Skip to content
Pathrel
Start free
All courses
Health Sciences

Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology

The Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology is a doctoral programme offered at the University of Nairobi through the Department of Psychiatry, College of Health Sciences, and at Kenyatta University through the School of Education and Lifelong Learning.

Duration
3 years
Next intake January 2027
Public tuition
Ksh 756,000
Ksh 2,268,000 total
Private tuition
Ksh 288,000
Ksh 864,000 total
Job market
High
Market demand for graduates

The short answer

What it costs
Up to Ksh 756,000 a year at a public institution, Ksh 2,268,000 for the whole course. Up to Ksh 288,000 a year at a private one.The detail
Who can get in
A KCSE mean grade of Masters Degree or above, plus 1 subject grade. There is another way in without it.The detail
How long, and when
Takes 3 years, full-time, part-time, with 0 months of attachment. Next intake January 2027, at 4 institutions.The detail
Where it leads
8 careers in the catalogue. The least exposed to AI is Dental Ceramist, at 3 out of 100.The detail

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Overview

It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in clinical psychology, mental health and psychological interventions. The programme addresses Kenya's mental health research and psychological services development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in clinical psychology, psychopathology, psychotherapy, psychological assessment, neuropsychology, health psychology, research methods in psychology, cultural psychology, trauma psychology and evidence-based interventions. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops clinical psychology insights for Kenya's mental health challenges.

Kenya's mental health burden, depression and anxiety prevalence, substance abuse, trauma and PTSD, child and adolescent mental health, psychological services gap, mental health policy reform and the demand for clinical psychology research create demand for doctoral-level clinical psychology expertise. The programme supports Kenya's mental health sector development goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, clinical practicum and supervised research. At UoN, the Department of Psychiatry offers PhD in Clinical Psychology (H805), 3 years. Tuition KSh 756,000/year, Year 1 total KSh 788,000, Year 2 KSh 783,000, Year 3 KSh 833,000, total KSh 2,404,000 over 3 years. Application fee KSh 4,000. At KU, PhD in Counselling Psychology, KSh 244,800/year for East Africans. Application fee KSh 3,000.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, clinical psychologists, psychotherapy researchers, mental health consultants and neuropsychologists. They work in universities, hospitals, Kenya Psychiatric Association, Ministry of Health and international organisations.

What you study

10 subjects
  • Advanced Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology
  • Psychotherapy and Evidence-Based Interventions
  • Psychological Assessment and Testing
  • Neuropsychology and Brain-Behaviour Relations
  • Health Psychology and Behavioural Medicine
  • Trauma Psychology and PTSD Treatment
  • Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychology
  • Cultural and Cross-Cultural Psychology
  • Research Methods in Clinical Psychology
  • Substance Abuse and Addiction Psychology

Modules

8 in the programme

  • Advanced Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology

    Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

    Clinical psychology, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.

  • Psychotherapy and Evidence-Based Interventions

    Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

    Psychotherapy, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.

  • Psychological Assessment and Testing

    Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore

    Assessment, covering assessment design, evaluation methodologies, data-driven decision-making, and quality assurance processes.

  • Neuropsychology and Brain-Behaviour Relations

    Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore

    Neuropsychology, covering psychological theories, assessment methods, and their application in clinical and research settings.

  • Trauma Psychology and PTSD Treatment

    Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore

    Trauma psychology, covering psychological theories, assessment methods, and their application in clinical and research settings.

  • Research Methods in Clinical Psychology

    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

  • Health Psychology

    Research on health psychology

  • Child and Adolescent Psychology

    Research on child psychology

  • Trauma Psychology

    Research on trauma psychology

  • Neuropsychology

    Research on neuropsychology

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting clinical psychology research, assessing patients, reviewing psychology literature, attending seminars on psychopathology, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with Mathari Hospital, Kenya Psychiatric Association and Ministry of Health for research collaboration. Clinical practicum at hospitals is required.

The trade-offs

In its favourAgainst it
Kenya's mental health burden creates strong demandUoN PhD is very expensive (KSh 2,404,000 total)
Access to Mathari Hospital and Kenya Psychiatric AssociationClinical practicum requires hospital placements
Research contributes to mental health improvementEmotional demands of clinical work

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
Public245k to 756k
245k at Kenyatta University756k at University of Nairobi
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 756k, KU 244.8k/yr (psychiatry.uonbi/ku.ac.ke). KeMU 170k, 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

  • DAAD Kenya Scholarship

    ScholarshipKenyan

    Postgraduate students in Kenya

  • NACOSTI Research Grant

    GrantKenyan

    Science and technology researchers in Kenya

  • HELB Postgraduate Scholarship

    LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan

    Kenyan postgraduate students

Scholarships you could apply for

2 usable where it is taught
Save one and be reminded before it closes

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade
Masters Degreeminimum entry
Alternative entry

At UoN: MA/MSc from UoN or recognised institution. Department of Psychiatry, College of Health Sciences. PhD in Clinical Psychology (H805), 3 years. Total KSh 2,404,000. Application fee KSh 4,000. At KU: MA/MSc from KU or recognised institution with aggregate B plain. PhD in Counselling Psychology. KSh 244,800/year. Application fee KSh 3,000.

Subject requirements
MA/MSc in Clinical Psychology, Counselling Psychology, Psychology or related fieldRelevant Masters from recognised university

When it next starts

Taught at 4 institutions
January 20274 institutions

Including Africa International University, Daystar University, University of Nairobi.

May 20273 institutions

Including Daystar University, University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University.

September 20274 institutions

Including Africa International University, Daystar University, University of Nairobi.

How you are assessed

3 components

  • 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

  • Coursework

    Continuous assessment30% of the mark

    Assignments, clinical case studies and seminar presentations

Accreditation

  • Commission for University Education

    AcademicRequired

    Statutory body responsible for accreditation of university programmes in Kenya

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Offered at University of Nairobi (Department of Psychiatry, College of Health Sciences, PhD in Clinical Psychology H805, 3 years, total KSh 2,404,000, application fee KSh 4,000) and Kenyatta University (PhD in Counselling Psychology, KSh 244,800/year, application fee KSh 3,000).

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 psychology departments

  • Neuropsychologist

    Moderate demandKsh 250,000 to Ksh 600,000

    Neuropsychology at hospitals and clinics

  • Psychotherapy Researcher

    High demandKsh 220,000 to Ksh 550,000

    Research on psychotherapy interventions

  • Clinical Psychologist

    High demandKsh 250,000 to Ksh 600,000

    Clinical practice at hospitals

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, clinical psychologists, psychotherapy researchers and neuropsychologists. They work at hospitals, Mathari Hospital, Ministry of Health and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Common misconceptions

  • Clinical psychology is just about counselling.

    The field covers psychopathology, neuropsychology, psychological assessment, trauma and evidence-based interventions.

  • There is no demand for clinical psychology PhDs in Kenya.

    Kenya's mental health burden creates strong demand.

  • Clinical psychology research is purely qualitative.

    The programme uses clinical trials, psychometrics, neuroscience methods and statistical analysis.

  • Only psychologists study this PhD.

    The programme attracts psychiatrists, nurses and social workers.

Further reading

Read next