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Doctor of Philosophy in Social Statistics

The Doctor of Philosophy in Social Statistics is a postgraduate research programme offered at the University of Nairobi and Kenyatta University through their respective departments of mathematics and statistics. The programme trains scholars to conduct advanced research on statistical methods for social data, survey methodology, demographic analysis, and social indicators, contributing to evidence-based social policy in Kenya and globally.

Duration
3-5 years
Next intake January 2027
Public tuition
Ksh 428,000
Ksh 1,284,000 to Ksh 2,140,000 total
Private tuition
Ksh 150,000
Ksh 450,000 to Ksh 750,000 total
Job market
High
Market demand for graduates

The short answer

What it costs
Up to Ksh 428,000 a year at a public institution, Ksh 1,284,000 to Ksh 2,140,000 for the whole course. Up to Ksh 150,000 a year at a private one.The detail
Who can get in
A KCSE mean grade of C+ or above, plus 3 subject grades. There is another way in without it.The detail
How long, and when
Takes 3-5 years, full-time, with 0 months of attachment. Next intake January 2027, at 2 institutions.The detail
Where it leads
8 careers in the catalogue. The least exposed to AI is Adolescent Mentorship Officer, at 14 out of 100.The detail

The programme

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

Overview

Students engage with advanced statistical theory, survey methodology, demographic statistics, social indicators, econometrics, and research methodology. The programme combines coursework with thesis research, requiring candidates to develop a research proposal, conduct independent statistical research, and produce a doctoral dissertation that makes an original contribution to social statistics.

Kenya's development planning, policy evaluation, and monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals depend on reliable social statistics. The programme addresses national priorities under Vision 2030 by training researchers who can improve social data collection, analysis, and use for national development.

Teaching methods include lectures, statistical computing, survey design and analysis, demographic modelling, and supervised thesis work. Students have access to UoN's School of Mathematics and KU's School of Pure and Applied Sciences, and collaborate with the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, UNFPA, the World Bank, and government ministries.

Graduates pursue careers as university lecturers, statisticians, demographic analysts, social researchers, and data scientists in universities, KNBS, KEMRI, the World Bank, UN agencies, and government.

This programme is ideal for holders of a Master's degree in social statistics, statistics, demography, or related quantitative fields who are committed to advancing knowledge in social statistics.

What you study

10 subjects
  • Advanced Statistical Theory
  • Survey Methodology
  • Demographic Statistics
  • Social Indicators
  • Econometrics
  • Research Methodology
  • Sampling Theory
  • Thesis Research
  • Biostatistics
  • Data Analysis

Modules

12 in the programme

  • Advanced Statistical Inference

    Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

    Advanced statistical inference including estimation, hypothesis testing, Bayesian methods, and asymptotic theory

  • Advanced Social Statistics and Statistical Inference

    Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

    Social statistics, including probability theory, hypothesis testing, regression analysis, and statistical software applications for doctoral research.

  • Survey Methodology and Sampling

    Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

    Survey design and sampling including probability sampling, sample size determination, non-response, and survey errors

  • Demographic Methods and Population Projections

    Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

    Demographic methods, requiring students to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world problems, conduct independent research, and present findings in a scholarly format.

  • Demographic Statistics and Modelling

    Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore

    Demographic methods including life tables, population projections, fertility and mortality estimation, and demographic accounting

  • Survey Methodology and Sampling Design

    Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore

    Survey methodology, covering design principles, methodologies, and practical approaches to creating effective solutions in professional contexts.

  • Social Indicators and Measurement

    Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore

    Measurement of social indicators including poverty, inequality, education, health, and gender statistics

  • Statistical Modelling and Regression Analysis

    Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore

    Statistical modelling, including probability theory, hypothesis testing, regression analysis, and statistical software applications for doctoral research.

  • Econometrics and Social Data Analysis

    Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore

    Econometric methods including regression, panel data, and causal inference for social research

  • Bayesian Statistics and Computational Methods

    Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore

    Bayesian statistics, including probability theory, hypothesis testing, regression analysis, and statistical software applications for doctoral research.

  • Categorical Data and Multivariate Methods

    Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore

    Analysis of categorical data, multivariate methods, and latent variable models for social statistics

  • Research Methods in Social Statistics

    Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore

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

Specialisations

  • Public Health Data Analysis (Junior)

    Specialization in Public Health Data Analysis (Junior), preparing graduates for careers such as public-health-data-analyst-junior.

  • Biostatistics Research

    Specialization in Biostatistics Research, preparing graduates for careers such as biostatistician.

  • Academic Research in Science

    Specialization in Academic Research in Science, preparing graduates for careers such as university-lecturer.

  • Public Health Data Analysis

    Specialization in Public Health Data Analysis, preparing graduates for careers such as data-analyst-in-public-health.

  • Social Data Science

    Specialization in Social Data Science, preparing graduates for careers such as social-data-scientist.

  • Economic Data Science

    Specialization in Economic Data Science, preparing graduates for careers such as economic-data-scientist.

  • Bayesian Methods

    Research on Bayesian methods

  • Demographic Statistics

    Research on demographic statistics

  • Social Indicators

    Research on social indicators

  • Survey Methodology

    Research on survey methodology

A day as a student

A typical day combines statistical analysis of social data with survey methodology, demographic modelling, data analysis, literature review, and thesis writing. Students attend statistics research seminars, present findings at colloquia, and engage with KNBS and UNFPA for social statistics research.

The trade-offs

In its favourAgainst it
Access to KNBS, Ministry of Planning and UN agenciesRequires strong mathematical and computing skills
Two public universities offer the programme providing choice and fee rangeUoN fees are high at KES 432,000 per year
Skills applicable across all sectorsAccess to quality social data can be limited
Diverse career paths in academia, government, international organisations, and data scienceStatistical research requires continuous updating of methods and software skills

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 243 science courses
Public337k to 428k
337k at Kenyatta University428k at University of Nairobi
Private150k to 150k
150k at Mount Kenya University150k at Mount Kenya 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 (uonbi Math), KU 336.6K/yr (ku.ac.ke). MKU 150K/yr (mku.ac.ke).

Students may access HELB postgraduate loans, DAAD scholarships, NRF research grants, and ISI research grants for social statistics research.

Funding options

  • HELB Postgraduate Loan

    LoanKsh 80,000

  • DAAD Scholarship

    Scholarship

  • NRF Research Grant

    Grant

  • ISI Research Grant

    Grant

Scholarships

5 recorded

  • HELB Postgraduate Scholarship

    LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan

    Kenyan postgraduate students

  • DAAD Kenya Scholarship

    ScholarshipKenyan

    Postgraduate students in Kenya

  • NACOSTI Research Grant

    GrantKenyan

    Science and technology researchers in Kenya

  • DAAD Scholarship

    ScholarshipKenyan

    African graduates meeting academic criteria for doctoral study

  • HELB Postgraduate Loan

    LoanKsh 80,000Kenyan

    Kenyan postgraduate students enrolled in recognised universities

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
C+minimum entry
Alternative entry

Relevant diploma or equivalent qualification

Subject requirements
Master's DegreeMSc in Social Statistics, Statistics, Demography, or related quantitative field from a recognised university
Undergraduate qualificationBachelor's degree in Statistics, Mathematics, or related quantitative field
Research capabilityEvidence of research ability through publications, reports, or academic work

When it next starts

Taught at 2 institutions
January 20272 institutions

Including Kenyatta University, University of Nairobi.

May 20272 institutions

Including Kenyatta University, University of Nairobi.

September 20272 institutions

Including Kenyatta University, University of Nairobi.

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, data analysis projects and seminar presentations

  • Thesis

    Thesis50% of the mark

    Doctoral thesis research, submission and oral defence

  • Oral Viva Voce

    Coursework100% of the mark

  • Thesis Examination

    Coursework100% of the mark

Accreditation

  • 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

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE).

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

8 roles

  • Survey Statistician

    High demandKsh 250,000 to Ksh 600,000

    Survey design at KNBS and research firms

  • Demographic Analyst

    Moderate demandKsh 220,000 to Ksh 550,000

    Demography at NCPD and UN agencies

  • Social Statistician

    High demandKsh 220,000 to Ksh 550,000

    Statistics at KNBS and research institutes

  • University Professor

    High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000

    Teaching and research in statistics departments

  • University Lecturer (Statistics)

    High demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 200,000

    Teaches statistics and conducts research in university mathematics and statistics departments

  • Demographer

    Moderate demandKsh 80,000 to Ksh 180,000

    Analyses population trends and projections at KNBS, UNFPA, or research institutions

  • Statistician

    High demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 200,000

    Analyses social data at KNBS, KEMRI, or research institutions

  • Data Scientist

    High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 250,000

    Applies statistical methods to social and economic data in industry, government, or consulting

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as university lecturers, statisticians, demographic analysts, and data scientists in universities, KNBS, KEMRI, the World Bank, UN agencies, and government.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Common misconceptions

  • Social statistics is just about collecting numbers on people

    Social statistics involves advanced survey design, sampling theory, demographic modelling, and statistical analysis to inform social policy and research.

  • A PhD in social statistics has limited career prospects

    KNBS, UN agencies, the World Bank, and government ministries need social statisticians for census, surveys, and policy evaluation.

  • Social statistics is not relevant to Kenya

    Kenya's development planning and monitoring of SDGs require high-quality social statistics, making this research critical for national development.

  • Social statistics is the same as general statistics

    Social statistics applies statistical methods specifically to social, demographic, and economic data, with a focus on survey and population data.

Further reading

Read next