The Master of Healthcare Management (MHCM) at National Open College (NOC), Sanepa, Lalitpur, is a two-year postgraduate program affiliated with Pokhara University. The program is organized across four semesters and focuses on the management, financing, organization, evaluation, research, communication, and strategic operation of healthcare services.
MHCM is intended for graduates from healthcare management and health science backgrounds who want postgraduate study centered on healthcare administration rather than clinical practice. The curriculum combines management study with health-sector subjects, followed by practicum and thesis work. By July 2025, NOC recorded more than 600 MHCM graduates and its 40th current batch.
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Course | Master of Healthcare Management (MHCM) |
| College | National Open College, Sanepa, Lalitpur |
| Affiliation | Pokhara University |
| Level | Master's degree |
| Duration | 2 years |
| Academic structure | 4 semesters |
| Eligibility | BHCM, PGDHCM, or eligible healthcare/health science background |
| Entrance | College entrance test |
| Seats | 30 |
| Major practical components | Practicum and thesis |
The program is structured for students with prior education related to healthcare management or health sciences. The admission route includes BHCM and PGDHCM graduates as well as applicants holding a health science degree of three years or more.
Bachelor's-level healthcare management or related health science qualifications are also identified with a minimum second division or above.
This academic background requirement gives the class a health-sector orientation. Between Spring 2023 and Spring 2025, the MHCM student population included graduates from medicine and dentistry, nursing, BHCM and PGDHCM, medical laboratory and imaging technology, public health, pharmacy, and allied health sciences. Nearly half of the students in that period held MD, MBBS, or BDS qualifications.
Applicants meeting the MHCM eligibility criteria need to:
Apply for admission to National Open College
Pass the college entrance test
Submit the required academic and personal documents
Complete the applicable admission formalities
The postgraduate and master's document checklist includes:
Two sets of notarized copies
Transcript and character certificate from Grade 10
Transcript and character certificate from Grade 12 or equivalent
Bachelor's transcript and character certificate
Citizenship document
Equivalency for a degree obtained abroad
Original migration certificate
Six recent passport-size photographs
Duration: 2 years
Structure: 4 semesters
The current four-semester curriculum combines healthcare management, economics, financing, organizational management, research, public health, communication, information technology, evaluation, strategic management, marketing, project management, practicum, and thesis work.
Key subjects in the current structure include:
Health Economics
Health Communication
Hospital Service Management
Information Technology in Healthcare
HRD & Organization in Development Care
Health Financing & Insurance
Quality Management in Healthcare Organization
Healthcare Evaluation
Research Methodology in Healthcare
Epidemiology and Bio Statistics
Strategic Healthcare Management
Healthcare Organization & Management
Healthcare Marketing
Public Health Program Management
Health Project Management
Practicum
Thesis
The curriculum gives students academic exposure to both organizational management and health-system issues. Finance, quality, research, information technology, public health, marketing, communication, strategy, and service management are studied within a healthcare context rather than as separate general-management subjects.
MHCM study at NOC extends beyond the regular semester subjects. Additional activities attached to the program include:
Workshop on Hospital Operations Management
Short course on Safety & Disaster Management
Short course on Environment Health
Short course on Health System & Policy
Computer skills during MHCM I
Soft skills during MHCM II
SPSS and digital marketing during MHCM III
Guest lectures
National seminars and conferences
Internships at international hospitals
These activities complement subjects such as research methodology, healthcare evaluation, hospital management, health financing, and strategic management by giving students additional exposure to tools and operational issues used in healthcare organizations.
The program is structured around management competencies relevant to healthcare organizations. Students work with areas connected to:
Healthcare administration and organizational management
Strategic planning and management
Human resource management
Healthcare economics and financing
Health communication
Health information and technology
Quality management
Research methodology and scientific writing
Epidemiology and biostatistics
Healthcare policy and program management
Project management
Analytical and administrative decision-making
The inclusion of practicum, research methodology, and thesis work also gives students experience with applied study, analysis, and academic writing.
MHCM graduates may explore management, coordination, research, consulting, policy, financing, and administrative roles within the health sector. Employment level and responsibility depend on prior professional experience, individual skills, organizational requirements, and available positions.
Career areas associated with the program include:
Hospital administration and operations
Quality management and departmental coordination
Healthcare consulting
Health-sector projects in NGOs and INGOs
Research and academic coordination
Health policy and program management
Monitoring and evaluation
Health insurance and financing
Healthcare information management
Health-related enterprise management
Examples of roles connected with these areas include Hospital Director, Operations Manager, Quality Officer, Department Head, Project Manager, Project Coordinator, Research Associate, Health Policy Analyst, Planning and Research Officer, Health Insurance Manager, Claims Analyst, and Financial Controller.
Graduates may continue to advanced academic study in healthcare management. A PhD in Healthcare Management is identified as one possible further-study route after MHCM.
National Open College has an academic-performance scholarship applicable to MHCM. A student securing the top position in the respective semester is eligible for a scholarship covering 60% of the tuition fee for the following semester. The scholarship can apply again when the required semester performance is achieved in subsequent semesters.
The Master of Healthcare Management runs for two years and follows a four-semester structure.
The MHCM program at National Open College is affiliated with Pokhara University.
The admission routes include BHCM, PGDHCM, and eligible healthcare or health science qualifications. A health science degree of three years or more is identified among the eligible backgrounds.
Yes. Eligible applicants apply to the college and must pass the college entrance test as part of the admission process.
The stated intake is 30 seats.
Yes. Practicum is included within the curriculum, along with research methodology and thesis work. The college also includes workshops, seminars, skills sessions, and internship exposure among MHCM activities.
Major study areas include health economics, hospital service management, healthcare financing, quality management, healthcare evaluation, research methodology, epidemiology and biostatistics, strategic healthcare management, public health program management, healthcare marketing, and health project management.
Graduates may consider healthcare administration, hospital operations, consulting, research, health projects, policy and planning, monitoring and evaluation, insurance, financing, and health-sector management roles.
