Undergraduate Degree Programs

The next phase of BHER programs following the certificate/diploma is Undergraduate Degrees.

Better teacher education, better teachers, and better-educated children and youth in both the camps and Kenya are primary goals of offering degrees, but so too is the effort to increase internal security and peace by providing extended opportunities for meaningful exchange through learning and study between the different populations of the region. Through the undergraduate degree, students explore a wider breadth of knowledge and theory in their disciplines, engaging in more academic writing, research, and analysis together.

In consultation with the local communities and partner university institutions’ governance in Kenya and Canada, the BHER consortium developed its degree programs so that they would be more accessible and responsive to local needs by eliminating fees and creating a unique student body comprised of both refugee and host community members.

General Objectives of BHER Undergraduate Programs:

→ Improve the quality of teaching in primary and secondary schools in Dadaab
→ Increase access to post-secondary education opportunities to both refugees and locals
→ Provide internationally-recognized degrees that enable students to seek employment or continued studies in Kenya, Somalia, beyond

Bachelor of ArtsYork University
Bachelor of EducationKenyatta University
Bachelor of ScienceMoi University

BA in GEOGRAPHY STUDIES (BA GEOG)
Conferred by: Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, York University
Duration: 2 years ( + credit transfers from certificate/diploma)

BA in EDUCATIONAL STUDIES (BA EDST)
Conferred by: Faculty of Education, York University
Duration: 2 years ( + credit transfers from certificate/diploma)

BEd in ARTS (BEd ARTS)
Conferred by: School of Education, School of Humanities & Social Sciences, KU
Duration: 2 years ( + credit transfers from certificate/diploma in arts)

BEd in SCIENCES (BEd SCI)
Conferred by: School of Education, School of Pure & Applied Sciences, KU
Duration: 2 years ( + credit transfers from certificate/diploma in science)

BEd in PRIMARY TEACHER EDUCATION (BEd PTE)
Conferred by: School of Education, School of Humanities & Social Sciences, KU
Duration: 2 years ( + credit transfers from certificate/diploma in arts/science)

BSc in COMMUNITY HEALTH EDUCATION (BSc CHEd)
Conferred by: School of Nursing, Moi University
Duration: 2 years ( + credit transfers from secondary diploma)

*Under the ‘stackable’ model, courses completed in the certificate/diploma will be counted towards the first 1-2 years of study in undergraduate degree programs affiliated with BHER (see above) through credit transfers. However, the completion of a BHER certificate or diploma does not guarantee admission into a BHER-affiliated degree. Each undergraduate program will have its own eligibility requirements as set by the respective university admissions criterion (e.g. minimum GPA).

Students who successfully complete their Bachelor’s degree with the minimum GPA will be eligible to apply for the graduate program offered through BHER.

Certificate/Diploma

Primary (CES-E, DTE-P)
Secondary Stream (DTE-S)