Health Sciences

Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacognosy & Complementary Medicine

The Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacognosy and Complementary Medicine is a doctoral programme offered at the University of Nairobi through the Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in pharmacognosy, herbal medicine and complementary medicine. The programme addresses Kenya's traditional medicine research and herbal medicine development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in pharmacognosy, phytochemistry, herbal medicine standardisation, traditional medicine, complementary medicine, ethnopharmacology, natural product drug discovery, herbal product quality control, medicinal plant cultivation and research methods.

The curriculum emphasises original research that develops pharmacognosy insights for Kenya's traditional medicine and herbal medicine challenges.

Kenya's rich biodiversity, traditional medicine heritage, herbal medicine market, medicinal plant conservation, natural product drug discovery, WHO traditional medicine strategy, herbal medicine regulation and the demand for pharmacognosy research create demand for doctoral-level expertise. The programme supports Kenya's traditional medicine and herbal medicine development goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, laboratory sessions and supervised research. At UoN, the Department of Pharmacy offers PhD in Pharmacognosy and Complementary Medicine by research and thesis. Application fee KSh 4,000. Notable alumni include Prof. Julius Mwangi (late), pioneer herbal medicine expert. Attachment opportunities available during final two years.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, pharmacognosy researchers, herbal medicine consultants, natural product scientists and regulatory affairs specialists. They work in universities, Pharmacy and Poisons Board, Kenya Medical Research Institute, World Health Organization and herbal medicine companies.

Duration: 3-5 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 Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry
Herbal Medicine Standardisation and Quality Control
Traditional Medicine and Ethnopharmacology
Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Natural Product Drug Discovery
Medicinal Plant Cultivation and Conservation
Herbal Product Formulation and Development
Phytochemical Analysis and Bioassays
Regulatory Framework for Herbal Medicines
Research Methods in Pharmacognosy

Modules

8 in the programme

Advanced Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Pharmacognosy, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.
Herbal Medicine Standardisation and Quality Control
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Standardisation, covering quality assurance principles, control methodologies, and their application in professional standards.
Traditional Medicine and Ethnopharmacology
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Traditional medicine, covering pharmacological principles, drug development processes, and their application in therapeutic practice.
Natural Product Drug Discovery
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Drug discovery, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Medicinal Plant Cultivation and Conservation
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Medicinal plants, covering ecological principles, conservation strategies, and their application in biodiversity management.
Research Methods in Pharmacognosy
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Research methods, 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, providing a platform for doctoral candidates to present research findings, engage with peer feedback, and explore contemporary debates in the field.
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

Natural Product Drug Discovery
Research on natural product drugs
Phytochemistry
Research on phytochemicals
Ethnopharmacology
Research on ethnopharmacology
Herbal Medicine Quality Control
Research on herbal medicine quality

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting pharmacognosy research, extracting and analysing phytochemicals, reviewing ethnopharmacology literature, attending seminars on herbal medicine, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with KEMRI, PPB and KEFRI for research collaboration. Fieldwork for medicinal plant collection is common.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's biodiversity creates unique research opportunities
Access to KEMRI, PPB and KEFRI
Research contributes to traditional medicine development

Against it

Requires expensive phytochemical analysis equipment
Fieldwork for plant collection is logistically challenging
Herbal medicine regulation adds complexity

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

Public200k to 396k

200k at Egerton 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, Egerton 200k/yr (pharmacy.uonbi/egerton.ac.ke). KeMU 144k, 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

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: MSc from UoN or recognised institution. Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy. PhD in Pharmacognosy and Complementary Medicine by research and thesis. Application fee KSh 4,000. Submit KCSE, Bachelor's and Master's certificates plus transcripts and certified ID.

MSc in Pharmacy, Pharmacognosy, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Chemistry 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
Thesis50% of the mark
Doctoral thesis research, submission and oral defence
Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, laboratory projects and seminar presentations

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Offered at University of Nairobi (Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, PhD in Pharmacognosy and Complementary Medicine by research and thesis, application fee KSh 4,000). Notable alumni: Prof. Julius Mwangi (late), pioneer herbal medicine expert. PPB regulates herbal medicines.

Accredited by

Pharmacy and Poisons Board
ProfessionalRequired
Regulates pharmacy and herbal medicines in Kenya
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
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaching and research in pharmacy schools
Pharmacognosy Researcher
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Research at KEMRI and research institutes
Natural Product Scientist
High demandKsh 220,000 to Ksh 550,000
Natural product research at companies
Herbal Medicine Consultant
High demandKsh 220,000 to Ksh 550,000
Consulting on herbal medicine

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, pharmacognosy researchers, herbal medicine consultants and natural product scientists. They work at KEMRI, PPB, WHO and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Pharmacognosy is just about herbal teas.
The field covers phytochemistry, drug discovery, standardisation, quality control and ethnopharmacology.
There is no demand for pharmacognosy PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's biodiversity and herbal medicine market create demand.
Complementary medicine research is not rigorous.
The programme uses phytochemical analysis, bioassays, clinical trials and regulatory science.
Only pharmacists study this PhD.
The programme attracts botanists, chemists and biomedical scientists.