Students who study a certificate course at the Kenya Medical Training Colleges (KMTC) can still upgrade to study diploma courses.
This means that a student who did not meet the requirements for admission to a diploma course after the Kenya Certificate of Secondary education (KCSE) can still pursue a dream course at the KMTC.
At KMTC, you can upgrade from a certificate to a diploma in Nursing, Medical Engineering, Clinical Medicine, Medical laboratory sciences, Emergency Medical Technician and health records.
Other courses include a diploma in public health, Nutrition & Dietetics, Orthopaedics and Trauma Medicine, Community Health, mortuary science, Health Records and Information.
A certificate course takes two years, while a diploma course takes three years.
However, if you are upgrading from a certificate to a diploma or from a diploma to a higher diploma, the course will take two years.
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Courses for Students with D+ and C- Grades
Certificate courses in medical engineering and Nutrition and Dietetics require a mean grade of D+, with a D+ in English/Kiswahili, and D in Mathematics.
It will also require a D- in any one of the following subjects: Physics/Physical Sciences, Biology/Biological Sciences, or Chemistry.
Certificate courses that require a C-minus (C-) grade include Community Health Assistant, Public Health, Health Records and Information Management, Community Health Nursing, Emergency Medical Technician, and Orthopaedic and Trauma Medicine.
Also Read: 12 Marketable Courses for D- (Minus) and E Grade KCSE Students
The minimum mean grade to study a diploma in Nursing is C plain, with C in English or Kiswahili and Biology/Biological Sciences, and C- in any one of the following: Chemistry, Physics/Physical Sciences, or Mathematics. The course duration is three years.
However, if you have a certificate in Community Health Nursing, you can easily upgrade to a Diploma in Community Health Nursing.
The mean grade required to study a certificate in Nursing is C-, with C- in English or Kiswahili and Biology/Biological Sciences, and D+ in any one of the following: Physics/Physical Sciences, Chemistry, or Mathematics.
KMTC Certificate Courses That Can Be Upgraded to Diploma
| Department | Course | Entry Requirements | Duration | Intake Month | Campus |
| Department of Nursing | Diploma in Community Health Nursing (Distance Learning) | Certificate in Community Health Nursing (KECN)
Registration by the Nursing Council of Kenya 2 Years post-graduation experience |
2 Years | March
September |
Embu, Kitui, Kisii, Eldoret, Meru, Garissa, Muranga, Nakuru, Mombasa, Lodwar, Kisumu,
Kitale, Kapkatet, Kabarnet |
| Diploma in Community Health Nursing – Enhanced Nursing or Emergency Module (EN/EM) | Certificate in Enrolled Nurse and Certificate in Enrolled Midwifery
Registration by the Nursing Council of Kenya. 2 Years post-graduation experience |
2 Years | September | Nyeri | |
| Department of Public Health | Diploma in Public Health (upgrading) | Certificate in Environmental Health Sciences.
2 years working experience |
2 Years | March, September | Kuria, Othaya, Lugari, Manza, Nakuru, Embu, Karuri, Lake Victoria |
| Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences | Diploma in Medical Laboratory Sciences (upgrading) | Certificate in Medical Laboratory Sciences.
Registration by the Kenya Medical Laboratory Technicians and Technologists Board (KMLTTB) |
2 Years | March, September | Lake Victoria |
Department of Medical Engineering |
Diploma in Medical Engineering (upgrading) | Certificate in Medical Engineering. 2 years working experience | 2 Years | March, September | Loitokitok, Eldoret, Kilifi, Embu, Nairobi, Makindu, Meru, Bomet |
| Department of Nutrition & Dietetics | Diploma in Nutrition & Dietetics (upgrading) | Holder of a Certificate in Community Nutrition/Nutrition & Dietetics/Food Science & Nutrition KNEC Certificate in Nutrition & Dietetics for TVET graduates | 2 Years | March, September | Kapenguria, Karen, Lodwar, Kwale, Makueni, Mbuvo, Molo, Thika, Nyandarua, Homa Bay |
| Department of Orthopaedic & Trauma Medicine | Diploma in Orthopaedics and Trauma Medicine (upgrading) | Certificate in Orthopaedics Plaster Technology/ Certificate in Orthopaedic Trauma Medicine | 2 Years | March, September | Port Reitz, Mbooni, Nairobi, Nakuru, Makindu, Kangundo, Makueni, Machakos, Thika, Sigowet, Kaptumo, Bungoma, Kakamega |
| Department of Health Promotion & Community Health | Diploma in Community Health (upgrading) | Certificate in Community Health from KMTC | 2 Years | March, September | Embu, Imenti, Iten, Kabarnet, Kangundo, Kapenguria, Kuria, Lake Victoria, Lodwar, Lugari, Makindu, Makueni, Mbuvo Satellite, Mandera, Manza, Mbooni, Nairobi, Ndhiwa, Chemolingot, Nyahururu, Nyamache, Othaya, Port Reitz, Rachuonyo, Sigowet, Tana River, Taveta, Teso, Trans-Mara, Ugenya, Webuye |
Department of Health Records & Information Technology |
Diploma in Health Records and Information (upgrading) | Certificate in Health Records and Information Technology from KMTC or any other accredited institution
Registration by Health Records and Information Management (HRIM) Board. |
2 Years | March, September | Kitui, Nakuru, Tana River, Siaya, Mombasa, Muranga, Kuria, Msambweni, Imenti, Lamu, Bondo, Rera, Teso, Webuye, Kaptumo, Othaya, Molo, Kapenguria, Manza, Rachuonyo, Chwele, Nyamache, Lugari, Makueni, Mbuvo, Ugenya, Meru, Maua, Nairobi, Nyeri (E-Learning) |
| Department of Clinical Medicine | Diploma in Mortuary Science (upgrading) | Certificate in Mortuary Science from a recognized institution. | 2 Years | March | Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu |
| Diploma in Emergency Medical Technician (upgrading) | Certificate in Emergency Medical Technician from KMTC or any other recognized institution. | 2 Years | March, September | Nairobi, Kapenguria, Mombasa, Makindu |
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