In other words, electrical engineering- which is to some the toughest of all the highly demanding courses in Kenya- is basically mathematics + plenty of physics + selected computer science concepts combined into one!

Crazy…

The other issue is that it’s not as well paying as medicine..

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Pharmacy

Doing Bachelor of Pharmacy is no child’s play either….you’ve got tons of different concepts to understand and many of them will need serious repeating and internalizing.

I’m speaking of units and concepts such as Pharmaceutical Calculations, pharmacotherapy, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and more.

Sadly, these days pharmacy has flooded fairly- and to make matters worse, not every pharmacy will employ a qualified pharmacist..

It’s not good at all..nothing makes me sad than seeing somebody who has gone through the challenging B.Pharm course working as a salesperson for medicine manufacturing/distribution companies.

Philosophy

Philosophy is another hard course in Kenya.

In fact, to do well when it comes to philosophy classes, you need to not only be intellectually curious but also very willing to work extra hard.

Why?

Well, Philosophy has numerous deeply counter-intuitive ideas….

Indeed, almost zero philosophy concepts are solved problems/agreed upon not to forget that you are largely working with few rules(it’s mainly fundamental logic).

In a nutshell, you’re just floundering in an ocean of complexity, unfamiliarity, and uncertainty!

Think about that!

Question:

Does it have jobs?

Well, I cannot see many beyond academia!

Actuarial science

Next on the list is Actuarial science….

But I have to say that it’s not as grueling as let’s say electrical engineering…and so long as you’re good in mathematics and statistics, it should not make you go nuts.

What is more arduous is the professional actuarial exams that you must pass to be licensed as an actuary!

Mechatronics

Mechatronics engineering is no exception to other engineering disciplines- it’s a taxing field.

You know why?

It sort of combines multiple other disciplines – mechanical engineering, computer science, electrical engineering.

Reason?

Well, since being good at all is very important in the design, building, and ultimately the control of technical systems that integrate electrical, electronic, and mechanical components, which is what Mechatronics engineering is all about.

Put another way, this course has bags of math and science.

Remember examples of mechatronics applications are robotics, control systems, and automation systems

But this one can be a great course with reference to opportunities..

Others highly demanding courses in Kenya (top 10 hardest courses in Kenya)

Here now is a list of hard courses in Kenya:

Pure mathematics- no need to say anything here
Architecture- The course tends to take you long hours of deeply focused study to pass exams and appreciate everything.
Pure Chemistry- As a course, chemistry is also considered very hard
Physics- what makes physics degree a tough course is the abstract thoughts it entails (many need solid mathematical approaches)
Aeronautics(Aerospace Engineering)- this is probably the hardest aviation course

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The post Top 10 highly demanding courses in Kenya [Crazily tough courses!] appeared first on Kenya Education Guide.

Highly demanding courses in Kenya in 2026

John Gitahi — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 18:44:58 +0000

Because some of you have been asking, find below a list of the most highly demanding courses in Kenya.

Of course, we understand that some of us are uncomfortable taking courses with a lot of math or sciences-talents and capabilities differ anyway.

Others shudder at the thought of spending an eternity in college (life is short, as they say).

Either way, here are the most demanding courses in Kenya to help you make an informed decision.

Top 10 Highly demanding courses in Kenya

These are the 10 highly demanding courses in Kenya at the moment:

· Architecture

Architecture is certainly one of the hardest courses in Kenya.

To be frank, it’s not a course for everyone despite it being hugely rewarding.

You’ll be tackling plenty of math (think of geometry, trigonometry, algebra, and calculus), science topics (mostly physics), a bit of computer science (3D modeling and the like) and more.

In short, architecture is rough and students have to study super hard and you must have outstanding artistic ability as well as mathematical proficiency.

· Engineering

Engineering is also regarded as one of the toughest courses in Kenya and indeed, it’s one of the hardest courses in the world!

What makes engineering as tough as nails is simply because the course prepares you to solve sophisticated real-life problems.

And so the training involves taking on some utterly complex situations in the form of assignments and as part of the regular coursework.

Unsurprisingly, the pass rate in engineering programs at all levels- certificate, diploma, and degree- has traditionally been very low.

On a positive note, engineering offers boundless career potential.

ALSO READ: Which are the accredited engineering courses in Kenya?

· Medicine and surgery

This is obvious, isn’t it?

It’s safe to say that medicine courses- particularly at the degree level- are the forte of A students!

Not only do you have to work hard but it’ll also take you between 7-8 years to complete an MBCHMB (Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery) course and about 3 years to graduate with a diploma in clinical medicine at KMTC.

On the upside, medicine pays extremely well- it’s up there with the most paying courses in Kenya.

Plus, you get to create a positive, lasting impact on humanity. How sweet is that?

ALSO READ: Universities offering clinical medicine in Kenya [updated list]

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· Actuarial Science

Majoring in an actuarial science course is challenging.

And that’s because it’s another course requiring topnotch math skills- remember that it involves measuring of risk using mathematical models, probability, and a great deal of statistics.

In short, you have to be focused and ready to put in the hours to crack this course (best pursued at the degree level).

Sadly, the demand for actuarial scientists has slowed down in recent years and you could end up ‘tarmacking’ for a while or working in a different area!

ALSO READ: What is actuarial science course?

· Biochemistry courses

Biochemistry combines chemistry and biology and is mostly a laboratory-based science discipline.

For this reason, this course favors students who have all along excelled in sciences.

The core topics include biology, molecular function, genetics, disease mechanisms, and more.

Needless to say, a lot of work goes towards understanding these areas well.

· Economics

While there’s a fair share of maths to handle here, the reason this course is difficult for some is the dozens of economic theories that you need to master.

It would obviously be unfair to equate to the traditionally highly demanding courses in Kenya like medicine and engineering.

Nevertheless, memorizing the various economic principles is a tough nut to crack for some students and they drop out at some point.

That the economics-related math concepts are a bit advanced doesn’t help matters.

· Law

A career in the bar is very prestigious but it won’t come easy…..Be prepared to spend long, hard hours studying as a legal student.

But why is law this difficult yet there’s no intensive math or sciences to go through here?

Well, the primary reason why a law degree defeats some students is the basic structure: you have to read a huge list of law books and learn how to apply everything in various situations.

That’s not all: to be allowed to practice, you have to pass bar entrance examinations at the Kenya school of law.

If you read newspapers, you may be aware that as much as 90% of first-time candidates fail in these exams, something blamed on wanting study habits and exceedingly weak analytical skills— both fundamental skills for advocates.

· Pharmacy

Some studies have shown that over 10% of students admitted to pharmacy courses fail to graduate.

And with insanely demanding topics such as pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, pharmacognosy, and pharmacotherapy appearing in the course outline, it is easy to see why.

The BPharm (Bachelor of Pharmacy) degree course is also longer than ‘normal’ degrees and takes not less than 5 academic years (of 3 semesters each) to complete.

Bottom-line? You’ll require the patience of a saint and the hard work of honey bees to make it to the graduation list as a pharmacy student.

· Statistics and Math

Though it opens doors to dozens of opportunities, studying statistics (Bsc. in statistics) or math (BSc in Mathematics) is notoriously exacting, unless you’re ‘maths-warm’.

For some reason, the courses are often combined with computer science in Kenyan universities (Mathematics as a major and Computer Science as a minor).

In general, students struggle with units such as programming, calculus, scientific computing, vector analysis, classical mechanics, artificial intelligence, algebra, operations research, etc.

Be set to give it your all.

· Veterinary Sciences

You could also be in for a turbulent time if you’re ill-equipped to handle the unique coursework that those training to work in veterinary medicine have to go through.

One of the explanations behind the demanding education is that like humans, animals have an intricate biological system and you’re expected to comprehend this fully.

Training is even tougher if your goal is to become an exotic animal specialist.

The good thing is that on graduating, you’re spoilt for choice – bucketloads of opportunities exist in areas such as veterinary practice, research, teaching, NGOs, and more.

Highly demanding courses in Kenya- frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Which is the hardest course in Kenya?

Well, that’s hard to accurately tell.

However, programs such as Medicine and Engineering are exceptionally taxing and are not everyone’s cup of coffee.

Likewise, courses such as Veterinary medicine and Bsc. in Math/Statistics are surely more demanding.

Is dentistry hard?

Sure!

Like other courses touching on human anatomy, studying dentistry is fairly burdensome.

Dentistry courses cover topics such as physiology and biochemistry along with practical orthodontics and anesthesia, all pretty grueling.

Wrapping it up

If there’s a silver lining to the hardest courses in Kenya, it’s that some result in immensely lucrative career opportunities.

That should be enough motivation for you to fight to the end if you have been admitted into any of the aforementioned highly demanding courses in Kenya.