Environmental Science

Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Health

The Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Health is a doctoral programme offered at Kenyatta University through the School of Health Sciences and at the University of Nairobi through the School of Public Health. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in environmental health, public health and sanitation. The programme addresses Kenya's environmental health challenges including water quality, sanitation, air pollution and vector-borne diseases.

Students engage with advanced topics in environmental health science, water and sanitation, air quality management, food safety, vector control, waste management, environmental health legislation, environmental health risk assessment, climate and health, and research methods in environmental health. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops environmental health insights for Kenya's public health challenges.

Kenya's water and sanitation challenges, air pollution in urban areas, food safety concerns, climate-sensitive diseases and the need for evidence-based environmental health policy create demand for doctoral-level environmental health expertise. The programme supports Kenya's public health and environmental sanitation goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, fieldwork and supervised research. At KU, the programme is offered through the School of Health Sciences with annual fees of KSh 244,800 for East Africans. At UoN, the programme is offered through the School of Public Health at the College of Health Sciences.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, environmental health researchers, public health officers, sanitation specialists and health policy consultants. They work in universities, Ministry of Health, NEMA, county governments, WHO and international health organisations.

The programme is ideal for individuals with backgrounds in public health, environmental health, medicine, nursing or related fields who wish to contribute original research to environmental health.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 428,000
Private, up to: Ksh 150,000
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: 5 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Environmental Health Science
Water and Sanitation Health
Air Quality Management
Food Safety and Hygiene
Vector and Pest Control
Solid and Liquid Waste Management
Environmental Health Legislation
Environmental Health Risk Assessment
Climate Change and Health
Research Methods in Environmental Health

Modules

8 in the programme

Environmental Health Science
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Science of environmental health, covering clinical principles, evidence-based practice, and contemporary challenges in healthcare delivery and research.
Water and Sanitation Health
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Water quality and sanitation management, covering clinical principles, evidence-based practice, and contemporary challenges in healthcare delivery and research.
Air Quality Management
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Air pollution monitoring and control, covering strategic planning, organisational behaviour, and contemporary management challenges relevant to professional practice.
Food Safety and Hygiene
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Food safety standards and regulation, covering food science principles, safety standards, and their application in production and quality assurance.
Environmental Health Risk Assessment
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Risk assessment methods, covering assessment design, evaluation methodologies, data-driven decision-making, and quality assurance processes.
Research Methods in Environmental Health
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

Water and Sanitation
Research on water and sanitation health
Food Safety
Research on food safety and hygiene
Climate and Health
Research on climate change and health
Air Quality
Research on air quality and health

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting environmental health assessments, analysing water and air quality data, reviewing public health literature, attending seminars on environmental health, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and visiting communities, NEMA and health facilities for field research.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's public health challenges create strong demand
Access to KEMRI, NEMA and WHO for research
Research directly impacts public health outcomes

Against it

Field research in informal settlements can be challenging
Requires interdisciplinary knowledge of health and environment
Limited funding for environmental health research

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 428k

170k at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology428k at University of Nairobi

Private144k to 150k

144k at Kenya Methodist University150k at Mount Kenya 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 PhD Public Health ~428K/yr (sphun.uonbi.ac.ke). JKUAT ~170K. KeMU ~144K, MKU 150K/yr

HELB provides postgraduate loans. DAAD offers scholarships for postgraduate study. WHO provides research grants for public health research.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
WHO Research Grant

Scholarships

3 recorded

WHO Research Grant
Grant
Public health 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 KU: Masters degree in relevant area from KU or recognised institution. Application fee KSh 3,000. At UoN: Masters degree from UoN or recognised institution in public health or related field.

MSc/Masters in Public Health, Environmental Health 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
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

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Offered at Kenyatta University (School of Health Sciences) and University of Nairobi (School of Public Health). KU fees KSh 244,800/year. Public Health Officers and Technicians Council regulates the profession.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education
AcademicRequired
Statutory body responsible for accreditation of university programmes in Kenya
Public Health Officers and Technicians Council
Professional
Regulates public health officers and technicians in Kenya

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

4 roles

Public Health Officer
High demandKsh 150,000 to Ksh 380,000
Public health at county governments
Sanitation Specialist
Moderate demandKsh 160,000 to Ksh 400,000
Sanitation at NGOs and international organisations
Environmental Health Researcher
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Research at KEMRI and health institutes
University Professor
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in public health departments

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, environmental health researchers, public health officers and sanitation specialists. They work at Ministry of Health, NEMA, KEMRI, county governments and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Environmental health is just about sanitation.
The field covers water quality, air pollution, food safety, vector control and climate health.
There is no demand for environmental health PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's public health and sanitation challenges create strong demand.
Environmental health research is purely descriptive.
The programme uses epidemiology, risk assessment and statistical analysis.
Only public health officers study environmental health PhDs.
The programme attracts doctors, nurses and environmental scientists.