Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy in Surveying

The Doctor of Philosophy in Surveying is a doctoral programme offered at the University of Nairobi through the Department of Geospatial and Space Technology. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in surveying, geomatics and land measurement. The programme addresses Kenya's surveying research and land administration development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in surveying, geodesy, photogrammetry, remote sensing, GPS and GNSS, land administration, cadastral surveying, hydrographic surveying, geospatial information systems, cartography and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops surveying insights for Kenya's land management and spatial data challenges.

Kenya's land administration, cadastral surveying, land titling, boundary disputes, topographic mapping, infrastructure surveying, mining surveying, hydrographic surveying, GIS development, spatial data infrastructure and the demand for surveying research create demand for doctoral-level surveying expertise.

The programme supports Kenya's land management and spatial data development goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, field sessions and supervised research. At UoN, the Department of Geospatial and Space Technology offers PhD in Geospatial Engineering (F806), which encompasses surveying research. Tuition KSh 540,000/year, Year 1 total KSh 572,000, Year 2 KSh 567,000, Year 3 KSh 617,000, total KSh 1,756,000 over 3 years. Application fee KSh 4,000.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, surveying researchers, geomatics consultants, land administration specialists and GIS specialists. They work in universities, Ministry of Lands, Survey of Kenya, Kenya National Bureau of Statistics 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: 3 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Advanced Surveying and Geomatics
Geodesy and Geodetic Surveying
Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
GPS, GNSS and Satellite Positioning
Cadastral Surveying and Land Administration
Hydrographic Surveying
Geospatial Information Systems and Cartography
Land Tenure and Boundary Surveying
Spatial Data Infrastructure and Standards
Research Methods in Surveying

Modules

8 in the programme

Advanced Surveying and Geomatics
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Surveying, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.
Geodesy and Geodetic Surveying
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Geodesy, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Photogrammetry, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
GPS, GNSS and Satellite Positioning
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
GNSS, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Cadastral Surveying and Land Administration
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Cadastral surveying, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Research Methods in Surveying
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

Cadastral Surveying
Research on cadastral surveying
Geodesy
Research on geodesy
Photogrammetry
Research on photogrammetry
Hydrographic Surveying
Research on hydrographic surveying

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting surveying research, processing GNSS and photogrammetric data, reviewing geomatics literature, attending seminars on geodesy, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with Ministry of Lands, Survey of Kenya and RCMRD for research collaboration. Fieldwork with surveying instruments and drones is common.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's land administration creates demand
Access to Survey of Kenya, LSBK and RCMRD
Research contributes to land management

Against it

UoN PhD is very expensive (KSh 1,756,000 total)
Surveying equipment is expensive
Fieldwork in remote areas is challenging

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/yr (geospatial.uonbi.ac.ke). JKUAT 170K/yr. KeMU 168K, MKU 150K/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
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 UoN: MSc from UoN or recognised institution. Department of Geospatial and Space Technology. PhD in Geospatial Engineering (F806) encompassing surveying. Tuition KSh 540,000/year. Application fee KSh 4,000.

MSc in Surveying, Geomatics, Geospatial Engineering or related field
Relevant Masters from recognised university

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, field projects and seminar presentations

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Offered at University of Nairobi (Department of Geospatial and Space Technology, PhD in Geospatial Engineering F806 encompassing surveying, tuition KSh 540,000/year, total KSh 1,756,000, application fee KSh 4,000). LSBK regulates surveying practice.

Accredited by

Land Surveyors Board of Kenya
ProfessionalRequired
Registers and regulates land surveyors 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

Surveying Researcher
Moderate demandKsh 250,000 to Ksh 600,000
Research at Survey of Kenya and RCMRD
Land Administration Specialist
Moderate demandKsh 250,000 to Ksh 600,000
Land administration at Ministry of Lands
University Professor
High demandKsh 250,000 to Ksh 600,000
Teaching and research in geospatial departments
Geomatics Consultant
High demandKsh 300,000 to Ksh 700,000
Consulting on surveying and GIS projects

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, surveying researchers, geomatics consultants and land administration specialists. They work at Ministry of Lands, Survey of Kenya, RCMRD and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Surveying PhD is just about measuring land.
The field covers geodesy, photogrammetry, remote sensing, GPS, cadastral surveying and GIS.
There is no demand for surveying PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's land administration and spatial data needs create demand.
Surveying research is purely fieldwork.
The programme uses GNSS processing, photogrammetric analysis, GIS modelling and remote sensing.
Only surveyors study this PhD.
The programme attracts geographers, engineers and computer scientists.