Technology

Doctor of Philosophy in Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics

The Doctor of Philosophy in Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics is a doctoral programme offered at JKUAT and at the University of Nairobi through the Centre for Biotechnology and Bioinformatics (CEBIB). It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in molecular biology, bioinformatics and computational biology. The programme addresses Kenya's molecular biology research and bioinformatics development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in molecular biology, genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics algorithms, computational biology, sequence analysis, structural bioinformatics, systems biology, molecular modelling and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops molecular biology and bioinformatics insights for Kenya's health, agriculture and environmental challenges.

Kenya's genomics research needs, agricultural biotechnology, health genomics, pathogen surveillance, drug discovery, biodiversity research and the demand for computational biology create demand for doctoral-level molecular biology and bioinformatics expertise. The programme supports Kenya's biotechnology and genomics development goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, computational sessions and supervised research. At JKUAT, PhD in Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics is offered with duration 3-5 years. Application fee KSh 1,500. At UoN, CEBIB offers PhD in Bioinformatics (I837) by research only, minimum 6 semesters, maximum 14 semesters.

Tuition KSh 396,000/year, Year 1 total KSh 428,000, Year 2 KSh 423,000, Year 3 KSh 473,000, total KSh 1,324,000 over 3 years. Students must publish at least 2 peer-reviewed articles. Admission open throughout the year.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, bioinformatics researchers, computational biologists, genomics scientists and biotechnology consultants. They work in universities, KEMRI, ILRI, ICIPE, biotechnology firms and research institutes.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 428,000
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: 4 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Advanced Molecular Biology and Genomics
Bioinformatics Algorithms and Sequence Analysis
Proteomics and Protein Bioinformatics
Computational Biology and Systems Biology
Structural Bioinformatics and Molecular Modelling
Genome Assembly and Annotation
Phylogenetics and Molecular Evolution
Next-Generation Sequencing Data Analysis
Machine Learning in Bioinformatics
Research Methods in Molecular Biology

Modules

8 in the programme

Advanced Molecular Biology and Genomics
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Molecular biology, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.
Bioinformatics Algorithms and Sequence Analysis
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Bioinformatics algorithms, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and current analytical techniques used in advanced research and professional practice.
Structural Bioinformatics and Molecular Modelling
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Structural bioinformatics, covering mathematical and computational modelling techniques, simulation methods, and their application in research and analysis.
Next-Generation Sequencing Data Analysis
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
NGS analysis, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and current analytical techniques used in advanced research and professional practice.
Machine Learning in Bioinformatics
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Machine learning, examining pedagogical theories, educational frameworks, and their application in teaching, learning, and curriculum development.
Research Methods in Molecular Biology
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

Structural Bioinformatics
Research on structural bioinformatics
Genomics
Research on genomics
Systems Biology
Research on systems biology
Machine Learning in Biology
Research on ML in bioinformatics

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting molecular biology research, running computational analyses on genomic data, developing bioinformatics pipelines, reviewing literature, attending seminars on genomics and computational biology, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with KEMRI, ILRI and CEBIB for research collaboration.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's genomics research creates strong demand
Access to CEBIB, KEMRI, ILRI and ICIPE
Research contributes to health and agriculture

Against it

UoN PhD is expensive (KSh 1,324,000 total)
Requires both laboratory and computational skills
High-performance computing resources may be limited

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 191 technology courses

Public170k to 428k

170k at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology428k at University of Nairobi

Private168k to 288k

168k 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

UoN 428K/yr Y1(cebib.uonbi.ac.ke). JKUAT 170K unverified. KeMU 168K/yr(eafinder). Kabarak 288K/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: Master's degree in relevant field from JKUAT or recognised institution. 3-5 years. Application fee KSh 1,500. At UoN CEBIB: MSc in Biological and Physical Sciences, Bioinformatics, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry or equivalent from UoN or recognised institution. I837. By research only. Must submit detailed research proposal at application. Admission open throughout the year.

MSc in Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics, Biotechnology, Biochemistry or related field
Relevant Masters from recognised university

How you are assessed

3 components

Research Seminars
Continuous assessment20% of the mark
Seminar presentations and research progress reports
Thesis
Thesis60% of the mark
Doctoral thesis research, 2 peer-reviewed publications, 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 (PhD in Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics, 3-5 years, total approximately KSh 510,500) and University of Nairobi (CEBIB, PhD in Bioinformatics I837, total KSh 1,324,000 over 3 years, by research only, minimum 6 semesters, must publish 2 articles).

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

Genomics Scientist
High demandKsh 220,000 to Ksh 550,000
Genomics at research institutes
Computational Biologist
High demandKsh 220,000 to Ksh 550,000
Computational biology at biotechnology firms
Bioinformatics Researcher
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Research at KEMRI and research institutes
University Professor
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaching and research in biology departments

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, bioinformatics researchers, computational biologists and genomics scientists. They work at KEMRI, ILRI, ICIPE, biotechnology firms and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Bioinformatics is just about using software.
The field covers algorithm development, computational biology, systems biology, structural modelling and machine learning.
There is no demand for bioinformatics PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's genomics research and pathogen surveillance create demand.
Bioinformatics research is purely computational.
The programme integrates molecular biology laboratory work with computational analysis.
Only computer scientists study this PhD.
The programme attracts biologists, biochemists, medical professionals and pharmacists.