Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy in Mechatronic Engineering

The Doctor of Philosophy in Mechatronic Engineering is a doctoral programme offered at JKUAT through the School of Mechanical, Manufacturing and Material Engineering (SOMMME). It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in mechatronics, robotics and intelligent systems. The programme addresses Kenya's mechatronics research and automation technology development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in mechatronics systems, robotics and automation, control systems, embedded systems, artificial intelligence, sensor and actuator technology, machine vision, industrial automation, autonomous systems and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops mechatronics innovations for Kenya's industrial automation and manufacturing challenges.

Kenya's manufacturing automation, Industry 4.0 adoption, robotics for agriculture, autonomous systems, smart manufacturing, automotive assembly and the need for mechatronics research create demand for doctoral-level mechatronic engineering expertise. The programme supports Kenya's industrialisation and technology development goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, laboratory sessions and supervised research at JKUAT. SOMMME offers PhD in Mechatronics Engineering.

JKUAT collaborates with Pentecost University (Ghana), Federal University Lokoja (Nigeria) and Federal University of Technology Minna (Nigeria) for doctoral and master's scholarships in Mechatronic Engineering. JKUAT PhD total cost is approximately KSh 510,500 over 3 years.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, mechatronics researchers, robotics engineers, automation consultants and control systems specialists. They work in universities, manufacturing firms, automation companies, Kenya Association of Manufacturers and technology firms.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 290,000
Private, up to: Ksh 288,000
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

Advanced Mechatronics Systems Design
Robotics and Automation
Control Systems Engineering
Embedded Systems and Microcontrollers
Artificial Intelligence in Mechatronics
Sensor and Actuator Technology
Machine Vision and Image Processing
Industrial Automation and PLC
Autonomous Systems and Vehicles
Research Methods in Mechatronic Engineering

Modules

8 in the programme

Advanced Mechatronics Systems Design
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Mechatronics design, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.
Robotics and Automation
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Robotics, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Control Systems Engineering
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Control systems, covering engineering principles, design methodologies, and their application in solving complex technical problems.
Embedded Systems and Microcontrollers
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Embedded systems, covering quality assurance principles, control methodologies, and their application in professional standards.
Machine Vision and Image Processing
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Machine vision, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Research Methods in Mechatronic 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

Autonomous Systems
Research on autonomous systems
Industrial Automation
Research on industrial automation
Robotics
Research on robotics
Control Systems
Research on control systems

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting mechatronics research, designing control systems, programming robots and embedded systems, reviewing engineering literature, attending seminars on robotics and automation, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with manufacturers and automation companies for research collaboration.

The trade offs

In its favour

Manufacturing automation and Industry 4.0 create demand
Pan-African doctoral scholarships available
Research contributes to industrialisation

Against it

Requires expensive robotics and automation equipment
Requires multidisciplinary engineering knowledge
Industry access for testing 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 332 engineering courses

Public170k to 290k

170k at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology290k at Technical University of Kenya

Private150k to 288k

150k at Mount Kenya 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

TUK ~290K/yr (tukenya portal). JKUAT 170K/yr (jkuat.ac.ke). Kabarak 288K/yr, MKU 150K/yr.

HELB provides postgraduate loans. DAAD offers scholarships for postgraduate study. NACOSTI provides research grants. JKUAT offers Pan-African doctoral scholarships in Mechatronic Engineering through partnerships with universities in Ghana and Nigeria.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
NACOSTI Research Grant
Pan-African Doctoral Scholarship

Scholarships

4 recorded

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

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. SOMMME. PhD in Mechatronics Engineering. Total approximately KSh 510,500 over 3 years. Application fee KSh 1,500. Pan-African doctoral scholarships available through partnerships with Ghana and Nigeria universities.

MSc in Mechatronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering 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
Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, laboratory projects and seminar presentations
Thesis
Thesis50% of the mark
Doctoral thesis research, submission and oral defence

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Offered at JKUAT (SOMMME, PhD in Mechatronics Engineering, total approximately KSh 510,500). JKUAT collaborates with Pentecost University Ghana, Federal University Lokoja Nigeria and Federal University of Technology Minna Nigeria for doctoral scholarships.

Accredited by

Engineers Board of Kenya
Professional
Professional body for engineers 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

Mechatronics Researcher
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Research on mechatronics and robotics
Automation Consultant
High demandKsh 220,000 to Ksh 550,000
Consulting on industrial automation
Robotics Engineer
High demandKsh 220,000 to Ksh 550,000
Robotics at tech companies
University Professor
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in engineering departments

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, mechatronics researchers, robotics engineers and automation consultants. They work at manufacturing firms, automation companies and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Mechatronics is just about robotics.
The field covers control systems, embedded systems, AI, sensors, actuators, machine vision and industrial automation.
There is no demand for mechatronics PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's manufacturing automation and Industry 4.0 create demand.
Mechatronics research is purely practical.
The programme uses mathematical modelling, control theory, computational methods and simulation.
Only mechanical engineers study this PhD.
The programme attracts electrical, computer and software engineers.