Technology

Doctor of Philosphy in Information Technology

The Doctor of Philosophy in Information Technology is a doctoral programme offered at Kabarak University through the School of Science and Technology, at JKUAT through the College of Computing and Information Technology, and at the University of Nairobi through the Department of Computer Science.

It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in information technology, computing and digital innovation. The programme addresses Kenya's IT research and digital economy development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in information technology, computer science, software engineering, data science, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud computing, IT governance, digital transformation and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops IT insights for Kenya's digital economy challenges.

Kenya's digital economy, Silicon Savannah, mobile money innovation, e-government services, cybersecurity threats, data protection regulation, AI adoption, cloud computing, fintech innovation and the demand for IT research create demand for doctoral-level IT expertise. The programme supports Kenya's digital economy development goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, laboratory sessions and supervised research. At Kabarak, PhD in IT is offered through coursework and thesis, Nakuru City Campus, tuition KSh 144,000/semester. At JKUAT, PhD in Information Communication Technology Management. Application fee KSh 1,500. At UoN, PhD in Computer Science (P80), 3-5 years, total KSh 1,580,000 over 3 years. Application fee KSh 4,000.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, IT researchers, data scientists, cybersecurity specialists and IT consultants. They work in universities, tech companies, banks, government agencies and international organisations.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 505,000
Private, up to: Ksh 443,250
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: 5 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Advanced Information Technology and Computing
Software Engineering and Systems Development
Data Science and Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Systems
Cybersecurity and Information Assurance
Cloud Computing and Distributed Systems
IT Governance and Digital Transformation
Mobile Computing and IoT
Blockchain and Fintech Innovation
Research Methods in Information Technology

Modules

8 in the programme

Advanced Information Technology and Computing
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
IT and computing, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.
Data Science and Machine Learning
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Data science, examining pedagogical theories, educational frameworks, and their application in teaching, learning, and curriculum development.
Cybersecurity and Information Assurance
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Cybersecurity, covering technological tools, digital platforms, and information systems relevant to contemporary research and professional practice.
Cloud Computing and Distributed Systems
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Cloud computing, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
IT Governance and Digital Transformation
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
IT governance, covering political theories, governance frameworks, and their application in public administration.
Research Methods in Information Technology
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

Artificial Intelligence
Research on AI and machine learning
Cybersecurity
Research on cybersecurity
Data Science
Research on data science
Cloud Computing
Research on cloud computing

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting IT research, writing code for experiments, analysing data, reviewing computing literature, attending seminars on AI and cybersecurity, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with ICTA, tech companies and CA for research collaboration. Laboratory and computational work is extensive.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's Silicon Savannah creates demand
Skills applicable across all industries
Research contributes to digital economy

Against it

UoN PhD is expensive (KSh 1,580,000 total)
Rapid technology change requires continuous learning
Access to industry data can be restricted

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 191 technology courses

Public227k to 505k

227k at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology505k at University of Nairobi

Private288k to 443k

288k at Kabarak University443k at USIU-Africa

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 PhD CIS 505K/yr Y1(uonbi.ac.ke). JKUAT 227K/yr(kenyaeducationguide). Kabarak 288K/yr, USIU 443K/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

NACOSTI Research Grant
GrantKenyan
Science and technology researchers in Kenya
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
Postgraduate students in Kenya
HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: Masters Degree
Alternative entry: At Kabarak: MSc from Kabarak or recognised institution. School of Science and Technology. PhD in IT, coursework and thesis. KSh 144,000/semester. At JKUAT: MSc from JKUAT or recognised institution. Application fee KSh 1,500. At UoN: MSc from UoN or recognised institution. PhD in Computer Science (P80), 3-5 years, total KSh 1,580,000. Application fee KSh 4,000.

MSc in IT, Computer Science, Information Systems or related field
Relevant Masters from recognised university

How you are assessed

3 components

Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, programming 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 Kabarak University (School of Science and Technology, PhD in IT, coursework and thesis, KSh 144,000/semester), JKUAT (PhD in ICT Management, application fee KSh 1,500) and University of Nairobi (PhD in Computer Science P80, 3-5 years, total KSh 1,580,000, application fee KSh 4,000).

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

IT Researcher
High demandKsh 250,000 to Ksh 600,000
Research at tech companies and labs
Data Scientist
High demandKsh 300,000 to Ksh 700,000
Data science at tech companies and banks
University Professor
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaching and research in IT departments
Cybersecurity Specialist
High demandKsh 300,000 to Ksh 700,000
Cybersecurity at CA and banks

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, IT researchers, data scientists and cybersecurity specialists. They work at tech companies, banks, ICTA and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

IT PhD is just about programming.
The field covers AI, cybersecurity, data science, cloud computing, IT governance and digital transformation.
There is no demand for IT PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's Silicon Savannah and digital economy create demand.
IT research is purely technical.
The programme uses empirical research, design science, mixed methods and policy analysis.
Only computer scientists study this PhD.
The programme attracts engineers, mathematicians and business professionals.