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Environmental Science

Doctor of Philosophy in Natural Resources and Peace Studies

The Doctor of Philosophy in Natural Resources and Peace Studies is a doctoral programme offered at the University of Nairobi through the Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies and the Kisumu Campus. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research at the intersection of natural resources management, environmental governance and peace building.

Duration
3-5 years
Next intake January 2027
Public tuition
Ksh 474,000
Ksh 1,422,000 to Ksh 2,370,000 total
Private tuition
Ksh 313,700
Ksh 941,100 to Ksh 1,568,500 total
Job market
Moderate
Market demand for graduates

The short answer

What it costs
Up to Ksh 474,000 a year at a public institution, Ksh 1,422,000 to Ksh 2,370,000 for the whole course. Up to Ksh 313,700 a year at a private one.The detail
Who can get in
A KCSE mean grade of Masters Degree or above, plus 1 subject grade. There is another way in without it.The detail
How long, and when
Takes 3-5 years, full-time, part-time, with 0 months of attachment. Next intake January 2027, at 3 institutions.The detail
Where it leads
8 careers in the catalogue. The least exposed to AI is Adolescent Mentorship Officer, at 14 out of 100.The detail

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Overview

The programme addresses Kenya's natural resources governance and conflict resolution development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in natural resources governance, environmental conflict, peace building, resource-based conflict analysis, environmental justice, community-based natural resource management, climate change and conflict, biodiversity conservation and peace, environmental diplomacy and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops insights for Kenya's resource conflicts and environmental peace building challenges.

Kenya's resource-based conflicts including land disputes, water conflicts, grazing land competition, forest resource conflicts, extractive industry conflicts, climate-induced conflicts, environmental justice needs and the demand for peace research create demand for doctoral-level natural resources and peace studies expertise. The programme supports Kenya's environmental governance and peace building goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, seminars and supervised research. At UoN, the Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies offers PhD in Environmental Governance and Management (total KSh 1,442,000 over 3 years). UoN Kisumu Campus offers PhD in Conflict and Peace Studies and PhD in Biodiversity and Natural Resources Management. At UoN, PhD by thesis in social sciences costs KSh 450,000 total.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, peace researchers, environmental governance specialists, conflict resolution consultants and policy analysts. They work in universities, Ministry of Environment, National Environment Management Authority, peace building NGOs and international organisations.

What you study

10 subjects
  • Natural Resources Governance and Environmental Policy
  • Environmental Conflict and Resource-Based Conflict Analysis
  • Peace Building and Conflict Resolution
  • Environmental Justice and Equity
  • Community-Based Natural Resource Management
  • Climate Change and Environmental Conflict
  • Biodiversity Conservation and Peace
  • Environmental Diplomacy and Negotiation
  • Extractive Industries and Conflict
  • Research Methods in Peace and Environmental Studies

Modules

8 in the programme

  • Natural Resources Governance and Environmental Policy

    Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

    Resource governance, analysing policy frameworks, implementation strategies, and their impact on practice within the Kenyan and broader African context.

  • Environmental Conflict and Resource-Based Conflict Analysis

    Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

    Conflict analysis, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and current analytical techniques used in advanced research and professional practice.

  • Peace Building and Conflict Resolution

    Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore

    Peace building, covering technological tools, digital platforms, and information systems relevant to contemporary research and professional practice.

  • Climate Change and Environmental Conflict

    Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore

    Climate and conflict, covering technological tools, digital platforms, and information systems relevant to contemporary research and professional practice.

  • Community-Based Natural Resource Management

    Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore

    Community resource management, covering strategic planning, organisational behaviour, and contemporary management challenges relevant to professional practice.

  • Research Methods in Peace and Environmental Studies

    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

  • Environmental Diplomacy

    Research on environmental diplomacy

  • Climate Change and Conflict

    Research on climate-induced conflict

  • Community Resource Management

    Research on community-based management

  • Environmental Conflict

    Research on environmental conflicts

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting research on resource conflicts, analysing environmental policies, reviewing peace studies literature, attending seminars on environmental governance, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with NEMA, UNEP and peace building organisations for research collaboration. Fieldwork in conflict-affected areas is common.

The trade-offs

In its favourAgainst it
Kenya's resource conflicts create research demandFieldwork in conflict-affected areas can be risky
Access to UNEP, NEMA and Wangari Maathai InstituteUoN PhD is expensive (KSh 1,442,000 total)
Research contributes to peace and environmental governanceInterdisciplinary programme requires broad knowledge

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 181 environmental science courses
Public252k to 474k
252k at Egerton University474k at University of Nairobi
Private168k to 314k
168k at Kenya Methodist University314k 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 WMI ~474K/yr, Egerton ~252K/yr. KeMU ~168K, Kabarak ~314K/yr.

HELB provides postgraduate loans. DAAD offers scholarships for postgraduate study. CODESRIA provides research grants for social science research in Africa.

Funding options

  • HELB Postgraduate Loan

  • DAAD Kenya Scholarship

  • CODESRIA Research Grant

Scholarships

3 recorded

  • HELB Postgraduate Scholarship

    LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan

    Kenyan postgraduate students

  • CODESRIA Research Grant

    Grant

    Social science researchers in Africa

  • DAAD Kenya Scholarship

    ScholarshipKenyan

    Postgraduate students in Kenya

Scholarships you could apply for

2 usable where it is taught
Save one and be reminded before it closes

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade
Masters Degreeminimum entry
Alternative entry

At UoN Wangari Maathai Institute: MSc in environmental sciences, biological sciences, physical and natural sciences, peace-related disciplines or equivalent from recognised institution. MA in social sciences recommended by Institute board and approved by senate. Total KSh 1,442,000 over 3 years. At Egerton: MSc in Natural Resource Management or related. Total KSh 557,500 over 3 years.

Subject requirements
MSc/MA in Environmental Sciences, Natural Resources Management, Peace Studies, Social Sciences or equivalentRelevant Masters from recognised university

When it next starts

Taught at 3 institutions
January 20273 institutions

Including Egerton University, University of Nairobi, Multimedia University of Kenya.

May 20273 institutions

Including Egerton University, University of Nairobi, Multimedia University of Kenya.

September 20273 institutions

Including Egerton University, University of Nairobi, Multimedia University of Kenya.

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, policy briefs and seminar presentations

  • Thesis

    Thesis50% of the mark

    Doctoral thesis research, submission and oral defence

Accreditation

  • Commission for University Education

    AcademicRequired

    Statutory body responsible for accreditation of university programmes in Kenya

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Offered at University of Nairobi (Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies, PhD in Environmental Governance and Management, total KSh 1,442,000 over 3 years; Kisumu Campus, PhD in Conflict and Peace Studies and PhD in Biodiversity and Natural Resources Management) and Egerton University (PhD in Natural Resource Management, total KSh 557,500).

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

4 roles

  • Environmental Governance Specialist

    High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000

    Governance at NEMA and Ministry of Environment

  • Conflict Resolution Consultant

    Moderate demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000

    Consulting on resource conflicts

  • University Professor

    Moderate demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000

    Teaching and research in environmental and peace studies

  • Peace Researcher

    Moderate demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000

    Research at peace building organisations

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, peace researchers, environmental governance specialists and conflict resolution consultants. They work at NEMA, Ministry of Environment, UNEP, peace building NGOs and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Common misconceptions

  • Natural resources and peace studies is just about tree planting.

    The field covers resource governance, environmental conflict, climate-induced conflict, environmental justice and peace building.

  • There is no demand for this PhD in Kenya.

    Kenya's resource-based conflicts create demand for expertise.

  • Peace research is purely theoretical.

    The programme uses case studies, field research, policy analysis and community engagement.

  • Only environmentalists study this PhD.

    The programme attracts political scientists, sociologists and conflict resolution practitioners.

Further reading

Read next