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Doctor of Philosophy in Agricultural and Applied Economics

The Doctor of Philosophy in Agricultural and Applied Economics is a doctoral programme offered at the University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and Kenyatta University. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in agricultural economics, applied economics, agribusiness and agricultural policy, addressing Kenya's agricultural transformation and food security needs.

Duration
3-5 years
Next intake January 2027
Public tuition
Ksh 464,000
Ksh 1,392,000 to Ksh 2,320,000 total
Private tuition
Ksh 313,700
Ksh 941,100 to Ksh 1,568,500 total
Job market
High
Market demand for graduates

The short answer

What it costs
Up to Ksh 464,000 a year at a public institution, Ksh 1,392,000 to Ksh 2,320,000 for the whole course. Up to Ksh 313,700 a year at a private one.The detail
Who can get in
A KCSE mean grade of Master's degree in Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness Management, Economics or related field with coursework, examination and thesis or above. There is another way in without it.The detail
How long, and when
Takes 3-5 years, full-time, part-time, with 0 months of attachment. Next intake January 2027, at 4 institutions.The detail
Where it leads
8 careers in the catalogue. The least exposed to AI is Aquaculture Technologist, at 3 out of 100.The detail

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Overview

Students engage with advanced topics in agricultural economics theory, econometrics, agricultural policy analysis, agribusiness management, trade and marketing, natural resource economics and research methodology. The curriculum combines coursework with thesis research on agricultural economics relevant to Kenya's agricultural sector.

Kenya's agricultural sector faces challenges in productivity, market access, climate change and policy implementation. This creates demand for doctoral-level agricultural economics research to inform policy and practice.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, examinations, policy analysis projects and supervised thesis writing at university agricultural economics departments and research facilities.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, agricultural economists, policy analysts and agribusiness consultants. They work in universities, research institutes, government agencies, international organisations and agribusiness firms.

The programme is ideal for holders of master's degrees in agricultural economics, agribusiness management, economics or related fields who wish to advance to doctoral-level research in agricultural and applied economics, contributing to Kenya's agricultural transformation through research on economic theory, policy analysis and agribusiness development to support food security, rural development and sustainable agricultural growth for Kenya's agricultural sector and broader economic development.

What you study

8 subjects
  • Agricultural Economics Theory
  • Econometrics
  • Agricultural Policy Analysis
  • Agribusiness Management
  • Trade and Marketing Economics
  • Natural Resource Economics
  • Research Methods in Agricultural Economics
  • Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

  • Agricultural Economics Theory

    Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

    Advanced agricultural economics theory, examining foundational principles, conceptual frameworks, and theoretical debates that shape contemporary understanding in this field.

  • Advanced Microeconomic Theory

    Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

    Consumer and producer theory, market structure and welfare economics, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.

  • Econometrics

    Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

    Advanced econometric methods, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.

  • Econometric Methods

    Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

    Advanced econometric techniques for agricultural economics research, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in.

  • Agricultural Policy Analysis

    Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore

    Research on agricultural policy, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and current analytical techniques used in advanced research and professional practice.

  • Agribusiness Management

    Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore

    Research on agribusiness management, covering strategic planning, organisational behaviour, and contemporary management challenges relevant to professional practice.

  • Development Economics

    Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore

    Economic development theory and its application to agricultural transformation, exploring development theories, sustainable practices, and their application in addressing contemporary challenges.

  • Trade and Marketing Economics

    Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore

    Research on trade and marketing, covering economic theories, analytical frameworks, and their application to policy and decision-making in the field.

  • Natural Resource Economics

    Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore

    Research on natural resource economics, covering economic theories, analytical frameworks, and their application to policy and decision-making in the field.

  • Research Methodology

    Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore

    Research design, data collection and analytical methods, covering quantitative and qualitative approaches, data collection techniques, and analytical frameworks relevant to doctoral-level research.

  • Research Methods in Agricultural Economics

    Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore

    Research methodology, covering quantitative and qualitative approaches, data collection techniques, and analytical frameworks relevant to doctoral-level research in the field.

  • Departmental Seminars

    Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore

    Research presentations and peer review of doctoral work, providing a platform for doctoral candidates to present research findings, engage with peer feedback, and explore contemporary debates in.

Specialisations

  • Natural Resource Economics

    Research on natural resource economics

  • Agricultural Policy Analysis

    Research on agricultural policy

  • Agribusiness Management

    Research on agribusiness management

  • Agricultural Finance

    Research on agricultural finance

  • Econometrics

    Research on econometric methods

  • Trade and Marketing

    Research on trade and marketing

  • Food Security Analysis

    Research on food systems, food security and nutrition policy

  • Agricultural Policy and Trade

    Research on agricultural trade policy and market integration

A day as a student

A typical day involves morning coursework on agricultural economics theory and econometrics, afternoon policy analysis projects and data analysis, literature review on agricultural policy, and meetings with thesis supervisors on agricultural economics research.

The trade-offs

In its favourAgainst it
Strong demand from government, research institutes and international organisationsCoursework is intensive with 12 courses in the first year
Kenya's agricultural sector creates strong research demandField research requires travel to rural areas
Access to KALRO and IFPRI for research collaborationRequires strong quantitative and analytical skills
Research directly informs agricultural policy and food securityResearch may require extensive field data collection

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 303 agriculture courses
Public252k to 464k
252k at Egerton University464k at University of Nairobi
Private168k to 314k
168k at Kenya Methodist University314k at Kabarak University

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

UoN 464K, Egerton 252K, KU 367K/yr (official sites). KeMU 168K, Kabarak 314K/yr.

HELB postgraduate loans are available. NACOSTI grants support agricultural research. IFPRI may offer food policy research grants.

Funding options

  • HELB Postgraduate Loan

  • NACOSTI Research Grant

  • IFPRI Research Grants

Scholarships

5 recorded

  • RUFORUM Research Grant

    Grant

    Agricultural researchers at RUFORUM member universities

  • HELB Postgraduate Scholarship

    LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan

    Kenyan postgraduate students

  • IFPRI Research Grant

    Grant

    Food policy researchers

  • HELB Postgraduate Loan

    LoanKsh 60,000Kenyan

    Kenyan citizens in postgraduate programmes

  • NACOSTI Research Grant

    GrantKenyan

    Researchers in Kenya

Scholarships you could apply for

2 usable where it is taught
Save one and be reminded before it closes

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade
Master's degree in Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness Management, Economics or related field with coursework, examination and thesisminimum entry
Alternative entry

Bachelor's and Master's degrees from recognised institutions; draft research proposal

When it next starts

Taught at 4 institutions
January 20274 institutions

Including Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Kenyatta University.

May 20274 institutions

Including Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Kenyatta University.

September 20274 institutions

Including Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Kenyatta University.

How you are assessed

5 components

  • Thesis Defence

    Thesis50% of the mark

    Final oral defence of doctoral thesis

  • Coursework Examinations

    Written exam30% of the mark

    Written examinations on coursework

  • Policy Analysis Project

    Practical20% of the mark

    Practical policy analysis project

  • Thesis

    Thesis50% of the mark

    Doctoral thesis research, submission and oral defence

  • Coursework

    Continuous assessment30% of the mark

    Assignments, econometric exercises and class tests across 12 courses

Accreditation

  • Commission for University Education

    AcademicRequired

    Statutory body for university accreditation

This programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE).

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

7 roles

  • Development Consultant

    High demandKsh 150,000 to Ksh 380,000

    Consulting for World Bank, FAO, USAID and development organisations

  • University Professor

    High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000

    Teaching and research in agricultural economics departments

  • Research Economist

    High demandKsh 160,000 to Ksh 400,000

    Research at KALRO, IFPRI, AERC and international research institutes

  • Agribusiness Consultant

    High demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 250,000

    Consulting on agribusiness development

  • Agricultural Economist

    High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 220,000

    Economic analysis of agricultural sector

  • Policy Analyst

    High demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 250,000

    Analysis of agricultural and food policy

  • University Lecturer in Agricultural Economics

    High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 220,000

    Teaching and research in university agricultural economics departments

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers in academia, agricultural economics research, policy analysis and agribusiness consulting with high demand for agricultural economics expertise in Kenya.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

  • Jupyter Notebook

    Code

  • R

    CodePrimary

  • Stata

    AnalyticsPrimary

  • Python

    Programming

  • EViews

    Econometrics

  • Tableau

    Analytics

  • Google Scholar

    Analytics

  • Microsoft Excel

    Spreadsheet

Certifications

Common misconceptions

  • Agricultural economics is just about farm management

    The programme covers econometrics, policy analysis, trade economics, natural resource economics and agribusiness management.

  • The programme has limited career prospects

    Kenya's agricultural sector creates strong demand for economics expertise in government, research and agribusiness.

  • Only agriculture graduates can study this programme

    The programme accepts holders of master's degrees in agricultural economics, agribusiness management, economics or related fields.

  • Agricultural economics research is not rigorous

    The programme involves advanced econometrics and quantitative policy analysis.

  • The programme is purely theoretical

    The programme includes policy analysis projects and real-world agricultural data analysis.

Further reading

Read next