South Asian School of Tourism and Hotel Management

South Asian School of Tourism and Hotel Management, commonly known as SASTHM, is an educational institution in Biratnagar, Morang. Established in 2001 AD, it began with the Bachelor of Hotel Management program and introduced the Bachelor of Business Administration program in 2009.

SASTHM offers undergraduate and postgraduate education in hospitality, tourism, business, and management. Its academic portfolio includes BHM, BBA, MBA, and MHHM programs. The institution is affiliated with Purbanchal University and CTEVT, Nepal.

Institutional overview

Background

SASTHM was established in Biratnagar with hotel management as its initial academic focus. The Bachelor of Hotel Management program was introduced in 2001, placing hospitality education at the centre of the institution’s early development.

The Bachelor of Business Administration program was added in 2009. This expansion brought business administration, accounting, marketing, finance, organizational management, and entrepreneurship into the institution’s academic portfolio.

SASTHM later extended its programs to the postgraduate level through the Master in Business Administration and Master of Hotel and Hospitality Management. Its current academic structure connects hotel operations and tourism with broader areas of business and managerial education.

Vision, mission, and objectives

Vision: “To become prominent Hospitality and Business Educator in Nepal.”

Mission: “Harmonize Discipline, Education and Employment.”

The institution’s educational direction emphasizes professional ethics, continuous improvement, lifelong learning, and preparation for responsibilities in hospitality and management.

Its stated objectives include:

• Advancing the quality of education

• Empowering regional communities through education and training

• Encouraging regional and territorial tourism

• Preserving and sharing knowledge and culture through learning

• Preparing skilled and semi-skilled human resources

Academic affiliation

SASTHM is affiliated with Purbanchal University and CTEVT, Nepal.

Its university-affiliated programs follow semester-based academic structures that combine classroom study with assessment, practical work, internships, research, reports, seminars, or thesis requirements according to the nature and level of each program.

Programs offered

Bachelor of Hotel Management (BHM)

The Bachelor of Hotel Management is a four-year program divided into eight semesters and carrying 144 credit hours. It covers the operational and managerial areas of hospitality, including food production, food and beverage service, housekeeping, front office operations, tourism, accounting, marketing, human resources, safety, and hotel management.

The final semesters include internship and report-writing components, allowing students to connect academic study with hospitality operations and workplace-based learning.

Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)

The Bachelor of Business Administration is an eight-semester program carrying 120 credit hours. It provides a foundation in business communication, economics, accounting, finance, marketing, human resource management, operations, entrepreneurship, and strategic management.

The program also includes specialization courses and an organizational internship. Its structure supports undergraduate study in the main functional and managerial areas of business.

Master in Business Administration (MBA)

The Master in Business Administration is offered as an MBA Fall program. The four-semester curriculum carries 69 credit hours and covers marketing, finance, accounting, human resource management, organizational behavior, operations, entrepreneurship, strategic management, and corporate governance.

Students select a specialization in Marketing, Finance, Human Resource Management, or Operations and Supply Chain Management. The program also includes seminars, research work, and a thesis.

Master of Hotel and Hospitality Management (MHHM)

The Master of Hotel and Hospitality Management is a two-year program divided into four semesters. The program has 33 seats.

MHHM is designed to prepare professional and higher managerial-level human resources for the hospitality industry. It develops knowledge of hotel establishments, hospitality operations, market analysis, managerial decision-making, leadership, research, and entrepreneurship.

The program aims to strengthen independent study and research skills required for senior managerial responsibilities. It also addresses risk evaluation, business planning, and the development of hotels, restaurants, and other hospitality-related enterprises.

Its academic structure includes hospitality management, facility planning, sales and marketing, tourism economics, hospitality law, leadership, human resource management, strategic management, quality management, seminars, and a thesis or internship.

Academic focus

SASTHM’s academic identity combines hospitality education with business and management studies. The BHM program concentrates on hotel operations and service functions, while the MHHM program addresses hospitality at a higher managerial and research-oriented level.

The BBA and MBA programs broaden this academic focus through business administration, finance, marketing, human resources, entrepreneurship, operations, and strategic decision-making.

Several themes appear across the programs, including management, accounting, marketing, organizational behavior, human resource development, entrepreneurship, research, and strategic planning. These subjects are presented at different levels according to the purpose of each program.

Practical and research components

Practical learning forms an important part of the institution’s hospitality and management programs.

BHM students complete hospitality-focused internships and report writing. BBA students undertake an organizational internship, while MBA students complete seminars, research work, and a thesis.

The MHHM curriculum includes seminars and a thesis or internship. This structure connects advanced hospitality study with research, analysis, professional practice, and managerial decision-making.

Scholarships

SASTHM offers several scholarship categories during admission.

Admission-stage scholarships

• Meritorious Scholarship for students with strong academic performance at the intermediate or equivalent level

• Need-Based Scholarship for students requiring financial support

• Underprivileged Scholarship for students from minority groups

• SASTHM Students Scholarship for students who completed intermediate or 10+2 education at Arniko Boarding School, Biratnagar

Scholarship decisions made during admission consider academic performance, entrance examination results, and interview performance. Scholarships awarded at admission remain valid for the first semester.

Performance Based Scholarship

Students may apply for a Performance Based Scholarship in later semesters. At the BBA level, the scholarship for a succeeding semester depends on the student’s performance in the previous semester.

Internal grades earned during the semester form the basis of the performance-based award. The admission-stage scholarships and continuing performance scholarships therefore operate through separate criteria.

Educational direction

SASTHM focuses on hospitality, tourism, business, management, and entrepreneurship education. Its program portfolio allows students to begin with undergraduate study in hotel management or business administration and continue to postgraduate study in business or hospitality management.

The institution also places continuous improvement and lifelong learning within its educational direction. Its academic programs combine theoretical study with internships, reports, seminars, research, and thesis work according to the requirements of each degree.

Summary

South Asian School of Tourism and Hotel Management was established in Biratnagar in 2001 with the Bachelor of Hotel Management program. It introduced the Bachelor of Business Administration program in 2009 and later expanded into postgraduate education.

SASTHM currently offers BHM, BBA, MBA Fall, and MHHM programs. Its academic portfolio covers hotel operations, tourism, business administration, hospitality management, leadership, entrepreneurship, internships, research, and thesis work.

The two-year MHHM program adds an advanced hospitality management pathway with four semesters and 33 seats, while the BHM (144 seats), BBA (144 seats), and MBA programs (33 Seats) provide undergraduate and postgraduate study across hospitality and business disciplines.