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.

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.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 474,000
Private, up to: Ksh 313,700
Job market: Moderate

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: 5 students
Award: PhD

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 favour

Kenya's resource conflicts create research demand
Access to UNEP, NEMA and Wangari Maathai Institute
Research contributes to peace and environmental governance

Against it

Fieldwork in conflict-affected areas can be risky
UoN PhD is expensive (KSh 1,442,000 total)
Interdisciplinary 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

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: Masters Degree
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.

MSc/MA in Environmental Sciences, Natural Resources Management, Peace Studies, Social Sciences or equivalent
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, policy briefs 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 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).

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

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

Industry links

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.