Health Sciences

Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental and Occupational Health

The Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental and Occupational Health is a postgraduate research programme offered at Kenyatta University through the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health in the School of Public Health. The programme trains scholars to conduct advanced research on environmental health hazards, occupational safety, workplace health risks, and public health interventions, contributing to healthier environments and safer workplaces in Kenya and globally.

Students engage with advanced environmental health science, occupational health and safety, exposure assessment, environmental epidemiology, risk assessment, and research methodology. The programme combines coursework with thesis research, requiring candidates to develop a research proposal, conduct independent field and laboratory research, and produce a doctoral dissertation that makes an original contribution to environmental and occupational health.

Kenya faces significant environmental health challenges including water and air pollution, hazardous waste, workplace injuries, and occupational diseases in agriculture, mining, and manufacturing. The programme addresses national health priorities under Vision 2030 and the Kenya Occupational Safety and Health Act by training researchers who can inform environmental health policy, workplace safety regulations, and public health interventions.

Teaching methods include lectures, field research in workplaces and communities, laboratory analysis of environmental samples, and supervised thesis work. Students have access to KU's public health laboratories and collaborate with the Ministry of Health, NEMA, and the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services.

Graduates pursue careers as university lecturers, environmental health researchers, occupational health specialists, public health consultants, and policy advisors in universities, the Ministry of Health, NEMA, WHO, ILO, and private sector companies.

This programme is ideal for holders of a Master's degree in environmental health, public health, occupational safety, or related health sciences who are committed to advancing knowledge in environmental and occupational health.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 428,000
Private, up to: Ksh 400,000
Job market: High

The programme

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

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time, Part-time
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 6 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Environmental Health Science
Occupational Health and Safety
Exposure Assessment
Environmental Epidemiology
Risk Assessment
Research Methodology
Environmental Toxicology
Thesis Research
Biostatistics
Health Policy and Regulation

Modules

12 in the programme

Advanced Environmental Health Science
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Advanced study of environmental health hazards including air, water, and soil pollution, chemical exposures, and their health impacts
Environmental Health Science
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Science of environmental health, covering clinical principles, evidence-based practice, and contemporary challenges in healthcare delivery and research.
Occupational Health and Safety Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Advanced occupational health including workplace hazard identification, risk management, OSH management systems, and workplace health promotion
Occupational Health and Safety
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Workplace health and safety, covering clinical principles, evidence-based practice, and contemporary challenges in healthcare delivery and research.
Exposure Assessment and Biomonitoring
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Methods for assessing human exposure to environmental and occupational hazards including air sampling, biomonitoring, and exposure modelling
Toxicology and Environmental Chemistry
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Toxicology of environmental pollutants, covering ecological principles, environmental management approaches, and sustainability challenges in contemporary contexts.
Environmental Epidemiology
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Epidemiological methods for studying environmental and occupational health impacts including study design and causal inference
Environmental Toxicology
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Toxicological principles including dose-response relationships, mechanisms of toxicity, and health effects of environmental contaminants
Industrial Hygiene
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Industrial hygiene and hazard control, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Risk Assessment and Risk Management
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Quantitative risk assessment methods including hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, and risk characterisation
Research Methods in Environmental Health
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Research design and 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

Environmental Policy Analysis
Specialization in Environmental Policy Analysis, preparing graduates for careers such as environmental-policy-analyst.
Environmental Science Research
Specialization in Environmental Science Research, preparing graduates for careers such as environmental-scientist.
Environmental Engineering Research
Specialization in Environmental Engineering Research, preparing graduates for careers such as environmental-engineer.
Public Health Research
Specialization in Public Health Research, preparing graduates for careers such as public-health-specialist.
Health Education Research
Specialization in Health Education Research, preparing graduates for careers such as health-educator.
Academic Research in Health
Specialization in Academic Research in Health, preparing graduates for careers such as university-lecturer.
Environmental Toxicology
Research on environmental toxicology
Industrial Hygiene
Research on industrial hygiene
Occupational Health
Research on workplace health and safety
Environmental Epidemiology
Research on environmental epidemiology

A day as a student

A typical day combines field research in workplaces and communities with laboratory analysis of environmental samples, data analysis on health outcomes and exposures, literature review, and thesis writing. Students attend public health research seminars, present findings at departmental colloquia, and engage with NEMA and DOSHS for field research.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's industrialisation creates demand for occupational health expertise
Access to DOSHS, NEMA, KEMRI and WHO for research
Research directly impacts worker health and safety
Strong institutional links with NEMA, DOSHS, WHO, and ILO

Against it

Limited funding for occupational health research in Kenya
Field research in workplaces and polluted environments involves health risks
Research funding for environmental health is competitive
Balancing laboratory, field, and policy research requires strong time management

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 349 health sciences courses

Public367k to 428k

367k at Kenyatta University428k at University of Nairobi

Private200k to 400k

200k at Mount Kenya University400k at Aga Khan 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 428K/yr (sphun.uonbi.ac.ke). KU 367K/yr (ku.ac.ke). MKU & AKU unverified

Students may access HELB postgraduate loans, WHO research grants, DAAD scholarships, and NRF research grants for environmental and occupational health research.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 80,000
WHO Research Grant
Grant
DAAD Scholarship
Scholarship
NRF Research Grant
Grant

Scholarships

5 recorded

NRF Research Grant
GrantKenyan
Researchers at Kenyan institutions conducting research relevant to national development
HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 80,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students enrolled in recognised universities
HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students
WHO Research Grant
Grant
Public health researchers
DAAD Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
African graduates meeting academic criteria for doctoral study

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: C+
Alternative entry: Relevant diploma or equivalent qualification

Master's Degree
MSc in Environmental Health, Public Health, Occupational Safety, or related health field from a recognised university
Undergraduate qualification
Bachelor's degree in Environmental Health, Public Health, or related health/science field
Research capability
Evidence of research ability through publications, reports, or academic work

How you are assessed

5 components

Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, field reports and seminar presentations
Thesis
Thesis50% of the mark
Doctoral thesis research, submission and oral defence
Thesis Examination
Coursework100% of the mark
Oral Viva Voce
Coursework100% of the mark
Field and Laboratory Reports
Coursework20% of the mark

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Occupational health practitioners may register with the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services (DOSHS).

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Mandatory accreditation for all university programmes in Kenya
Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services
Regulatory
Regulates occupational safety and health in Kenya
Commission for University Education
AcademicRequired
Statutory body responsible for accreditation of university programmes in Kenya

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

University Professor
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in public health departments
Industrial Hygienist
Moderate demandKsh 170,000 to Ksh 420,000
Industrial hygiene at factories and consulting
Public Health Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 200,000
Advises government, companies, and international organisations on environmental and occupational health policy
Environmental Health Researcher
Moderate demandKsh 80,000 to Ksh 180,000
Conducts environmental health research at research institutions, WHO, or international organisations
University Lecturer (Public Health)
High demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 200,000
Teaches environmental and occupational health and conducts research in university public health departments
Occupational Health Specialist
High demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 200,000
Manages occupational health programmes at companies, DOSHS, or occupational health consultancies

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as university lecturers, environmental health researchers, occupational health specialists, and public health consultants in universities, the Ministry of Health, NEMA, WHO, ILO, and private sector companies.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Environmental and occupational health is just about inspecting workplaces
Environmental and occupational health encompasses exposure science, epidemiology, toxicology, risk assessment, policy analysis, and research on health impacts of environmental and workplace hazards.
A PhD in environmental and occupational health has limited career prospects
Growing awareness of workplace safety and environmental health in Kenya creates demand for researchers at universities, the Ministry of Health, NEMA, WHO, ILO, and private companies.
Occupational health research is not relevant to Kenya
Kenya's agriculture, mining, and manufacturing sectors face significant occupational health risks, and environmental pollution affects public health, making this research critical for national development.
Environmental health is only about sanitation
Environmental health encompasses air and water quality, chemical safety, climate change health impacts, food safety, waste management, and occupational health, requiring multidisciplinary expertise.

Related courses

Doctor of philosophy in epidemiology