What diplomas are required for an applicant for a bridge program in Vietnam?

What are bridge programs in Vietnam?

Based on Clause 1, Article 10 of the Education Law 2019, it is stipulated as follows:

Bridge programs

1. Bridge programs refers to the use of achieved academic results to continue studies at different educational levels or training qualifications within the same field or occupation, or when transferring to different fields or training qualifications, educational forms, ensuring articulation between educational levels and training qualifications in general education, vocational education, and higher education.

2. Bridge programs must meet quality assurance conditions. Education programs are designed to inherit and integrate knowledge and skills based on the output standards of each training qualification level within the Vietnam National Qualifications Framework. Learners are not required to relearn knowledge and skills accumulated in previous education programs.

3. The Government of Vietnam shall stipulate details on articulation between levels and training qualifications within the national education system.

Thus, bridge programs involves:

- Using achieved academic results to continue studies at different educational levels or in the same or different fields of training;

- Transferring to different fields, training qualifications, educational forms, and levels that meet the corresponding content requirements, ensuring articulation between educational levels and training qualifications in general education, vocational education, and higher education.

What diplomas are required for applicant for bridge program? (Image from the Internet)

What diplomas are required for an applicant for a bridge program in Vietnam?

Based on Clause 2, Article 4 of Decision 18/2017/QD-TTg, candidates for articulation must meet the current university admission regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training and possess one of the following diplomas:

- A graduation diploma at the intermediate level or a college graduation diploma issued by domestic training institutions. Individuals with intermediate-level diplomas must have completed and passed the required general education knowledge as stipulated by the Ministry of Education and Training;

- A graduation diploma at the intermediate level or a college graduation diploma issued by foreign training institutions, recognized by the Ministry of Education and Training or the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs;

- For articulation in the health sector, candidates must have a graduation diploma in health at the intermediate or college level. Specifically, individuals with a Doctor of Medicine diploma can apply for articulation to a university-level degree in General Medicine, Traditional Medicine, Preventive Medicine, or Dentistry; individuals with a Pharmacist intermediate or college diploma can apply for articulation to a university-level degree in Pharmacy.

When shall higher education institutions must publish their targets of enrollment for bridge programs in Vietnam?

Based on Clause 2, Article 5 of Decision 18/2017/QD-TTg it is stipulated as follows:

Targets of enrollment for bridge programs

1. The targets of enrollment for bridge programs, including full-time and part-time, shall be determined annually according to each training field of the university, with the quota for full-time and part-time articulation enrollment not exceeding 20% of the respective full-time and part-time enrollment quotas for each training field.

In special cases requiring bridge program for socio-economic development tasks, national security, and defense, the Ministry of Education and Training will compile and report to the Prime Minister of Vietnam for decision.

2. Universities must publicly announce the targets of enrollment for bridge programs for each training field, the criteria, and forms of enrollment and training on the university's website and through mass media at least 30 days before the application deadline.

Hence, universities must publicly announce the targets of enrollment for bridge programs on their website and through mass media at least 30 days before the application deadline.

What are the conditions for organizing bridge program between post-secondary schools or junior colleges and universities?

Based on Article 2 of Decision 18/2017/QD-TTg, universities meeting the following conditions are allowed to organize bridge program between post-secondary schools or junior colleges and universities:

- For the fields proposed for articulation enrollment:+ The university must have a decision to open the regular university-level training program;+ The university must have organized and implemented at least three consecutive intakes of the university-level training program by credits when deciding to conduct regular bridge program.

For bridge program in the arts, the university must have organized at least three consecutive intakes of the university-level training program by credits or traditional academic year when deciding to conduct regular bridge program.

For bridge program in the health sector, the university must additionally ensure that at least one cohort of university-level regular students has graduated.

- The university must have issued regulations on the recognition of credits and knowledge, and skills accumulated that learners are exempted from in the bridge program program, and these regulations must be publicly available on the university's website.