Members of staff during a B.ED (Arts) Curriculum Review Workshop

The Department of Educational Studies was established in 1988 to offer degree programmes using Open and Distance Learning (ODL) methods and thereby extend the University's educational and training opportunities to the wider population of Kenya . Since then, the Department has carried out this mandate and maintained a leadership position in providing quality education to Kenyans at their door steps by ODL methods.

The Department of Educational Studies (DES) was initially part of the Faculty of External Degree Studies (FEDS) which admitted the first cohort of distance students in 1986/87 academic year. During the reorganization of 1988, the former Institute of Adult Studies (IAS), the Institute of Extra-Mural Studies (IEMS) and FEDS were reduced to departments within the new Faculty of External Studies (FES). The School of Distance Studies (SDS) was was transferred to the Kenya Institute of Education (KIE).

The reasons for starting the external degree programmes and consequently, the DES were that: 

• There were large numbers of candidates who qualified for University education but who could not be admitted because of lack of residential space and limited academic facilities in the University.
• It would give an opportunity to a large number of SI and Diploma in Education holders who were practising teachers to further their education without disrupting their productive employment.
• The external degree programme (EDP) would give an opportunity for reviving Mature Age Entrance Scheme in the University for working people.
• Through the use of distance teaching methods the EDP would provide a cheaper method of providing university education to Kenyans as compared with the conventional mode which involves expensive capital investment.

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