Agriculture

Doctor of Philosophy in Agronomy

The Doctor of Philosophy in Agronomy is a doctoral programme offered at Egerton University and Kenyatta University. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research on crop production, soil management and farming systems for Kenya's diverse agro-ecological zones. The programme focuses on improving crop yields, developing sustainable farming practices and adapting agriculture to climate change.

Students engage with advanced topics in crop physiology, plant nutrition, soil fertility management, farming systems, weed science, crop ecology, plant breeding principles, irrigation agronomy and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops agronomic solutions for Kenyan and East African agriculture, including drought-tolerant cropping systems and sustainable intensification.

Kenya's food security agenda under the Big Four priorities, the need to increase agricultural productivity and climate change adaptation create strong demand for doctoral-level agronomy expertise. The programme supports Kenya's Vision 2030 goal of transforming agriculture through science-based innovations.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, field experiments and supervised research. At Kenyatta University, fees are KSh 367,200 per year for East Africans. Students conduct field trials, analyse crop and soil data, and develop agronomic recommendations. The programme is offered full-time at Kenyatta University's Kitui campus.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, agronomy researchers, crop production consultants, agricultural policy advisors and seed company research directors. They work in universities, KALRO, seed companies, government ministries and international agricultural research organisations.

The programme is ideal for individuals with backgrounds in agriculture, agronomy, horticulture or environmental science who wish to contribute original research to crop science and sustainable agriculture.

Duration: 3-4 years
Public, up to: Ksh 470,000
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

Crop Physiology
Plant Nutrition and Soil Fertility
Farming Systems Analysis
Weed Science
Crop Ecology
Irrigation Agronomy
Sustainable Crop Production
Research Methods in Agronomy
Plant Breeding Principles
Climate-Smart Crop Management

Modules

8 in the programme

Advanced Crop Physiology
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Physiological processes governing crop growth, development and yield, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.
Plant Nutrition and Soil Fertility
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Nutrient management for optimal crop production, covering nutritional science principles, dietary assessment methods, and their application in public health.
Farming Systems Analysis
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Analysis of farming systems for sustainable intensification, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and current analytical techniques used in advanced research and professional.
Weed Science and Management
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Weed ecology, biology and management strategies, covering strategic planning, organisational behaviour, and contemporary management challenges relevant to professional practice.
Research Methods in Agronomy
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Experimental design and statistical analysis for agronomic research, covering quantitative and qualitative approaches, data collection techniques, and analytical frameworks relevant to.
Climate-Smart Crop Management
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Adapting cropping systems to climate change, covering strategic planning, organisational behaviour, and contemporary management challenges relevant to professional practice.
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

Soil Fertility Management
Nutrient management for sustainable crop production
Crop Physiology
Research on physiological processes affecting crop yield
Conservation Agriculture
Sustainable cropping systems for soil conservation
Irrigation Agronomy
Crop production under irrigated conditions

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting field trials with different crop varieties, measuring plant growth and yield parameters, analysing soil and crop data, reviewing literature on crop science, attending seminars on agronomy, meeting with supervisors to discuss experimental results, and visiting KALRO research stations for collaboration.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's food security agenda creates strong demand for agronomy expertise
Access to KALRO research stations and CESAAM at Egerton
Research directly impacts crop productivity and food security

Against it

Field experiments require land, inputs and favourable weather
Research is seasonal and dependent on rainfall
Limited funding for agronomic field 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

Public252k to 470k

252k at Egerton 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. CESAAM at Egerton may offer additional support for doctoral students.

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. Candidate must include a brief outline of the proposed research project.

MSc in Agronomy, Horticulture, Agriculture, Environmental Science 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
Field reports, laboratory 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 Egerton University (Faculty of Agriculture) and Kenyatta University (School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences). The programme at Egerton is supported by CESAAM.

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

University Professor
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in agronomy and crop science departments
Seed Company Research Director
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Leading research and development at seed companies
Crop Production Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 140,000 to Ksh 350,000
Advising farmers and agribusiness companies on crop management
Agronomy Researcher
High demandKsh 160,000 to Ksh 400,000
Research at KALRO, CIMMYT and international research institutes

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, agronomy researchers, crop production consultants and seed company research directors. They work at KALRO, universities, seed companies and international research institutes.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Agronomy is just about growing crops.
The field covers crop physiology, soil science, weed management, farming systems and climate adaptation.
There is no need for agronomy PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's food security agenda and climate change challenges create strong demand for agronomy expertise.
Agronomy research is purely practical, not academic.
The programme uses rigorous experimental design, statistical analysis and scientific methodology.
Only people from farming backgrounds study agronomy.
The programme attracts scientists from biology, environmental science and agriculture backgrounds.