Environmental Science

Doctor of Philosophy in Ecology

The Doctor of Philosophy in Ecology is a doctoral programme offered at the University of Nairobi through the School of Biological Sciences, at Kenyatta University through the Department of Biological Sciences, at Mount Kenya University through the School of Pure and Applied Sciences, and at Maseno University. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in ecology, ecosystem science and environmental biology. The programme addresses Kenya's biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management challenges.

Students engage with advanced topics in population ecology, community ecology, ecosystem ecology, behavioural ecology, conservation ecology, ecological modelling, climate change ecology, restoration ecology, biostatistics and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops ecological insights for Kenya's biodiversity and ecosystem management.

Kenya's rich biodiversity, diverse ecosystems from mountains to coast, climate change impacts, habitat degradation, human-wildlife conflict and the economic importance of wildlife tourism create demand for doctoral-level ecology expertise. The programme supports Kenya's biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, fieldwork and supervised research. At UoN, the programme is offered through the School of Biological Sciences. At KU, annual fees are KSh 244,800 for East Africans. At MKU, PhD in Ecology costs KSh 150,000/year, total KSh 450,000 over 3 years. At Maseno, ecology is offered through the School of Arts and Social Sciences.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, ecological researchers, conservation scientists, environmental consultants and ecosystem managers. They work in universities, KWS, KALRO, National Museums of Kenya, conservation NGOs and international environmental organisations.

The programme is ideal for individuals with backgrounds in biology, ecology, environmental science, wildlife management or related fields who wish to contribute original research to ecology.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 367,200
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

Population and Community Ecology
Ecosystem Ecology and Biogeochemistry
Behavioural Ecology
Conservation Ecology
Ecological Modelling and Statistics
Climate Change Ecology
Restoration Ecology
Landscape Ecology
Biodiversity Science
Research Methods in Ecology

Modules

8 in the programme

Population and Community Ecology
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Population and community dynamics, covering ecological principles, environmental management approaches, and sustainability challenges in contemporary contexts.
Ecosystem Ecology and Biogeochemistry
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Ecosystem processes and biogeochemistry, covering ecological principles, environmental management approaches, and sustainability challenges in contemporary contexts.
Conservation Ecology
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Ecology of conservation, covering ecological principles, environmental management approaches, and sustainability challenges in contemporary contexts.
Ecological Modelling and Statistics
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Modelling and statistics for ecology, including probability theory, hypothesis testing, regression analysis, and statistical software applications for doctoral research.
Climate Change Ecology
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Ecology of climate change, covering ecological principles, environmental management approaches, and sustainability challenges in contemporary contexts.
Research Methods in Ecology
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

Restoration Ecology
Research on restoration ecology
Climate Change Ecology
Research on climate change ecology
Landscape Ecology
Research on landscape ecology
Conservation Ecology
Research on conservation ecology

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting ecological field surveys, analysing population and ecosystem data, running ecological models, reviewing ecology literature, attending seminars on ecological research, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and visiting KWS, national parks and IUCN for research collaboration.

The trade offs

In its favour

Access to KWS, IUCN and UNEP in Nairobi for research
Kenya's diverse ecosystems provide rich research opportunities
Research contributes to biodiversity conservation

Against it

Field research in remote areas can be logistically challenging
Requires strong statistical and modelling skills
Ecology funding 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

Public170k to 367k

170k at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology367k 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

KU PhD Ecology ~367K/yr (mawese.com). JKUAT ~170K. MKU 150K (mku.ac.ke), KeMU ~168K/yr

HELB provides postgraduate loans. DAAD offers scholarships for postgraduate study. IUCN and UNEP provide research grants for ecological research.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
IUCN Research Grant
UNEP Research Grant

Scholarships

4 recorded

UNEP Research Grant
Grant
Environmental researchers
IUCN Research Grant
Grant
Conservation researchers
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 UoN: MSc in Biology or related field from UoN or recognised institution. At KU: Masters degree in relevant area, KSh 244,800/year. Application fee KSh 3,000. At MKU: Masters degree recognised by MKU Senate. KSh 150,000/year. At Maseno: Masters degree from Maseno or recognised institution.

MSc in Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, Wildlife Management or related field
Relevant Masters from recognised university

How you are assessed

3 components

Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, field reports and seminar presentations
Thesis Proposal Defence
Oral defence20% of the mark
Defence of research proposal before faculty panel
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 (School of Biological Sciences), Kenyatta University (KSh 244,800/year), Mount Kenya University (KSh 150,000/year, total KSh 450,000) and Maseno 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

Conservation Scientist
Moderate demandKsh 170,000 to Ksh 420,000
Conservation at IUCN and NGOs
Environmental Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 160,000 to Ksh 400,000
Consulting on environmental impact
University Professor
Moderate demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in biology departments
Ecological Researcher
Moderate demandKsh 170,000 to Ksh 420,000
Research at KWS and research institutes

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, ecological researchers, conservation scientists and environmental consultants. They work at KWS, NMK, KFS, IUCN, UNEP and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Ecology is just about studying plants and animals.
The field covers population dynamics, ecosystem processes, modelling, climate change and restoration.
There is no demand for ecology PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's biodiversity and wildlife tourism create demand for ecological expertise.
Ecology research is purely field-based.
The programme uses statistical modelling, GIS and molecular techniques.
Only biologists study ecology PhDs.
The programme attracts environmental scientists, mathematicians and geographers.