Agriculture

Doctor of Philosophy in Crop Science

The Doctor of Philosophy in Crop Science is a doctoral programme offered at Egerton University through the Faculty of Agriculture and at Kenyatta University through the Department of Agricultural Science and Technology. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in crop science, crop production and crop improvement. The programme addresses Kenya's agricultural productivity and food security challenges.

Students engage with advanced topics in crop physiology, crop breeding, agronomy, soil science, plant pathology, weed science, crop ecology, sustainable crop production, crop biotechnology and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops crop science innovations for Kenya's agricultural sector.

Kenya's food security challenges, declining crop yields, climate change impacts on agriculture, pest and disease pressures and the need for improved crop varieties create demand for doctoral-level crop science expertise. The programme supports Kenya's agricultural development and food security goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, fieldwork and supervised research. At Egerton, the programme is offered through the Faculty of Agriculture with tuition at KSh 200,000/year for PhD programmes, total KSh 742,700 over 3 years. Application fee is KSh 2,000. Candidates can also be upgraded from MSc to PhD based on exceptional research progress. At KU, annual fees are KSh 367,200 for East Africans.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, crop science researchers, plant breeders, agronomists and agricultural consultants. They work in universities, KALRO, Ministry of Agriculture, seed companies and international agricultural research organisations.

The programme is ideal for individuals with backgrounds in agriculture, crop science, botany or related fields who wish to contribute original research to crop science.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 367,200
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 and Production
Plant Breeding and Genetics
Advanced Agronomy
Soil Science and Fertility Management
Plant Pathology and Disease Management
Weed Science and Management
Crop Ecology and Adaptation
Sustainable Crop Production Systems
Crop Biotechnology
Research Methods in Crop Science

Modules

8 in the programme

Crop Physiology and Production
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Physiology and production of crops, covering agricultural principles, production technologies, and their application in sustainable farming systems.
Plant Breeding and Genetics
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Breeding and genetics of crop plants, covering genetic principles, molecular techniques, and their application in heredity and biotechnology research.
Advanced Agronomy
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Advanced agronomic practices, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.
Soil Science and Fertility Management
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Soil science and fertility, covering strategic planning, organisational behaviour, and contemporary management challenges relevant to professional practice.
Plant Pathology and Disease Management
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Pathology and disease management, covering strategic planning, organisational behaviour, and contemporary management challenges relevant to professional practice.
Research Methods in Crop Science
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

Crop Pathology
Research on crop pathology
Plant Breeding
Research on plant breeding and genetics
Crop Biotechnology
Research on crop biotechnology
Agronomy
Research on agronomy and crop production

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting crop field experiments, analysing crop yield data, running plant breeding trials, reviewing crop science literature, attending seminars on agronomy, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and visiting KALRO, KEPHIS and seed companies for industry research.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's food security challenges create strong demand
Access to KALRO, KEPHIS and CIMMYT for research
Research contributes to food security and agricultural development

Against it

Field research requires agricultural land and facilities
Crop trials are seasonal and weather-dependent
Requires interdisciplinary knowledge of biology and agriculture

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

Public245k to 367k

245k at Egerton University367k 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

Egerton 245K/yr, KU 367K/yr (ku.ac.ke). KeMU 168K (eafinder), MKU 150K/yr thesis-only (mku.ac.ke)

HELB provides postgraduate loans. DAAD offers scholarships for postgraduate study. FAO provides research grants. Egerton offers Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Scheme scholarships for climate-smart agriculture.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
FAO Research Grant
Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Scheme

Scholarships

4 recorded

Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Scheme
ScholarshipKenyan
African candidates in agriculture
HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students
FAO Research Grant
Grant
Agricultural researchers
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
Postgraduate students in Kenya

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: Masters Degree
Alternative entry: At Egerton: MSc in Crop Science or related field from Egerton or recognised institution. Application fee KSh 2,000. Candidates enrolled for MSc at Egerton for at least one year with exceptional research progress can be upgraded to PhD. At KU: Masters degree in relevant area from KU or recognised institution. Application fee KSh 3,000.

MSc in Agriculture, Crop Science, Agronomy, Botany or related field
Relevant Masters from recognised university

How you are assessed

3 components

Thesis
Thesis50% of the mark
Doctoral thesis research, submission and oral defence
Thesis Proposal Defence
Oral defence20% of the mark
Defence of research proposal before faculty panel
Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, field reports and seminar presentations

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Offered at Egerton University (Faculty of Agriculture, KSh 200,000/year, total KSh 742,700) and Kenyatta University (KSh 367,200/year). Egerton allows MSc-to-PhD upgrade for exceptional candidates. KEPHIS regulates plant health.

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 agriculture departments
Crop Science Researcher
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Research at KALRO and research institutes
Plant Breeder
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Breeding at seed companies and KALRO
Agronomist
High demandKsh 170,000 to Ksh 420,000
Agronomy at Ministry of Agriculture and consulting

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, crop science researchers, plant breeders and agronomists. They work at KALRO, KEPHIS, Ministry of Agriculture, seed companies and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Crop science is just about farming.
The field covers crop physiology, breeding, pathology, biotechnology and sustainable production.
There is no demand for crop science PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's food security challenges create strong demand.
Crop science research is purely practical.
The programme uses genetics, biotechnology and statistical analysis.
Only agriculturists study crop science PhDs.
The programme attracts botanists, biotechnologists and soil scientists.