Post Graduate Diploma in Healthcare Management (PGDHCM) at National Open College

The Post Graduate Diploma in Healthcare Management (PGDHCM) at National Open College (NOC), Sanepa, Lalitpur, is a one-year postgraduate diploma affiliated with Pokhara University. The program is organized into two semesters and accepts applicants with any bachelor's degree.

PGDHCM concentrates on healthcare administration through subjects covering healthcare management, economics, epidemiology, health policy, healthcare law, health information systems, human resource management, hospital administration and planning, marketing and insurance, and support services. Practicum is included in the academic structure. By July 2025, the program had recorded more than 300 graduates and had reached its 33rd batch.

Quick Highlights

What is PGDHCM?

PGDHCM is a postgraduate diploma for graduates who want academic preparation in the administrative and managerial side of healthcare. It does not focus on clinical treatment. Instead, the program examines how hospitals, health services, programs, personnel, finances, information, policies, and support systems are managed.

The course combines management subjects with healthcare-specific study. This allows students to examine organizational issues through the context of hospitals and other health-sector settings rather than through general business management alone.

The program may be relevant to graduates seeking healthcare management study after a bachelor's degree and to professionals already working in healthcare who want formal academic exposure to administration, hospital operations, policy, finance, information systems, and management.

Who Can Study PGDHCM?

Eligibility: Any bachelor's degree.

The admission requirement is broader than a health-science-only pathway. Applicants from different bachelor's-level academic backgrounds can apply for PGDHCM.

This also distinguishes the program from the MHCM admission pathway at NOC, where specified health science, BHCM, or PGDHCM qualifications form part of the eligibility structure.

PGDHCM can therefore serve as a postgraduate healthcare management route for bachelor's graduates who meet the college's admission process, including those whose previous degree was not specifically in healthcare management.

Admission Process

Eligible applicants are required to:

• Apply to National Open College

• Pass the college entrance test

• Submit the required documents

• Complete the applicable admission formalities

The admission process specifically identifies a bachelor's degree as the academic entry requirement for PGDHCM and includes the college entrance test before enrollment.

The stated intake is 30 seats.

Course Duration and Academic Structure

Duration: 1 year

Structure: 2 semesters

The program is divided into PGDHCM I and PGDHCM II. The first part establishes foundations in healthcare management, economics, public-health-related analysis, policy, law, and information systems. The second part moves further into hospital administration, human resources, planning, marketing, insurance, support services, and practicum.

PGDHCM I

The first part of the program includes:

• Healthcare Management

• Managerial Financial and Economics

• Epidemiology and Bio-Statistics

• Healthcare System and Policy

• Health Care Law

• Health Information System

These subjects bring together management and health-system knowledge. Students encounter organizational management alongside epidemiology, policy, legislation, financial issues, and the use of information within healthcare settings.

PGDHCM II

The second part includes:

• Marketing and Insurance

• Human Resource Management in Healthcare

• Health and Hospital Administration

• Hospital Planning

• Support and Utility Management

• Practicum

This stage gives greater attention to the operation of healthcare organizations. Human resources, hospital planning, administration, insurance, marketing, utility services, and practical exposure become central parts of the academic work.

Main Areas of Study

The PGDHCM curriculum covers several areas that intersect in healthcare administration.

Healthcare Management

Healthcare Management introduces management principles in the context of health services and organizations. It establishes an administrative base for later subjects involving hospitals, personnel, finance, planning, and service operations.

Health System and Policy

Health-system and policy study helps students understand the broader setting in which healthcare organizations operate. This part of the curriculum connects organizational management with the structures and policies affecting health services.

Economics and Finance

Managerial financial and economics study brings financial and economic issues into the management curriculum. These areas are relevant when examining organizational resources, costs, planning, and managerial decisions.

Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Epidemiology and biostatistics give students an analytical component within the program. These subjects introduce ways of understanding health information and quantitative evidence in relation to healthcare and public health.

Healthcare Law

Healthcare law adds a legal dimension to healthcare administration. It places management study within the legal environment that affects health organizations and their operations.

Health Information Systems

Health Information System study deals with information as an organizational resource within healthcare. It complements management, administration, planning, and analytical subjects elsewhere in the program.

Human Resource Management

Human Resource Management in Healthcare focuses on managing people within healthcare organizations. It connects general human resource principles with the specific organizational setting of health services.

Hospital Administration and Planning

Health and Hospital Administration and Hospital Planning concentrate directly on the management and organization of hospital services. These subjects are central to the diploma's healthcare administration focus.

Marketing and Insurance

Marketing and Insurance introduces students to two additional components of health-service management. These areas broaden the curriculum beyond internal hospital administration to include service-related and financing considerations.

Support and Utility Management

Support and Utility Management addresses non-clinical operational functions required within healthcare organizations. It adds an operational perspective to hospital management and planning.

Practicum and Additional Learning

Practicum forms part of PGDHCM II, giving the program a practical component alongside classroom subjects.

Additional learning activities associated with PGDHCM include:

• Workshop on Hospital Operations Management

• Short course on Safety & Disaster Management

• Short course on Environment Health

• Guest lectures

• National seminars and conferences

• Practicum at national hospitals

• Practicum exposure at international hospitals

These activities complement subjects such as hospital administration, healthcare management, support services, planning, and health policy. They give students additional settings in which to examine organizational and operational issues discussed during formal study.

Skills Students May Develop

The academic structure supports the development of skills related to healthcare administration and organizational work. Depending on individual participation and performance, students can work on areas such as:

• Healthcare and hospital administration

• Administrative decision-making

• Health-system and policy understanding

• Hospital planning

• Human resource management

• Healthcare information management

• Basic epidemiological and biostatistical analysis

• Financial and economic understanding

• Healthcare marketing and insurance

• Support-service management

• Communication and presentation

• Analytical and critical thinking

The combination of management subjects and practicum also allows students to connect administrative concepts with healthcare organizational settings.

Career Areas After PGDHCM

PGDHCM graduates may explore work connected with healthcare administration, hospital operations, projects, research, consulting, policy, and health-related organizations. The specific level of responsibility depends on previous education, professional experience, individual skills, employer requirements, and available positions.

Relevant work areas include:

• Hospital administration and operations

• Departmental and service coordination

• Healthcare project management

• Quality assurance

• Healthcare consulting

• NGO and INGO health projects

• Research and project coordination

• Healthcare information management

• Health policy and analysis

• Hospital planning

• Health-related enterprises

Position titles associated with these areas include Healthcare Manager, Hospital Administrator, Health Project Manager, Health Services Manager, Healthcare Consultant, and Health Informatics Specialist. Senior administrative or executive positions generally depend on substantial professional experience in addition to academic qualifications.

Further Study After PGDHCM

PGDHCM provides a pathway into further study in healthcare management.

National Open College includes PGDHCM among the eligible academic backgrounds for its Master of Healthcare Management (MHCM) admission route. Applicants proceeding from PGDHCM to MHCM must also complete the applicable MHCM admission requirements, including the entrance process.

This creates a clear academic sequence for a bachelor's graduate who first undertakes postgraduate diploma study in healthcare management and later continues to master's-level healthcare management education.

Scholarship Provision

National Open College provides an academic-performance scholarship for semester toppers across its programs, including PGDHCM.

A student who secures the top position in the respective semester is eligible for a scholarship covering 60% of the tuition fee for the following semester. The scholarship is linked to semester performance.

FAQ

How long is PGDHCM at National Open College?

The Post Graduate Diploma in Healthcare Management runs for one year and follows a two-semester structure.

Which university is PGDHCM affiliated with?

The PGDHCM program at National Open College is affiliated with Pokhara University.

What is the eligibility for PGDHCM?

Applicants with any bachelor's degree are eligible to apply.

Is a healthcare bachelor's degree required for PGDHCM?

No. The stated eligibility is any bachelor's degree.

Is there an entrance test for PGDHCM at National Open College?

Yes. Applicants must apply and pass the college entrance test as part of the admission process.

How many seats are available for PGDHCM?

The stated intake is 30 seats.

What subjects are studied in PGDHCM?

The program includes healthcare management, managerial financial and economics, epidemiology and biostatistics, healthcare system and policy, healthcare law, health information systems, marketing and insurance, human resource management in healthcare, health and hospital administration, hospital planning, and support and utility management.

Does PGDHCM include practical study?

Yes. Practicum forms part of PGDHCM II. Additional activities include hospital operations workshops, short courses, seminars, guest lectures, and hospital-based practicum exposure.

Can PGDHCM graduates study MHCM at National Open College?

Yes. PGDHCM is included among the stated academic backgrounds for admission to the Master of Healthcare Management at NOC, along with the applicable MHCM admission requirements.

What career areas are related to PGDHCM?

Graduates may consider healthcare administration, hospital operations, project management, quality assurance, healthcare consulting, research, policy-related work, and health information management. Career level depends on qualifications, experience, skills, and employer requirements.