Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Electronics Engineering

The Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Electronics Engineering is a doctoral programme offered at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology through the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and at the University of Nairobi through the Department of Electrical and Information Engineering. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in electrical and electronics engineering. The programme addresses Kenya's power, electronics and telecommunications engineering development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in power systems, control systems, telecommunications, signal processing, microelectronics, embedded systems, renewable energy integration, power electronics, electromagnetic compatibility and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops electrical and electronics engineering innovations for Kenya's industrial and infrastructure development.

Kenya's expanding power infrastructure, electronics manufacturing growth, telecommunications expansion, renewable energy development and industrial automation create demand for doctoral-level electrical and electronics engineering expertise. The programme supports Kenya's industrialisation and infrastructure development goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, laboratory sessions and supervised research. At JKUAT, the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering offers PhD with total cost of KSh 510,500 over 3 years. Application fee is KSh 1,500. At UoN, the programme (F804) has tuition at KSh 540,000/year, total KSh 1,756,000 over 3 years.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, electrical engineering researchers, power systems engineers, electronics designers and telecommunications specialists. They work in universities, Kenya Power, KETRACO, Communications Authority, KIRDI and engineering consulting firms.

The programme is ideal for individuals with backgrounds in electrical engineering, electronic engineering, computer engineering or related fields who wish to contribute original research to electrical and electronics engineering.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 572,000
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: 4 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Power Systems Analysis and Stability
Control Systems and Automation
Telecommunications and Network Engineering
Digital Signal Processing
Microelectronics and Semiconductor Devices
Embedded Systems and IoT
Renewable Energy Integration
Power Electronics and Drives
Electromagnetic Compatibility
Research Methods in Electrical and Electronics Engineering

Modules

8 in the programme

Power Systems Analysis and Stability
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Analysis and stability of power systems, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and current analytical techniques used in advanced research and professional practice.
Telecommunications and Network Engineering
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Telecommunications systems and networks, covering engineering principles, design methodologies, and their application in solving complex technical problems.
Microelectronics and Semiconductor Devices
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Microelectronics and semiconductor physics, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Embedded Systems and IoT
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Embedded systems and Internet of Things, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Renewable Energy Integration
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Integration of renewable energy into power systems, covering energy systems, sustainability principles, and their application in renewable and conventional energy.
Research Methods in Electrical and Electronics Engineering
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

Renewable Energy
Research on renewable energy integration
Microelectronics
Research on microelectronics and semiconductors
Power Systems
Research on power systems
Telecommunications
Research on telecommunications

A day as a student

A typical day involves designing and testing electrical systems, running circuit simulations, analysing power systems data, reviewing engineering literature, attending seminars on electrical engineering, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and visiting Kenya Power, KETRACO and KIRDI for industry research.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's power and telecommunications expansion create strong demand
Access to Kenya Power, KETRACO, CA and KIRDI for research
Research contributes to infrastructure and industrial development

Against it

Laboratory equipment and software licences are expensive
Requires strong mathematical and analytical skills
Small cohort with limited peer interaction

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 332 engineering courses

Public170k to 572k

170k at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology572k at University of Nairobi

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

UoN 572,000/yr F804, JKUAT 170,167/yr (uonbi.ac.ke). KeMU 168,000, MKU 150,000/yr.

HELB provides postgraduate loans. DAAD offers scholarships for postgraduate study. NACOSTI provides research grants for science and technology research.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
NACOSTI Research Grant

Scholarships

3 recorded

DAAD Kenya Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
Postgraduate students in Kenya
HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students
NACOSTI Research Grant
GrantKenyan
Science and technology researchers in Kenya

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: Masters Degree
Alternative entry: At JKUAT: MSc in Engineering from JKUAT or recognised institution. Application fee KSh 1,500. Total KSh 510,500 over 3 years. At UoN: MSc in Electrical Engineering from UoN or recognised institution. F804. Total KSh 1,756,000 over 3 years.

MSc in Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Computer Engineering or related field
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, design projects and seminar presentations

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Offered at JKUAT (Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, total KSh 510,500 over 3 years) and UoN (Department of Electrical and Information Engineering, F804, total KSh 1,756,000 over 3 years). EBK regulates the engineering profession.

Accredited by

Engineers Board of Kenya
Professional
Regulates engineering profession in Kenya
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

Power Systems Engineer
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Engineering at Kenya Power and KETRACO
University Professor
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in engineering departments
Electronics Designer
High demandKsh 190,000 to Ksh 480,000
Design at electronics companies and KIRDI
Electrical Engineering Researcher
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Research at KIRDI and engineering firms

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, electrical engineering researchers, power systems engineers and telecommunications specialists. They work at Kenya Power, KETRACO, CA, KIRDI, universities and engineering firms.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Electrical and electronics engineering is the same as computer engineering.
While related, this field focuses on power systems, electronics, telecommunications and signal processing.
There is no demand for this PhD in Kenya.
Kenya's power and telecommunications infrastructure expansion create strong demand.
Electrical engineering research is purely practical.
The programme uses advanced mathematics, modelling, simulation and control theory.
Only electrical engineers study this PhD.
The programme attracts physicists, computer engineers and telecommunications specialists.