Environmental Science

Doctor of Philosophy in Human Ecology

The Doctor of Philosophy in Human Ecology is a doctoral programme offered at Kenyatta University through the School of Applied Human Sciences and at the University of Nairobi. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in human ecology, family studies and consumer science.

The programme addresses Kenya's human-environment interaction research and family wellbeing development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in human ecology theory, family systems, consumer behaviour, human-environment interactions, family resource management, human development, community ecology, food and nutrition ecology, textile and apparel science and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops human ecology insights for Kenya's family and community development.

Kenya's family dynamics changes, consumer protection needs, sustainable livelihoods challenges, human-environment interactions, community development and the need for family science research create demand for doctoral-level human ecology expertise. The programme supports Kenya's family wellbeing and sustainable community development goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework and supervised research. At KU, the School of Applied Human Sciences offers PhD programmes in human ecology related areas at KSh 367,200/year for East Africans. Application fee is KSh 3,000.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, human ecology researchers, family studies specialists, consumer affairs consultants and community development specialists. They work in universities, Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, NGOs and research organisations.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 367,200
Private, up to: Ksh 313,700
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: 3 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Human Ecology Theory and Systems
Family Systems and Dynamics
Consumer Behaviour and Economics
Human-Environment Interactions
Family Resource Management
Human Development Across the Lifespan
Community Ecology and Development
Food and Nutrition Ecology
Textile and Apparel Science
Research Methods in Human Ecology

Modules

8 in the programme

Human Ecology Theory and Systems
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Theory and systems of human ecology, examining foundational principles, conceptual frameworks, and theoretical debates that shape contemporary understanding in this field.
Family Systems and Dynamics
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Family systems, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Consumer Behaviour and Economics
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Consumer behaviour, covering economic theories, analytical frameworks, and their application to policy and decision-making in the field.
Human-Environment Interactions
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Human-environment interactions, covering ecological principles, environmental management approaches, and sustainability challenges in contemporary contexts.
Community Ecology and Development
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Community ecology, exploring development theories, sustainable practices, and their application in addressing contemporary challenges in Kenya and beyond.
Research Methods in Human Ecology
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

Community Ecology
Research on community ecology and development
Family Studies
Research on family systems and dynamics
Food and Nutrition Ecology
Research on food and nutrition ecology
Consumer Studies
Research on consumer behaviour and economics

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting family and community research, analysing consumer and ecological data, reviewing human ecology literature, attending seminars on family systems, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with communities, NGOs and government agencies for research collaboration.

The trade offs

In its favour

Interdisciplinary field with broad research scope
Research contributes to family and community wellbeing
Access to KNBS, NGOs and UN-Habitat for research

Against it

Career opportunities outside academia are limited
Funding for human ecology research is limited
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 181 environmental science courses

Public159k to 367k

159k at University of Nairobi367k at Kenyatta University

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

UoN LARMAT ~159K, KU ~367K/yr. KeMU ~168K, Kabarak ~314K/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 KU: Masters degree in relevant area from KU or recognised institution. School of Applied Human Sciences. KSh 367,200/year. Application fee KSh 3,000. At UoN: Masters degree from UoN or recognised institution.

MSc/MA in Human Ecology, Family Studies, Consumer Science, Nutrition 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, research papers 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 Kenyatta University (School of Applied Human Sciences, KSh 367,200/year) and University of Nairobi.

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

Family Studies Specialist
Moderate demandKsh 160,000 to Ksh 400,000
Family studies at NGOs and government
University Professor
Moderate demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in applied human sciences
Human Ecology Researcher
Moderate demandKsh 160,000 to Ksh 400,000
Research on human ecology
Community Development Specialist
Moderate demandKsh 160,000 to Ksh 400,000
Community development at NGOs

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, human ecology researchers, family studies specialists and community development specialists. They work at Ministry of Labour, NGOs, UN-Habitat and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Human ecology is just about home economics.
The field covers family systems, consumer behaviour, human-environment interactions and community development.
There is no demand for human ecology PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's family dynamics and community development create demand.
Human ecology research is purely qualitative.
The programme uses quantitative methods, economic analysis and environmental modelling.
Only home economists study this PhD.
The programme attracts sociologists, environmental scientists and nutritionists.