Environmental Science

Doctor of Philosophy in Climate Change Science

The Doctor of Philosophy in Climate Change Science is a doctoral programme offered at the University of Nairobi through the School of Physical Sciences in collaboration with the ODeL campus. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research on the physical science of climate change, including atmospheric processes, climate dynamics, climate modelling and the scientific basis of climate change. The programme focuses on the fundamental science underlying climate change rather than adaptation strategies.

Students engage with advanced topics in atmospheric physics, climate dynamics, climate modelling, statistical climatology, remote sensing of climate, oceanography, biogeochemical cycles, paleoclimatology and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that advances understanding of climate system processes, climate variability and climate change projections relevant to East Africa.

Kenya's need for climate projections, the expansion of meteorological services and the importance of understanding regional climate change create demand for doctoral-level climate science expertise. The programme supports Kenya's meteorological services and contributes to regional climate modelling capacity.

Teaching is delivered through coursework and supervised research, with ODeL options available through the Kisumu campus. The programme runs for a minimum of three years. Current fee schedules are available from the University of Nairobi Main Campus. The programme is related to the PhD in Meteorology offered through the Department of Earth and Climate Science.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, climate scientists, meteorological researchers, climate modellers and atmospheric scientists. They work in universities, Kenya Meteorological Department, international climate research organisations and research institutes.

The programme is ideal for individuals with backgrounds in physics, meteorology, mathematics, environmental science or related quantitative fields who wish to contribute original research to climate science.

Duration: 3 years
Public, up to: Ksh 392,000
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, Online
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 3 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Atmospheric Physics and Dynamics
Climate Modelling and Simulation
Statistical Climatology
Remote Sensing of Climate
Oceanography and Climate
Biogeochemical Cycles
Paleoclimatology
Research Methods in Climate Science
Climate Data Analysis
Regional Climate Systems

Modules

8 in the programme

Atmospheric Physics and Dynamics
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Physics of the atmosphere and atmospheric processes, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Climate Modelling and Simulation
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Computer modelling of the climate system, covering mathematical and computational modelling techniques, simulation methods, and their application in research and analysis.
Statistical Climatology
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Statistical methods for climate data analysis, including probability theory, hypothesis testing, regression analysis, and statistical software applications for doctoral research.
Remote Sensing of Climate
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Satellite remote sensing for climate monitoring, covering climate science principles, adaptation strategies, and their application in environmental policy.
Oceanography and Climate
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Ocean-atmosphere interactions and climate, covering climate science principles, adaptation strategies, and their application in environmental policy.
Research Methods in Climate Science
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Research design and methodology for climate science, 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

Atmospheric Science
Study of atmospheric processes and dynamics
Climate Modelling
Computer simulation of the climate system
Paleoclimatology
Study of past climates
Remote Sensing
Satellite-based climate monitoring

A day as a student

A typical day involves running climate models on computational systems, analysing climate datasets using statistical software, reviewing literature on climate science, attending seminars on atmospheric and climate processes, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and collaborating with Kenya Meteorological Department for data and validation.

The trade offs

In its favour

Growing demand for climate expertise in Kenya and internationally
ODeL option provides flexibility for working professionals
Access to KMD and ICCA for research collaboration

Against it

Requires strong quantitative and computational skills
Limited high-performance computing infrastructure in Kenya
Access to long-term climate data can be limited

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 181 environmental science courses

Public367k to 392k

367k at Kenyatta University392k 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

KU PhD ~367K/yr (ku.ac.ke). UoN ~392K/yr. KeMU ~168K (eafinder), MKU 150K/yr

HELB provides postgraduate loans. DAAD offers scholarships for postgraduate study. NACOSTI provides research grants for science and technology research. WCRP may offer research collaboration opportunities.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
NACOSTI Research Grant

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
Postgraduate students in Kenya
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: Holder of a Master's degree in Meteorology, Climate Change, Physics or related field from UoN or equivalent from a recognised university. Must submit a research proposal. Contact [email protected] for current fee schedules.

MSc in Meteorology, Physics, Mathematics, 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
Assignments, computational 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 the University of Nairobi (School of Physical Sciences in collaboration with ODeL campus). Related to PhD in Meteorology (I805) and PhD in Climate Change and Adaptation (I85) offered through the Department of Earth and Climate Science.

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

Climate Modeller
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Developing climate models at research institutions
Meteorological Researcher
Moderate demandKsh 160,000 to Ksh 400,000
Research at Kenya Meteorological Department
Climate Scientist
High demandKsh 170,000 to Ksh 420,000
Climate research at KMD, ICCA and research institutes
University Professor
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in climate science and meteorology departments

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, climate scientists, meteorological researchers and climate modellers. They work at KMD, ICCA, universities and international climate research organisations.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Climate science is just about weather forecasting.
The field covers atmospheric physics, climate modelling, oceanography, biogeochemical cycles and paleoclimatology.
There is no demand for climate science PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's need for climate projections and meteorological services creates demand.
Climate science is purely theoretical.
The programme uses computational modelling, data analysis and field measurements.
Only meteorologists study climate science.
The programme attracts physicists, mathematicians, environmental scientists and computer scientists.