Art and Design

Doctor of Philosophy in Design

The Doctor of Philosophy in Design is a doctoral programme offered at Kenyatta University through the School of Visual and Performing Arts and the Department of Design. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in design theory, design practice and design innovation. The programme addresses Kenya's growing creative economy and the need for advanced design research and scholarship.

Students engage with advanced topics in design theory, design research methods, visual communication design, product design, design history, design and technology, human-centred design, design entrepreneurship, sustainable design, and design education. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops design insights for Kenya's creative economy and industrial development.

Kenya's growing creative economy, the expansion of design industries, the need for product innovation, branding and advertising growth and the demand for design education create demand for doctoral-level design expertise. The programme supports Kenya's creative economy and industrial development goals.

Teaching is delivered through studio practice, coursework and supervised research at Kenyatta University. The School of Visual and Performing Arts offers the programme with annual fees of KSh 244,800 for East Africans and KSh 306,000 for non-East Africans. Application fee is KSh 3,000.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, design researchers, design consultants, creative directors and design entrepreneurs. They work in universities, design agencies, advertising firms, manufacturing companies and creative industries.

The programme is ideal for practising designers and scholars with backgrounds in design, fine art, architecture or related fields who wish to contribute original research to design.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 512,000
Private, up to: Ksh 317,200
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: 3 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Design Theory and Criticism
Design Research Methods
Visual Communication Design
Product and Industrial Design
Design History and Culture
Design and Technology
Human-Centred Design
Design Entrepreneurship
Sustainable Design
Design Education

Modules

8 in the programme

Design Theory and Criticism
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Theoretical approaches to design, examining foundational principles, conceptual frameworks, and theoretical debates that shape contemporary understanding in this field.
Design Research Methods
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Research methods for design, covering quantitative and qualitative approaches, data collection techniques, and analytical frameworks relevant to doctoral-level research in the field.
Visual Communication Design
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Visual communication theory, covering design principles, methodologies, and practical approaches to creating effective solutions in professional contexts.
Product and Industrial Design
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Product design research, covering design principles, methodologies, and practical approaches to creating effective solutions in professional contexts.
Human-Centred Design
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Human-centred design approaches, covering design principles, methodologies, and practical approaches to creating effective solutions in professional contexts.
Design Education
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Education in design, covering design principles, methodologies, and practical approaches to creating effective solutions in professional contexts.
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

Human-Centred Design
Research on human-centred design
Visual Communication
Research on visual communication design
Design Education
Research on design education
Product Design
Research on product and industrial design

A day as a student

A typical day involves studio practice and design research, developing design prototypes, reviewing design theory literature, attending seminars on design research, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with design agencies, KIRDI and creative industries for research collaboration.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's growing creative economy creates opportunities
Access to KIRDI for product design research
Research contributes to creative economy and industrial development

Against it

Career opportunities outside academia are limited
Limited funding for design research in Kenya
Studio space and materials can be expensive

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 73 art and design courses

Public275k to 512k

275k at Kenyatta University512k at University of Nairobi

Private170k to 317k

170k at Kenya Methodist University317k at Kabarak 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 512K arts-design.uonbi.ac.ke. KU 275K ku.ac.ke. KeMU 170K eafinder, Kabarak 317K kabarak.ac.ke

HELB provides postgraduate loans. DAAD offers scholarships for postgraduate study. CODESRIA provides research grants for humanities research in Africa.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
CODESRIA Research Grant

Scholarships

3 recorded

CODESRIA Research Grant
Grant
Humanities researchers in Africa
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
Postgraduate students in Kenya
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 KU: Masters degree in relevant area from KU or recognised institution. Application fee KSh 3,000. The School of Visual and Performing Arts, Department of Design offers the programme.

MA/MFA in Design, Fine Art, Architecture 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
Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, studio projects and seminar presentations
Thesis Proposal Defence
Oral defence20% of the mark
Defence of research proposal before faculty panel

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Offered at Kenyatta University (School of Visual and Performing Arts, Department of Design). KU fees KSh 244,800/year for East Africans.

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

Creative Director
Moderate demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Creative direction at agencies
Design Researcher
Moderate demandKsh 160,000 to Ksh 400,000
Research at design agencies and KIRDI
University Professor
Moderate demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in design departments
Design Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 170,000 to Ksh 420,000
Consulting on design projects

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, design researchers, design consultants and creative directors. They work at universities, design agencies, KIRDI, advertising firms and creative industries.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Design PhD is just about making things look good.
The field covers design theory, research methods, human-centred design, sustainability and entrepreneurship.
There is no demand for design PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's growing creative economy creates demand for design scholarship.
Design research is purely practical.
The programme includes theoretical research, design history and cultural studies.
Only graphic designers study design PhDs.
The programme attracts product designers, architects and educators.