Environmental Science

Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Planning and Management

The Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Planning and Management is a doctoral programme offered at Kenyatta University through the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in environmental planning, land use management and sustainable development. The programme addresses Kenya's environmental planning challenges including urbanisation, land degradation and resource management.

Students engage with advanced topics in environmental planning theory, land use planning, environmental impact assessment, geographic information systems, environmental policy, urban and regional planning, natural resource management, climate change adaptation planning, environmental economics and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops planning innovations for Kenya's environmental and development challenges.

Kenya's rapid urbanisation, land use conflicts, environmental degradation and the need for sustainable resource management create demand for doctoral-level environmental planning expertise. The programme supports Kenya's Vision 2030 environmental planning and sustainable development goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, research and thesis at Kenyatta University Main Campus. Annual fees are KSh 408,000 for East Africans and KSh 510,000 for non-East Africans. Application fee is KSh 3,000 for East Africans. Intakes are in September and January.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, environmental planners, environmental policy analysts, GIS specialists and environmental consultants. They work in universities, NEMA, county governments, Ministry of Lands, planning departments and international environmental organisations.

The programme is ideal for individuals with backgrounds in environmental planning, geography, environmental science or related fields who wish to contribute original research to environmental planning and management.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 512,000
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: 5 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Environmental Planning Theory
Land Use Planning and Management
Environmental Impact Assessment
Geographic Information Systems
Environmental Policy and Governance
Urban and Regional Planning
Natural Resource Management
Climate Change Adaptation Planning
Environmental Economics
Research Methods in Environmental Planning

Modules

8 in the programme

Environmental Planning Theory
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Theoretical foundations of environmental planning, examining foundational principles, conceptual frameworks, and theoretical debates that shape contemporary understanding in this field.
Land Use Planning and Management
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Planning and management of land use, covering strategic planning, organisational behaviour, and contemporary management challenges relevant to professional practice.
Environmental Impact Assessment
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Methods for environmental impact assessment, covering assessment design, evaluation methodologies, data-driven decision-making, and quality assurance processes.
Geographic Information Systems
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
GIS for environmental planning, covering technological tools, digital platforms, and information systems relevant to contemporary research and professional practice.
Urban and Regional Planning
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Planning of urban and regional development, covering planning theories, methodologies, and practical approaches to strategic and spatial planning in professional contexts.
Research Methods in Environmental Planning
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Research design and methodology for environmental planning, 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

Natural Resource Planning
Research on natural resource planning
Climate Adaptation Planning
Research on climate change adaptation planning
Urban Planning
Research on urban environmental planning
Land Use Management
Research on land use planning and management

A day as a student

A typical day involves analysing spatial data using GIS software, reviewing environmental planning literature, developing planning frameworks, attending seminars on environmental planning, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with NEMA, county governments and UN-Habitat for policy-relevant research.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's urbanisation creates strong demand for environmental planning
UN-Habitat and UNEP headquartered in Nairobi
Research directly informs land use and environmental policy

Against it

Requires broad knowledge of planning, environment and policy
Access to spatial data can be restricted
Balancing research with work commitments

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

Public408k to 512k

408k at Kenyatta University512k 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 Planning ~512K/yr, KU ~408K/yr. MKU ~150K, KeMU ~168K/yr.

HELB provides postgraduate loans. DAAD offers scholarships for postgraduate study. UNEP and UN-Habitat may provide fellowships for environmental planning research.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
UNEP Fellowship

Scholarships

3 recorded

UNEP Fellowship
FellowshipKenyan
Environmental planning researchers
HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
Postgraduate students in Kenya

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: Masters Degree
Alternative entry: Master's degree in any relevant discipline from a recognised university plus undergraduate degree at Second Class Honours (Upper Division) in Environmental Planning and Management, Environmental Studies, Geography, Economics, Architecture, Surveying, Land Economics, Engineering, Law, Sociology, Agriculture, Forestry, Zoology or Botany.

Master's degree in relevant discipline plus undergraduate degree in Environmental Planning, Geography, Economics, Architecture or related field
Second Class Honours (Upper Division) undergraduate

How you are assessed

3 components

Thesis
Thesis50% of the mark
Doctoral thesis research, submission and oral defence
Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, planning projects and seminar presentations
Thesis Proposal Defence
Oral defence20% of the mark
Defence of research proposal before school panel

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Offered at Kenyatta University (School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences) through Coursework, Research and Thesis. Application fee KSh 3,000. Intakes in September and January. Applicants need Master's degree plus relevant undergraduate degree.

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

University Professor
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in environmental science departments
Environmental Policy Analyst
Moderate demandKsh 160,000 to Ksh 400,000
Policy analysis at government and international organisations
Environmental Planner
High demandKsh 170,000 to Ksh 420,000
Environmental planning at county governments and NEMA
GIS Specialist
Moderate demandKsh 160,000 to Ksh 400,000
GIS analysis for environmental planning

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, environmental planners, environmental policy analysts and GIS specialists. They work at NEMA, county governments, Ministry of Lands, UN-Habitat and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Environmental planning is just about zoning.
The field covers EIA, GIS, policy, urban planning, climate adaptation and natural resource management.
There is no demand for environmental planning PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's urbanisation and land use conflicts create strong demand for planning expertise.
Environmental planning research is not rigorous.
The programme uses GIS, spatial analysis, statistical modelling and policy analysis.
Only planners study environmental planning PhDs.
The programme attracts geographers, environmental scientists, economists and architects.