Agriculture

Doctor of Philosophy in Agribusiness Management

The Doctor of Philosophy in Agribusiness Management is a doctoral programme designed to produce scholars and practitioners capable of advancing research in agricultural business, value chain management and agricultural enterprise development. Offered at Kenyatta University, Egerton University and the University of Nairobi, the programme combines economic theory with business management principles applied to the agricultural sector.

Students engage with advanced topics in agribusiness strategy, agricultural value chain analysis, farm management economics, agricultural marketing, supply chain management in agriculture, econometric methods and research methodology. The curriculum emphasises original research that addresses real challenges in Kenya's agricultural sector, including food security, market access and enterprise development.

Kenya's agricultural sector contributes approximately 33 per cent of GDP and employs the majority of the workforce. The growing emphasis on commercialisation of agriculture, agribusiness incubation and value addition creates demand for doctoral-level expertise in agribusiness management. The programme supports Kenya's Vision 2030 goals of transforming agriculture from subsistence to commercial production.

Teaching is delivered through coursework in the first year, followed by independent research under supervision. Students attend seminars, present research at conferences and engage with industry through field visits and attachments. The programme is offered full-time and part-time at Kenyatta University with fees of KSh 326,400 per year for East Africans.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, agribusiness researchers, agricultural policy analysts, value chain consultants and enterprise development advisors. They work in universities, research institutes, government ministries, international organisations and agribusiness companies.

The programme is ideal for individuals with backgrounds in agricultural economics, agribusiness or economics who wish to contribute original research to agribusiness development in Kenya and East Africa.

Duration: 3 years
Public, up to: Ksh 464,000
Private, up to: Ksh 168,000
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: 5 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Agribusiness Strategy
Agricultural Value Chain Analysis
Farm Management Economics
Agricultural Marketing
Supply Chain Management in Agriculture
Econometric Methods
Research Methods in Agricultural Economics
Agricultural Policy Analysis
Agricultural Finance and Risk
Quantitative Methods for Agribusiness

Modules

8 in the programme

Advanced Agribusiness Strategy
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Strategic management theory applied to agribusiness enterprises and value chains
Agricultural Value Chain Analysis
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Analysis of agricultural value chains, market integration and value addition, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and current analytical techniques used in advanced research.
Econometric Methods
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Advanced econometric techniques for agricultural economics research, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in.
Research Methods in Agricultural Economics
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Research design, data collection and analysis for agricultural economics, covering quantitative and qualitative approaches, data collection techniques, and analytical frameworks relevant to.
Agricultural Marketing
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Market structure, pricing and marketing strategies in agricultural markets, covering agricultural principles, production technologies, and their application in sustainable farming systems.
Agricultural Finance and Risk
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Financial management and risk assessment in agribusiness, covering agricultural principles, production technologies, and their application in sustainable farming systems.
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.
Thesis Research
Year 3Semester 26 creditsCore
Doctoral thesis research and dissertation writing, involving original research, literature review, data analysis, and the production of a doctoral dissertation contributing new knowledge to the.

Specialisations

Agribusiness Trade
Research on agricultural trade and market integration
Agricultural Marketing
Marketing strategies and consumer behaviour in agricultural markets
Value Chain Management
Analysis of agricultural value chains and supply chain management
Agricultural Finance
Financial management and credit access in agribusiness

A day as a student

A typical day involves analysing agricultural market data, reviewing literature on value chain development, attending seminars on agribusiness strategy, conducting field research with farmers and agribusiness enterprises, meeting supervisors to discuss thesis progress, and presenting research findings at departmental colloquia.

The trade offs

In its favour

Agriculture is Kenya's largest sector, creating strong demand for agribusiness expertise
DAAD-AERC scholarships available for agricultural economics PhD students
Research directly impacts food security and agricultural development

Against it

Field research requires travel to rural areas and agricultural communities
Limited number of supervisors with agribusiness specialisation in Kenya
Funding for agricultural research is competitive

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

Private150k to 168k

150k at Mount Kenya University168k at Kenya Methodist 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/yr, KU 367K (ku.ac.ke). Egerton 252K. KeMU 168K, MKU 150K

HELB provides postgraduate loans. DAAD-AERC offers CMAAE PhD scholarships for agricultural economics students at CMAAE network universities including Egerton and UoN. RUFORUM provides research grants for agricultural innovation.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
DAAD-AERC CMAAE PhD Scholarship
RUFORUM Research Grant

Scholarships

3 recorded

RUFORUM Research Grant
Grant
Agricultural researchers at RUFORUM member universities
HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students
DAAD-AERC CMAAE PhD Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
Agricultural economics students at CMAAE network universities

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: Masters Degree
Alternative entry: Holder of relevant Masters degree from a recognised university. The Masters degree must have been based on coursework, examination and thesis.

MSc in Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness Management, Economics or related field
Relevant Masters with coursework and thesis

How you are assessed

3 components

Thesis Proposal Defence
Oral defence20% of the mark
Defence of research proposal before departmental panel
Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, econometric exercises and seminar presentations
Thesis
Thesis50% of the mark
Doctoral thesis research, submission and oral defence

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Offered at Kenyatta University (PhD in Agribusiness Management and Trade), Egerton University and the University of Nairobi. The programme is recognised by the Agricultural Economics Society of Kenya.

Accredited by

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

4 roles

Agribusiness Researcher
High demandKsh 150,000 to Ksh 380,000
Research at KALRO, AERC, universities and international research institutes
Value Chain Consultant
High demandKsh 160,000 to Ksh 400,000
Consulting for agribusiness companies and development organisations
University Professor
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in agribusiness and agricultural economics departments
Agricultural Policy Analyst
Moderate demandKsh 140,000 to Ksh 320,000
Advising government on agricultural policy and trade

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, agribusiness researchers, policy analysts and value chain consultants. They work in universities, research institutes, government ministries and agribusiness companies.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Agribusiness management PhD is just about farming.
The programme covers value chains, marketing, finance, policy and enterprise development across the entire agricultural sector.
There is no need for doctoral-level agribusiness training in Kenya.
Kenya's agricultural commercialisation and Vision 2030 goals create demand for high-level expertise in agribusiness research and policy.
Agribusiness research is purely theoretical.
Research addresses practical challenges in food security, market access, value addition and enterprise development.
Only people from farming backgrounds can study agribusiness.
The programme attracts economists, business graduates and development practitioners interested in agricultural sector transformation.