Agriculture

Doctor of Philosophy in Animal Nutrition and Feed Science

The Doctor of Philosophy in Animal Nutrition and Feed Science is a doctoral programme offered at the University of Nairobi through the Department of Animal Production, at Egerton University, and at Kenyatta University through the Department of Animal Science. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in animal nutrition, feed science and feed technology. The programme addresses Kenya's livestock feed challenges including feed quality, availability and utilisation efficiency.

Students engage with advanced topics in animal nutrition, feed chemistry, feed processing technology, ruminant nutrition, monogastric nutrition, feed evaluation, pasture and forage science, nutritional physiology, feed biotechnology, mineral and vitamin nutrition and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops nutritional and feed science innovations for Kenya's livestock sector.

Kenya's livestock feed shortages, declining pasture quality, the need for efficient feed utilisation, commercial feed production and the growth of dairy and poultry industries create demand for doctoral-level animal nutrition and feed science expertise. The programme supports Kenya's livestock sector development and food security goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, laboratory sessions and supervised research. At UoN, the programme is offered through the Department of Animal Production with the philosophy of providing high-quality training in animal nutrition. At Egerton, tuition is KSh 200,000/year for PhD programmes. At KU, annual fees are KSh 367,200 for East Africans.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, animal nutrition researchers, feed technologists, nutritional consultants and livestock development specialists. They work in universities, KALRO, feed manufacturing companies, Ministry of Livestock and international livestock research organisations.

The programme is ideal for individuals with backgrounds in animal science, agriculture, veterinary medicine or related fields who wish to contribute original research to animal nutrition and feed science.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 428,000
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

Animal Nutrition and Metabolism
Feed Chemistry and Analysis
Feed Processing Technology
Ruminant Nutrition
Monogastric Animal Nutrition
Feed Evaluation and Quality Control
Pasture and Forage Science
Nutritional Physiology
Feed Biotechnology
Research Methods in Animal Nutrition

Modules

8 in the programme

Animal Nutrition and Metabolism
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Nutrition and metabolic processes, covering nutritional science principles, dietary assessment methods, and their application in public health.
Feed Chemistry and Analysis
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Chemistry and analysis of feeds, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and current analytical techniques used in advanced research and professional practice.
Feed Processing Technology
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Processing of animal feeds, covering technological tools, digital platforms, and information systems relevant to contemporary research and professional practice.
Ruminant Nutrition
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Nutrition of ruminant animals, covering nutritional science principles, dietary assessment methods, and their application in public health.
Feed Evaluation and Quality Control
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Evaluation of feed quality, covering assessment design, evaluation methodologies, data-driven decision-making, and quality assurance processes.
Research Methods in Animal Nutrition
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.
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

Ruminant Nutrition
Research on ruminant nutrition
Feed Biotechnology
Research on feed biotechnology
Forage Science
Research on pasture and forage science
Feed Technology
Research on feed processing technology

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting feed analysis in the laboratory, formulating feed rations, running digestion trials with animals, reviewing animal nutrition literature, attending seminars on feed science, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and visiting KALRO, feed companies and farms for industry research.

The trade offs

In its favour

Access to ILRI and KALRO for livestock nutrition research
Kenya's feed shortages create demand for nutrition expertise
Research contributes to livestock productivity and food security

Against it

Animal trials require ethical clearance and facilities
Laboratory research requires expensive equipment
Requires interdisciplinary knowledge of chemistry and biology

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 428k

252k at Egerton University428k 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 428,000/yr (uonbi.ac.ke). Egerton 251,900/yr. Private: KeMU 168,000, MKU 150,000/yr

HELB provides postgraduate loans. DAAD offers scholarships for postgraduate study. ILRI provides research grants for livestock nutrition research in Africa.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
ILRI Research Grant

Scholarships

3 recorded

DAAD Kenya Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
Postgraduate students in Kenya
ILRI Research Grant
Grant
Livestock nutrition researchers in Africa
HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: Masters Degree
Alternative entry: At UoN: MSc in Animal Nutrition and Feed Science or related field from UoN or recognised institution. At Egerton: Application fee KSh 2,000. At KU: Masters degree in relevant area from KU or recognised institution. Application fee KSh 3,000.

MSc in Animal Science, Animal Nutrition, Agriculture 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 faculty panel
Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, laboratory reports 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 University of Nairobi (Department of Animal Production), Egerton University (KSh 200,000/year) and Kenyatta University (KSh 367,200/year). KEBS regulates feed standards in 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

Nutritional Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 160,000 to Ksh 400,000
Consulting on livestock nutrition
University Professor
Moderate demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in animal science departments
Feed Technologist
Moderate demandKsh 170,000 to Ksh 420,000
Feed technology at manufacturing companies
Animal Nutrition Researcher
Moderate demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Research at KALRO and ILRI

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, animal nutrition researchers, feed technologists and nutritional consultants. They work at KALRO, ILRI, feed manufacturing companies, universities and Ministry of Livestock.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Animal nutrition is just about feeding animals.
The field covers feed chemistry, processing technology, nutritional physiology and feed biotechnology.
There is no demand for animal nutrition PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's feed shortages and livestock industry growth create demand.
Nutrition research is purely practical.
The programme uses biochemistry, physiology and analytical chemistry.
Only animal scientists study nutrition PhDs.
The programme attracts veterinarians, chemists and biotechnologists.