Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Engineering and Management

The Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Engineering and Management is a doctoral programme offered at JKUAT and the University of Nairobi. At JKUAT, it is offered through the College of Engineering and at UoN through the Department of Environmental and Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in environmental engineering, waste management, water treatment and environmental systems management.

Students engage with advanced topics in water and wastewater engineering, solid waste management, air pollution control, environmental impact assessment, environmental systems modelling, water resources engineering, environmental biotechnology, sustainable environmental management, environmental policy and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops engineering solutions for Kenya's environmental challenges.

Kenya's urbanisation, industrialisation, water scarcity, pollution and the need for sustainable waste management create demand for doctoral-level environmental engineering expertise. The programme supports Kenya's environmental management and sustainable development goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework and supervised research. At JKUAT, the PhD programme costs KSh 510,500 total over 3 years. At UoN, the programme (F801) has annual tuition of KSh 540,000, with Year 1 total of KSh 572,000 and total programme cost of KSh 1,756,000 over 3 years.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, environmental engineers, water and sanitation specialists, waste management consultants and environmental impact assessors. They work in universities, water companies, NEMA, Ministry of Water, environmental consulting firms and international environmental organisations.

The programme is ideal for individuals with backgrounds in environmental engineering, civil engineering, chemical engineering or environmental science who wish to contribute original research to environmental 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: 3 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Water and Wastewater Engineering
Solid Waste Management
Air Pollution Control Engineering
Environmental Impact Assessment
Environmental Systems Modelling
Water Resources Engineering
Environmental Biotechnology
Sustainable Environmental Management
Environmental Policy and Regulation
Research Methods in Engineering

Modules

8 in the programme

Water and Wastewater Engineering
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Advanced water and wastewater treatment systems, covering engineering principles, design methodologies, and their application in solving complex technical problems.
Solid Waste Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Engineering and management of solid waste, covering strategic planning, organisational behaviour, and contemporary management challenges relevant to professional practice.
Environmental Systems Modelling
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Modelling of environmental systems, covering mathematical and computational modelling techniques, simulation methods, and their application in research and analysis.
Environmental Impact Assessment
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Methods for environmental impact assessment, covering assessment design, evaluation methodologies, data-driven decision-making, and quality assurance processes.
Environmental Biotechnology
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Biotechnology applications in environmental engineering, covering technological tools, digital platforms, and information systems relevant to contemporary research and professional practice.
Research Methods in Engineering
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Research design and methodology for engineering research, covering quantitative and qualitative approaches, data collection techniques, and analytical frameworks relevant to doctoral-level.
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

Environmental Systems
Research on environmental systems modelling
Solid Waste Management
Research on waste management systems
Environmental Biotechnology
Research on biotechnology in environmental engineering
Water and Wastewater
Research on water and wastewater treatment

A day as a student

A typical day involves modelling environmental systems using engineering software, conducting laboratory experiments on water and waste treatment, analysing environmental data, reviewing engineering literature, attending seminars on environmental engineering, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and visiting water treatment plants and waste management facilities for industry research.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's urbanisation and water challenges create strong demand
Access to NEMA, WRA and water companies for research
Research directly contributes to environmental sustainability

Against it

UoN programme is expensive at KSh 1,756,000 total
Laboratory research requires expensive equipment
Field research at treatment plants and waste sites

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 (uonbi.ac.ke). JKUAT 170,167/yr. 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

NACOSTI Research Grant
GrantKenyan
Science and technology researchers in Kenya
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: Holder of MSc in Environmental and Biosystems Engineering or related discipline from UoN or equivalent. At JKUAT: Holder of MSc in relevant engineering discipline. Application fee KSh 1,500.

MSc in Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering or related field
Relevant Masters from recognised university

How you are assessed

3 components

Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, laboratory work 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 JKUAT (College of Engineering) as PhD in Environmental Engineering and Management, and at University of Nairobi (Department of Environmental and Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, F801) as PhD in Environmental and Biosystems Engineering. UoN total cost KSh 1,756,000. JKUAT total cost KSh 510,500.

Accredited by

Engineers Board of Kenya
Professional
Regulates engineering practice and education 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

University Professor
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in engineering departments
Environmental Engineer
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Environmental engineering at consulting firms and agencies
Water and Sanitation Specialist
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Water and sanitation at water companies and ministries
Waste Management Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 170,000 to Ksh 420,000
Consulting on waste management systems

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, environmental engineers, water and sanitation specialists and waste management consultants. They work at NEMA, WRA, water companies, universities and environmental consulting firms.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Environmental engineering is just about waste management.
The field covers water treatment, air pollution, systems modelling, biotechnology and policy.
There is no demand for environmental engineering PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's urbanisation and water challenges create strong demand for environmental engineering.
Environmental engineering research is purely practical.
The programme includes systems modelling, biotechnology and advanced engineering analysis.
Only civil engineers study environmental engineering PhDs.
The programme attracts chemical, mechanical and environmental engineers.