Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy in Geomatic Engineering

The Doctor of Philosophy in Geomatic Engineering is a doctoral programme offered at the University of Nairobi through the Department of Geospatial and Space Technology and at JKUAT through the Department of Geomatic Engineering and Geospatial Information Systems. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in geomatic engineering, surveying and geospatial science. The programme addresses Kenya's surveying, mapping and spatial infrastructure development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in geodesy and geodynamics, photogrammetry, remote sensing, satellite positioning, cadastral surveying, land information systems, hydrographic surveying, engineering surveying, geospatial data integration and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops geomatic engineering innovations for Kenya's spatial infrastructure.

Kenya's land reform agenda, cadastral surveying needs, infrastructure development, mapping requirements, satellite positioning infrastructure and spatial data integration create demand for doctoral-level geomatic engineering expertise. The programme supports Kenya's land management and spatial infrastructure development goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, laboratory sessions, fieldwork and supervised research. At UoN, the Department of Geospatial and Space Technology offers PhD in Geospatial Engineering (F806) with tuition at KSh 540,000/year, total KSh 1,756,000 over 3 years. At JKUAT, the Department of Geomatic Engineering and Geospatial Information Systems offers PhD with total cost KSh 510,500 over 3 years.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, geomatic engineering researchers, surveying consultants, GIS specialists and land information managers. They work in universities, Survey of Kenya, Ministry of Lands, county governments and engineering consulting firms.

The programme is ideal for individuals with backgrounds in geomatic engineering, surveying, GIS, civil engineering or related fields who wish to contribute original research to geomatic engineering.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 572,000
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: 3 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Geodesy and Geodynamics
Photogrammetry and Close-Range Sensing
Remote Sensing and Satellite Image Analysis
Global Navigation Satellite Systems
Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration
Land Information Systems and Cadastre
Hydrographic Surveying
Engineering Surveying and Deformation Monitoring
Geospatial Data Integration and Quality Control
Research Methods in Geomatic Engineering

Modules

8 in the programme

Geodesy and Geodynamics
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Geodesy and geodynamics, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Photogrammetry and Close-Range Sensing
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Photogrammetry, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Global Navigation Satellite Systems
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
GNSS and positioning, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Cadastral Surveying and Land Registration
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Cadastral surveying, covering geospatial principles, mapping technologies, and their application in spatial analysis and research.
Land Information Systems and Cadastre
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Land information systems, covering technological tools, digital platforms, and information systems relevant to contemporary research and professional practice.
Research Methods in Geomatic Engineering
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

Cadastral Surveying
Research on cadastral surveying and land registration
Photogrammetry
Research on photogrammetry and remote sensing
GNSS
Research on satellite positioning systems
Geodesy
Research on geodesy and geodynamics

A day as a student

A typical day involves processing satellite imagery, running geodetic computations, analysing survey data, reviewing geomatics literature, attending seminars on geospatial engineering, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and visiting Survey of Kenya, Ministry of Lands and RCMRD for research collaboration.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's land reform and infrastructure development create strong demand
Access to Survey of Kenya and RCMRD for research
Research contributes to land management and spatial infrastructure

Against it

Surveying equipment and software are expensive
Requires strong mathematical and computational skills
Small cohort with limited peer interaction

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 332 engineering courses

Public170k to 572k

170k at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology572k 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 572,000/yr F806 (uonbi.ac.ke). JKUAT 170,167/yr. KeMU 168,000, MKU 150,000/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

NACOSTI Research Grant
GrantKenyan
Science and technology researchers in Kenya
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 UoN: MSc in Geospatial Engineering from UoN or recognised institution. Department of Geospatial and Space Technology. F806. Total KSh 1,756,000 over 3 years. At JKUAT: MSc in Engineering from JKUAT or recognised institution. Application fee KSh 1,500. Total KSh 510,500 over 3 years.

MSc in Geomatic Engineering, Surveying, Geospatial Engineering 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, surveying projects and seminar presentations

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Offered at University of Nairobi (Department of Geospatial and Space Technology, F806, total KSh 1,756,000) and JKUAT (Department of Geomatic Engineering and GEGIS, total KSh 510,500).

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

Land Information Manager
High demandKsh 190,000 to Ksh 480,000
Land information at Ministry of Lands
University Professor
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in engineering departments
Geomatic Engineering Researcher
High demandKsh 190,000 to Ksh 480,000
Research on geomatic engineering
Surveying Consultant
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Consulting on surveying projects

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, geomatic engineering researchers, surveying consultants and land information managers. They work at Survey of Kenya, Ministry of Lands, county governments and engineering firms.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Geomatic engineering is just about land surveying.
The field covers geodesy, photogrammetry, remote sensing, GNSS and land information systems.
There is no demand for geomatic engineering PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's land reform and infrastructure development create strong demand.
Geomatic engineering research is purely field-based.
The programme uses satellite data processing, computational modelling and data integration.
Only surveyors study this PhD.
The programme attracts engineers, computer scientists and geographers.