Business

Doctor of Philosophy in Real Estate

The Doctor of Philosophy in Real Estate is a doctoral programme offered at the University of Nairobi through the Department of Land Development and at Kenyatta University through the School of Law, Arts and Social Sciences.

It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in real estate, property valuation and land economics. The programme addresses Kenya's real estate research and property market development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in real estate, property valuation, land economics, property investment, real estate finance, property development, urban land markets, property law, facility management and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops real estate insights for Kenya's property market challenges.

Kenya's booming real estate sector, housing deficit, property valuation needs, mortgage market development, commercial property investment, property taxation, land administration, urban development and the demand for real estate research create demand for doctoral-level real estate expertise. The programme supports Kenya's real estate and property development goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, studio sessions and supervised research. At UoN, the Department of Land Development offers real estate research through the Faculty of Built Environment. Application fee KSh 4,000. At KU, PhD in Real Estate through the School of Law, Arts and Social Sciences. KSh 244,800/year for East Africans. Application fee KSh 3,000.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, real estate researchers, property valuation consultants, real estate investment analysts and property development advisors. They work in universities, valuation firms, banks, real estate companies and government agencies.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 320,000
Private, up to: Ksh 310,200
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 Real Estate and Property Markets
Property Valuation and Appraisal Methods
Land Economics and Property Economics
Real Estate Finance and Investment Analysis
Property Development and Project Management
Urban Land Markets and Land Use
Property Law and Conveyancing
Facility Management and Maintenance
Real Estate Market Analysis and Modelling
Research Methods in Real Estate

Modules

8 in the programme

Advanced Real Estate and Property Markets
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Real estate, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.
Property Valuation and Appraisal Methods
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Valuation, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Real Estate Finance and Investment Analysis
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Finance, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and current analytical techniques used in advanced research and professional practice.
Property Development and Project Management
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Development, requiring students to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world problems, conduct independent research, and present findings in a scholarly format.
Urban Land Markets and Land Use
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Land markets, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Research Methods in Real Estate
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

Property Development
Research on property development
Property Valuation
Research on property valuation
Land Economics
Research on land economics
Real Estate Finance
Research on real estate finance

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting real estate research, analysing property market data, reviewing real estate literature, attending seminars on property valuation, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with ISK, valuation firms and banks for research collaboration. Fieldwork for property inspection and market surveys is common.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's booming real estate sector creates demand
Access to ISK, banks and real estate companies
Research contributes to property market development

Against it

Access to property transaction data can be restricted
Requires knowledge of law, economics and finance
Property market volatility affects research relevance

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 331 business courses

Public252k to 320k

252k at Egerton University320k at University of Nairobi

Private164k to 310k

164k at Kenya Methodist University310k 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

Egerton 252K egerton.ac.ke/phd; UoN 320K uonbi.ac.ke; Kabarak 310K kabarak.ac.ke; KeMU 164K eafinder

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 UoN: MA/MSc from UoN or recognised institution. Department of Land Development, Faculty of Built Environment. Application fee KSh 4,000. At KU: MA/MSc from KU or recognised institution. School of Law, Arts and Social Sciences. PhD in Real Estate. KSh 244,800/year. Application fee KSh 3,000.

MA/MSc in Real Estate, Land Economics, Valuation, Surveying or related field
Relevant Masters from recognised university

How you are assessed

3 components

Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, valuation projects and seminar presentations
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

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Offered at University of Nairobi (Department of Land Development, Faculty of Built Environment, application fee KSh 4,000) and Kenyatta University (School of Law, Arts and Social Sciences, PhD in Real Estate, KSh 244,800/year, application fee KSh 3,000). ISK regulates valuation practice.

Accredited by

Institution of Surveyors of Kenya
Professional
Regulates surveyors and valuers 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

Real Estate Investment Analyst
High demandKsh 300,000 to Ksh 700,000
Investment analysis at banks and REITs
University Professor
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaching and research in real estate departments
Property Valuation Consultant
High demandKsh 250,000 to Ksh 600,000
Valuation at consulting firms
Real Estate Researcher
Moderate demandKsh 220,000 to Ksh 550,000
Research at real estate research firms

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, real estate researchers, property valuation consultants and real estate investment analysts. They work at valuation firms, banks, real estate companies and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Real estate PhD is just about buying and selling property.
The field covers valuation, land economics, property finance, development and market analysis.
There is no demand for real estate PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's booming real estate sector creates demand.
Real estate research is purely practical.
The programme uses econometric modelling, GIS, market analysis and policy research.
Only surveyors study this PhD.
The programme attracts economists, lawyers and urban planners.