Arts & Humanities

Doctor of Philosophy of Arts in History and Archaeology

The Doctor of Philosophy of Arts in History and Archaeology is a doctoral programme offered at the University of Nairobi through the Department of History and Archaeology. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research at the intersection of history and archaeology.

The programme addresses Kenya's historical and archaeological research and cultural heritage development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in historical research, African history, archaeological methods, East African prehistory, oral history, historiography, historical archaeology, cultural heritage, archival methods and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops historical and archaeological insights for Kenya's cultural heritage challenges.

Kenya's rich historical heritage, oral traditions, colonial and post-colonial history, archaeological sites, cultural tourism, heritage management, museum development and the demand for historical research create demand for doctoral-level history and archaeology expertise. The programme supports Kenya's cultural heritage preservation and historical research goals.

Teaching is delivered through research and supervised thesis work. At UoN, the Department of History and Archaeology offers PhD by thesis. PhD by thesis total KSh 450,000. Application fee KSh 4,000. Foreign students USD 14,639. The department also offers Postgraduate Diploma in History and Archaeology with specialisations in History (General) and Women in History.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, historical researchers, heritage managers, museum curators and cultural consultants. They work in universities, National Museums of Kenya, Kenya National Archives, Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage and international organisations.

Duration: 4-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 244,800
Private, up to: Ksh 288,000
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: 4 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Advanced Historiography and Historical Methods
African History and Historiography
Archaeological Methods and Theory
East African Prehistory and Archaeology
Oral History and Traditions
Historical Archaeology of East Africa
Cultural Heritage Management
Archival Research and Documentation
Colonial and Post-Colonial African History
Research Methods in History and Archaeology

Modules

8 in the programme

Advanced Historiography and Historical Methods
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Historiography, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.
African History and Historiography
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
African history, covering historical methods, archaeological techniques, and their application in understanding past societies.
Archaeological Methods and Theory
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Archaeological methods, examining foundational principles, conceptual frameworks, and theoretical debates that shape contemporary understanding in this field.
Oral History and Traditions
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Oral history, covering historical methods, archaeological techniques, and their application in understanding past societies.
Cultural Heritage Management
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Heritage management, covering strategic planning, organisational behaviour, and contemporary management challenges relevant to professional practice.
Research Methods in History and Archaeology
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

Oral History
Research on oral history
Historical Archaeology
Research on historical archaeology
Cultural Heritage
Research on cultural heritage
African History
Research on African history

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting historical and archaeological research, analysing archival documents, reviewing historiography, attending seminars on African history, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with NMK, Kenya National Archives and BIEA for research collaboration. Fieldwork at historical and archaeological sites is common.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's rich heritage creates research opportunities
Access to NMK, Kenya National Archives and BIEA
Research contributes to cultural preservation

Against it

Limited career opportunities outside academia
Archival and fieldwork can be time-consuming
Funding for historical research is limited

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 188 arts & humanities courses

Public109k to 245k

109k at University of Nairobi245k at Kenyatta University

Private170k to 288k

170k 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 108.7K research PhD (uonbi.ac.ke). KU 244,800. KeMU 170K, Kabarak 288K.

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

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
CODESRIA Research Grant

Scholarships

3 recorded

DAAD Kenya Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
Postgraduate students in Kenya
HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students
CODESRIA Research Grant
Grant
Social science and cultural researchers in Africa

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: Masters Degree
Alternative entry: At UoN: Masters degree from UoN or equivalent from recognised institution. Submit research proposal. Department of History and Archaeology. PhD by thesis. Total KSh 450,000. Application fee KSh 4,000. Foreign students USD 14,639.

MA in History, Archaeology, Anthropology or related field
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
Thesis
Thesis60% of the mark
Doctoral thesis research, submission and oral defence
Research Seminars
Continuous assessment20% of the mark
Seminar presentations and research progress reports

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Offered at University of Nairobi (Department of History and Archaeology, PhD by thesis, total KSh 450,000). Postgraduate Diploma in History and Archaeology also offered with History (General) and Women in History specialisations.

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

University Professor
Moderate demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaching and research in history departments
Historical Researcher
Moderate demandKsh 170,000 to Ksh 420,000
Research at archives and research institutes
Heritage Manager
Moderate demandKsh 180,000 to Ksh 450,000
Heritage management at NMK and Ministry
Museum Curator
Moderate demandKsh 170,000 to Ksh 420,000
Curation at National Museums of Kenya

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, historical researchers, heritage managers and museum curators. They work at NMK, Kenya National Archives, Ministry of Culture and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

History and archaeology PhD is just about memorising dates.
The field covers historiography, archaeological methods, oral history, heritage management and archival research.
There is no demand for this PhD in Kenya.
Kenya's cultural heritage and tourism create demand.
Historical research is purely archival.
The programme uses archaeological methods, oral history, GIS and interdisciplinary approaches.
Only historians study this PhD.
The programme attracts archaeologists, anthropologists and cultural heritage professionals.