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Doctor of Philosophy in Family Medicine

The Doctor of Philosophy in Family Medicine is a doctoral programme that builds on family medicine training to produce scholars capable of advancing research in primary care, family health and health systems strengthening. In Kenya, family medicine training is offered at Kabarak University and Moi University, with research opportunities through Kenyatta University's Department of Family Medicine, Community Health and Epidemiology. The programme addresses Kenya's Universal Health Coverage agenda and primary health care strengthening.

Duration
3-5 years
Next intake January 2027
Public tuition
Ksh 428,000
Ksh 1,284,000 to Ksh 2,140,000 total
Private tuition
Ksh 310,200
Ksh 930,600 to Ksh 1,551,000 total
Job market
High
Market demand for graduates

The short answer

What it costs
Up to Ksh 428,000 a year at a public institution, Ksh 1,284,000 to Ksh 2,140,000 for the whole course. Up to Ksh 310,200 a year at a private one.The detail
Who can get in
A KCSE mean grade of Masters Degree or above, plus 1 subject grade. There is another way in without it.The detail
How long, and when
Takes 3-5 years, full-time, part-time, with 0 months of attachment. Next intake January 2027, at 4 institutions.The detail
Where it leads
8 careers in the catalogue. The least exposed to AI is Dental Ceramist, at 3 out of 100.The detail

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Overview

Students engage with advanced topics in family medicine research, primary health care systems, chronic disease management, maternal and child health, health systems research, community health, epidemiology, health policy, quality improvement in health care and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops primary care innovations for Kenya's health system.

Kenya's push for Universal Health Coverage, the devolution of health services and the need for strengthened primary health care create demand for doctoral-level family medicine expertise. The programme supports Kenya's health system strengthening and UHC goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework and supervised research. At Kabarak University, family medicine is offered with a focus on strengthening primary health care. At Kenyatta University, the Department of Family Medicine, Community Health and Epidemiology provides research supervision. Annual fees vary by institution, with Kabarak University charging approximately KSh 155,100/semester for PhD by coursework.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, family medicine researchers, health systems consultants and primary care policy analysts. They work in universities, medical schools, Ministry of Health, county health departments and international health organisations.

The programme is ideal for family medicine practitioners and primary care researchers who wish to contribute original research to family medicine and primary health care.

What you study

10 subjects
  • Family Medicine Research Methods
  • Primary Health Care Systems
  • Chronic Disease Management Research
  • Maternal and Child Health
  • Health Systems Research
  • Community Health and Epidemiology
  • Health Policy Analysis
  • Quality Improvement in Health Care
  • Universal Health Coverage
  • Research Methods in Health

Modules

8 in the programme

  • Family Medicine Research Methods

    Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

    Research methods for family medicine and primary care, covering quantitative and qualitative approaches, data collection techniques, and analytical frameworks relevant to doctoral-level research.

  • Primary Health Care Systems

    Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

    Research on primary health care systems, covering clinical principles, evidence-based practice, and contemporary challenges in healthcare delivery and research.

  • Health Systems Research

    Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore

    Research on health systems strengthening, covering clinical principles, evidence-based practice, and contemporary challenges in healthcare delivery and research.

  • Community Health and Epidemiology

    Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore

    Community health and epidemiological research, covering clinical principles, evidence-based practice, and contemporary challenges in healthcare delivery and research.

  • Quality Improvement in Health Care

    Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore

    Quality improvement methods in health care, covering clinical principles, evidence-based practice, and contemporary challenges in healthcare delivery and research.

  • Health Policy Analysis

    Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore

    Analysis of health policy for primary care, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and current analytical techniques used in advanced research and professional practice.

  • 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

  • Health Systems

    Research on health systems strengthening

  • Community Health

    Research on community health

  • Primary Health Care

    Research on primary health care systems

  • Chronic Disease Management

    Research on chronic disease in primary care

A day as a student

A typical day involves reviewing primary care literature, analysing health systems data, developing quality improvement frameworks, attending seminars on family medicine and health systems, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with primary care facilities and county health departments for field research.

The trade-offs

In its favourAgainst it
Kenya's UHC agenda creates strong demand for primary care researchFamily medicine PhD is a specialised and emerging field in Kenya
Research directly impacts health system strengtheningRequires medical or health background
Access to Ministry of Health and county health departmentsResearch may require ethical clearance for human subjects

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 349 health sciences courses
Public170k to 428k
170k at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology428k at University of Nairobi
Private144k to 310k
144k at Kenya Methodist 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 428K, JKUAT 170K/yr verified (healthsciences.uonbi.ac.ke). KeMU 144K, Kabarak 310K/yr.

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

Funding options

  • HELB Postgraduate Loan

  • DAAD Kenya Scholarship

  • WHO Research Grant

Scholarships

3 recorded

  • HELB Postgraduate Scholarship

    LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan

    Kenyan postgraduate students

  • DAAD Kenya Scholarship

    ScholarshipKenyan

    Postgraduate students in Kenya

  • WHO Research Grant

    Grant

    Health systems researchers

Scholarships you could apply for

2 usable where it is taught
Save one and be reminded before it closes

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade
Masters Degreeminimum entry
Alternative entry

Holder of MMed in Family Medicine or Master's degree in a health-related field from a recognised institution. At Kabarak University, family medicine training supports primary health care strengthening.

Subject requirements
MMed in Family Medicine or MSc in Public Health, Epidemiology or related health fieldRelevant Masters from recognised university

When it next starts

Taught at 4 institutions
January 20274 institutions

Including Moi University, Kenyatta University, Kabarak University.

May 20274 institutions

Including Moi University, Kenyatta University, Kabarak University.

September 20274 institutions

Including Moi University, Kenyatta University, Kabarak University.

How you are assessed

3 components

  • Thesis Proposal Defence

    Oral defence20% of the mark

    Defence of research proposal before faculty panel

  • Coursework

    Continuous assessment30% of the mark

    Assignments, research projects and seminar presentations

  • Thesis

    Thesis50% of the mark

    Doctoral thesis research, submission and oral defence

Accreditation

  • Commission for University Education

    AcademicRequired

    Statutory body responsible for accreditation of university programmes in Kenya

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Family medicine training offered at Kabarak University and Moi University. Research supervision available at Kenyatta University (Department of Family Medicine, Community Health and Epidemiology). The Ministry of Health has underscored the unique role of Family Medicine in strengthening primary health care and UHC.

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 medical schools

  • Family Medicine Researcher

    High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000

    Research on family medicine and primary care

  • Primary Care Policy Analyst

    Moderate demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000

    Policy analysis at Ministry of Health

  • Health Systems Consultant

    Moderate demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000

    Consulting on health systems strengthening

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, family medicine researchers, health systems consultants and primary care policy analysts. They work at medical schools, Ministry of Health, county health departments and international health organisations.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Common misconceptions

  • Family medicine is just general practice.

    The field covers primary care systems, chronic disease, maternal health, health policy and quality improvement.

  • There is no demand for family medicine PhDs in Kenya.

    Kenya's UHC agenda creates strong demand for primary care research expertise.

  • Family medicine research is not rigorous.

    The programme uses epidemiological methods, health systems research and quality improvement science.

  • Only doctors study family medicine PhDs.

    The programme attracts public health researchers, nurses and health systems specialists.

Further reading

Read next