Doctoral Program in International Relations

Doctoral Program in International Relations

Program Code: 9310206

1. Admission Eligibility

Applicants for the doctoral program must have a master’s degree or a bachelor’s degree with excellent results or above in a relevant field, or hold a qualification equivalent to Level 7 of the Vietnam National Qualifications Framework in certain specialized training fields relevant to the doctoral program. The degree may be obtained from domestic or foreign educational institutions, and applicants may include both Vietnamese citizens and foreign citizens.

2. Admission Requirements

Applicants for doctoral training must meet the following requirements:

a) Academic Qualifications

• Hold a master’s degree or a bachelor’s degree with excellent results or above in a relevant field, or a qualification equivalent to Level 7 of the Vietnam National Qualifications Framework in a specialized field relevant to the doctoral program, obtained from domestic or foreign educational institutions. If the applicant’s master’s degree is not in the same field as the doctoral program, the admitted candidate must complete additional required courses at the master’s level in the relevant field.

• Applicants holding a bachelor’s degree with excellent results or above in a relevant field must complete the required master’s-level training program in the corresponding field.

• Degrees issued by foreign universities must be recognized according to current regulations.

b) Research Capacity

Applicants must demonstrate research experience through one of the following:

• Having completed a master’s thesis under a research-oriented training program; or being the author of a scientific article or conference paper related to the intended research field, published or accepted for publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals or specialized academic conference proceedings within 36 months prior to the application date; or having at least 24 months of working experience as a lecturer or researcher at educational institutions or scientific and technological organizations.

• Having a research proposal that clearly presents the research topic or field, reasons for selecting the research area, objectives and expected outcomes, reasons for choosing the training institution, implementation plan throughout the study period, relevant experience, knowledge, understanding, and preparation related to the intended research topic/field, expected career plans after graduation, and proposed academic supervisor(s).

c) Foreign Language Proficiency

Vietnamese applicants must meet foreign language requirements demonstrated by one of the following qualifications or certificates:

• A bachelor’s degree or higher awarded by a foreign educational institution, a branch of a foreign educational institution in Vietnam, or a Vietnamese educational institution where the entire program was taught in a foreign language;

• A bachelor’s degree in a foreign language major awarded by a Vietnamese educational institution;

• One of the valid foreign language certificates specified in Appendix 1 at the time of application, or another equivalent foreign language certificate at Level 4 (according to the Vietnamese 6-level Foreign Language Proficiency Framework) recognized by the Ministry of Education and Training.

• Applicants who meet the foreign language requirements with a language other than English must also be able to communicate in English for professional purposes (including presenting professional topics in English and understanding professional discussions conducted in English).

• Foreign applicants applying for a doctoral program taught in Vietnamese must have a Vietnamese language certificate of at least Level 4 according to the Vietnamese Language Proficiency Framework for Foreigners and must satisfy the second foreign language requirements determined by the training institution, except for native speakers of the language used in the doctoral program.

d) Letter of Recommendation

A recommendation letter evaluating the applicant’s professional qualities, academic expertise, and research capability is required from at least one scientist holding the title of Professor, Associate Professor, or a Doctor of Science/PhD degree holder who has worked professionally with the applicant and has knowledge of the applicant’s intended research field.