Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy in Industrial Engineering

The Doctor of Philosophy in Industrial Engineering is a doctoral programme offered at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology through the College of Engineering and at the Technical University of Kenya. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in industrial engineering, manufacturing systems and production optimisation.

The programme addresses Kenya's industrialisation and manufacturing development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in industrial engineering systems, manufacturing systems engineering, operations research, supply chain engineering, quality engineering, human factors engineering, production planning and control, industrial automation, lean manufacturing and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops industrial engineering innovations for Kenya's manufacturing sector.

Kenya's industrialisation agenda under Vision 2030, manufacturing sector development, export processing zones, quality improvement needs, supply chain optimisation, industrial automation and the need for manufacturing efficiency create demand for doctoral-level industrial engineering expertise. The programme supports Kenya's industrialisation and manufacturing development goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, laboratory sessions and supervised research. At JKUAT, the College of Engineering offers PhD in Industrial Engineering with total cost KSh 510,500 over 3 years. Application fee is KSh 1,500. At TUK, the programme is offered with application fee KSh 3,000 for postgraduate.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, industrial engineering researchers, manufacturing consultants, operations research analysts and supply chain engineers. They work in universities, manufacturing companies, EPZ, Kenya Association of Manufacturers and engineering consulting firms.

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

Industrial Engineering Systems Analysis
Manufacturing Systems Engineering
Advanced Operations Research
Supply Chain Engineering and Optimisation
Quality Engineering and Six Sigma
Human Factors and Ergonomics
Production Planning and Control
Industrial Automation and Robotics
Lean Manufacturing and Process Improvement
Research Methods in Industrial Engineering

Modules

8 in the programme

Industrial Engineering Systems Analysis
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Systems analysis in industrial engineering, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and current analytical techniques used in advanced research and professional practice.
Manufacturing Systems Engineering
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Manufacturing systems, covering engineering principles, design methodologies, and their application in solving complex technical problems.
Advanced Operations Research
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Operations research, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.
Supply Chain Engineering and Optimisation
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Supply chain engineering, covering engineering principles, design methodologies, and their application in solving complex technical problems.
Industrial Automation and Robotics
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Automation and robotics, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Research Methods in Industrial 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

Supply Chain Engineering
Research on supply chain optimisation
Quality Engineering
Research on quality engineering and Six Sigma
Manufacturing Systems
Research on manufacturing systems engineering
Industrial Automation
Research on industrial automation and robotics

A day as a student

A typical day involves designing production systems, running simulation models, analysing manufacturing data, reviewing industrial engineering literature, attending seminars on manufacturing systems, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and visiting manufacturing companies, KIRDI and KAM for research collaboration.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's industrialisation agenda creates strong demand
Access to KIRDI, KAM and manufacturing companies
Research contributes to manufacturing efficiency

Against it

Requires mathematical modelling and programming skills
Industry access for research can be challenging
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 eng PhD (uonbi.ac.ke). JKUAT 170K/yr. KeMU 168K, MKU 150K. Industrial eng unverified.

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

HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
Postgraduate students in Kenya
NACOSTI Research Grant
GrantKenyan
Science and technology researchers in Kenya

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: Masters Degree
Alternative entry: At JKUAT: MSc in Engineering from JKUAT or recognised institution. College of Engineering. Application fee KSh 1,500. Total KSh 510,500 over 3 years. International students pay 20% more. At TUK: MSc from TUK or recognised institution. Application fee KSh 3,000.

MSc in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering or related field
Relevant Masters from recognised university

How you are assessed

3 components

Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, design projects 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 JKUAT (College of Engineering, total KSh 510,500 over 3 years) and Technical University of Kenya. EBK regulates the engineering profession.

Accredited by

Engineers Board of Kenya
Professional
Regulates engineering profession in Kenya
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
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in engineering departments
Operations Research Analyst
High demandKsh 190,000 to Ksh 480,000
Analysis at companies and logistics firms
Industrial Engineering Researcher
High demandKsh 190,000 to Ksh 480,000
Research at KIRDI and companies
Manufacturing Consultant
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Consulting for manufacturing companies

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, industrial engineering researchers, manufacturing consultants and operations research analysts. They work at KAM, KIRDI, manufacturing companies and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Industrial engineering is just about factory management.
The field covers operations research, supply chain, quality engineering, automation and human factors.
There is no demand for industrial engineering PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's industrialisation agenda under Vision 2030 creates strong demand.
Industrial engineering research is purely practical.
The programme uses mathematical modelling, simulation, optimisation and statistical analysis.
Only mechanical engineers study this PhD.
The programme attracts production engineers, operations researchers and management scientists.