Doctor of Philosophy in Population Health and Biosurveillance
The Doctor of Philosophy in Population Health and Biosurveillance is a doctoral programme offered at Kenyatta University through the School of Health Sciences. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in population health, disease surveillance and health data analytics. The programme addresses Kenya's population health research and biosurveillance development needs.
Students engage with advanced topics in population health, biosurveillance, epidemiological methods, health informatics, disease outbreak investigation, spatial epidemiology, public health analytics, global health security, zoonotic disease surveillance and research methods.
The curriculum emphasises original research that develops population health and biosurveillance insights for Kenya's health security challenges.
Kenya's disease outbreaks, pandemic preparedness, health data systems, zoonotic diseases, border health security, county health surveillance, demographic health surveys, DHIS2 implementation and the demand for biosurveillance research create demand for doctoral-level population health and biosurveillance expertise. The programme supports Kenya's health security and surveillance development goals.
Teaching is delivered through coursework, field sessions and supervised research. At KU, the School of Health Sciences offers PhD in Population Health and Biosurveillance. Application fee KSh 3,000 for East Africans, USD 50 for non-East Africans. KSh 367,200/year for East Africans, KSh 459,000/year for non-East Africans.
Graduates pursue careers as university professors, biosurveillance researchers, epidemiologists, health data analysts and public health intelligence officers. They work in universities, Ministry of Health, KEMRI, Africa CDC and international organisations.
- Duration
- 3-5 years
- Public, up to
- Ksh 367,200
- 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
- 4 students
- Award
- PhD
What you study
10 subjects- Advanced Population Health and Epidemiology
- Biosurveillance and Disease Surveillance Systems
- Health Informatics and Data Analytics
- Disease Outbreak Investigation and Response
- Spatial Epidemiology and GIS for Health
- Global Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness
- Zoonotic Disease Surveillance and One Health
- Public Health Intelligence and Early Warning Systems
- Demographic Analysis and Population Dynamics
- Research Methods in Population Health
Modules
8 in the programmeAdvanced Population Health and Epidemiology
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Population health, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.
Biosurveillance and Disease Surveillance Systems
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Biosurveillance, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Health Informatics and Data Analytics
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Health informatics, covering clinical principles, evidence-based practice, and contemporary challenges in healthcare delivery and research.
Disease Outbreak Investigation and Response
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Outbreak investigation, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Spatial Epidemiology and GIS for Health
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Spatial epidemiology, covering clinical principles, evidence-based practice, and contemporary challenges in healthcare delivery and research.
Research Methods in Population Health
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
Disease Surveillance
Research on disease surveillance
Pandemic Preparedness
Research on pandemic preparedness
Health Informatics
Research on health informatics
Spatial Epidemiology
Research on spatial epidemiology
A day as a student
A typical day involves conducting population health research, analysing surveillance data, reviewing epidemiological literature, attending seminars on biosurveillance, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with KEMRI, Ministry of Health and Africa CDC for research collaboration. Fieldwork during disease outbreaks is common.
The trade offs
In its favour
- Pandemic preparedness creates demand
- Access to KEMRI, Africa CDC and WHO
- Research contributes to health security
Against it
- Requires strong quantitative and computing skills
- Access to real-time surveillance data can be restricted
- Fieldwork during outbreaks is risky
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 coursesAnnual 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
KU 367.2k, Egerton 200k/yr (ku.ac.ke/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 recordedNACOSTI 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 KU: MSc from KU or recognised institution. School of Health Sciences. PhD in Population Health and Biosurveillance. KSh 367,200/year for East Africans. Application fee KSh 3,000 for East Africans, USD 50 for non-East Africans.
MSc in Public Health, Epidemiology, Health Informatics, Statistics or related field
Relevant Masters from recognised university
How you are assessed
3 componentsCoursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, data 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 Kenyatta University (School of Health Sciences, PhD in Population Health and Biosurveillance, KSh 367,200/year, application fee KSh 3,000).
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 rolesHealth Data Analyst
High demandKsh 250,000 to Ksh 600,000
Data analysis at health agencies
Biosurveillance Researcher
High demandKsh 220,000 to Ksh 550,000
Research at KEMRI and Africa CDC
University Professor
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaching and research in health sciences
Epidemiologist
High demandKsh 250,000 to Ksh 600,000
Epidemiology at Ministry of Health
Graduate outcomes
Graduates pursue careers as university professors, biosurveillance researchers, epidemiologists and health data analysts. They work at KEMRI, Ministry of Health, Africa CDC and universities.
Where these fields lead
8 careers- Dental CeramistHealth Sciences3Low exposure
- Occupational Therapist Assistant (Junior)Health Sciences3Low exposure
- PsychologyHealth Sciences3Low exposure
- Dental ProsthetistHealth Sciences4Low exposure
- Dental Laboratory TechnicianHealth Sciences5Low exposure
- General DentistHealth Sciences5Low exposure
- Veterinary PathologistHealth Sciences5Low exposure
- Community Health NurseHealth Sciences6Low exposure
Certifications
Industry links
Common misconceptions
Population health and biosurveillance is just about counting people.
The field covers disease surveillance, health informatics, spatial epidemiology and pandemic preparedness.
There is no demand for this PhD in Kenya.
Kenya's disease outbreaks and pandemic preparedness create demand.
Biosurveillance research is purely technical.
The programme uses epidemiological methods, data analytics, GIS and policy research.
Only doctors study this PhD.
The programme attracts statisticians, data scientists and public health professionals.
Related courses
Further reading
Fees and entry marks for Doctor of Philosophy in Population Health and Biosurveillance are restated every intake. Save it and the app keeps this version, so you can see what changed when it does.