If I am a final-year student, can I transfer to another academic discipline in Vietnam? What are bridge programs for other degree holders in Vietnam?

If I am a final-year student, can I transfer to another academic discipline in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Article 16 of Regulation on undergraduate education promulgated together with Circular 08/2021/TT-BGDĐT, stipulating transfer to another academic discipline, campus, training institution or mode of study as follows:

1. Conditions for transfer to another training program or academic discipline, transfer to another branch campus or transfer from a branch campus to the main campus:

a) The student is not a first-year student or final-year student, is not considered for forced leave from school and has not exceeded the permitted study time limit mentioned in Clause 5 Article 2 of this Regulation;

b) The student is eligible to enroll in the target training program or academic discipline or main campus (or branch campus) in the same cohort;

c) The training institution and main campus (or branch campus) meet quality assurance conditions and are capable of providing the training program or academic discipline as per existing regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training;

d) The transfer is approved by heads of academics units in charge of the training program or academic discipline, heads of campuses (current campus and target campus) and principal of the training institution.

2. Conditions for transfer to another training institution:

a) The student is not a first-year student or final-year student, is not considered for forced leave from school and has not exceeded the permitted study time limit mentioned in Clause 5 Article 2 of this Regulation;

b) The student is eligible to enroll in a training program or academic discipline of the target institution in the same cohort;

c) The target institution meets quality assurance conditions and is capable of providing the training program or academic discipline as per existing regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training;

d) The transfer is approved by the principals of the current training institution and target training institution.

3. Students may transfer from full-time study to part-time or remote study provided by their training institutions if they have not exceeded the permitted study time limit for the target mode of study according to regulations.

4. Training institution regulations shall provide for competence, conditions and procedures for transfer to another training program, academic discipline, campus, training institution or mode of study; and recognition of study results or transfer of accumulated credits for students making these transfers.

Thus, according to current regulations in Vietnam, you are currently a final year student of Business Administration, so you do not meet the conditions to change majors. Therefore, you should complete this major and study for a second degree in the Marketing that you want to transfer.

What are bridge programs for other degree holders in Vietnam? 

According to Article 19 of Regulation on undergraduate education promulgated together with Circular 08/2021/TT-BGDĐT, it also stipulates on bridge programs for other degree holders as follows:

1. Holders of vocational education diplomas may apply for and enroll in undergraduate bridge programs according to existing regulations of the Government and Prime Minister and training institution regulations.

2. A bachelor degree holder may apply for and enroll in a bridge program to earn a bachelor degree in another academic discipline when the training institution has fully employed the credit-based training system (national defense and security programs shall conform to regulations of training institutions) and the bridge program has admitted at least 03 cohorts in the mode of study selected by the holder.

3. Students of bridge programs shall attend the programs and register for classes according to general plans like other students in the same mode of study. Based on credit recognition and transfer, these students may be exempt from taking units of study corresponding to accumulated academic load in compliance with regulations in Article 13 of this Regulation.

4. Training institution regulations shall provide for conditions and procedures for admission to bridge programs, credit recognition and transfer and exemption from taking units of study for bridge program students in a manner that ensures fairness and transparency for all students, strict compliance with quality requirements and application of the same expected learning outcomes as other students.

According to this Article, in case you can't change majors in the last year but you can study for a second degree in Vietnam, this study will still follow the general program but will be exempted from some of the same subjects that have been studied.

Best Regards!