Is a graduate from a college in law eligible for enrolment for master’s degree in law in Vietnam?

Is a graduate from a college in law eligible for enrolment for master’s degree in law in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Clause 1, Article 5 of the Regulation on Admission and Training for Master's Degrees issued together with Circular 23/2021/TT-BGDDT, the provisions are as follows:

Admission Requirements

1. Requirements for applicants:

a) Have graduated or met the conditions for university graduation recognition (or equivalent or higher) in a relevant field; for research-oriented programs, graduation with a grade of fairly good or higher or have scientific publications related to the field of study and research is required;

b) Have foreign language proficiency from Level 3 or higher according to the 6-level Foreign Language Proficiency Framework for Vietnam;

c) Meet other requirements of the educational program standards promulgated by the Ministry of Education and Training and the regulations of the educational program.

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According to the regulations, the requirement for applicants of the master's degree program is to have graduated or met the conditions for university graduation recognition (or equivalent or higher) in a relevant field.

Therefore, graduates from a college in law do not meet the eligibility criteria to apply for the master's degree program.

Is a graduate from a college in law eligible for enrolment for master’s degree in law in Vietnam? (Image from the Internet)

What are the regulations on the training duration of master’s degree in law in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Clause 2, Article 3 of the Regulation on Admission and Training for Master's Degrees issued together with Circular 23/2021/TT-BGDDT, the training duration of master’s degree in law is as follows:

- The duration in the standard curriculum plan for the entire course must be consistent with the prescribed time frame in the National Education System structure, ensuring the majority of students complete the training program;

- The duration in the standard curriculum plan for the entire course for part-time training mode should be at least 20% longer than the regular training mode of the same training program;

- The maximum time for students to complete the course is stipulated in the regulations of the training institution but must not exceed 02 times the duration of the standard curriculum plan for each training mode.

What are the conditions for recognition of graduation and issuance of master’s degree in Law in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Clause 1, Article 12 of the Regulation on Admission and Training for Master's Degrees issued together with Circular 23/2021/TT-BGDDT, the conditions for students to be recognized for graduation and awarded a master's degree in law are as follows:

- Have completed all the modules of the training program and successfully defended the thesis or project;

- Have foreign language proficiency meeting the graduation outcome standards of the training program before graduation review; evidenced by:

+ One of the language diplomas or certificates with a proficiency level equivalent to Level 4 according to the 6-level Foreign Language Proficiency Framework for Vietnam as specified in the annex of the Regulation on Admission and Training for Master's Degrees issued together with [Circular 23/2021/TT-BGDDT](https://lawnet.vn/vb/Thong-tu-23-2021-TT-BGDDT-Quy-che-tuyen-sinh-va-dao-tao-trinh-do-thac-si-76CFA.html#loai_1) or other equivalent certificates announced by the Ministry of Education and Training, or+ A university degree or higher in a foreign language major, or a university degree or higher in another major conducted entirely in a foreign language;

- Have fulfilled responsibilities according to the regulations of the training institution; not being criminally prosecuted, and not during the period of being disciplined or suspended from studies.

What Are the Regulations on Evaluating a Master's Thesis in Law?

Pursuant to Article 9 of the Regulation on Admission and Training for Master's Degrees issued together with Circular 23/2021/TT-BGDDT, the evaluation of a master's thesis in law is as follows:

- The thesis is to be evaluated through a defense before a council. The defense session is held publicly except for topics in areas requiring confidentiality according to State regulations.

- The thesis evaluation council must meet the following requirements:

+ The council must have at least 05 members, including the chairman, secretary, 02 review members, and other members; of which at least 01 review member is from outside the training institution;+ The standards of council members must meet the standards set for thesis advisors as specified in Clause 4, Article 8 of the Regulation on Admission and Training for Master's Degrees issued together with [Circular 23/2021/TT-BGDDT](https://lawnet.vn/vb/Thong-tu-23-2021-TT-BGDDT-Quy-che-tuyen-sinh-va-dao-tao-trinh-do-thac-si-76CFA.html#dieu_8); in which the chairman must be a regular lecturer or regular researcher of the training institution;+ The advisor can participate in the council as a member but shall not grade the evaluation; parents, spouses, children, siblings of the student shall not participate in the council.

- Conditions for students to defend their thesis:

+ Have completed all modules of the training program;+ Have submitted the thesis, with the advisor's approval for the defense;+ Have fulfilled other requirements according to the regulations of the training institution.

- The thesis defense session is held when at least two-thirds of the total number of council members are present, including the chairman, secretary, and at least 01 review member.

Online defense sessions can be conducted with the consensus of the council members and the student; the entire process of the online defense must be recorded and kept at the training institution.

- The thesis score is the average of the points given by the present council members in the thesis evaluation session on a 10-point scale; classified as passing when the score is 5.5 points or higher.

- In case the thesis does not meet the requirements, the student can revise and supplement the thesis to be evaluated a second time within 03 months from the date of the first council meeting; no third evaluation session will be held.

- After a successful defense, the entire thesis (after revisions and supplements as required by the council, if any) must be submitted and stored in the training institution's library; publicly announced on the training institution's website for at least 30 days, except for topics in areas requiring confidentiality according to State regulations.

- The training institution's regulations detail the criteria and processes for thesis evaluation; other related regulations on thesis evaluation.