Health Sciences

Doctor of Philosophy in Global Health

The Doctor of Philosophy in Global Health is a doctoral programme offered at KEMRI Graduate School in partnership with JKUAT, and at the University of Nairobi through the Department of Public and Global Health. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in global health, international health and public health. The programme addresses Kenya's global health research and health systems development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in global health policy, epidemiology, health systems research, infectious disease epidemiology, global health governance, maternal and child health, non-communicable diseases, health economics, humanitarian health and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops global health insights for Kenya and the East African region.

Kenya's disease burden, health system strengthening needs, global health partnerships, pandemic preparedness, SDG 3 agenda and the presence of major global health organisations in Nairobi create demand for doctoral-level global health expertise. The programme supports Kenya's health system development and global health goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework and supervised research. At KEMRI Graduate School, PhD in Global Health is offered in partnership with JKUAT. Minimum entry is MSc in Global Health, International Health, Public Health or Epidemiology.

Duration is 3 years full-time, up to 5 years part-time. Application fee KSh 3,500 for PhD. At UoN, the Department of Public and Global Health offers PhD in Public Health (HPG8) by thesis.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, global health researchers, public health consultants, epidemiologists and health policy analysts. They work in universities, KEMRI, WHO, Ministry of Health, CDC Kenya and international health organisations.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 428,000
Private, up to: Ksh 300,000
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: 5 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Global Health Policy and Governance
Advanced Epidemiology
Health Systems Research
Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology
Maternal and Child Health Research
Health Economics and Financing
Humanitarian Health and Emergency Response
Global Health Ethics
Research Methods in Global Health

Modules

8 in the programme

Global Health Policy and Governance
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Policy and governance in global health, analysing policy frameworks, implementation strategies, and their impact on practice within the Kenyan and broader African context.
Advanced Epidemiology
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Advanced epidemiological methods, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.
Health Systems Research
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Research on health systems, covering clinical principles, evidence-based practice, and contemporary challenges in healthcare delivery and research.
Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Epidemiology of infectious diseases, covering epidemiological methods, disease surveillance, and their application in public health research.
Health Economics and Financing
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Economics of health systems, covering clinical principles, evidence-based practice, and contemporary challenges in healthcare delivery and research.
Research Methods in Global Health
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

Health Systems
Research on health systems strengthening
Health Policy
Research on global health policy
Maternal and Child Health
Research on maternal and child health
Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Research on infectious disease epidemiology

A day as a student

A typical day involves analysing health data, conducting epidemiological research, reviewing global health literature, attending seminars on health policy, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with KEMRI, WHO, Ministry of Health and CDC for research collaboration.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya hosts major global health organisations creating strong demand
Access to KEMRI, WHO, CDC and Ministry of Health
Research contributes to health system strengthening

Against it

Requires interdisciplinary health and social science knowledge
Health research requires ethical approvals
Balancing research with field work is demanding

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

Private130k to 300k

130k at AMREF International University300k at Aga Khan 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 (sphun.uonbi.ac.ke). AKU, Amref unverified.

HELB provides postgraduate loans. DAAD offers scholarships for postgraduate study. WHO and NIH Fogarty provide research grants for global health research.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
WHO Research Grant
NIH Fogarty International Grant

Scholarships

4 recorded

DAAD Kenya Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
Postgraduate students in Kenya
WHO Research Grant
Grant
Health researchers
HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students
NIH Fogarty International Grant
Grant
International health researchers

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: Masters Degree
Alternative entry: At KEMRI/JKUAT: MSc in Global Health, International Health, Public Health or Epidemiology from JKUAT or recognised institution. Application fee KSh 3,500 for PhD. Duration 3 years full-time, up to 5 years part-time. CUE recognition required for foreign qualifications. At UoN: Masters degree from UoN or recognised institution. Department of Public and Global Health. Draft proposal of at least 15 pages required.

MSc in Global Health, International Health, Public Health, Epidemiology or related health field
Relevant Masters from recognised university

How you are assessed

3 components

Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, research papers and seminar presentations
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

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Offered at KEMRI Graduate School in partnership with JKUAT (application fee KSh 3,500, 3 years full-time) and University of Nairobi (Department of Public and Global Health, HPG8). CUE recognition required for foreign qualifications.

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

Global Health Researcher
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Research at KEMRI and WHO
Epidemiologist
High demandKsh 190,000 to Ksh 480,000
Epidemiology at Ministry of Health and CDC
University Professor
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaching and research in health schools
Health Policy Analyst
High demandKsh 190,000 to Ksh 480,000
Policy at Ministry and WHO

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, global health researchers, epidemiologists and health policy analysts. They work at KEMRI, WHO, Ministry of Health, CDC Kenya and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Global health is the same as public health.
Global health focuses on cross-border health issues, international governance and health equity beyond national boundaries.
There is no demand for global health PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya hosts major global health organisations creating strong demand.
Global health research is purely epidemiological.
The programme covers health systems, economics, policy, ethics and humanitarian health.
Only doctors study global health PhDs.
The programme attracts social scientists, statisticians, economists and policy analysts.