Technology

Doctor of Philosophy in Information Security and Audit

The Doctor of Philosophy in Information Security is a doctoral programme offered at JKUAT through the School of Computing and Information Technology and at Strathmore University through the @iLabAfrica research centre. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in information security, cybersecurity and digital forensics.

The programme addresses Kenya's information security research and cyber defence development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in cryptography, network security, digital forensics, malware analysis, security governance, penetration testing, secure software development, blockchain security, IoT security and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops information security innovations for Kenya's cybersecurity challenges.

Kenya's cybersecurity threats, digital transformation risks, financial sector cyber fraud, critical infrastructure protection needs, data protection compliance under the Kenya Data Protection Act and the growth of the cybersecurity industry create demand for doctoral-level information security expertise. The programme supports Kenya's cybersecurity and digital protection goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, laboratory sessions and supervised research. At JKUAT, SCIT offers PhD with total cost KSh 681,250 over 3 years. At Strathmore, @iLabAfrica supports cybersecurity research with industry partnerships.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, cybersecurity researchers, security consultants, digital forensics specialists and chief information security officers. They work in universities, Communications Authority, Kenya Computer Incident Response Team, banks and cybersecurity companies.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 281,398
Private, up to: Ksh 575,033
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: 4 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Advanced Cryptography and Cryptanalysis
Network Security and Intrusion Detection
Digital Forensics and Incident Response
Malware Analysis and Reverse Engineering
Security Governance and Risk Management
Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Assessment
Secure Software Development and DevSecOps
Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Security
IoT and Embedded Systems Security
Research Methods in Information Security

Modules

8 in the programme

Advanced Cryptography and Cryptanalysis
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Cryptography, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and current analytical techniques used in advanced research and professional practice.
Network Security and Intrusion Detection
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Network security, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Digital Forensics and Incident Response
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Digital forensics, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Security Governance and Risk Management
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Security governance, covering strategic planning, organisational behaviour, and contemporary management challenges relevant to professional practice.
Secure Software Development and DevSecOps
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Secure software, exploring development theories, sustainable practices, and their application in addressing contemporary challenges in Kenya and beyond.
Research Methods in Information Security
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

Cryptography
Research on cryptography
Blockchain Security
Research on blockchain security
Network Security
Research on network security
Digital Forensics
Research on digital forensics

A day as a student

A typical day involves developing security algorithms, running penetration tests, analysing malware samples, reviewing security literature, attending seminars on cybersecurity, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with KE-CIRT, CA, ODPC and cybersecurity companies for research collaboration.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's cybersecurity threats create strong demand
Access to KE-CIRT, CA and ODPC for research
Research contributes to national cyber defence

Against it

Requires strong mathematical and programming skills
Security lab equipment and software are expensive
Handling sensitive security data requires ethical compliance

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 191 technology courses

Public227k to 281k

227k at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology281k at Kenyatta University

Private288k to 575k

288k at Kabarak University575k at Strathmore 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

JKUAT 227K/yr(kenyaeducationguide). KU 281.4K(ku.ac.ke). Kabarak 288K/yr, Strathmore 575K/yr(strathmore.edu)

HELB provides postgraduate loans. DAAD offers scholarships for postgraduate study. NACOSTI provides research grants. Google offers Africa PhD Fellowships.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
NACOSTI Research Grant
Google Africa PhD Fellowship

Scholarships

4 recorded

NACOSTI Research Grant
GrantKenyan
Science and technology researchers in Kenya
HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
Postgraduate students in Kenya
Google Africa PhD Fellowship
Fellowship
African computing researchers

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: Masters Degree
Alternative entry: At JKUAT: MSc from JKUAT or recognised institution. SCIT. Total KSh 681,250 over 3 years. At Strathmore: MSc from Strathmore or recognised institution. @iLabAfrica research centre.

MSc in Information Security, Cybersecurity, Computer Science, IT 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
Thesis Proposal Defence
Oral defence20% of the mark
Defence of research proposal before faculty panel
Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, security projects and seminar presentations

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Offered at JKUAT (SCIT, total KSh 681,250) and Strathmore University (@iLabAfrica). ODPC and CA regulate data protection and cybersecurity.

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

Digital Forensics Specialist
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Forensics at KE-CIRT and agencies
Security Consultant
High demandKsh 220,000 to Ksh 550,000
Consulting on security projects
University Professor
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in computing departments
Cybersecurity Researcher
High demandKsh 220,000 to Ksh 550,000
Research on cybersecurity

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, cybersecurity researchers, security consultants and digital forensics specialists. They work at KE-CIRT, Communications Authority, banks and cybersecurity companies.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Information security is just about hacking.
The field covers cryptography, forensics, governance, risk management and secure software development.
There is no demand for security PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's cybersecurity threats and data protection compliance create strong demand.
Security research is purely practical.
The programme uses cryptographic mathematics, formal verification, empirical analysis and threat modelling.
Only IT professionals study this PhD.
The programme attracts mathematicians, engineers and law professionals.