Science

Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Statistics

The Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Statistics is a doctoral programme offered at JKUAT through the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Sciences. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in statistical methods, data analysis and their application to real-world problems in health, agriculture, economics and industry. The programme combines statistical theory with computational methods to solve practical challenges.

Students engage with advanced topics in statistical inference, biostatistics, multivariate analysis, Bayesian statistics, time series analysis, statistical computing, design of experiments and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops statistical methods or applies existing techniques to address problems in public health, agriculture, economics and social sciences in Kenya.

Kenya's growing data ecosystem, the need for evidence-based policy making, the expansion of KNBS data collection and the demand for data analytics in the private sector create strong demand for doctoral-level statistics expertise. The programme supports Kenya's data-driven decision-making agenda.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, statistical computing sessions and supervised research at JKUAT. The programme is offered full-time and part-time with a duration of three years. Tuition fees are KSh 140,000 per year, with a total programme cost of KSh 510,500 over three years for science-based PhD programmes.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, statisticians, biostatisticians, data scientists and statistical consultants. They work in universities, KNBS, research institutes, pharmaceutical companies, financial institutions and government agencies.

The programme is ideal for individuals with strong statistical backgrounds who wish to contribute original research to applied statistics and data science.

Duration: 3 years
Public, up to: Ksh 336,600
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: 3 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Statistical Inference
Biostatistics
Multivariate Analysis
Bayesian Statistics
Time Series Analysis
Statistical Computing
Design of Experiments
Research Methods in Statistics
Stochastic Processes
Statistical Modelling

Modules

8 in the programme

Advanced Statistical Inference
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Theory and methods of statistical estimation and hypothesis testing, including probability theory, hypothesis testing, regression analysis, and statistical software applications for doctoral research.
Biostatistics
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Statistical methods for health and medical research, including probability theory, hypothesis testing, regression analysis, and statistical software applications for doctoral research.
Multivariate Analysis
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Statistical analysis of multivariate data, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and current analytical techniques used in advanced research and professional practice.
Bayesian Statistics
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Bayesian methods for statistical inference, including probability theory, hypothesis testing, regression analysis, and statistical software applications for doctoral research.
Statistical Computing
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Computational methods for statistical analysis, including probability theory, hypothesis testing, regression analysis, and statistical software applications for doctoral research.
Research Methods in Statistics
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Research design and methodology for statistical research, covering quantitative and qualitative approaches, data collection techniques, and analytical frameworks relevant to doctoral-level.
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

Statistical Computing
Computational methods for statistical analysis
Biostatistics
Statistical methods for health and medical research
Survey Statistics
Design and analysis of sample surveys
Economic Statistics
Statistical methods for economic analysis

A day as a student

A typical day involves analysing datasets using statistical software such as R and Python, developing statistical models, reviewing literature on statistical methods, attending seminars on biostatistics and data analysis, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and collaborating with researchers in health, agriculture or economics on data analysis.

The trade offs

In its favour

Growing demand for data analytics in Kenya's public and private sectors
JKUAT offers competitive fees at KSh 140,000/year
Skills are transferable across health, finance, technology and government

Against it

Requires strong mathematical and computational skills
Limited funding for statistical research in Kenya
Access to large datasets can be challenging

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

Public170k to 337k

170k at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology337k at Kenyatta University

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

JKUAT ~170K/yr (kenyaeducationguide), KU 336.6K/yr (ku.ac.ke). KeMU 168K, MKU 150K/yr.

HELB provides postgraduate loans. DAAD offers scholarships for postgraduate study. NACOSTI provides research grants for science and technology research.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
NACOSTI Research Grant

Scholarships

3 recorded

DAAD Kenya Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
Postgraduate students in Kenya
HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students
NACOSTI Research Grant
GrantKenyan
Science and technology researchers in Kenya

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: Masters Degree
Alternative entry: Admission shall be granted to holders of Masters degree in Statistics. Those holding other relevant qualifications must be approved by the university senate to determine their eligibility.

MSc in Statistics, Applied Statistics, Mathematics 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
Statistical analysis assignments, computing projects 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 JKUAT (Department of Statistics and Actuarial Sciences, College of Pure and Applied Sciences). Related programmes at University of Nairobi and Kenyatta University.

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

Statistician at KNBS
Moderate demandKsh 150,000 to Ksh 380,000
Statistical data collection and analysis at the national statistics bureau
Biostatistician
High demandKsh 170,000 to Ksh 420,000
Statistical analysis at KEMRI, CDC and health research institutes
Data Scientist
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Data analysis and modelling at technology companies and financial institutions
University Professor
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in statistics and mathematics departments

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, statisticians, biostatisticians and data scientists. They work at KNBS, KEMRI, universities, financial institutions and government agencies.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Statistics is just about counting and averages.
The field covers Bayesian methods, multivariate analysis, biostatistics, time series and statistical computing.
There is no demand for statistics PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's data ecosystem, KNBS expansion and private sector analytics create strong demand.
Statistics research is purely theoretical.
Applied statistics research develops methods for health, agriculture, economics and social problems.
Statistics is only for mathematics graduates.
The programme attracts economists, biologists, computer scientists and public health specialists.