Health Sciences

Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Biotechnology

The Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Biotechnology is a doctoral programme offered at JKUAT through the College of Health Sciences in collaboration with KEMRI. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in medical biotechnology, biopharmaceutical development and diagnostic technology.

The programme addresses Kenya's medical biotechnology research and biotechnology industry development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in medical biotechnology, molecular diagnostics, vaccine development, biopharmaceutical production, gene therapy, regenerative medicine, bioinformatics, immunotechnology, biosensors and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops biotechnology innovations for Kenya's health challenges.

Kenya's biotechnology industry growth, vaccine production initiatives, diagnostic technology needs, pharmaceutical manufacturing, regenerative medicine potential and the demand for biotechnology research create demand for doctoral-level medical biotechnology expertise. The programme supports Kenya's biotechnology and health innovation goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, laboratory sessions and supervised research at JKUAT. The College of Health Sciences offers PhD in Medical Biotechnology with Biochemistry (Molecular Medicine option). JKUAT PhD total cost is approximately KSh 510,500 over 3 years. KEMRI collaboration provides research facilities and supervision.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, medical biotechnology researchers, biopharmaceutical scientists, diagnostic technology developers and biotechnology consultants. They work in universities, KEMRI, pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms and research institutes.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 170,167
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 Medical Biotechnology
Molecular Diagnostics and Biosensors
Vaccine Development and Immunotechnology
Biopharmaceutical Production
Gene Therapy and Genetic Engineering
Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells
Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
Biosafety and Bioethics
Diagnostic Technology Development
Research Methods in Biotechnology

Modules

8 in the programme

Advanced Medical Biotechnology
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Medical biotechnology, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.
Vaccine Development and Immunotechnology
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Vaccine development, covering technological tools, digital platforms, and information systems relevant to contemporary research and professional practice.
Biopharmaceutical Production
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Biopharmaceuticals, covering pharmacological principles, drug development processes, and their application in therapeutic practice.
Gene Therapy and Genetic Engineering
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Gene therapy, covering engineering principles, design methodologies, and their application in solving complex technical problems.
Diagnostic Technology Development
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Diagnostics, covering technological tools, digital platforms, and information systems relevant to contemporary research and professional practice.
Research Methods in Biotechnology
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

Vaccine Development
Research on vaccine development
Biopharmaceuticals
Research on biopharmaceutical production
Molecular Diagnostics
Research on molecular diagnostics
Regenerative Medicine
Research on regenerative medicine

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting biotechnology research, running molecular biology experiments, developing diagnostic assays, reviewing biotechnology literature, attending seminars on medical biotechnology, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with KEMRI, pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology firms for research collaboration.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's biotechnology industry creates demand
Access to KEMRI and KIRDI
Research contributes to health innovation

Against it

Requires expensive laboratory equipment and reagents
Biosafety and ethical approvals can be lengthy
Requires multidisciplinary knowledge

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 349 health sciences courses

Public170k to 170k

170k at Technical University of Kenya170k at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology

Private144k to 288k

144k at Kenya Methodist 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 170k/yr Group II verified (eafinder). JKUAT ~170k/yr verified. KeMU 144k, Kabarak 288k/yr verified.

HELB provides postgraduate loans. DAAD offers scholarships for postgraduate study. NACOSTI provides research grants. KEMRI-Wellcome Trust offers research funding and training.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
NACOSTI Research Grant
KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme

Scholarships

4 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students
KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme
FellowshipKenyan
Health researchers in Kenya
NACOSTI Research Grant
GrantKenyan
Science and technology researchers in Kenya
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 JKUAT: MSc from JKUAT or recognised institution. College of Health Sciences. PhD in Medical Biotechnology, Biochemistry (Molecular Medicine option). Total approximately KSh 510,500 over 3 years. Application fee KSh 1,500. KEMRI collaboration available.

MSc in Medical Biotechnology, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology 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
Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, laboratory projects and seminar presentations
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 Health Sciences, PhD in Medical Biotechnology, Biochemistry Molecular Medicine option, total approximately KSh 510,500). KEMRI collaboration for research facilities and supervision. NBA and KPPB regulate biosafety and pharmaceuticals.

Accredited by

National Biosafety Authority
Professional
Regulates biosafety and GMO activities 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

Diagnostic Technology Developer
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Diagnostics at biotechnology firms
Medical Biotechnology Researcher
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Research at KEMRI and research institutes
Biopharmaceutical Scientist
High demandKsh 220,000 to Ksh 550,000
Biopharmaceuticals at pharmaceutical companies
University Professor
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaching and research in biotechnology departments

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, medical biotechnology researchers, biopharmaceutical scientists and diagnostic technology developers. They work at KEMRI, pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Medical biotechnology is just about genetic engineering.
The field covers vaccines, diagnostics, biopharmaceuticals, regenerative medicine and biosensors.
There is no demand for biotechnology PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's biotechnology industry and vaccine initiatives create demand.
Biotechnology research is purely laboratory work.
The programme uses bioinformatics, computational biology and clinical research.
Only biologists study medical biotechnology.
The programme attracts pharmacists, chemists and medical professionals.