The Master of Arts (MA) in Nepal Bhasa is a specialized postgraduate program designed to provide an integrated and comprehensive study of the Newa community. It is more than just a language degree; it is a full-fledged interdisciplinary field referred to as "Newa Studies." The core purpose of the program is to develop experts with a deep, scholarly understanding of all facets of Newa civilization. The curriculum covers a wide range of subjects, including: Language and Literature, Society and Culture, History and Epigraphy (the study of inscriptions), and Philosophy and Religion.
Institutions offering Master of Arts in Nepal Bhasa
Master of Arts in Nepal Bhasa is a new program launched by Ratna Rajya Laxmi Campus in coordination with Kathmandu Metropolitan. With the objective of facilitating an integrated and broader study of the Newa community, this postgraduate curriculum for Nepal Bhasa, 2075, has been developed under the semester system. As a whole, "Newa Studies" is a specialized field of study designed to impart an understanding of the Newa community's language, literature, society, epigraphy, history, philosophy, religion, culture, civilization, and other related subjects. The primary medium of instruction in this department is Nepal Bhasa. This curriculum has been structured to fulfill the objectives mentioned above.
Specific Objectives
(a) To provide an understanding of the Newa community's overall language, literature, society, epigraphy, history, philosophy, religion, culture, and civilization, as well as other subjects related to the Newa community, through the medium of Nepal Bhasa.
(b) To produce human resources capable of conducting administration within the federal state system through the medium of Nepal Bhasa.
(c) To create a foundation for students to pursue subject-specific Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in Newa Studies.
Admission Criteria
- must who have completed a bachelor's degree in any subject from any recognized university are eligible for admission to the Master's level in Nepal Bhasa.
- must pass the entrance examination conducted by the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Tribhuvan University.
Curricular Structure
The Master 's-level curriculum in Nepal Bhasa consists of three years, with 2–3 credits per subject, totaling 20 credits. The curriculum includes both compulsory and optional subjects.
There are six compulsory core subjects (15 credits). Students can choose additional elective subjects in consultation with the department. In the final year, students must submit a compulsory research thesis based on the elective subject and specialization selected in the second and third years.
The structure of the curriculum is as follows:
| Paper | Course Code | Credit Hours (CH) | Subject |
| First Semester | |||
| I | NB 501 | 3 | General Linguistics |
| II | NB 502 | 3 | Nepal Bhasa Prose |
| III | NB 503 | 3 | History of Nepal |
| IV | NB 504 | 3 | Eastern Criticism Theory |
| V | NB 505 | 3 | Newar Folklore |
| Second Semester | |||
| VI | NB 551 | 3 | Newar Historical Linguistics |
| VII | NB 552 | 3 | Nepal Bhasa Poetry |
| VIII | NB 553 | 3 | Religion, Philosophy, and Culture |
| IX | NB 554 | 3 | Western Criticism Theory and Nepal Bhasa Criticism |
| X | NB 555 | 3 | Archival Science |
| Third Semester | |||
| XI | NB 601 | 3 | Translation Studies |
| XII | NB 602 | 3 | Nepal Bhasa Narrative |
| XIII | NB 603 | 3 | Research Methodology and Academic Writing |
| XIV | NB 604 | 3 | History of Western Literature |
| XV | NB 605 | 3 | Archival Editing |
| Fourth Semester | |||
| XVI | NB 651 | 3 | Socio- and Ethno-linguistics |
| XVII | NB 652 | 3 | Nepal Bhasa Drama |
| XVIII | NB 653 | 3 | Newar Heritage |
| XIX | NB 654 | 3 | History of Nepal Bhasa Literature |
| XX | NB 655 | 6 | Research Paper |
Evaluation Directive
Evaluation for each subject will be conducted through internal and semester-end examinations.
(A) Internal Assessment
- The internal assessment in each subject is 40 % which is arranged as follows:
(a) Attendance - 5
(b) Participation in Teaching Activities- 5
(c) Internal Examination- 30
(B) Semester-end Examination
Each subject will have a 60% written examination. The written examination will be of 3 hours duration and conducted under the supervision of the Dean's Office.
Grading System
A subject will have 3 credit hours, equivalent to 48 classes. The semester-end examination will have grades of A, A-, B+, B, B-, and F. To pass, a student must get at least a B- grade. The overall grade will be calculated out of 4 as follows:
| Letter Grade: | Grade Value: |
| A | 4.0 |
| A- | 3.7 |
| B+ | 3.3 |
| B- | 2.7 |
| F | 0.0 |