Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy in Soil and Water Engineering

The Doctor of Philosophy in Soil and Water Engineering is a doctoral programme offered at JKUAT through the School of Biosystems and Environmental Engineering (SOBEE) and at the University of Nairobi through the Department of Environmental and Biosystems Engineering.

It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in soil and water engineering, irrigation engineering and land and water management. The programme addresses Kenya's agricultural engineering research and water resource management development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in soil and water engineering, irrigation and drainage engineering, soil conservation, hydrology, water resource management, erosion control, watershed management, agricultural water management, land reclamation, soil mechanics and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops soil and water engineering insights for Kenya's agricultural and water challenges.

Kenya's water scarcity, irrigation expansion, soil erosion, land degradation, watershed management, flood control, drainage, water harvesting, dam engineering, sustainable land management and the demand for agricultural engineering research create demand for doctoral-level soil and water engineering expertise. The programme supports Kenya's water resource management and agricultural development goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, laboratory and field sessions and supervised research. At JKUAT, SOBEE offers PhD in Soil and Water Engineering. Application fee KSh 3,500. At UoN, the Department of Environmental and Biosystems Engineering offers related research. Tuition KSh 540,000/year for engineering PhDs. Application fee KSh 4,000.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, soil and water engineers, irrigation engineers, water resource consultants and agricultural engineers. They work in universities, Ministry of Water, Ministry of Agriculture, National Irrigation Authority and engineering firms.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 572,000
Private, up to: Ksh 168,000
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 Soil and Water Engineering
Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Soil Conservation and Erosion Control
Hydrology and Water Resource Management
Watershed Management and Planning
Agricultural Water Management
Land Reclamation and Rehabilitation
Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering
Water Harvesting and Storage Engineering
Research Methods in Soil and Water Engineering

Modules

8 in the programme

Advanced Soil and Water Engineering
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Soil and water engineering, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.
Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Irrigation, covering engineering principles, design methodologies, and their application in solving complex technical problems.
Hydrology and Water Resource Management
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Hydrology, covering strategic planning, organisational behaviour, and contemporary management challenges relevant to professional practice.
Watershed Management and Planning
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Watershed management, covering strategic planning, organisational behaviour, and contemporary management challenges relevant to professional practice.
Soil Conservation and Erosion Control
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Soil conservation, covering agricultural principles, production technologies, and their application in sustainable farming systems.
Research Methods in Soil and Water Engineering
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

Watershed Management
Research on watershed management
Water Harvesting
Research on water harvesting
Irrigation Engineering
Research on irrigation engineering
Soil Conservation
Research on soil conservation

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting soil and water engineering research, running hydrological models, analysing soil and water data, reviewing engineering literature, attending seminars on irrigation, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with Ministry of Water, NIA and WARMA for research collaboration. Fieldwork at irrigation schemes and watersheds is common.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's water scarcity and irrigation create demand
Access to NIA, WARMA and Ministry of Water
Research contributes to water and food security

Against it

UoN engineering PhD is expensive (KSh 540,000/year)
Fieldwork in remote irrigation schemes is challenging
Requires strong engineering and hydrology knowledge

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 332 engineering courses

Public170k to 572k

170k at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology572k at University of Nairobi

Private150k to 168k

150k at Mount Kenya University168k at Kenya Methodist 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 572K eng PhD (uonbi.ac.ke). JKUAT 170K. KeMU 168K, MKU 150K. Soil/water eng unverified.

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
HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students
DAAD Kenya Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
Postgraduate students in Kenya

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: Masters Degree
Alternative entry: At JKUAT: MSc from JKUAT or recognised institution. SOBEE. PhD in Soil and Water Engineering. Application fee KSh 3,500. PhD proposal/concept note required. At UoN: MSc from UoN or recognised institution. Department of Environmental and Biosystems Engineering. Tuition KSh 540,000/year. Application fee KSh 4,000.

MSc in Soil and Water Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Civil Engineering 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
Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, design projects and seminar presentations
Thesis
Thesis50% of the mark
Doctoral thesis research, submission and oral defence

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Offered at JKUAT (SOBEE, PhD in Soil and Water Engineering, application fee KSh 3,500) and University of Nairobi (Department of Environmental and Biosystems Engineering, tuition KSh 540,000/year, application fee KSh 4,000). EBK regulates engineering practice.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education
AcademicRequired
Statutory body responsible for accreditation of university programmes in Kenya
Engineers Board of Kenya
ProfessionalRequired
Registers and regulates engineers in Kenya

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

4 roles

Water Resource Consultant
High demandKsh 300,000 to Ksh 700,000
Consulting at WARMA and consulting firms
Irrigation Engineer
High demandKsh 300,000 to Ksh 700,000
Irrigation at NIA and private firms
Soil and Water Engineer
High demandKsh 300,000 to Ksh 700,000
Engineering at NIA and engineering firms
University Professor
High demandKsh 250,000 to Ksh 600,000
Teaching and research in engineering departments

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, soil and water engineers, irrigation engineers and water resource consultants. They work at Ministry of Water, NIA, WARMA and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Soil and water engineering is just about digging irrigation canals.
The field covers hydrology, watershed management, erosion control, drainage, water harvesting and land reclamation.
There is no demand for this PhD in Kenya.
Kenya's water scarcity and irrigation expansion create demand.
Soil and water engineering research is purely practical.
The programme uses hydrological modelling, GIS, remote sensing and computational methods.
Only civil engineers study this PhD.
The programme attracts agricultural engineers, hydrologists and environmental scientists.