Humanities & Business Studies Track

What the Humanities & Business Studies Track Covers

This is the second track in the Social Sciences pathway. The Ministry of Education’s guidelines, citing KICD, list six subjects: Christian Religious Education, Islamic Religious Education, Hindu Religious Education, Business Studies, History and Citizenship, and Geography. Together they cover how societies are organised, how people make a living, what they believe and how the land shapes them.

The Ministry’s combinations list has 60 combinations in this track. Business Studies and Geography each appear in 32, and History and Citizenship and Religious Education in 30 each, so the four core humanities subjects are spread evenly. Some combinations add a language or a complementary subject such as Computer Studies or Advanced Mathematics. A typical combination is Business Studies, Geography and History & Citizenship, or Business Studies, Christian Religious Education and French.

Learners take English, Kiswahili (or Kenyan Sign Language), Community Service Learning and Essential Mathematics as core subjects. The guidelines allow Core Mathematics if junior school results show readiness, which is worth considering for business and economics careers.

This track suits learners who follow the news, enjoy Social Studies and Religious Education, ask questions about fairness and rules, run a small business or chama at school, or like maps and travel. Strong levels in Social Studies, English and Religious Education are good signs. It involves a lot of reading, essay writing and, in Business Studies and Geography, some numbers and data. A learner who enjoys debating and making a case usually does well.

Examples include law, accounting and finance, banking, entrepreneurship and management, economics, human resources, public administration and politics, urban and regional planning, environmental management, tourism, theology and religious leadership, counselling, social work and teaching. Law is among the most competitive university courses in Kenya, so a learner aiming for it should aim for strong results across the board. KUCCPS and universities will set entry rules for the first senior school graduates in 2028.

Humanities & Business Studies needs few specialist facilities, so it is one of the most widely offered tracks, including at day schools near home. Public day senior schools charge no tuition fees. Use our senior school finder to see schools in your sub-county and confirm combinations on the Ministry’s selection portal.

Practise Grade 9 Social Studies, English and Kiswahili, then the CBC Challenge.

Frequently Asked Questions

What subjects are in Humanities & Business Studies?

Christian, Islamic and Hindu Religious Education, Business Studies, History and Citizenship, and Geography.

Is this the right track for law?

Humanities & Business Studies is a natural route towards law, which relies on reading, writing and argument. Exact university requirements for the new certificate have not been fully published.

Can I take Business Studies in STEM instead?

Business Studies is a complementary subject in STEM and appears in many STEM combinations, so a learner can take it in either pathway.

How many combinations does this track have?

The Ministry of Education’s list has 60 Humanities & Business Studies combinations.

• Ministry of Education, Guidelines for Implementation of Senior School Education (October 2025)
• Ministry of Education, Full list of senior schools’ pathways, tracks and subject combinations

Information is checked against official documents as of 18 October 2026. Where the Ministry has not yet announced something for the 2026 cohort, we say so.