Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy in Geospatial Engineering

The Doctor of Philosophy in Geospatial Engineering is a doctoral programme offered at the University of Nairobi through the Department of Geospatial and Space Technology. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in geospatial engineering, positioning science and space technology. The programme addresses Kenya's geospatial engineering and space technology development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in geodesy, satellite geodesy, GNSS engineering, remote sensing engineering, photogrammetric engineering, cartographic engineering, spatial data engineering, geospatial software engineering, space technology applications and research methods.

The curriculum emphasises original research that develops geospatial engineering innovations for Kenya's infrastructure and space technology sectors.

Kenya's space technology development through the Kenya Space Agency, satellite positioning infrastructure, geospatial industry growth, infrastructure monitoring needs, mapping modernisation and spatial data engineering create demand for doctoral-level geospatial engineering expertise. The programme supports Kenya's space technology and geospatial infrastructure 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 (FGS81) with tuition at KSh 540,000/year, Year 1 total KSh 572,000, total KSh 1,756,000 over 3 years.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, geospatial engineering researchers, space technology specialists, GNSS engineers and geospatial consultants. They work in universities, Kenya Space Agency, Survey of Kenya, ICT Authority and geospatial engineering companies.

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

Advanced Geodesy and Satellite Geodesy
GNSS Engineering and Applications
Remote Sensing Engineering
Photogrammetric Engineering
Cartographic Engineering and Visualisation
Spatial Data Engineering and Infrastructure
Geospatial Software Engineering
Space Technology and Satellite Applications
Deformation Monitoring and Engineering Surveying
Research Methods in Geospatial Engineering

Modules

8 in the programme

Advanced Geodesy and Satellite Geodesy
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Geodesy and satellite geodesy, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.
GNSS Engineering and Applications
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
GNSS engineering, covering engineering principles, design methodologies, and their application in solving complex technical problems.
Remote Sensing Engineering
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Remote sensing engineering, covering engineering principles, design methodologies, and their application in solving complex technical problems.
Space Technology and Satellite Applications
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Space technology applications, covering technological tools, digital platforms, and information systems relevant to contemporary research and professional practice.
Spatial Data Engineering and Infrastructure
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Spatial data engineering, covering engineering principles, design methodologies, and their application in solving complex technical problems.
Research Methods in Geospatial 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

GNSS Engineering
Research on GNSS engineering
Spatial Data Engineering
Research on spatial data engineering
Space Technology
Research on space technology and satellite applications
Satellite Geodesy
Research on satellite geodesy

A day as a student

A typical day involves processing satellite data, running geodetic computations, developing geospatial software, reviewing geospatial engineering literature, attending seminars on space technology, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and visiting Kenya Space Agency, Survey of Kenya and RCMRD for research collaboration.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's space agency and spatial infrastructure create strong demand
Access to Kenya Space Agency, Survey of Kenya and RCMRD
Research contributes to space technology and spatial infrastructure

Against it

Equipment and software are expensive
Requires strong mathematical and programming skills
Very 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 572K/yr (geospatial.uonbi.ac.ke). JKUAT 170K/yr. KeMU 168K, MKU 150K/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

DAAD Kenya Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
Postgraduate students in Kenya
NACOSTI Research Grant
GrantKenyan
Science and technology researchers 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.

MSc in Geospatial Engineering, Geomatic Engineering, Surveying 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
Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, engineering projects and seminar presentations
Thesis Proposal Defence
Oral defence20% of the mark
Defence of research proposal before faculty panel

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 over 3 years). Kenya Space Agency supports space technology research.

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

Geospatial Engineering Researcher
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Research on geospatial engineering
GNSS Engineer
High demandKsh 190,000 to Ksh 480,000
GNSS engineering at companies and agencies
University Professor
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in engineering departments
Space Technology Specialist
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Space technology at Kenya Space Agency

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, geospatial engineering researchers, space technology specialists and GNSS engineers. They work at Kenya Space Agency, Survey of Kenya, RCMRD and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Geospatial engineering is just about surveying.
The field covers satellite geodesy, space technology, GNSS engineering and spatial data engineering.
There is no demand for geospatial engineering PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's space agency and spatial infrastructure create strong demand.
Geospatial engineering research is purely field-based.
The programme uses satellite data processing, computational modelling and software engineering.
Only surveyors study this PhD.
The programme attracts engineers, computer scientists and physicists.