Agriculture

Doctor of Philosophy in Agricultural Resource Management

The Doctor of Philosophy in Agricultural Resource Management is a doctoral programme focused on the sustainable management of agricultural resources including land, water, labour and capital. Offered at Kenyan universities, the programme produces scholars capable of advancing research on resource allocation, efficiency and sustainability in agricultural systems.

Students engage with advanced topics in resource economics, land economics, water resource management, agricultural labour economics, farm management, environmental economics, sustainable agriculture and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that addresses the competing demands on agricultural resources in Kenya and East Africa.

Kenya faces increasing pressure on agricultural resources due to population growth, climate change, land fragmentation and water scarcity. The programme supports sustainable resource management practices that balance productivity with environmental conservation, aligned with Kenya's Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, seminars and supervised research. Students conduct field research on resource use patterns, analyse economic data and develop management models. The programme is offered full-time and part-time with a minimum duration of three years.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, resource management researchers, agricultural policy analysts, land management consultants and environmental economists. They work in universities, government ministries, NEMA, international organisations and agricultural development agencies.

The programme is ideal for individuals with backgrounds in agricultural economics, environmental science or natural resource management who wish to contribute original research to sustainable agricultural resource use.

Duration: 3 years
Public, up to: Ksh 470,000
Private, up to: Ksh 168,000
Job market: Moderate

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: 4 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Resource Economics
Land Economics
Water Resource Management
Agricultural Labour Economics
Farm Management
Environmental Economics
Sustainable Agriculture
Research Methods in Resource Management
Natural Resource Policy
Agricultural Systems Analysis

Modules

8 in the programme

Advanced Resource Economics
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Economic theory applied to agricultural resource allocation and management, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.
Land Economics and Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Economic analysis of land use, valuation and management, covering strategic planning, organisational behaviour, and contemporary management challenges relevant to professional practice.
Water Resource Management
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Management of water resources for agricultural production, covering strategic planning, organisational behaviour, and contemporary management challenges relevant to professional practice.
Environmental Economics
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Economic analysis of environmental impacts of agriculture, covering ecological principles, environmental management approaches, and sustainability challenges in contemporary contexts.
Sustainable Agriculture Systems
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Frameworks for sustainable agricultural resource use, covering agricultural principles, production technologies, and their application in sustainable farming systems.
Research Methods in Resource Management
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Research design and methodology for resource studies, covering quantitative and qualitative approaches, data collection techniques, and analytical frameworks relevant to doctoral-level research in.
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

Environmental Economics
Economic analysis of environmental impacts
Sustainable Agriculture
Research on sustainable farming systems
Land Resource Management
Economic analysis of land use and management
Water Resource Economics
Economics of water resource allocation in agriculture

A day as a student

A typical day involves analysing resource use data using economic models, reviewing literature on sustainable resource management, conducting field research on farming systems, attending seminars on environmental economics, meeting with supervisors to discuss thesis progress, and engaging with NEMA and county government officials on research findings.

The trade offs

In its favour

Addresses Kenya's pressing resource scarcity and sustainability challenges
Relevant to multiple sectors including agriculture, environment and water
Research informs policy on sustainable resource use

Against it

Requires competence in both economics and environmental science
Field research requires travel to diverse agricultural zones
Limited funding for resource management research

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

Public367k to 470k

367k at Kenyatta University470k 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 470,000/yr (uonbi.ac.ke). KU 367,200/yr (ku.ac.ke). Private: KeMU 168,000, MKU 150,000/yr

HELB provides postgraduate loans. DAAD offers scholarships for postgraduate study. RUFORUM provides research grants for agricultural research at member universities.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
RUFORUM Research Grant

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
Postgraduate students in Kenya
RUFORUM Research Grant
Grant
Agricultural researchers at RUFORUM member 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. Must submit a research proposal.

MSc in Agricultural Economics, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management or related field
Relevant Masters from recognised university

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, economic modelling 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 Kenyan universities as part of agricultural economics and resource management programmes.

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

Environmental Economist
Moderate demandKsh 140,000 to Ksh 350,000
Economic analysis of environmental and agricultural policies
University Professor
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in agricultural economics and resource management
Resource Management Researcher
Moderate demandKsh 150,000 to Ksh 380,000
Research at KALRO, universities and international organisations
Land Management Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 320,000
Advising on land use and agricultural resource management

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, resource management researchers, policy analysts and environmental economists. They work in universities, government, NEMA and international organisations.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Agricultural resource management is just about farm management.
The field covers land, water, labour and capital resources at farm, watershed and national levels.
There is no demand for resource management PhDs.
Kenya's resource scarcity challenges and environmental regulations create demand for expertise.
Resource management research is purely theoretical.
Research addresses practical challenges in land use, water allocation and sustainable farming.
Resource management is only for agricultural economists.
The programme attracts environmental scientists, geographers and development practitioners.