Duration of the courses in the intermediate- and college-level vocational training program in Vietnam

Duration of the courses in the intermediate- and college-level vocational training program in Vietnam (Internet image) 

Regarding this matter, LawNet would like to answer as follows:

1. Duration of the courses in the intermediate- and college-level vocational training program in Vietnam

The duration of the courses and the study load in the program are as follows:

- The course duration for the college-level training program is designed to be from 2 to 3 academic years and must ensure a minimum of 60 credits.

- The course duration for the intermediate-level training program is designed to be from 1 to 2 academic years and must ensure a minimum of 35 credits for those with a upper secondary school diploma, and a minimum of 50 credits for those with a lower secondary school diploma. The head of the vocational education institution bases on the requirements of the sector and the occupation to determine the study content for the additional 15 credits for those with a lower secondary school diploma, ensuring that learners have the basic knowledge to grasp the content of the training sector and the occupation.

- The course duration for learners who are exempted or have reserved study results due to the subjects they have studied being reduced corresponds to the time spent studying the exempted or reserved subjects.

- The course duration includes study time and time for general activities, including:

Study time includes: actual learning time and time for exams and assessments at the end of subjects and modules; time for revision and graduation exams for training according to the academic year system. In which, actual learning time is the time students listen to lectures, experiment, discuss, practice, intern, or learn through the integrated method of theory and practice at the practical location.

Time for general activities includes: opening ceremony, closing ceremony, mid-term review, end-of-year review; summer break, holidays, festivals, labor activities, and contingency.

- The time for theoretical study and practical work, internships, and experiments depends on each industry and vocational training profession and must ensure the following proportions:

For intermediate-level: theory accounts for 25%–45%; practical work, internships, and experiments account for 55%–75% of the program's duration.

For college-level: theory accounts for 30%–50%; practical work, internships, and experiments account for 50%–70% of the program's duration.

- The time for theoretical exams is counted as theory hours; the time for practical exams is counted as practical hours.

- The course duration for programs in cultural arts, physical education, and sports, which have specific characteristics, is determined by the Government.

(Article 1, Article 5 of Circular 01/2024/TT-BLDTBXH)

2. Unit of time measurement and conversion of time measurement in intermediate- and college-level vocational training programs in Vietnam

The study time is measured in hours and converted into credits to determine the minimum study load according to the regulations of the National Qualifications Framework of Vietnam. The unit of time measurement in the training program is converted as follows:

- One theory hour is 45 minutes, and one practical/integrated/internship hour is 60 minutes.

- One credit is determined as a minimum of 15 theory hours; 30 practical, experimental, or discussion hours; or 45 internship, thesis, assignment, or graduation thesis hours. The time for self-study and self-preparation with guidance is a necessary condition for learners to absorb the knowledge and skills of the profession but is not counted for conversion into credits in the training program.

- The number of credits for each subject, module, and training program is rounded to the nearest whole number, and if rounding is not possible, it can be converted into fractional credits.

- The study load for general subjects according to the regulations of the Ministry of Labor - Invalids, and Social Affairs is converted into credits in Appendix 05 issued together with Circular 01/2024/TT-BLDTBXH.

(Article 2, Article 5 of Circular 01/2024/TT-BLDTBXH)

Circular 01/2024/TT-BLDTBXH takes effect on April 5, 2024.

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