Education

Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Administration and Planning

The Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Administration and Planning is a doctoral programme offered at the University of Nairobi through the Department of Educational Administration and Planning, at Kenyatta University, and at Maseno University. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in educational administration, leadership and planning. The programme addresses Kenya's education sector management and planning challenges.

Students engage with advanced topics in educational administration theory, educational leadership, education planning, education policy analysis, human resource management in education, financial management in education, strategic planning in education, education governance, comparative educational administration and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops administration and planning insights for Kenya's education sector.

Kenya's education sector management needs, school leadership development, education planning for expanding access, county-level education management and the demand for evidence-based education administration create demand for doctoral-level educational administration and planning expertise. The programme supports Kenya's education sector management goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework and supervised research. At UoN, the Department of Educational Administration and Planning offers PhD with tuition at KSh 288,000/year, total KSh 1,000,000 over 3 years. Applicants must have at least 3 years working experience. At KU, the programme is offered through the School of Education with annual fees of KSh 244,800 for East Africans. At Maseno, PhD in Educational Administration is offered.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, education administrators, school inspectors, education planners and policy analysts. They work in universities, Ministry of Education, TSC, county governments and international education organisations.

The programme is ideal for individuals with backgrounds in education, educational management, administration or related fields who wish to contribute original research to educational administration and planning.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 320,000
Private, up to: Ksh 310,200
Job market: High

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time, Part-time, Evening, Weekend
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 8 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Educational Administration Theory
Educational Leadership and Management
Education Planning and Policy
Human Resource Management in Education
Financial Management in Education
Strategic Planning in Education
Education Governance and Accountability
Comparative Educational Administration
School Effectiveness and Improvement
Research Methods in Educational Administration

Modules

8 in the programme

Educational Administration Theory
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Theory of educational administration, examining foundational principles, conceptual frameworks, and theoretical debates that shape contemporary understanding in this field.
Educational Leadership and Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Leadership and management in education, covering strategic planning, organisational behaviour, and contemporary management challenges relevant to professional practice.
Education Planning and Policy
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Planning and policy in education, analysing policy frameworks, implementation strategies, and their impact on practice within the Kenyan and broader African context.
Human Resource Management in Education
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
HR management in education, covering strategic planning, organisational behaviour, and contemporary management challenges relevant to professional practice.
Strategic Planning in Education
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Strategic planning for education, covering planning theories, methodologies, and practical approaches to strategic and spatial planning in professional contexts.
Research Methods in Educational Administration
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

Educational Leadership
Research on educational leadership
Education Governance
Research on education governance
Education Planning
Research on education planning
School Improvement
Research on school effectiveness and improvement

A day as a student

A typical day involves analysing education management data, reviewing administration literature, conducting school leadership research, attending seminars on educational management, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with Ministry of Education, TSC, KEMI and schools for research collaboration.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's education sector management needs create strong demand
Access to KEMI, TSC and Ministry of Education for research
Research directly impacts education management and quality

Against it

Requires work experience (3 years at UoN)
School-based research requires coordination with schools
Administration research can be politically sensitive

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 243 education courses

Public245k to 320k

245k at Kenyatta University320k at University of Nairobi

Private250k to 310k

250k at Mount Kenya University310k 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 ~320,000/yr (education.uonbi.ac.ke). KU ~244,800, Egerton ~251,900/yr. Kabarak ~310,200, MKU ~250,000/yr.

HELB provides postgraduate loans. DAAD offers scholarships for postgraduate study. UNESCO provides research grants for education research.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
UNESCO Research Grant

Scholarships

3 recorded

DAAD Kenya Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
Postgraduate students in Kenya
HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students
UNESCO Research Grant
Grant
Education researchers

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: Masters Degree
Alternative entry: At UoN: Masters degree from UoN in areas relevant to Department of Educational Administration and Planning or recognised institution. At least 3 years working experience required. Total KSh 1,000,000 over 3 years. At KU: Masters degree in relevant area. KSh 244,800/year. Application fee KSh 3,000. At Maseno: Masters degree from Maseno or recognised institution.

MEd/Masters in Education, Educational Administration, Educational Management 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, management projects and seminar presentations

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Offered at University of Nairobi (Department of Educational Administration and Planning, total KSh 1,000,000 over 3 years, 3 years working experience required), Kenyatta University (KSh 244,800/year) 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

School Inspector
Moderate demandKsh 160,000 to Ksh 400,000
Inspection at Ministry of Education
Education Administrator
High demandKsh 170,000 to Ksh 420,000
Administration at Ministry of Education
Education Planner
High demandKsh 170,000 to Ksh 420,000
Planning at Ministry of Education
University Professor
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in education departments

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, education administrators, education planners and policy analysts. They work at Ministry of Education, TSC, KEMI, county governments and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Educational administration is just about being a headteacher.
The field covers leadership theory, planning, HR management, finance, governance and policy.
There is no demand for educational administration PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's education sector management needs create strong demand.
Administration research is purely practical.
The programme uses organisational theory, policy analysis and empirical research.
Only headteachers study administration PhDs.
The programme attracts education officers, planners and policymakers.