Education

Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Planning

The Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Planning is a doctoral programme offered at the University of Nairobi through the Faculty of Education and the Department of Educational Administration and Planning. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in educational planning, education policy and resource allocation. The programme addresses Kenya's education sector planning and development challenges.

Students engage with advanced topics in educational planning theory, education policy analysis, education finance, human resource planning in education, strategic planning, education project planning, education data analysis, comparative educational planning, education and national development and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops planning insights for Kenya's education sector.

Kenya's education sector expansion, the need for evidence-based education planning, resource allocation challenges, county-level education planning, Vision 2030 education goals and the demand for education policy research create demand for doctoral-level educational planning expertise. The programme supports Kenya's education sector planning and development goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework and supervised research at UoN. The programme is offered as both a professional doctorate (Doctor of Education in Educational Planning, code EMP81) and a PhD by thesis (code E8). Minimum duration is 2 years full-time and 4 years part-time. Maximum is 4 years full-time and 8 years part-time. Tuition is KSh 288,000/year, total KSh 1,000,000 over 3 years.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, education planners, policy analysts, education project managers and education consultants. They work in universities, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Planning, KIPPRA, TSC and international education organisations.

The programme is ideal for individuals with backgrounds in education, educational planning, economics of education or related fields who wish to contribute original research to educational 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
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 6 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Educational Planning Theory and Practice
Education Policy Analysis
Education Finance and Resource Allocation
Human Resource Planning in Education
Strategic Planning in Education
Education Project Planning and Management
Education Data Analysis and Statistics
Comparative Educational Planning
Education and National Development
Research Methods in Educational Planning

Modules

8 in the programme

Educational Planning Theory and Practice
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Theory and practice of educational planning, examining foundational principles, conceptual frameworks, and theoretical debates that shape contemporary understanding in this field.
Education Policy Analysis
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Analysis of education policy, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and current analytical techniques used in advanced research and professional practice.
Education Finance and Resource Allocation
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Finance and resource allocation in education, examining pedagogical theories, educational frameworks, and their application in teaching, learning, and curriculum development.
Strategic Planning in Education
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Strategic planning for education, covering planning theories, methodologies, and practical approaches to strategic and spatial planning in professional contexts.
Education Data Analysis and Statistics
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Data analysis for education planning, including probability theory, hypothesis testing, regression analysis, and statistical software applications for doctoral research.
Research Methods in Educational Planning
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

Strategic Planning
Research on strategic planning in education
Education Policy
Research on education policy
Education Data Analysis
Research on education data analysis
Education Finance
Research on education finance and resource allocation

A day as a student

A typical day involves analysing education data, reviewing planning documents, conducting policy analysis, reviewing educational planning literature, attending seminars on education planning, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with Ministry of Education, KIPPRA and Ministry of Planning for research.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's education expansion and Vision 2030 create strong demand
Access to KIPPRA, World Bank and UNESCO for research
Research directly impacts education planning and policy

Against it

Requires understanding of both education and economics
Education data can be difficult to access
Planning 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 and World Bank provide research grants for education planning research.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
UNESCO Research Grant
World Bank Research Grant

Scholarships

4 recorded

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

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: Masters Degree
Alternative entry: At UoN: MEd degree from UoN specialising in Educational Planning or equivalent from recognised institution. Professional doctorate (EMP81) and PhD by thesis (E8) both available. Minimum 2 years full-time, 4 years part-time. Total KSh 1,000,000 over 3 years.

MEd in Educational Planning or related field from UoN or recognised institution
Relevant Masters from recognised university

How you are assessed

3 components

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
Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, planning projects and seminar presentations

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Offered at University of Nairobi (Faculty of Education, Department of Educational Administration and Planning). Available as professional doctorate (EMP81) and PhD by thesis (E8). Total KSh 1,000,000 over 3 years. Minimum 2 years full-time, 4 years part-time.

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

Policy Analyst
High demandKsh 170,000 to Ksh 420,000
Policy at KIPPRA and Ministry
Education Project Manager
High demandKsh 170,000 to Ksh 420,000
Project management at Ministry and NGOs
Education Planner
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
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 planners, policy analysts and education project managers. They work at Ministry of Education, Ministry of Planning, KIPPRA, World Bank and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Educational planning is just about timetabling.
The field covers policy analysis, finance, HR planning, strategic planning and national development.
There is no demand for educational planning PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's education expansion and Vision 2030 create strong demand.
Planning research is purely administrative.
The programme uses data analysis, econometrics and policy research methods.
Only administrators study planning PhDs.
The programme attracts economists, planners and policy analysts.