Pokhara University School of Development and Social Engineering

The School of Development and Social Engineering (SDSE), Pokhara University is a constituent school of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Based at Dhungepatan, Pokhara, it offers undergraduate and graduate programs in development studies, English and communication, entrepreneurship, law, population and gender, and advanced development studies.

Its academic areas overlap in practical ways. Development studies connects with policy, population, gender, governance, environment, and research; communication studies combines English with media and professional communication; entrepreneurship focuses on enterprise development; and the law program brings legal study together with a wider social-science foundation.

School at a Glance

Academic Programs

SDSE offers four bachelor-level and two master-level programs.

Bachelor of Development Studies (BDEVS)

The Bachelor of Development Studies examines development through social, economic, political, environmental, population, and gender perspectives.

Its academic direction includes development theory and practice, governance, research methods, population issues, environmental concerns, and policy-related study. Data use, analytical work, and community-oriented learning are also part of the program’s development focus.

Bachelor of English and Communication Studies (BECS)

The Bachelor of English and Communication Studies combines English studies with communication in a four-year, eight-semester curriculum carrying 120 credits.

The course extends beyond literary study. Students encounter areas such as:

• literary studies, theories, and criticism;

• critical and creative writing;

• public speaking and interpersonal communication;

• intercultural and workplace communication;

• media and journalism writing;

• linguistics;

• language, culture, and society;

• research methodology;

• translation and interpretation;

• computer applications;

• project work; and

• internship.

Fourth-year project work gives students a practical setting for applying language and communication study. The work concludes with a report and seminar presentation.

Bachelor of Entrepreneurship Development (BED)

The Bachelor of Entrepreneurship Development is a four-year program organized into eight semesters with 125 credit hours.

The curriculum is built around entrepreneurship and enterprise development rather than general business study alone. It deals with opportunity identification, business planning, market analysis, enterprise management, innovation, and the practical process of developing a venture.

Major areas include:

• entrepreneurship skills for start-ups;

• new product development and management;

• social entrepreneurship;

• community-based enterprise development;

• strategic enterprise management;

• business growth management;

• e-business management;

• indigenous enterprise management;

• fundraising for start-ups;

• global entrepreneurship;

• facilitation skills;

• business counselling skills; and

• practicum.

The program also provides specialization in community-based entrepreneurship, private-sector entrepreneurship, or enterprise development facilitation.

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of Laws (B.A.LL.B.)

The Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of Laws (B.A.LL.B.) is a five-year integrated law program under the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

The curriculum combines legal education with interdisciplinary study and includes practical components such as moot court, research submissions, trial advocacy, seminars, and internships. English is the medium for teaching, learning, communication, assessment, assignments, reports, and examinations, apart from specific language courses where another language applies.

Applicants must pass the B.A.LL.B. entrance examination. The examination has five areas:

The entrance examination carries 150 marks and lasts three hours. Questions are multiple-choice, with one mark for each correct answer and no negative marking for incorrect responses. A minimum of 40 percent is required to pass. Admission then follows the merit position based on entrance examination marks.

Master in Population, Gender and Development (MPGD)

The Master in Population, Gender and Development is a two-year graduate program arranged over four semesters.

Population and gender are treated as cross-cutting areas within development study. The 63-credit curriculum combines core courses, multidisciplinary study, analytical tools, specialized subjects, and research work.

Academic areas include:

• population studies;

• economics;

• gender studies;

• development studies;

• statistics and mathematics;

• migration and urbanization;

• research methodology;

• local governance;

• development policies and programs;

• demography;

• human development;

• project management;

• human rights;

• internship;

• guided readings; and

• dissertation.

For admission, applicants may hold a three-year bachelor’s degree in any discipline, or a two-year bachelor’s degree in any discipline together with at least two years of professional or teaching experience.

Selection includes an entrance examination and interview, with academic records also included in the merit process.

Master of Development Studies (MDEVS)

The Master of Development Studies is a two-year, four-semester graduate program carrying 60 credits.

Its curriculum moves from development theory and public policy into planning, research, program management, specialized study, and dissertation work. Subjects include advanced development studies, social engineering, public policy, planning theory, statistics, natural resources, globalization, research methods, information technology for social research, development program management, and development analysis and planning techniques.

Specialization is organized under three themes:

• Humanistic Development

• Human Settlements Development

• Development Practice

Students also complete a field-based planning workshop, seminar work, and dissertation.

Applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in any discipline from a recognized university. Selection is based on the merit list of the entrance examination conducted by SDSE.

Admission Approach

Admission requirements differ by program, so SDSE does not operate under one common eligibility rule for all six courses.

For BDEVS, BECS, and BED, applicants enter at the undergraduate level after completing +2, PCL, or an equivalent qualification. Applicable grade requirements depend on the academic system and year of completion.

B.A.LL.B. has a separate admission route built around its compulsory entrance examination. MPGD uses an entrance examination, interview, and academic record in the selection process, while MDEVS admission is based on an entrance examination merit list.

Students should therefore follow the criteria attached to the particular program and intake they intend to apply for.

How Study Is Organized

The teaching format varies considerably across SDSE programs because each course has its own academic and professional requirements.

Development studies relies on policy analysis, research, social inquiry, planning, and field-oriented work. BECS uses writing, communication practice, research, project work, and internship. BED places greater weight on enterprise planning, entrepreneurship skills, and practicum.

B.A.LL.B. combines formal legal study with exercises such as moot court, trial advocacy, research submissions, seminars, and internships. The two master’s programs place additional emphasis on research methods, analytical study, field-based work, and dissertation writing.

Across these programs, students may work through:

• lectures and guided reading;

• research and analytical exercises;

• presentations and seminars;

• project and report writing;

• field-based assignments;

• internship or practicum;

• case and policy analysis; and

• dissertation or extended research work.

Research and Practical Work

Research is particularly visible in the structure of the SDSE curriculum.

MPGD includes research methodology, internship, guided readings, analytical courses, and dissertation work. MDEVS combines research methods with a field-based planning workshop, specialized study, seminar work, and dissertation.

Undergraduate programs use different forms of practical study. BECS includes communication project work and internship. BED uses entrepreneurship skills courses and practicum connected with enterprise planning. B.A.LL.B. incorporates moot court, trial advocacy, research submissions, and internship into legal education.

This difference matters when comparing the programs: the practical component is shaped by the discipline rather than following a single school-wide model.

Scholarships

Scholarship provisions differ by program and follow relevant Pokhara University arrangements.

For BECS, scholarship provisions allow up to 20 percent of students who completed SLC/SEE from public schools to receive scholarships under the applicable Pokhara University scholarship procedure. A separate application is required.

For MDEVS, the scholarship provision covers 20 percent of the total student quota and is linked with entrance examination or semester performance.

Choosing Among SDSE Programs

The six programs serve clearly different academic interests.

Students interested in development policy, society, governance, population, environment, and research can consider BDEVS. BECS is centered on English, communication, media, writing, and research. BED is intended for study of entrepreneurship and enterprise development, while B.A.LL.B. follows an integrated route into legal education.

At the graduate level, MPGD concentrates on population, gender, and development, whereas MDEVS takes a broader approach to development theory, planning, public policy, research, and development practice.

The most useful way to compare the programs is therefore by subject direction, curriculum structure, and the type of academic or practical work each one requires.