Agriculture

Doctor of Philosophy in Sustainable Agriculture

The Doctor of Philosophy in Sustainable Agriculture is a doctoral programme offered at Egerton University through the Faculty of Agriculture and at Kenyatta University through the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in sustainable agriculture, agroecology and climate-smart agriculture.

The programme addresses Kenya's agricultural sustainability research and food security development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in sustainable agriculture, agroecology, climate-smart agriculture, conservation agriculture, organic farming, soil health, water management, crop-livestock integration, agricultural biodiversity, sustainable pest management and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops sustainable agriculture insights for Kenya's food security and environmental challenges.

Kenya's food security, climate change impacts on agriculture, soil degradation, water scarcity, agricultural biodiversity loss, unsustainable farming practices, smallholder farmer livelihoods, agricultural policy, SDG 2 on zero hunger and the demand for sustainable agriculture research create demand for doctoral-level expertise. The programme supports Kenya's agricultural sustainability and food security goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, field sessions and supervised research. At Egerton, the Faculty of Agriculture offers PhD in Sustainable Agriculture. Application fee KSh 2,000. At KU, the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences offers related programmes. KSh 367,200/year for East Africans. Application fee KSh 3,000.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, sustainable agriculture researchers, agroecology consultants, climate-smart agriculture specialists and agricultural policy analysts. They work in universities, KALRO, FAO, Ministry of Agriculture and international organisations.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 367,200
Private, up to: Ksh 313,700
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: 5 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Advanced Sustainable Agriculture and Agroecology
Climate-Smart Agriculture and Adaptation
Conservation Agriculture and Soil Health
Organic Farming Systems
Sustainable Water Management in Agriculture
Crop-Livestock Integration and Farming Systems
Agricultural Biodiversity and Genetic Resources
Sustainable Pest and Disease Management
Agricultural Systems Modelling and Analysis
Research Methods in Sustainable Agriculture

Modules

8 in the programme

Advanced Sustainable Agriculture and Agroecology
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Sustainable agriculture, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.
Climate-Smart Agriculture and Adaptation
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Climate-smart agriculture, covering agricultural principles, production technologies, and their application in sustainable farming systems.
Conservation Agriculture and Soil Health
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Conservation agriculture, covering clinical principles, evidence-based practice, and contemporary challenges in healthcare delivery and research.
Crop-Livestock Integration and Farming Systems
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Farming systems, covering agricultural principles, production technologies, and their application in sustainable farming systems.
Agricultural Biodiversity and Genetic Resources
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Biodiversity, covering agricultural principles, production technologies, and their application in sustainable farming systems.
Research Methods in Sustainable Agriculture
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

Agroecology
Research on agroecology
Climate-Smart Agriculture
Research on climate-smart agriculture
Conservation Agriculture
Research on conservation agriculture
Organic Farming Systems
Research on organic farming

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting sustainable agriculture research, analysing farming systems data, reviewing agroecology literature, attending seminars on climate-smart agriculture, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with KALRO, FAO and IITA for research collaboration. Fieldwork at experimental farms and with smallholder farmers is common.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's food security and climate change create demand
Access to KALRO, FAO, IITA and ICRAF
Research contributes to food security and sustainability

Against it

Fieldwork in remote farming areas is challenging
Requires multidisciplinary knowledge
Research funding for agriculture can be competitive

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 303 agriculture courses

Public245k to 367k

245k at Egerton University367k at Kenyatta University

Private168k to 314k

168k at Kenya Methodist University314k 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 245K/yr (egerton.ac.ke), KU 367K/yr (ku.ac.ke). KeMU 168K, Kabarak 314K/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 Egerton: MSc from Egerton or recognised institution. Faculty of Agriculture. PhD in Sustainable Agriculture. Application fee KSh 2,000. At KU: MSc from KU or recognised institution. School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. KSh 367,200/year. Application fee KSh 3,000.

MSc in Agriculture, Agronomy, Agricultural Economics, Environmental Science 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 Egerton University (Faculty of Agriculture, PhD in Sustainable Agriculture, application fee KSh 2,000) and Kenyatta University (School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, 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 roles

Agroecology Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 250,000 to Ksh 600,000
Consulting on sustainable farming
Climate-Smart Agriculture Specialist
High demandKsh 250,000 to Ksh 600,000
Climate-smart agriculture at FAO and NGOs
Sustainable Agriculture Researcher
High demandKsh 220,000 to Ksh 550,000
Research at KALRO and IITA
University Professor
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaching and research in agriculture departments

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, sustainable agriculture researchers, agroecology consultants and climate-smart agriculture specialists. They work at KALRO, FAO, IITA, Ministry of Agriculture and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Sustainable agriculture is just about organic farming.
The field covers agroecology, climate-smart agriculture, conservation agriculture, water management and farming systems.
There is no demand for sustainable agriculture PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's food security and climate change create demand.
Sustainable agriculture research is purely fieldwork.
The programme uses systems modelling, GIS, remote sensing and socio-economic analysis.
Only agronomists study this PhD.
The programme attracts ecologists, economists, soil scientists and environmental scientists.