Law

Doctor of Philosophy in Law

The Doctor of Philosophy in Law is a doctoral programme offered at the University of Nairobi through the School of Law and at Strathmore University through the Law School. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in law, jurisprudence and legal systems. The programme addresses Kenya's legal research and jurisprudence development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in legal theory, jurisprudence, comparative law, international law, constitutional law, commercial law, environmental law, intellectual property law, human rights law and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops legal insights for Kenya's legal system and governance challenges.

Kenya's constitutional transformation, legal system reforms, emerging legal issues in technology, environmental governance, commercial law development, human rights enforcement and the need for legal scholarship create demand for doctoral-level legal expertise. The programme supports Kenya's legal system and governance development goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, seminars and supervised research. At UoN, the School of Law offers PhD in Law (G80) by thesis. Tuition is KSh 288,000/year, Year 1 total KSh 320,000, Year 2 KSh 315,000, Year 3 KSh 365,000, total KSh 1,000,000 over 3 years.

Application fee is KSh 4,000 for PhD. Specialisations include Law Governance and Democracy, Public International Law, Environmental and Natural Resources Law, Intellectual Property Law, Law Science and Technology, Corporate Governance and the Law.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, legal researchers, judicial officers, policy analysts and legal consultants. They work in universities, Judiciary, Law Society of Kenya, Attorney General's Office, international organisations and law firms.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 315,000
Private, up to: Ksh 310,000
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: 6 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Legal Theory and Jurisprudence
Comparative Law and Legal Systems
Public International Law
Constitutional Law and Governance
Commercial and Financial Services Law
Environmental and Natural Resources Law
Intellectual Property Law
Human Rights Law
Law, Science and Technology
Research Methods in Law

Modules

8 in the programme

Legal Theory and Jurisprudence
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Legal theory, examining foundational principles, conceptual frameworks, and theoretical debates that shape contemporary understanding in this field.
Comparative Law and Legal Systems
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Comparative law, examining legal frameworks, regulatory regimes, and their practical implications for professional practice in Kenya.
Constitutional Law and Governance
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Constitutional law, examining legal frameworks, regulatory regimes, and their practical implications for professional practice in Kenya.
Environmental and Natural Resources Law
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Environmental law, examining legal frameworks, regulatory regimes, and their practical implications for professional practice in Kenya.
Human Rights Law
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Human rights, examining legal frameworks, regulatory regimes, and their practical implications for professional practice in Kenya.
Research Methods in Law
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

Public International Law
Research on international law
Intellectual Property Law
Research on IP law
Environmental and Natural Resources Law
Research on environmental law
Human Rights Law
Research on human rights

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting legal research, analysing case law and statutes, reviewing legal scholarship, attending seminars on jurisprudence, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with Judiciary, LSK, Kenya Law and international legal bodies for research collaboration.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's constitutional transformation creates demand
Access to Judiciary, LSK and Kenya Law
Research contributes to legal system development

Against it

Legal research requires extensive document analysis
UoN PhD in Law is expensive (KSh 1,000,000 total)
Accessing case data and judicial records can be challenging

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 12 law courses

Public232k to 315k

232k at Kenyatta University315k at University of Nairobi

Private300k to 310k

300k at Strathmore 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

UoN ~315K/yr (official law page). KU 232K (fixusjobs). Kabarak ~310K (official PDF). Strathmore unverified.

HELB provides postgraduate loans. DAAD offers scholarships for postgraduate study. ICJ Kenya provides research grants for legal research.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
ICJ Kenya Research Grant

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
Postgraduate students in Kenya
ICJ Kenya Research Grant
GrantKenyan
Legal 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 UoN: LLM from UoN or recognised institution. School of Law. G80. Application fee KSh 4,000 for PhD. Total KSh 1,000,000 over 3 years. Also offered at Kisumu Campus. Must submit research proposal. At Strathmore: LLM from Strathmore or recognised institution. Law School.

LLM from UoN or recognised institution
Relevant Masters in Law

How you are assessed

3 components

Thesis
Thesis60% 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/Seminars
Continuous assessment20% of the mark
Seminar presentations and research papers

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Offered at University of Nairobi (School of Law, G80, total KSh 1,000,000 over 3 years) and Strathmore University (Law School). UoN specialisations include Law Governance and Democracy, Public International Law, Environmental and Natural Resources Law, IP Law, Law Science and Technology, Corporate Governance and the Law.

Accredited by

Law Society of Kenya
Professional
Professional body for lawyers 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

Judicial Officer
Moderate demandKsh 250,000 to Ksh 600,000
Judicial service
Legal Researcher
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Research on law and jurisprudence
Legal Consultant
High demandKsh 220,000 to Ksh 550,000
Consulting on legal projects
University Professor
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaching and research in law schools

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, legal researchers, judicial officers, policy analysts and legal consultants. They work at Judiciary, LSK, Attorney General's Office, international organisations and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

PhD in Law is just for becoming a law professor.
The degree opens careers in judiciary, policy, international organisations and legal consultancy.
There is no demand for law PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's constitutional transformation and legal reforms create demand.
Legal research is purely doctrinal.
The programme uses comparative, empirical, socio-legal and interdisciplinary methods.
Only practising lawyers study this PhD.
The programme attracts judges, policy analysts, human rights advocates and academics.