Art and Design

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Design

The Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Design is a doctoral programme offered at the University of Nairobi through the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. It is designed to produce scholars capable of advancing research in urban design, urban morphology and public space design. The programme addresses Kenya's urban design research and urban development needs.

Students engage with advanced topics in urban design theory, urban morphology, public space design, urban regeneration, sustainable urbanism, urban aesthetics, placemaking, urban heritage, smart cities, urban density, mixed-use development and research methods. The curriculum emphasises original research that develops urban design insights for Kenya's urbanisation challenges.

Kenya's rapid urbanisation, Nairobi metropolitan growth, urban sprawl, informal settlements, public space deficit, urban regeneration, smart cities, urban heritage conservation, sustainable urban development, Vision 2030 urbanisation and the demand for urban design research create demand for doctoral-level urban design expertise.

The programme supports Kenya's urban development and planning goals.

Teaching is delivered through coursework, studio sessions and supervised research. At UoN, the Department of Urban and Regional Planning offers PhD in Urban Design. Tuition approximately KSh 480,000/year based on similar built environment PhD programmes. Application fee KSh 4,000.

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, urban design researchers, urban planners, city designers and urban development consultants. They work in universities, Ministry of Transport, Nairobi City County, UN-Habitat and urban planning firms.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 512,000
Private, up to: Ksh 317,200
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 Urban Design Theory and Practice
Urban Morphology and Spatial Analysis
Public Space Design and Placemaking
Urban Regeneration and Renewal
Sustainable Urbanism and Green Cities
Urban Heritage and Conservation
Smart Cities and Digital Urbanism
Mixed-Use Development and Urban Density
Urban Aesthetics and Visual Analysis
Research Methods in Urban Design

Modules

8 in the programme

Advanced Urban Design Theory and Practice
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Urban design, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.
Urban Morphology and Spatial Analysis
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Urban morphology, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and current analytical techniques used in advanced research and professional practice.
Public Space Design and Placemaking
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Public space, covering design principles, methodologies, and practical approaches to creating effective solutions in professional contexts.
Urban Regeneration and Renewal
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Urban regeneration, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Sustainable Urbanism and Green Cities
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Sustainable urbanism, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Research Methods in Urban Design
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

Urban Heritage
Research on urban heritage
Urban Regeneration
Research on urban regeneration
Sustainable Urbanism
Research on sustainable urbanism
Smart Cities
Research on smart cities

A day as a student

A typical day involves conducting urban design research, analysing urban spatial data, reviewing urban design literature, attending studio sessions and seminars on urbanism, meeting with supervisors to discuss research progress, and engaging with UN-Habitat, Nairobi County and planning firms for research collaboration. Fieldwork in urban areas and public spaces is common.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's rapid urbanisation creates demand
Access to UN-Habitat and Nairobi County
Research contributes to sustainable cities

Against it

UoN PhD is expensive (KSh 480,000/year)
Requires multidisciplinary knowledge
Access to urban data can be restricted

What it costs

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

What it costs, and where

Against 73 art and design courses

Public186k to 512k

186k at Egerton University512k at University of Nairobi

Private170k to 317k

170k at Kenya Methodist University317k 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

UoN 512K urbanplanning.uonbi.ac.ke. Egerton unverified. KeMU 170K eafinder, Kabarak 317K

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

DAAD Kenya Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
Postgraduate students in Kenya
HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students
NACOSTI Research Grant
GrantKenyan
Science and technology researchers 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: MA/MSc from UoN or recognised institution. Department of Urban and Regional Planning. PhD in Urban Design. Application fee KSh 4,000.

MA/MSc in Urban Design, Urban Planning, Architecture, Geography 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 University of Nairobi (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, PhD in Urban Design, tuition approximately KSh 480,000/year, application fee KSh 4,000).

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

University Professor
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaching and research in planning departments
Urban Design Researcher
Moderate demandKsh 220,000 to Ksh 550,000
Research on urban design
Urban Planner
High demandKsh 250,000 to Ksh 600,000
Planning at county governments
Urban Development Consultant
High demandKsh 250,000 to Ksh 600,000
Consulting at UN-Habitat and firms

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as university professors, urban design researchers, urban planners and city designers. They work at UN-Habitat, Nairobi City County, Ministry of Transport and universities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Urban design PhD is just about making cities look nice.
The field covers urban morphology, public space, regeneration, sustainable urbanism, smart cities and heritage.
There is no demand for urban design PhDs in Kenya.
Kenya's rapid urbanisation creates strong demand.
Urban design research is purely aesthetic.
The programme uses spatial analysis, GIS, social research, environmental modelling and policy analysis.
Only architects study this PhD.
The programme attracts planners, geographers, sociologists and environmental scientists.