Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy in Telecommunication Engineering

The Doctor of Philosophy in Telecommunication Engineering is a doctoral programme offered at JKUAT through the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and at the University of Nairobi through the Department of Electrical and Information Engineering. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in telecommunication engineering, wireless communications and network systems. The programme addresses Kenya's telecommunication engineering research and ICT infrastructure development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in telecommunication engineering, wireless communications, signal processing, antenna design, microwave engineering, optical communications, mobile networks, satellite communications, network security and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops telecommunication engineering insights for Kenya's ICT challenges.

Kenya's mobile penetration, fibre optic expansion, 5G development, satellite communications, rural connectivity, Internet of Things, cybersecurity, mobile money infrastructure, telecommunications policy and the demand for telecom research create demand for doctoral-level telecommunication engineering expertise. The programme supports Kenya's ICT development and digital economy goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, laboratory sessions and supervised research. At JKUAT, the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering offers PhD in Telecommunication Engineering. Application fee KSh 3,500.

At UoN, the Department of Electrical and Information Engineering offers PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (F804) with telecommunication specialisation. 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, telecommunication engineers, network architects, signal processing researchers and telecom consultants. They work in universities, Safaricom, Communications Authority of Kenya, Huawei and telecom companies.

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 Telecommunication Systems and Networks
Wireless Communications and Mobile Networks
Digital Signal Processing and Communications
Antenna Theory and Design
Microwave Engineering and RF Systems
Optical Communications and Fibre Networks
Satellite Communications and GPS
Network Security and Cryptography
5G and Next-Generation Networks
Research Methods in Telecommunication Engineering

Modules

8 in the programme

Advanced Telecommunication Systems and Networks
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Telecom systems, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.
Wireless Communications and Mobile Networks
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Wireless communications, covering communication theories, media analysis, and their application in contemporary information environments.
Digital Signal Processing and Communications
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Signal processing, covering communication theories, media analysis, and their application in contemporary information environments.
Antenna Theory and Design
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Antenna design, examining foundational principles, conceptual frameworks, and theoretical debates that shape contemporary understanding in this field.
Optical Communications and Fibre Networks
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Optical communications, covering communication theories, media analysis, and their application in contemporary information environments.
Research Methods in Telecommunication 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

Wireless Communications
Research on wireless communications
5G and Next-Generation Networks
Research on 5G networks
Network Security
Research on network security
Optical Communications
Research on optical communications

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting telecom research, running network simulations, analysing signal data, reviewing telecom literature, attending seminars on wireless communications, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with Safaricom, CA and IEEE for research collaboration. Laboratory work with RF and network equipment is common.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's ICT sector creates strong demand
Access to Safaricom, CA and IEEE
Research contributes to digital economy

Against it

UoN PhD is very expensive (KSh 1,756,000 total)
RF and network equipment is expensive
Rapidly evolving technology requires continuous learning

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/yr. KeMU 168K, MKU 150K. Telecom 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

HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students
NACOSTI Research Grant
GrantKenyan
Science and technology researchers in Kenya
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. Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. PhD in Telecommunication Engineering. Application fee KSh 3,500. At UoN: MSc from UoN or recognised institution. Department of Electrical and Information Engineering. PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (F804) with telecom specialisation. Tuition KSh 540,000/year. Application fee KSh 4,000. Research proposal required.

MSc in Telecommunication Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering or related field
Relevant Masters from recognised university

How you are assessed

3 components

Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, design 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 JKUAT (Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, PhD in Telecommunication Engineering, application fee KSh 3,500) and University of Nairobi (Department of Electrical and Information Engineering, PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering F804 with telecom specialisation, tuition KSh 540,000/year, total KSh 1,756,000, application fee KSh 4,000). EBK regulates engineering practice.

Accredited by

Engineers Board of Kenya
ProfessionalRequired
Registers and regulates engineers 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

University Professor
High demandKsh 250,000 to Ksh 600,000
Teaching and research in engineering departments
Signal Processing Researcher
Moderate demandKsh 300,000 to Ksh 700,000
Research at research institutes
Telecommunication Engineer
High demandKsh 300,000 to Ksh 700,000
Engineering at Safaricom and telecom companies
Network Architect
High demandKsh 350,000 to Ksh 800,000
Network design at telecom companies

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, telecommunication engineers, network architects and signal processing researchers. They work at Safaricom, CA, Huawei and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Telecommunication engineering PhD is just about mobile networks.
The field covers signal processing, antenna design, microwave engineering, optical communications, satellite and network security.
There is no demand for telecom PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's ICT sector and 5G development create demand.
Telecom research is purely hardware.
The programme uses software-defined radio, network simulation, signal processing algorithms and machine learning.
Only electrical engineers study this PhD.
The programme attracts computer scientists, physicists and mathematicians.