Chhori bigre nurse, chhora bigre commerce’ (non-studious daughters opt for nursing, non-studious sons pursue commerce) was a popular saying in Nepali society until some years ago.
Chhori bigre nurse, chhora bigre commerce’ (non-studious daughters opt for nursing, non-studious sons pursue commerce) was a popular saying in Nepali society until some years ago. That reflected the thinking among many that it was useless to study commerce (management) or nursing. The perception, however, has completely changed with the passage of time. Now, both nursing and management are among the most preferred courses for Nepali students, as graduates from these subjects now have wider scopes for job placement.
Students who want to pursue management have various choices at the bachelor’s level, ranging from Bachelors in Business Administration (BBA) and Bachelors in Business Studies (BBS) to Bachelors in Hotel management and Bachelors in Travel and Tourism Management, among others. In Nepal, the colleges offering management education make up the largest numbers, while their share of students is the second- highest, after Education. According to a report by the University Grants Commission (UGC), some one-third of the total students in universities here are enrolled in various programme under the management stream. Because a degree in Management bestows students with managerial skills that prepare them to take up executive responsibilities in various sectors, the attraction for management education has been growing by leaps and bounds. Management education is designed such that its graduates learn managerial and entrepreneurial skills, leadership qualities and problem-solving abilities.
The report shows that out of the 672,931 students enrolled in nine various universities in the country, 194,846 are in the management faculty alone. Similarly, among 1,276 constituent and affiliated colleges with these universities, 733 are in the management stream alone. In addition, at least two dozen colleges with foreign affiliation have been offering
management education. The UGC report shows that among management colleges, a majority of them specialise in BBA or BBS.
BBA is a comparatively new subject compared to BBS and was introduced some 15 years ago in the country. After the restoration of democracy in 1990, with the increasing establishment of industries, banks, corporate houses and insurance companies, among others, the demand for qualified managers started increasing in the country. And realising that the country would need a lot of personnel to lead the burgeoning business entities, Kathmandu University (KU) introduced the BBA programme in 1997. The 120-credit-hour course, which is the most preferred managerial course globally, has now become the most attractive course for Nepali students. Today, out of nine universities, five universities offer BBA, while over a dozen of colleges, with foreign affiliation, offer the course.
Today, there are 70 colleges with affiliation from four domestic universities—38 under Pokhara University, 18 under TU, three under KU and the remaining under Purbachal University—that are offering the programme. Similarly, there are 15 colleges that are teaching the subject with affiliations from different universities in India, the UK and Australia. These colleges can accommodate around four thousand students.
The BBA programme aims to prepare students to become competent, skilled, confident and socially responsive professionals who can effectively take on managerial, entrepreneurial and leadership roles in businesses and social organisations in today’s competitive environment. It offers a wide range of concentrations and elective courses to match the students’ individual interests that align with the demands of the market. With proper academic and course planning, students can take advantage of specialisations in two functional areas (administration and business) or management, within the same time period. “The BBA graduates learn entrepreneurship skills and therefore they can even create jobs for themselves,” says Ajay Dhakal, coordinator of BBA programme at Kathmandu Model College.
Because the market can change very quickly, the curriculum in the BBA programmes needs to be constantly updated to reflect the needs of the market. Most BBA programmes have a mandatory internship component through which students can gain real-world exposure and develop networks even before they start their jobs.
According to RD Joshi, BBA programme coordinator at Sagarmatha Multiple College, the programme provides 70 percent theoretical and 30 percent practical courses. The students use many different models to enhance learning: through report writing, making presentations, field visits and seminars. “That learning is supplemented by internships in different corporate houses and banks, which make it easier for them to find jobs,” he adds. The degree also offers enough breadth in complementary academic subjects to prepare students to function effectively in complex organisations, small to medium enterprises or the public sector. The four-year graduation timeframe also helps the students to accumulate a total of 16 years of schooling, which is the minimum number of years that students need to have under their belt if they want to join a master’s programme in universities abroad.
The bachelors
Every year, an estimated 200,000 students in the country pass their higher secondary examinations (Plus Two) and become eligible for university studies. But students need to understand that the Plus Two is a school-level programme that is vastly different from a university-level programme; the bachelor level is the entry point for university education and it marks the end of teenage years for most students, who will soon be considered and treated like adults.
University-level education prioritises research-oriented education, and during classes, the teachers won’t spoonfeed the students everything, like the students are during their school days; the teachers are mostly guides and the students need to use the guidance provided to delve deep into the subjects of choice, largely on their own.
It is thus quite a leap from the school to the university. Therefore, the students need to think hard about what they want to study in the coming years. Generally, students from the science streams eye medical or engineering courses, while management students aim for the BBA and CA or other programmes. Selecting a major is not easy; therefore students need to examine both their aptitude for and attitudes towards their subjects. Luckily for them, unlike with high school curricula, there are many Bachelor-level courses, which offer specialisations in myriad subjects.
Most people tend to end their educational journey after they complete their bachelors, because for many of them the degree is enough to find a job. The Economic Survey of the Government shows that out of a total of 672,931 students at the university level, 566,307 are currently enrolled in the Bachelors level.
Binod Ghimire covers parliamentary affairs and human rights for The Kathmandu Post. Since joining the Post in 2010, he has reported primarily on social issues, focusing on education and transitional justice.
30.12°C Kathmandu
