Agriculture

Doctor of Philosophy in Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture

The Doctor of Philosophy in Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture is a doctoral programme offered at the University of Nairobi through the Department of Plant Science and Crop Protection and at Egerton University through the Faculty of Agriculture.

It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in food security and sustainable agriculture. The programme addresses Kenya's food security and sustainable agricultural development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in sustainable agriculture, crop science, soil health, climate-smart agriculture, agricultural innovation, food systems, agroecology, conservation agriculture, precision agriculture, agricultural extension and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops sustainable agriculture insights for Kenya's food security challenges.

Kenya's recurring food insecurity, climate change impacts, declining soil fertility, shrinking arable land, agricultural productivity gaps, sustainable intensification needs, agroecological transitions, smallholder farming challenges and the demand for sustainable agriculture research create demand for doctoral-level expertise. The programme supports Kenya's food security and sustainable agriculture development goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, field sessions and supervised research. At UoN, the Department of Plant Science and Crop Protection offers PhD in Agronomy with sustainable agriculture focus. Tuition KSh 432,000/year, total approximately KSh 1,432,000 over 3 years. Application fee KSh 4,000. At Egerton, sustainable agriculture research is conducted through the Faculty of Agriculture. Application fee KSh 2,000.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, sustainable agriculture researchers, agricultural extension directors, climate-smart agriculture specialists and food security consultants. They work in universities, KALRO, Ministry of Agriculture, FAO and international organisations.

Duration: 3-4 years
Public, up to: Ksh 464,000
Private, up to: Ksh 313,700
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

Sustainable Agriculture and Agroecology
Climate-Smart Agriculture and Adaptation
Soil Health and Conservation Agriculture
Crop Science and Sustainable Intensification
Precision Agriculture and Digital Farming
Agricultural Innovation and Technology Transfer
Food Systems and Value Chains
Conservation Agriculture and Resource Management
Agricultural Extension and Rural Development
Research Methods in Sustainable Agriculture

Modules

8 in the programme

Sustainable Agriculture and Agroecology
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Sustainable agriculture, covering ecological principles, environmental management approaches, and sustainability challenges in contemporary contexts.
Climate-Smart Agriculture and Adaptation
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Climate-smart agriculture, covering agricultural principles, production technologies, and their application in sustainable farming systems.
Soil Health and Conservation Agriculture
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Soil health, covering clinical principles, evidence-based practice, and contemporary challenges in healthcare delivery and research.
Precision Agriculture and Digital Farming
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Precision agriculture, covering agricultural principles, production technologies, and their application in sustainable farming systems.
Agricultural Innovation and Technology Transfer
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Innovation, covering technological tools, digital platforms, and information systems relevant to contemporary research and professional practice.
Research Methods in Sustainable Agriculture
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Research methods, 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, providing a platform for doctoral candidates to present research findings, engage with peer feedback, and explore contemporary debates in the field.
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

Conservation Agriculture
Research on conservation agriculture
Precision Agriculture
Research on precision agriculture
Agroecology
Research on agroecology
Climate-Smart Agriculture
Research on climate-smart agriculture

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting sustainable agriculture research, analysing crop and soil data, reviewing agroecology literature, attending seminars on climate-smart agriculture, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with KALRO, FAO and Ministry of Agriculture for research collaboration. Fieldwork at experimental farms and smallholder communities is common.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's food insecurity and climate change create demand
Access to KALRO, FAO, ICRAF and ICRISAT
Research contributes to food security and sustainability

Against it

UoN PhD is expensive (KSh 1,432,000 total)
Fieldwork in remote farming areas is challenging
Requires multidisciplinary knowledge

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 303 agriculture courses

Public245k to 464k

245k at Egerton University464k at University of Nairobi

Private168k to 314k

168k at Kenya Methodist University314k 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

Egerton 245K/yr (egerton.ac.ke), UoN 464K/yr. KeMU 168K, Kabarak 314K/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

HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students
NACOSTI Research Grant
GrantKenyan
Science and technology researchers in Kenya
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: At UoN: MSc from UoN or recognised institution. Department of Plant Science and Crop Protection. PhD in Agronomy with sustainable agriculture focus. Total approximately KSh 1,432,000 over 3 years. Application fee KSh 4,000. At Egerton: MSc from Egerton or recognised institution. Faculty of Agriculture. Application fee KSh 2,000.

MSc in Agriculture, Agronomy, Crop Science, Environmental Science 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
Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, field projects and seminar presentations
Thesis
Thesis50% of the mark
Doctoral thesis research, submission and oral defence

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Offered at University of Nairobi (Department of Plant Science and Crop Protection, PhD in Agronomy with sustainable agriculture focus, total approximately KSh 1,432,000, application fee KSh 4,000) and Egerton University (Faculty of Agriculture, application fee KSh 2,000).

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

Climate-Smart Agriculture Specialist
High demandKsh 220,000 to Ksh 550,000
Climate-smart agriculture at FAO
University Professor
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in agriculture departments
Agricultural Extension Director
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Extension at Ministry of Agriculture
Sustainable Agriculture Researcher
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Research at KALRO and research institutes

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, sustainable agriculture researchers, agricultural extension directors and climate-smart agriculture specialists. They work at KALRO, FAO, Ministry of Agriculture and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Sustainable agriculture is just about organic farming.
The field covers agroecology, climate-smart agriculture, precision farming, soil health and conservation agriculture.
There is no demand for this PhD in Kenya.
Kenya's food insecurity and climate change create strong demand.
Sustainable agriculture research is purely fieldwork.
The programme uses GIS, remote sensing, statistical modelling and systems analysis.
Only agronomists study this PhD.
The programme attracts environmental scientists, economists and extension officers.