Social Sciences

Doctor of Philosophy in Humanities & Social Science

The Doctor of Philosophy in Humanities is a doctoral programme offered at the University of Nairobi through the Faculty of Arts and at Kenyatta University through the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research across humanities disciplines including literature, philosophy, linguistics, cultural studies and history.

The programme addresses Kenya's humanities research and cultural scholarship development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in humanities theory, interdisciplinary research methods, literary studies, philosophical inquiry, linguistic analysis, cultural studies, African studies, postcolonial studies, digital humanities and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original interdisciplinary research that develops humanities insights for Kenya's cultural and intellectual development.

Kenya's cultural heritage preservation, literary production growth, language policy development, philosophical discourse needs, cultural identity formation and the role of humanities in national development create demand for doctoral-level humanities expertise. The programme supports Kenya's cultural and intellectual development goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework and supervised research. At UoN, the Faculty of Arts offers PhD by thesis. At KU, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences offers PhD at KSh 244,800/year for East Africans.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, humanities researchers, cultural consultants, policy analysts and writers. They work in universities, Ministry of Culture, National Museums of Kenya, media organisations and research institutes.

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

Humanities Theory and Interdisciplinary Methods
Advanced Literary Studies
Philosophical Inquiry and Ethics
Linguistic Analysis and Language Studies
Cultural Studies and Critical Theory
African Studies and Postcolonial Discourse
Digital Humanities and Computational Methods
Heritage Studies and Cultural Preservation
Gender Studies in Humanities
Research Methods in Humanities

Modules

8 in the programme

Humanities Theory and Interdisciplinary Methods
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Theory and methods in humanities, examining foundational principles, conceptual frameworks, and theoretical debates that shape contemporary understanding in this field.
Advanced Literary Studies
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Advanced literary studies, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.
Philosophical Inquiry and Ethics
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Philosophy and ethics, examining ethical principles, professional conduct, regulatory frameworks, and their application in research and practice.
Cultural Studies and Critical Theory
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Cultural studies, examining foundational principles, conceptual frameworks, and theoretical debates that shape contemporary understanding in this field.
Digital Humanities and Computational Methods
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Digital humanities, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Research Methods in Humanities
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

Digital Humanities
Research on digital humanities
Cultural Studies
Research on cultural studies
Philosophy
Research on philosophical inquiry
Literary Studies
Research on literary studies

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting interdisciplinary research, analysing cultural texts, reviewing humanities literature, attending seminars on critical theory, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with National Museums, cultural organisations and communities for research collaboration.

The trade offs

In its favour

Interdisciplinary field with broad research scope
Research contributes to cultural preservation and identity
Access to NMK, CODESRIA and cultural organisations

Against it

Career opportunities outside academia are limited
Funding for humanities research is limited
Interdisciplinary research can lack focus

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

Private170k to 288k

170k 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 (ku.ac.ke). UoN 192K (uonbi.ac.ke). KeMU 170K, Kabarak 288K/yr.

HELB provides postgraduate loans. DAAD offers scholarships for postgraduate study. CODESRIA provides research grants. African Humanities Programme offers fellowships.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
CODESRIA Research Grant
African Humanities Programme Fellowship

Scholarships

4 recorded

African Humanities Programme Fellowship
Fellowship
African humanities scholars
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
Postgraduate students in Kenya
HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students
CODESRIA Research Grant
Grant
Social science researchers in Africa

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. Faculty of Arts. At KU: Masters degree in relevant area. KSh 244,800/year. Application fee KSh 3,000.

MA in Humanities, Literature, Philosophy, Linguistics, Cultural Studies 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
Thesis
Thesis50% of the mark
Doctoral thesis research, submission and oral defence
Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, research papers and seminar presentations

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Offered at University of Nairobi (Faculty of Arts) and Kenyatta University (School of Humanities and Social Sciences, KSh 244,800/year).

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

University Professor
Moderate demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in humanities departments
Humanities Researcher
Moderate demandKsh 160,000 to Ksh 400,000
Research on humanities topics
Cultural Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 160,000 to Ksh 400,000
Consulting on cultural projects
Writer and Author
Moderate demandKsh 150,000 to Ksh 380,000
Literary and scholarly writing

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, humanities researchers, cultural consultants and writers. They work at National Museums of Kenya, Ministry of Culture, universities and research institutes.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Humanities is not a real academic discipline.
The field covers literature, philosophy, linguistics, cultural studies and critical theory with rigorous research methods.
There is no demand for humanities PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's cultural development and heritage preservation create demand.
Humanities research is purely theoretical.
The programme uses digital humanities, empirical research and interdisciplinary methods.
Only arts graduates study humanities PhDs.
The programme attracts social scientists, educators and cultural practitioners.