Education

Doctor of Philosophy in Language Education (English/Literature)

The Doctor of Philosophy in Language Education (English/Literature) is a doctoral programme offered at Kenyatta University through the School of Education and Lifelong Learning and at the University of Nairobi through the Faculty of Education.

It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in language education, English pedagogy and literature teaching. The programme addresses Kenya's language education research and English/Literature teaching development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in language education theory, English language teaching methodology, literature pedagogy, curriculum development in language education, applied linguistics for education, second language acquisition, educational communication technology, assessment in language education and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops language education insights for Kenya's education system.

Kenya's education system reforms, English as medium of instruction, literature in the curriculum, CBC implementation, teacher education needs and the demand for language education research create demand for doctoral-level expertise. The programme supports Kenya's education and language teaching goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework and supervised research. At KU, the School of Education and Lifelong Learning offers PhD in Educational Communication and Technology (Language Education) at KSh 336,600/year for East Africans. At UoN, the Faculty of Education offers PhD in English Education with tuition at KSh 288,000/year, total KSh 1,000,000 over 3 years.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, language education researchers, curriculum developers, teacher educators and education policy advisors. They work in universities, KICD, Ministry of Education, TSC and educational institutions.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 336,600
Private, up to: Ksh 310,200
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

Language Education Theory and Foundations
English Language Teaching Methodology
Literature Pedagogy and Criticism
Curriculum Development in Language Education
Applied Linguistics for Education
Second Language Acquisition
Educational Communication and Technology
Assessment and Evaluation in Language Education
Language Policy in Education
Research Methods in Language Education

Modules

8 in the programme

Language Education Theory and Foundations
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Language education theory, examining foundational principles, conceptual frameworks, and theoretical debates that shape contemporary understanding in this field.
English Language Teaching Methodology
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
ELT methodology, examining pedagogical theories, educational frameworks, and their application in teaching, learning, and curriculum development.
Literature Pedagogy and Criticism
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Literature pedagogy, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Curriculum Development in Language Education
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Curriculum development, exploring development theories, sustainable practices, and their application in addressing contemporary challenges in Kenya and beyond.
Second Language Acquisition
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
SLA theory, covering linguistic theories, language analysis methods, and their application in research and practice.
Research Methods in Language Education
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

Language Policy in Education
Research on language policy
Literature Pedagogy
Research on literature teaching
Educational Technology in Language Education
Research on technology in language teaching
English Language Teaching
Research on ELT methodology

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting language education research, analysing classroom data, reviewing applied linguistics literature, attending seminars on language pedagogy, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with KICD, TSC and Ministry of Education for research collaboration.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's education reforms create demand
Access to KICD, TSC and Ministry of Education
Research contributes to language teaching improvement

Against it

Education research requires school access
Funding for education research is limited
Requires both linguistics and education knowledge

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 243 education courses

Public320k to 337k

320k at University of Nairobi337k at Kenyatta University

Private170k to 310k

170k at Kenya Methodist University310k 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 Lang Ed ~336,600/yr (ku.ac.ke). UoN ~320,000/yr (education.uonbi.ac.ke). Kabarak ~310,200, KeMU ~170,000/yr.

HELB provides postgraduate loans. DAAD offers scholarships for postgraduate study.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
DAAD Kenya Scholarship

Scholarships

2 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students
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: MEd from KU or recognised institution. School of Education and Lifelong Learning. PhD in Educational Communication and Technology (Language Education). KSh 336,600/year. Application fee KSh 3,000. At UoN: MEd from UoN or recognised institution specialising in English Education. Faculty of Education. Total KSh 1,000,000 over 3 years.

MEd in English Education, Language Education or MA in English/Linguistics with education qualification
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 Kenyatta University (School of Education and Lifelong Learning, PhD in Educational Communication and Technology (Language Education), KSh 336,600/year) and University of Nairobi (Faculty of Education, PhD in English Education, total KSh 1,000,000).

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

Curriculum Developer
High demandKsh 170,000 to Ksh 420,000
Curriculum at KICD
Teacher Educator
High demandKsh 170,000 to Ksh 420,000
Teacher education at universities
University Professor
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in education faculties
Language Education Researcher
High demandKsh 170,000 to Ksh 420,000
Research on language education

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, language education researchers, curriculum developers and teacher educators. They work at KICD, Ministry of Education, TSC and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Language education PhD is just about teaching English.
The field covers language theory, curriculum development, applied linguistics, second language acquisition and educational technology.
There is no demand for this PhD in Kenya.
Kenya's education reforms and English as medium of instruction create demand.
Language education research is purely qualitative.
The programme uses empirical research, statistical analysis, classroom experiments and mixed methods.
Only English teachers study this PhD.
The programme attracts linguists, curriculum developers and education policy analysts.