Overview
To produce holistic and globally competitive graduates with capacities to address human nutrition and dietetics issues
Structure
- The programme shall take a minimum of three academic years and a maximum of five academic years.
- The Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Human Nutrition and Dietetics shall be offered by course work, research, examination and a thesis.
- The programme shall consist of four compulsory taught course units and a thesis.
- A course unit shall be defined as 60 instructional hours comprising of lectures, seminars, term papers and guided research work.
- The research component of the programme shall be equivalent to 1080 Hours.
- Registration as a Doctoral student
a) For the purposes of eligibility for registration in the programme, an applicant who qualifies for admission into the course work phase shall be deemed to have satisfied the admission requirement spelt out in paragraph 6.1.
b) A successful applicant shall register as a doctoral student and take the required coursework. The student shall be required to develop an acceptable research proposal before being enrolled as a doctoral candidate.
- A candidate shall carry out supervised thesis research, for a minimum period of two academic years, and a maximum of four academic years, culminating in a Doctoral thesis.
SCHEDULE OF INTAKES
For PhD Applied Human Nutrition, admission is on rolling basis and students can apply and get admitted at any time of the year.
Admission Requirements
- The common regulations for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in the University of Nairobi shall apply.
- Holders of a Master’s degree in Food Science and Technology and related sciences from the University of Nairobi or any other institution recognized by Senate. The candidate must have a relevant bachelor’s degree.
- The applicant must be able to produce evidence of adequate academic background in the discipline and capacity to carry out original research by submitting a research concept note on the proposed topic of study.
- The concept note shall include a brief statement of the problem, research objectives, and research hypothesis, brief literature review, summary of proposed methodology, expected outputs, work plan and key references.
Careers
CAREER PROSPECTS/OPPORTUNITIES
i. Government and private hospitals
ii. NGOs
iii. Food industries
iv. Universities and colleges
v. Research institutions
ATTACHMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Trainees at this level may not undergo normal attachment but they are supposed to carry out collaborative research that links them to key sectors in line with their specialization. Such areas include the following;
i. Hospitals of all levels
ii. Non-governmental organizations dealing with community nutrition
iii. Food industries that specialize in therapeutic foods or foods with nutritional claims
iv. Research and learning educations
NOTABLE ALUMNI
Prof. Ruth Oniang’o, ROP
Fees and Funding
| Year I | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total | |
| TUITION | 432,000.00 | 432,000.00 | 432,000.00 | 1,296,000.00 |
| ICT SERVICES - (PER YEAR) | 7,000.00 | 7,000.00 | 7,000.00 | 21,000.00 |
| THESIS EXAMINATION | - | - | 50,000.00 | 50,000.00 |
| REGISTRATION (PER SEMESTER@2250) | 4,500.00 | 4,500.00 | 4,500.00 | 13,500.00 |
| ID CARD ( PER YEAR) | 1,000.00 | 1,000.00 | 1,000.00 | 3,000.00 |
| CAUTION - (ONCE) | 5,000.00 | - | - | 5,000.00 |
| MEDICAL FEE (PER YEAR) | 6,500.00 | 6,500.00 | 6,500.00 | 19,500.00 |
| ACTIVITY-( PER YEAR) | 2,000.00 | 2,000.00 | 2,000.00 | 6,000.00 |
| LIBRARY (PER YEAR) | 5,000.00 | 5,000.00 | 5,000.00 | 15,000.00 |
| STUDENT ORGANISATION(PER YEAR) | 1,000.00 | 1,000.00 | 1,000.00 | 3,000.00 |
| EXAMINATION (PER UNIT @1000) | - | - | - | - |
| Grand Totals | 464,000.00 | 459,000.00 | 509,000.00 | 1,432,000.00 |
Philosophy
The programme is responding to the University of Nairobi, core business of participating in the discovery, transmission of knowledge and stimulation of the intellectual life and cultural development. The philosophy of this programme is guided by the need to lay a firm foundation for human resource both local and international opportunities in innovation, academia, research and human nutrition.
Rationale
“Nutrition represents the provision of necessary materials to the cells and organisms for survival. Nutrition of the human body is constituted by the food and drinks that people consume thus the field of nutrition and dietetics including clinical nutrition, specialises in understanding the effects of alimentation on the body…” in the context of social, economic and ecological as regulated by policy formulation and implementation.
Training programmes in life sciences have the primary mandate and responsibility of producing qualified personnel in food nutrition and dietetics that is responsive to existing and emerging challenges in human nutrition and by extension health and social welfare. Although the Department has been training for nutrition and dietetics at the Bachelors, Masters and PhD degree level,
In response to public and private sector needs for highly skilled human resource in innovation, creativity, research and community service, the department in consultation with stakeholders, other institutions concerned with higher learning and social sector have structured a doctoral programme to meet the ever growing demand in this specialization. Thus, the main aim of the doctorate degree is to produce professionals with high quality and advanced knowledge and skills to solve the ever increasing and morphing nutritional problems.
The PhD programme graduates should be able to effectively generate and promote technologies, strategies and services that can enhance empowerment to eradicate poverty and food/nutrition insecurity. This curriculum thus is designed to produce graduates with capacities to conduct innovative cutting-edge research, to formulate and implement policies and technical guidelines, to train at institutions of higher learning, to develop technologies, to provide leadership in human nutrition and dietetics at national and international levels and to work with governments and Non-Governmental Organizations in creating positive impact on human nutrition, health/ wellbeing and labour productivity as envisaged in Kenya’s Vision 2030.
The development of a coursework based PhD in Applied Human Nutrition and Dietetics is strongly based on the findings of a needs assessment that clearly manifests the desire for a PhD programme that combines coursework and research. The desire emerges from the feeling of inadequacy and gaps in knowledge and skills that limit PhD students in pursuance of the degree. Secondly, there exists a gap in the regions due to limitations, in personnel (numbers, knowledge and skills) which require upgrading of current personnel on emerging nutritional challenges in the context of ongoing social and economic developments. It is apparent that there is need and demand to upgrade current training at PhD level through coursework hence the need to introduce a coursework/thesis based PhD curriculum at the University of Nairobi.
The development of this curriculum involved engagement of key stakeholders including current/former PhD students, staff and practitioners in human nutrition and dietetics, Kenya Nutritionists and Dieticians Institute (KNDI), and Commission of University Education (CUE). KNDI is the regulatory body that regulates the practice of human nutrition and dietetics in Kenya while CUE provides guidelines for curricula. has a relevant research institutions and international and national non-governmental organizations and persons who hold human nutrition interests at the county level
Click to Apply
The programme will be delivered on a full-time or part-time, through face-to-face or Open, Distance and e-Learning (ODeL) modes of study. The ODeL mode of delivery shall only apply for the taught course units, except the Graduate seminars. The main modes of instruction will be via face-to-face and electronic interactions as lectures, seminars and guided research.