Social Sciences

Doctor of Philosophy in History and Political Science

The Doctor of Philosophy in History and Political Science is a postgraduate research programme offered at Kenyatta University and the University of Nairobi through their respective Schools of Humanities and Social Sciences. The programme trains scholars to conduct advanced interdisciplinary research on historical processes and political systems, contributing to understanding of Kenya's political development, governance, and historical trajectory in African and global contexts.

Students engage with advanced historiography, political theory, African political history, research methodology, and comparative politics. The programme combines coursework with thesis research, requiring candidates to develop a research proposal, conduct independent archival and field research, and produce a doctoral dissertation that makes an original contribution to history and political science.

Kenya's political landscape is shaped by its colonial history, independence struggle, multi-party democracy transition, and devolution reforms, requiring rigorous academic analysis. The programme addresses national priorities under Vision 2030 by training researchers who can inform governance, constitutionalism, and political development through historical and political analysis.

Teaching methods include lectures, research seminars, archival research, field interviews, policy analysis, and supervised thesis work. Students have access to university humanities and social sciences resources and collaborate with the Kenya National Archives, the National Museum, and research institutions.

Graduates pursue careers as university lecturers, history and political science researchers, policy analysts, diplomatic officers, and governance consultants in universities, government, embassies, NGOs, and international organisations.

This programme is ideal for holders of a Master's degree in history, political science, international relations, or related social sciences who are committed to advancing knowledge in history and political science.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 244,800
Private, up to: Ksh 333,533
Job market: Low

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

Historiography and Historical Methods
Political Theory
African Political History
Comparative Politics
Research Methodology
Kenya's Political Development
Thesis Research
International Relations
Governance and Public Policy
Historical Archives and Sources

Modules

12 in the programme

Advanced Historiography and Historical Methods
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Advanced historiography including historical methods, source criticism, oral history, and historiographical debates in African history
Historiography and Political Theory
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Historiography and political theory, examining foundational principles, conceptual frameworks, and theoretical debates that shape contemporary understanding in this field.
Political Theory and Governance
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Advanced political theory including democratic theory, state formation, governance, and political institutions in African contexts
African Political History
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Political history of Africa including colonialism, independence movements, post-colonial governance, and political transitions
Governance and Democracy Studies
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Governance and democracy, covering political theories, governance frameworks, and their application in public administration.
Kenya's Political Development
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Political development of Kenya including colonial era, independence, multi-party transition, constitutional reform, and devolution
Political Economy of Development
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Political economy, exploring development theories, sustainable practices, and their application in addressing contemporary challenges in Kenya and beyond.
Comparative Politics and Governance
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Comparative analysis of political systems including electoral systems, party systems, and governance frameworks across African countries
International Relations and Diplomacy
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
International relations theory and practice including Africa in global politics, regional integration, and diplomatic studies
Research Methods in History and Political Science
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.
Research Methodology and Qualitative Methods
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Research methods for historical and political research including archival research, oral history, interviews, and qualitative analysis
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

Public History Practice
Specialization in Public History Practice, preparing graduates for careers such as public-historian.
Political Consultancy
Specialization in Political Consultancy, preparing graduates for careers such as political-consultant.
Academic Research in Social Sciences
Specialization in Academic Research in Social Sciences, preparing graduates for careers such as university-lecturer.
Museum Education Research
Specialization in Museum Education Research, preparing graduates for careers such as museum-education-officer.
Political Science and Governance
Specialization in Political Science and Governance, preparing graduates for careers such as political-science.
Diplomatic Service
Specialization in Diplomatic Service, preparing graduates for careers such as diplomat.
Political Economy
Research on political economy
Governance Studies
Research on governance and democracy
Public Policy
Research on public policy
African Political History
Research on African political history

A day as a student

A typical day combines archival research with political analysis, field interviews, literature review, and thesis writing. Students attend humanities and social science research seminars, present findings at departmental colloquia, and engage with the Kenya National Archives and research institutions for historical and political research.

The trade offs

In its favour

Interdisciplinary programme combining historical and political analysis
Kenya's democratic transition creates strong demand
Research contributes to governance and democracy
Relevant to Kenya's governance and democratic development

Against it

Funding for political science research is limited
Accessing political data can be challenging
Career prospects are more limited compared to STEM fields
Political research can be sensitive in Kenya's political environment

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 241 social sciences courses

Public237k to 245k

237k at University of Nairobi245k at Kenyatta University

Private200k to 334k

200k at Mount Kenya University334k 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 237K/yr avg (uonbi.ac.ke). KU 245K/yr (ku.ac.ke). Kabarak 334K/yr. MKU 200K unverified.

Students may access HELB postgraduate loans, DAAD scholarships, NRF research grants, and Ford Foundation fellowships for history and political science research.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 80,000
DAAD Scholarship
Scholarship
NRF Research Grant
Grant
Ford Foundation Fellowship
Fellowship

Scholarships

5 recorded

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

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
MA in History, Political Science, International Relations, or related social science from a recognised university
Undergraduate qualification
Bachelor's degree in History, Political Science, or related humanities/social science field
Research capability
Evidence of research ability through publications, reports, or academic work

How you are assessed

5 components

Thesis Proposal Defence
Oral defence20% of the mark
Defence of research proposal before faculty panel
Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, research papers and seminar presentations
Continuous Assessment Tests (CATs)
Coursework30% of the mark
Research Seminars
Coursework20% of the mark
Thesis Examination
Coursework100% of the mark

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE).

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Mandatory accreditation for all university programmes 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

8 roles

Policy Analyst
High demandKsh 170,000 to Ksh 420,000
Policy at Parliament and think tanks
Political Researcher
High demandKsh 170,000 to Ksh 420,000
Research on politics and governance
University Professor
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in social science departments
Governance Consultant
High demandKsh 170,000 to Ksh 420,000
Consulting on governance projects
Public Historian
Low demandKsh 70,000 to Ksh 160,000
Works with museums, archives, and heritage institutions on historical research and public education
University Lecturer (History/Political Science)
High demandKsh 80,000 to Ksh 180,000
Teaches history and political science and conducts research in university humanities departments
Political Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 80,000 to Ksh 180,000
Provides political analysis and strategy for political parties, government, or organisations
Diplomat / Foreign Service Officer
Low demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 200,000
Serves in Kenya's foreign service with political analysis expertise

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as university lecturers, history and political science researchers, policy analysts, and diplomatic officers in universities, government, embassies, NGOs, and international organisations.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

History and political science is just about memorising dates and events
History and political science involves critical analysis of historical processes, political systems, governance, power dynamics, and policy analysis using rigorous research methods and theoretical frameworks.
A PhD in history and political science has limited career prospects
Graduates work in academia, government, diplomacy, policy analysis, and governance consulting, with demand from universities, government, and international organisations.
History and political science research is not relevant to Kenya
Kenya's political development including devolution, constitutional reform, and democratic consolidation requires rigorous historical and political analysis to inform governance and policy.
History and political science is only for those who want to be teachers
Graduates work as researchers, policy analysts, diplomatic officers, governance consultants, and museum curators, not only as teachers.

Related courses

Doctor of philosophy in history education