Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy in Mining Engineering

The Doctor of Philosophy in Mining Engineering is a doctoral programme offered at JKUAT through the School of Mechanical, Manufacturing and Material Engineering (SOMMME) and at the Technical University of Kenya (TUK). It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in mining engineering, mineral processing and extractive metallurgy.

The programme addresses Kenya's mining engineering research and mineral resources development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in mining engineering, rock mechanics, mine ventilation, mineral processing, extractive metallurgy, mine planning and design, environmental management in mining, geostatistics, surface and underground mining and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops mining engineering innovations for Kenya's mineral resources challenges.

Kenya's mineral sector growth including titanium, soda ash, fluorspar, gold, rare earth elements, diatomite and gemstones, mining safety needs, environmental management, mineral processing technology and the demand for mining research create demand for doctoral-level mining engineering expertise. The programme supports Kenya's mining sector development goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, laboratory sessions and supervised research. At JKUAT, BSc in Mining and Mineral Processing Engineering is offered with PhD programmes through SOMMME. JKUAT PhD total cost approximately KSh 510,500 over 3 years. Application fee KSh 1,500.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, mining engineering researchers, mineral processing specialists, mine planning consultants and mining safety engineers. They work in universities, mining companies, Ministry of Mining, Kenya Chamber of Mines and research institutes.

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 Mining Engineering and Mine Design
Rock Mechanics and Ground Control
Mine Ventilation and Environmental Control
Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy
Mine Planning and Optimisation
Environmental Management in Mining
Geostatistics and Resource Estimation
Surface and Underground Mining Methods
Mining Safety and Risk Management
Research Methods in Mining Engineering

Modules

8 in the programme

Advanced Mining Engineering and Mine Design
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Mining engineering, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.
Rock Mechanics and Ground Control
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Rock mechanics, covering quality assurance principles, control methodologies, and their application in professional standards.
Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Mineral processing, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Mine Planning and Optimisation
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Mine planning, covering planning theories, methodologies, and practical approaches to strategic and spatial planning in professional contexts.
Environmental Management in Mining
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Environmental management, covering strategic planning, organisational behaviour, and contemporary management challenges relevant to professional practice.
Research Methods in Mining 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

Mine Environmental Management
Research on environmental management
Mine Planning
Research on mine planning and optimisation
Mineral Processing
Research on mineral processing
Rock Mechanics
Research on rock mechanics

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting mining research, analysing rock mechanics data, modelling mine ventilation, reviewing mining engineering literature, attending seminars on mineral processing, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with mining companies, Ministry of Mining and Kenya Chamber of Mines for research collaboration.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's mineral sector growth creates demand
Access to mining companies and Ministry of Mining
Research contributes to mineral development

Against it

Requires access to mining sites for field research
Environmental and safety compliance is mandatory
Specialised mining software and equipment is expensive

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 for science and technology research.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
NACOSTI Research Grant

Scholarships

3 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

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 Mining Engineering. Total approximately KSh 510,500 over 3 years. Application fee KSh 1,500.

MSc in Mining Engineering, Mineral Processing, Mechanical Engineering or related field
Relevant Masters from recognised university

How you are assessed

3 components

Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, laboratory projects 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 JKUAT (SOMMME, PhD in Mining Engineering, total approximately KSh 510,500) and Technical University of Kenya. EBK registers professional engineers.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education
AcademicRequired
Statutory body responsible for accreditation of university programmes in Kenya
Engineers Board of Kenya
Professional
Professional body for engineers in Kenya

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

4 roles

Mine Planning Consultant
High demandKsh 220,000 to Ksh 550,000
Consulting on mine planning
Mineral Processing Specialist
High demandKsh 220,000 to Ksh 550,000
Mineral processing at mining companies
University Professor
High demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in engineering departments
Mining Engineering Researcher
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Research on mining engineering

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, mining engineering researchers, mineral processing specialists and mine planning consultants. They work at mining companies, Ministry of Mining and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Mining engineering is just about digging.
The field covers rock mechanics, mineral processing, extractive metallurgy, environmental management and mine planning.
There is no demand for mining PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's mineral sector growth creates demand.
Mining research is purely practical.
The programme uses geostatistics, computational modelling, environmental science and engineering analysis.
Only mining engineers study this PhD.
The programme attracts geologists, metallurgists and environmental engineers.