Health Sciences

Doctor of Philosophy in Oral Maxillofacial Surgery

The Doctor of Philosophy in Oral Maxillofacial Surgery is a doctoral programme offered at the University of Nairobi through the Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Dental Sciences. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in oral and maxillofacial surgery, craniofacial disorders and surgical innovation. The programme addresses Kenya's oral surgery research and maxillofacial healthcare development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in oral and maxillofacial surgery, craniofacial trauma, maxillofacial pathology, dental implantology, orthognathic surgery, cleft lip and palate surgery, head and neck oncology, temporomandibular joint disorders, facial reconstructive surgery and research methods.

The curriculum emphasises original research that develops surgical insights for Kenya's oral and maxillofacial healthcare challenges.

Kenya's road traffic accidents causing facial trauma, oral cancer burden, cleft lip and palate conditions, maxillofacial infections, dental implant needs, craniofacial anomalies and the demand for surgical research create demand for doctoral-level oral maxillofacial surgery expertise. The programme supports Kenya's oral and maxillofacial healthcare development goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, clinical sessions and supervised research. At UoN, the School of Dental Sciences offers PhD in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Duration 4 years full-time, 5 years part-time. MDS in Oral Maxillofacial Surgery (HDS62) is offered as a pathway. Application fee KSh 4,000. PhD by thesis total KSh 450,000.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, oral surgery researchers, maxillofacial surgeons, craniofacial consultants and dental educators. They work in universities, Kenyatta National Hospital, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, private practice and international health organisations.

Duration: 4-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 396,000
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 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Craniofacial Trauma and Reconstruction
Maxillofacial Pathology and Oncology
Dental Implantology and Bone Grafting
Orthognathic Surgery and Facial Deformity
Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery
Head and Neck Surgery
Temporomandibular Joint Disorders
Facial Reconstructive Surgery
Research Methods in Oral Surgery

Modules

8 in the programme

Advanced Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Oral surgery, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.
Craniofacial Trauma and Reconstruction
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Craniofacial trauma, covering construction technologies, project management, and their application in the built environment.
Maxillofacial Pathology and Oncology
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Pathology and oncology, covering pathological principles, diagnostic techniques, and their application in disease investigation.
Dental Implantology and Bone Grafting
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Implantology, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Cleft surgery, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Research Methods in Oral Surgery
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

Head and Neck Oncology
Research on head and neck oncology
Cleft Surgery
Research on cleft lip and palate
Craniofacial Trauma
Research on craniofacial trauma
Dental Implantology
Research on dental implantology

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting oral surgery research, analysing surgical outcomes, reviewing maxillofacial surgery literature, attending clinical rounds at KNH, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with KMPDC, IAOMS and hospitals for research collaboration. Clinical observation in operating theatres is common.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's facial trauma burden creates demand
Access to KNH and MTRH for clinical research
Research contributes to surgical improvement

Against it

Requires medical/dental qualification
Clinical research requires ethical approvals
Balancing surgical practice with research is challenging

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 349 health sciences courses

Public367k to 396k

367k at Kenyatta University396k at University of Nairobi

Private144k to 288k

144k 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 396k, KU 367.2k/yr (dental.uonbi/ku.ac.ke). KeMU 144k, Kabarak 288k/yr (eafinder/kabarak)

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

HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
Postgraduate students in Kenya
NACOSTI Research Grant
GrantKenyan
Science and technology researchers 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: Masters degree from UoN or equivalent from recognised institution. Submit research proposal. Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Dental Sciences. Duration 4 years full-time, 5 years part-time. Total KSh 450,000. Application fee KSh 4,000. MDS in Oral Maxillofacial Surgery (HDS62) as pathway.

MDS in Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, Master of Dentistry or equivalent
Relevant Masters from recognised university

How you are assessed

3 components

Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, clinical 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 University of Nairobi (Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Dental Sciences, PhD in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 4 years full-time, 5 years part-time, total KSh 450,000). MDS in Oral Maxillofacial Surgery (HDS62) as pathway. KMPDC regulates medical and dental practice.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education
AcademicRequired
Statutory body responsible for accreditation of university programmes in Kenya
Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council
ProfessionalRequired
Regulates medical and dental practice in Kenya

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

4 roles

Craniofacial Consultant
High demandKsh 300,000 to Ksh 800,000
Consulting on craniofacial conditions
University Professor
High demandKsh 220,000 to Ksh 550,000
Teaching and research in dental schools
Oral Surgery Researcher
High demandKsh 220,000 to Ksh 550,000
Research on oral surgery
Maxillofacial Surgeon
High demandKsh 300,000 to Ksh 800,000
Surgical practice at hospitals

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, oral surgery researchers, maxillofacial surgeons and craniofacial consultants. They work at KNH, MTRH, universities and private practice.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Oral surgery PhD is just about tooth extraction.
The field covers craniofacial trauma, oncology, reconstructive surgery, implantology and cleft surgery.
There is no demand for oral surgery PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's facial trauma and oral cancer burden create demand.
Oral surgery research is purely clinical.
The programme uses surgical outcomes research, biomaterials, imaging and clinical trials.
Only dentists study this PhD.
The programme attracts medical doctors and plastic surgeons.