PhD in Economics

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3.1 Entry Requirements
(i) The common regulations for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of Kenyatta University shall apply.
(ii) Candidates shall be holders of at least Masters Degrees in Economics from Kenyatta University or from another institution of comparable status, and these degrees must be based on coursework, examination and research project or coursework, examination and thesis.
(iii)To be selected to the programme, the student will have completed master’s level course work in the following three core courses: Microeconomic Theory, Macroeconomic Theory and Quantitative Methods.

3.2 Duration and Pattern
a.he common university and school regulations shall apply
b.The PhD programme extends for a period of not less than eight (8) semesters from the date of registration. It shall be by coursework, examination and thesis.
c.In the first year of study, candidates shall take seven core units; three units in the first semester, and three in the second semester and an independent paper that will be equivalent to one unit. The six units shall be examined before proceeding to second year. A candidate who had not taken the Economics Research methodology course (EAE 501) at Masters Level shall be required to take the course at the said level.
d.In the second year of study, candidates shall take four units, two from each field, in the first semester. The electives will be offered at the discretion of the School of Economics. During the second semester a student will work with the supervisor to select the area of specialization and also to prepare for comprehensive examinations in each of four areas (Microeconomic theory, Macroeconomic theory, and two elective fields of Economics), which he/she will sit for at the end of that semester. On successful completion of the comprehensive exams in the second semester the student shall proceed to the thesis stage (to register for EAE: 620 (Thesis). Three seminars shall be organized to assist students during their research phase. The seminars are:

(i) Research Proposal Seminar: This shall take place by the end of the first semester in third year. A student shall be required to present and defend before a panel of experts as well as their fellow students his/her Ph.D. research proposal. Among the experts shall be resource persons from within and outside the School of Economics.
(ii) Post-Field Work Seminar: This shall take place by the end of the third year. A student shall be required to present preliminary analyses of his/her research before a panel of experts and fellow students as in the first seminar.
(iii) Seminar on Draft Thesis: At the end of the first half of the fourth year, the third seminar shall be held where a student shall present his/her draft Ph.D. Thesis before a panel of experts and fellow students as in the other seminars. This shall be the final input by outsiders into the student’s research, just before the student defends the thesis at the School by the end of the fourth year.

e. In the third year of study a student shall give two seminars at the School of Economics, based on his/her Ph.D. research work, one in each semester.
f In the fourth year of study a student shall give a final seminar in the first semester and shall submit the final thesis for examination.

3.3 Examination
a.Common Kenyatta University regulations shall apply.
b. University examinations shall be given at the end of each semester and shall contribute 60 percent of the total marks; continuous assessment shall constitute the remaining 40 percent.
c. All examination papers shall be of 3-hour duration.
d.The minimum passing mark shall be 50 percent.
e. A candidate who fails to satisfy requirement (3.3d) shall be permitted, on the recommendation of the School Board of Examiners and with the approval of the Senate, to take supplementary examinations in the failed unit(s) up to a maximum of two units in any academic year.
f. A candidate who fails to pass in the supplementary examinations shall be discontinued.
g. A candidate who fails more than two units in the ordinary University examination in any one-year shall be discontinued.
h.Comprehensive examinations shall be graded as pass or fail.
i. A candidate who fails in the comprehensive examinations shall be allowed one chance to re-sit the examinations at the end of the following semester.
j. A candidate who re-sits and fails in the comprehensive examinations shall be discontinued.