The Master in Population, Gender and Development (MPGD) at Butwal Model College is a master’s-level program affiliated with Pokhara University. Butwal Model College has offered MPGD since 2009 through its development studies academic area.
The course brings population studies, gender studies, development, research methods, planning, program management, and social research into one academic structure. Its curriculum is organized across four semesters, with specialization courses, a field-based planning workshop, and a dissertation in the later stages of study.
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Course | Master in Population, Gender and Development (MPGD) |
| College | Butwal Model College |
| Affiliation | Pokhara University |
| Level | Master’s |
| Faculty area | Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Academic structure | 4 semesters |
| College location | Omsatiya Rural Municipality-1, Kataiya, Rupandehi, Lumbini Province |
| Offered at the college since | 2009 |
MPGD is included among Pokhara University’s graduate programs in Humanities and Social Sciences.
The course connects three closely related areas: population, gender, and development. Students encounter demographic study, gender issues, development planning, research methods, program management, social research, policy, governance, and development-related analysis.
The first part of the curriculum establishes the academic base through population and gender studies alongside development studies, statistics, research methods, and information technology for social research. Later semesters move toward program management, specialization, field-based planning, monitoring and evaluation, and dissertation work.
| Semester | Main subjects |
|---|---|
| First Semester | Advanced Development Studies; Social Engineering and Development; Principles of Population Studies; Fundamentals of Gender Studies; Statistics for Social Sciences |
| Second Semester | Contemporary Issues of Children, Youth and Elderly in Development; Economic Development and Planning; Globalization and Development; Research Methods for Development Studies; Information Technology for Social Research |
| Third Semester | Development Program Management; Gender Mainstreaming in Development; Specialized Course I; Specialized Course II; Planning Workshop (Field Based) |
| Fourth Semester | Development Program Monitoring and Evaluation; Specialized Course III; Specialized Course IV; Dissertation |
The curriculum places research and applied academic work throughout the program rather than reserving them only for the final semester. Research Methods for Development Studies appears in the second semester, followed by the field-based Planning Workshop in the third semester and the Dissertation in the fourth.
MPGD includes specialization choices grouped into three subject areas.
Students can study topics related to:
Demographic tools and techniques
Population policy and development
Migration and development
Urbanization and development
This area addresses:
Gender, poverty, and development
Gender and human resources
Gender, environment, and development
Gender, human rights, and development
The development studies group covers:
Development policies and programs
Decentralization and local governance
International relations, foreign aid, and development
Resources and sustainable development
These specialization groups allow the later part of the program to concentrate on selected issues within population, gender, and broader development studies.
For master’s programs under Pokhara University’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized institution with:
Minimum CGPA of 2.0, or
Minimum 50 percent marks
For development studies programs, including MPGD, an interdisciplinary bachelor’s background is preferred, with areas such as social sciences, environmental studies, or development studies identified as relevant backgrounds.
The third semester includes a Planning Workshop identified as field based. This introduces an applied component before students move into the final semester.
The fourth semester includes a dissertation alongside Development Program Monitoring and Evaluation and two specialized courses. This places independent academic work within the concluding stage of the curriculum.
Course grades are determined through consolidated performance in internal and final examinations. The grading approach connects a student’s result in each subject with performance across these assessment components.
For MPGD students, the college setting includes an e-library, computer lab, multimedia-equipped air-conditioned classrooms, transportation, and support for research-based study. The e-library and research-oriented academic setting are particularly relevant to coursework involving research methods, social research, field-based study, and dissertation preparation.
Students comparing other academic options at the college can also review the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Bachelor of Hotel Management (BHM), and MBA Finance.
MPGD stands for Master in Population, Gender and Development. It is a master’s-level program covering population studies, gender studies, development, research, planning, and related academic areas.
The program is affiliated with Pokhara University.
Butwal Model College has offered the MPGD program since 2009.
Applicants need a bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution with a minimum CGPA of 2.0 or 50 percent marks under the stated Humanities and Social Sciences graduate criteria. An interdisciplinary bachelor’s background is preferred for development studies programs such as MPGD.
The curriculum is organized across four semesters. It progresses from core population, gender, development, statistics, and research subjects to specialization courses, field-based planning, monitoring and evaluation, and dissertation work.
The curriculum includes specialization options in Population and Development, Gender and Development, and Development Studies.
Yes. The third semester includes a Planning Workshop identified as field based, while the fourth semester includes a dissertation.
