Social Sciences

Doctor of Philosophy in Geography

The Doctor of Philosophy in Geography is a doctoral programme offered at the University of Nairobi through the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, at Kenyatta University through the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and at Maseno University. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in geography, environmental studies and spatial analysis. The programme addresses Kenya's geographical research, environmental management and spatial planning needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in geomorphology, climatology, biogeography, population geography, economic geography, urban geography, environmental geography, political geography, GIS applications in geography and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops geographical insights for Kenya's environmental and spatial planning challenges.

Kenya's rapid urbanisation, environmental degradation, climate change impacts, population dynamics, resource management challenges and spatial planning needs create demand for doctoral-level geography expertise. The programme supports Kenya's environmental management and spatial development goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, fieldwork and supervised research. At UoN, the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies offers PhD by thesis (C807) with tuition at KSh 192,000/year, total KSh 712,000 over 3 years. At KU, the School of Humanities offers PhD in Geography at KSh 244,800/year. Application fee KSh 3,000.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, geography researchers, environmental planners, GIS specialists and urban planners. They work in universities, Ministry of Lands, county governments, NEMA and research organisations.

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

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 244,800
Private, up to: Ksh 288,000
Job market: Moderate

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: 4 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Geomorphology and Landscape Analysis
Climatology and Climate Change
Biogeography and Ecosystem Dynamics
Population Geography and Demography
Economic Geography and Development
Urban Geography and Planning
Environmental Geography and Management
Political Geography and Territorial Analysis
GIS Applications in Geography
Research Methods in Geography

Modules

8 in the programme

Geomorphology and Landscape Analysis
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Geomorphology and landscape processes, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and current analytical techniques used in advanced research and professional practice.
Climatology and Climate Change
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Climate science and change, covering climate science principles, adaptation strategies, and their application in environmental policy.
Economic Geography and Development
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Economic geography and development, exploring development theories, sustainable practices, and their application in addressing contemporary challenges in Kenya and beyond.
Urban Geography and Planning
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Urban geography and planning, covering planning theories, methodologies, and practical approaches to strategic and spatial planning in professional contexts.
Environmental Geography and Management
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Environmental geography, covering strategic planning, organisational behaviour, and contemporary management challenges relevant to professional practice.
Research Methods in Geography
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

Economic Geography
Research on economic geography and development
Environmental Geography
Research on environmental geography
Climatology
Research on climatology and climate change
Urban Geography
Research on urban geography and planning

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting field surveys, analysing spatial and environmental data, running GIS analyses, reviewing geography literature, attending seminars on geographical research, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and visiting NEMA, county governments and field sites for research.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's urbanisation and environmental challenges create research demand
Access to NEMA, KNBS and UN-Habitat for research
Research contributes to environmental management and planning

Against it

Career opportunities outside academia are limited
Field research in remote areas can be challenging
Funding for geography research can be limited

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 241 social sciences courses

Public192k to 245k

192k at University of Nairobi245k at Kenyatta University

Private168k to 288k

168k at Kenya Methodist University288k 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

KU 244.8K, UoN 192K/yr (ku.ac.ke, uonbi.ac.ke). KeMU 168K, Kabarak 288K/yr.

HELB provides postgraduate loans. DAAD offers scholarships for postgraduate study. CODESRIA provides research grants for social science research in Africa.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
CODESRIA Research Grant

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students
CODESRIA Research Grant
Grant
Social science researchers in Africa
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: Masters degree from UoN or recognised institution. Department of Geography and Environmental Studies. Total KSh 712,000 over 3 years. At KU: Masters degree in relevant area. KSh 244,800/year. Application fee KSh 3,000. At Maseno: Masters degree from Maseno or recognised institution. Application fee KSh 2,000.

MA/MSc in Geography, Environmental Studies or related field
Relevant Masters from recognised university

How you are assessed

3 components

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
Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, field reports and seminar presentations

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Offered at University of Nairobi (Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, C807, total KSh 712,000), Kenyatta University (School of Humanities, KSh 244,800/year) and Maseno University.

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

Geography Researcher
Moderate demandKsh 160,000 to Ksh 400,000
Research on geographical topics
Urban Planner
Moderate demandKsh 170,000 to Ksh 420,000
Planning at Ministry of Lands and counties
University Professor
Moderate demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in geography departments
Environmental Planner
Moderate demandKsh 170,000 to Ksh 420,000
Planning at NEMA and county governments

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, geography researchers, environmental planners and urban planners. They work at Ministry of Lands, NEMA, county governments, UN-Habitat and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Geography is just about memorising places.
The field covers geomorphology, climatology, economic geography, urban planning and environmental management.
There is no demand for geography PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's urbanisation and environmental challenges create demand.
Geography research is purely descriptive.
The programme uses GIS, statistical analysis, field measurements and modelling.
Only geography teachers study this PhD.
The programme attracts planners, environmental scientists and policy analysts.