Vietnam: Conditions for graduation recognition and issuance of master's degrees (latest)

Conditions for graduation recognition and issuance of master's degrees (latest) (Image from Internet)

1. Conditions for graduation recognition and issuance of master's degrees (latest)

The conditions for graduation recognition and issuance of a master’s degree according to Article 12 of the Regulations promulgated with Circular 23/2021/TT-BGDDT are as follows:

* Conditions for students to be recognized for graduation:

• Completed all courses of the training program and successfully defended the thesis or project;

• Attained the required foreign language proficiency according to the output standard of the training program before the graduation assessment; evidenced by one of the degrees or certificates of foreign language proficiency equivalent to Level 4 according to the 6-level Foreign Language Proficiency Framework for Vietnam stipulated in the Appendix of the Regulations promulgated with Circular 23/2021/TT-BGDDT or other equivalent certificates announced by the Ministry of Education and Training, or a bachelor's degree or higher in a foreign language, or a bachelor's degree or higher in another major where the program is conducted entirely in a foreign language;

• Completed all responsibilities as stipulated by the training institution; not under criminal investigation and not under disciplinary action or suspension.

• The training institution organizes an assessment and issues the decision to recognize graduation within 2 months from the date the student successfully defends the thesis or project; up to an additional 3 months in cases where verification of the thesis or project is required.

• The training institution issues the master’s degree to the student within 1 month from the date the graduation recognition decision is issued.

• The content on the degree and diploma supplement follows the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training, with the diploma supplement specifying whether the program is research-oriented or application-oriented.

• For students who do not meet the graduation conditions within the stipulated study period as per Clause 2, Article 3 of the Regulations promulgated with Circular 23/2021/TT-BGDDT, the head of the training institution issues a certificate of results for courses that the student has accumulated in the training program.

• Detailed procedures for calculating the overall average score, processes for graduation assessment and recognition; provisions for retention, issuance of certificates of accumulated study results for students who have not completed the graduation requirements are stipulated by the training institution’s regulations.

2. Regulations on the evaluation of Master’s Theses

Regulations on the evaluation of master’s theses according to Article 9 of the Regulations promulgated with Circular 23/2021/TT-BGDDT are as follows:

- Theses are evaluated through a defense before a council. The defense session is organized publicly except for topics in fields requiring confidentiality as per state regulations.

- The thesis evaluation council must meet the following requirements:

• The council must have at least 5 members, including a president, secretary, 2 review members, and other members; at least one review member must be from outside the training institution;

• The qualifications of council members must meet the standards of thesis advisors as stipulated in Clause 4, Article 8 of the Regulations promulgated with Circular 23/2021/TT-BGDDT, with the president being a permanent lecturer or researcher of the training institution;

• Supervisors may join the council as members but are not allowed to grade; parents, spouses, children, siblings of the student cannot join the council.

- Conditions for students to defend their thesis:

• Completed all courses of the training program;

• Submitted the thesis and obtained approval from the supervisor for defense;

• Completed other requirements as stipulated by the training institution.

- The defense session is organized when at least two-thirds of the total council members are present, including the president, secretary, and at least one review member. Online defense is permissible with the consensus of all council members and the student; the entire session is recorded and archived by the training institution.

- The thesis grade is the average of the grades given by the council members present at the defense session, on a scale of 10; it is considered passing if it is 5.5 or higher.

- If the thesis does not meet the requirements, the student can revise and resubmit for re-evaluation within 3 months from the first council meeting; no third evaluation is conducted.

- After a successful defense, the full text of the thesis (revised and supplemented as required by the council, if any) must be submitted and archived at the institution library; it is published on the institution's website for at least 30 days, except for topics requiring confidentiality as per state regulations.

- The training institution’s regulations detail the criteria and procedures for thesis evaluation; and other provisions related to thesis evaluation.

>> CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ARTICLE IN VIETNAMESE