Academic Regulations for Master Programs

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CHAPTER I – GENERAL PROVISION

Article 1. Governing scope and regulated entities

1. This Regulation prescribes the implementation of master’s degrees at VinUniversity (VinUni), including: general provision, educational arrangement, assessment, academic records, graduation and other related regulations.

2. This document applies to Colleges that have been assigned the task of delivering the master programs, the Office of Planning and University Registrar, other relevant departments/units, and individuals participating in master’s educational affairs.

3. This Regulation is not applicable to foreign-invested training programs and master’s degree programs associated with foreign training institutions and granted by foreign educational institutions.                         

Article 2. Academic program

1. The master’s programs are constructed towards research and/or application approach, meeting the requirements of the Vietnam National Qualifications Framework, regulations on academic program standards of Ministry of Education and Training and the current curriculum development process at the university.

2. Academic programs undertaken in accordance with this Regulation for the awarding of a master’s degree; do not award another higher education degree.

3. The academic programs must specify:

a) A list of relevant bachelor majors (or equivalent or higher) for students who have graduated from university is provided for entry admissions.

b) Foreign languages are accepted as entry requirements and graduation outcomes; the language proficiency of the entry requirement and the graduation requirement must be identical.

4. The academic program must include compulsory contents (Philosophy module) as prescribed by the Ministry of Education and Training.

5. Structure of the academic programs as follows:

a) The research-oriented programs: scientific research load from 24 to 30 credits, including 12 to 15 credits for thesis, 12 to 15 credits for capstone projects, other research topics.

b) Application-oriented programs: internship from 6 to 9 credits; graduate coursework from 6 to 9 credits in the form of a project, graduation thesis, or dissertation.

6. Academic programs that teach and study foreign language must adhere to regulations issued by the Prime Minister.

7. Curriculum-related changes and adjustments are made in accordance with current regulations and communicated to students before being implemented.

Article 3. Academic planning and duration of study

1. Full-time study applies to both research- and application-focused programs. Part-time study is applicable to the application-focused. The length of each study mode must conform to the Academic Regulations issued by the Ministry of Education and Training.

2. To orient students, the College provides, for each study mode, a standard full-course study plan for each academic program. The length of each study mode is specified as follows:

a) The time according to the standard study plan of the whole program must be consistent with the time specified in the Structural Framework of the National Education System, and at the same time ensure that the majority of students complete the academic program;

b) The duration according to the standard study plan of the whole program for the form of part-time study is at least 20% longer than that of the regular training form of the same academic program;

c) According to the standard study plan for the entire program, students must not take longer than two times the allotted time to complete the program in each study mode. Students who do not complete the academic program by the end of the duration of study, even if the time is extended, will be required to withdraw from the university.

3. Study load: The number of credits determines the study load of an academic program, each module, and each course (or subject).

a) A credit is a unit that is used to determine the amount of academic work of a student. A credit is equivalent to 50 hours of study for students, including taught study (contact hours), tutorials, self-managed study, experiential learning, assessments, and exams.

b) 1 credit is roughly equivalent to 15 contact hours for courses that use a lecture or classroom-based instruction; 30 – 45 contact hours for practicum and laboratory courses, 45 – 90 contact hours for fieldwork (in industry, communities, or hospitals) based courses; 45 – 60 hours for courses that involve independent studies such as thesis or internship. A course may comprise various teaching and learning modalities (such as lecture and lab, or lecture and fieldwork). In such cases, the total number of contact hours will be adjusted to be equivalent to other courses with similar requirements. One contact hours is equivalent to 50 minutes.

c) The minimum study load of a program must comply with the Vietnamese Qualifications Framework. It must ensure a minimum of 30 credits for the one-year training program, 45 for the one-and-a-half-year program, and 60 for the two-year program.

 Article 4. Recognition of student academic performance and credit transfer

1. Students who have studied in another master’s program or graduated from a specialized academic program may be eligible for recognition and credit transfer for certain courses in accordance with Article 14 of Decree No. 99/2019/ND-CP dated December 30, 2019 of the Government. The number of transferable and accredited credits cannot exceed 30.

2. Students enrolled in an undergraduate program (or equivalent) at the University who meet the following requirements may be permitted to pre-register for some courses in the master program:

a) Achieve at least a Good Academic Standing based on the cumulative GPA.

b) Being ranked as the final-year students of the current academic program

c) Not subject to academic warning or disciplinary action

The number of accredited credits does not exceed 15 credits.

3. The courses will be considered for recognition and credit transfer under the terms of this article if they meet the following criteria:

a) Satisfying the learning outcomes, instruction requirements, study load, method of course assessment and other requirements specified in the master’s academic program;

b) The final grade is from C (or equivalent) or higher;

c) Course completion must occur within five (05) years of the date of the review for recognition or transfer.

4. Only considering academic transcripts of students with defined academic duration; if not clear, a certification of the Colleges where the transcript is issued must be included in the transcript.

5. Credit transfer is evaluated each semester; in exceptional cases, it can be evaluated separately by each academic program or by group of students. The process and procedure of credit transfer is carried out in accordance with the University’s current regulations and policy.

Article 5. Medium of instruction and assessment

Unless otherwise approved by the University Council for a specific course or program of study, English is the medium of instruction (including lectures, tutorials, and laboratories) at the University. Individual instruction or consultation may be in any language.

The College of Arts and Sciences may teach in Vietnamese and use Vietnamese reading materials for the required courses of the Ministry of Education and Training. In such a case, the materials will be provided in English to students as and when requested.

CHAPTER II – EDUCATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

Article 6. Academic affairs organizations

1. The training takes place on the University’s main campus or other campus locations. Activities outside the main campus, practical activities, internships, research, and practical experiences comprise no more than twenty (20) percent of the total academic load. For health sciences education, academic arrangements at practice facilities must comply with government regulations, meet academic program requirements, and be clearly stated in the teaching plan.

2. Standards, roles and responsibilities, and authority of faculty members must comply with the current regulations of Vietnam’s Higher Education Law, the Ministry of Education and Training, and other relevant regulations as prescribed by the University.

3. Evaluation and management of learning outcomes, as well as the planning and organization of instruction, must comply with the applicable provisions of the MOET’s Regulations and the University’s current academic regulations. The evaluation of graduation theses for both research-oriented and application-oriented programs is also governed in accordance with the provisions of this Regulation.

4. The schedule must include the time, location, teaching and learning activities, mode of instruction and curriculum requirements. The teaching and learning study plan for a course within an academic program is evenly distributed throughout the semester’s weeks. In the event that intensive study time is required, the number of lecture hours for each course cannot exceed 15 hours per week and 4 hours per day.

5. The Office of the University Registrar regulates the process of students registering for courses prior to the beginning of each semester in accordance with each academic program, as well as the maximum and minimum number of credits students are permitted to register for in each semester. If a student wishes to enroll in fewer than the required number of credits per semester, the Dean of the Colleges must grant permission.

6. The College may organize online classes with a maximum study load of 30 percent of the total academic load of the academic program, provided the implementation complies with current regulations on the application of information technology to online academic operations and the quality assurance is equivalent to that of in-person classes.

7. In the event of natural disasters, epidemics, or other cases of force majeure, the College implements online teaching mode and course assessment in accordance with the Ministry of Education and Training’s and the University’s Academic regulations.

Article 7. Course assessment

1. The course instructor is responsible for proposing component scores, the assessment format and its proportion (for example, forms of formative assessment, the midterm test, and the final exam, etc.), and specifying how to calculate final results in accordance with the academic program’s specific requirements. The assessment plan must be outlined and communicated to students in the course syllabus.

2. The final course grade will only be considered passing if it is at least a C. Students who have failed the course are required to re-enroll and retake the examination in accordance with the current regulations; the final grade is the official course grade.

3. Conversion of course grades from the letter scale and the four-point scale as follows:

The College prescribes a 10-point or 100-point scale to convert to a letter scale and a 4-point scale, but the minimum F-point scale is less than 4.0 or 40 percent. For specific courses required by the special requirement, the College/Faculty may specify a higher grade (C+ or higher) in the course outline.

4. Final exam and final assessment of a course

a) The final exam can be administered in-person, online, or in a combination of both and it must be specified in the detailed course syllabus. Online examinations may be used if they are as honest, fair, and impartial as in-person examinations, and they shall contribute no more than 50 percent of the course’s total weighted grade.

b) The College and course instructor are responsible for coordinating with The Office of Planning and Registrar to organize the final examination. The examination questions should reflect the course content and learning outcomes.

c) The College must organize the review and analysis of exam results and course grades on an annual basis in order to design exam questions in a systematic way that ensures exam and assessment accuracy and fairness.

d) The course instructors are responsible for grading. If there is more than one marking instructor and the markings do not match, the instructors must submit a proposal to the Program Director for a final judgment.

e) The component scores and final course grade must be entered into the gradebook in the prescribed format and signed by the course instructor(s) and the Program Director (or an authorized person).

f) If an eligible student misses an exam for the first time for a valid reason and submits an exam cancelation application at least two days prior to the exam date or one day after the exam date if there is a force majeure reason on the exam date (sickness, childbirth, etc.), they will be permitted to retake the exam later and within 12 months (same or later intakes, or make-up exams) and must pay the re-test fees according to regulations (if any).

g) Students will receive a failing grade (0 points) if they miss the final exam for the first time without justification or a valid reason.

5. The course assessment, handling of student complaints, and violations of the code of conduct during course evaluation must adhere to the applicable regulations.

6. The collection of student feedback is conducted in accordance with the University’s existing policies.

CHAPTER III – IMPLEMENTATION OF GRADUATION THESIS, CAPSTONE PROJECT AND GRADUATION RECOGNIZATION

Article 8. Thesis supervision

1. Students enrolled in a research-oriented program shall carry out a research project with load of 12 to 15 credits, the results of which are presented in the form of a graduation thesis. Students will complete their thesis in at least six (06) months.

2. The thesis is a scientific report that synthesizes the main research findings and meets the following requirements:

a) Contributing to theoretical, academic, or technological development; demonstrating students’ research ability;

b) Conforming to Vietnamese culture, morals, and fine customs;

c) Complying with the University’s academic integrity and current intellectual property laws.

3. Each student is assigned one or two supervisors, one of whom must be a full-time faculty member of the University. An individual supervisor may not supervise more than 05 students at the same time (including students required to complete the graduation project in the application-oriented program); co-supervising two students is equivalent to individually supervising one student.

4. Criteria for the thesis supervisors:

a) Having a professional doctorate degree relevant to the student’s majors and thesis topic;

b) Having the ability to conduct international scientific research and exchange with proficiency through the use of a foreign language and information technology;

c) Having scientific research outcomes related to the thesis topic within five (05) years of the supervision;

d) Other requirements specified by the academic program and the University regulations.

5. The College, The Office of Planning and Registrar shall detail on:

a) Standards, responsibilities and rights of the supervisor;

b) Assignment of thesis topic and supervisor(s); changing thesis topics and supervisors; thesis implementation duration;

c) Thesis requirements for professional and academic content, structure, and format, as well as assurance of academic integrity.

Article 9. Evaluation of thesis

1. The thesis is evaluated based on the manner in which it is defended before the Evaluation Committee. The defense session is held in public, with the exception of topics in fields that require confidentiality under the state legislation and international practices.

2. The Thesis Evaluation Committee shall ensure following requirements:

a) The Committee must have at least five (05) members, including the chairman, secretary, two (02) reviewers, and other members; at least one (01) of the reviewers must not be an employee of the Colleges.

b) The members of the Committee must meet the requirements of the thesis supervisor as outlined in this Regulation, and the chairperson must be a full-time university professor or full-time researcher.

c) The supervisor may join the Committee as a member but cannot award assessment points; family members of the student (such as father, mother, spouse, sibling, etc.) are not permitted to participate on the Committee.

3. Students may defend their theses if they meet the following requirements:

a) Completed all required courses of academic programs;

b) Submitted thesis and supervisor consents to its defense;

c) Fulfilled other requirements as prescribed by the University.

4. The thesis defense session will take place when at least two-thirds of the evaluation Committee, comprising the chairman, secretary, and at least one reviewer, are present. The online defense format may be adopted with the consensus of committee members and students; the entire session shall be recorded and archived.

5. The thesis final grade is the average of the points awarded by the members present at the thesis evaluation session, on a scale of 10 points, with a minimum passing score of 5.5.

6. In the event that the thesis is deemed unacceptable, students have three months from the date of the first evaluation committee meeting to amend and resubmit the thesis for a second evaluation, a third evaluation is not authorized.

7. After a successful defense, the full thesis (edited and revised at the Committee’s request, if any) must be resubmitted and archived at the University’s library; published on the University’s website for at least 30 days, with the exception of topics in fields that must remain confidential per state regulations.

8. The Office of the University Registrar shall outline the criteria and procedure for evaluating theses, as well as other regulations pertaining to the evaluation of theses.

Article 10. Thesis appraisal

1. In the event of complaints, denouncements, or other administrative request, the Provost (or a designated authority) shall determine the implementation of a re-evaluation of the thesis’ quality.

2. Thesis appraisal committee shall have the same compositions and standards as the thesis appraisal committee; however, members of the appraisal committee shall not serve on the thesis evaluation committee.

3. The Office of the University Registrar shall propose the formation of the evaluation committee, the procedure for committee meetings, and the processing of thesis appraisal outcomes.

Article 11. Supervision, reviews and appraisals of graduation project in application-oriented programs

1. In application-oriented programs, students must complete a graduating module of between 6 and 9 credits in the form of a coursework, or capstone project (hereinafter referred to as the project). Students must finish the project in at least three (03) months.

2. The project is evaluated based on the manner in which it is defended before the Evaluation Committee. The defense session is held in public, with the exception of topics in fields that require confidentiality under the state legislation and international practices.

3. The following conditions must be met by the final project report, which is a description of the project’s planning, implementation, and outcome:

a) Proposing and experiencing new models and solutions to tackle real-world problems; showcasing students’ abilities to utilize science and technology to solve problems;

b) Conforming to Vietnamese culture, morals, and customs;

c) Complying with the University’s academic integrity and current intellectual property laws.

4. Each student has one or two thesis supervisors; one must be a full-time supervisor of the VinUni. At the same time, an independent supervisor must not guide more than 05 students (including the number of students who have completed the graduation part of the application-oriented program); In the case of co-instruction of 2 students, it will be considered as independent instruction of 01 student.

5. The project result assessment council has at least 03 members, including the chairman, secretary and reviewer. In case the council has more than 03 members, the supervisor can join the council as a member, but no assessment points will be given. The defense session is held only when the evaluation Committee is present with the chairman, secretary and reviewer. Online defense can be performed with the consent of members and students; the entire online defense session shall be recorded and archived at the University.

6. In case the project is unsatisfactory, the student may edit and supplement the project to be evaluated for a second time within 45 days from the date of the first assessment council meeting; not organizing the third assessment.

7. After successful defense, the full project report (which has been edited and supplemented at the request of the council, if any) must be submitted and archived at the University’s library; published on the website of the VinUni at least 30 days, except for topics in the fields that need to be confidential in accordance with the State’s regulations.

Article 12. Graduation recognition and degree awarding

1. Students must satisfy the following requirements for graduation:

a) Having completed all required courses and successfully defended the thesis and capstone project;

b) Having a satisfactory foreign language proficiency, as evidenced by one of the foreign language certificates at a level equivalent to Level 4 according to the 6-level Foreign Language Competency Framework for Vietnam or other equivalent certificates announced by the Ministry of Education and Training, or a university degree or higher in a foreign language, or a university degree or higher delivered in a foreign language, prior to graduation;

c) Fulfilled other responsibilities as prescribed by the University; not be prosecuted for criminal offenses, and not be disciplined or suspended from study.

2. The Office of Planning and Registrar organizes the student’s review and recognition within 02 months of the student successfully defending the thesis or capstone project; a maximum of 03 months if the appraisal of theses and capstone project is organized.

a) The Graduation Review Committee is formed by the Provost’s decision, based on the Registrar’s proposal. The Chair of the Committee shall be the Provost or a person authorized by the Provost, the Registrar as a permanent member, and the members shall be the Dean/Head of the Faculty, representatives of the related department heads (if any).

b) The Committee shall consider and make a list of eligible students based on the graduation requirements and propose to the Provost to recognize the graduation.

c) The Provost shall issue the Decision on Recognition of Graduation, granting master’s degrees and diplomas to students at the request of the graduation review committee and in accordance with current diploma management regulations.

3. The Office of the University Registrar shall grant master’s degrees to students within one month of the issuance of the decision on graduation recognition, as well as provide a system for looking up diplomas on the VinUni web portal for post-audit work and verifying graduation diplomas.

4. The content of the diploma and diploma appendix must comply with Ministry of Education and Training regulations, with the diploma appendix clearly stating whether the program is research-oriented or coursework-oriented.

5. Students who are unable to graduate within the study period specified in this Regulation will be given a certificate indicating the results of the courses they have completed in the academic program.

6. The Office of Planning and Registrar is in charge of developing the graduation review and recognition process, as well as the issuance of certificates of recognition of accumulated credits for students who have not completed the graduation requirements.

CHAPTER IV – OTHER REGISTRY REGULATIONS FOR STUDENTS

Article 13. Leave of absence or withdrawal

1. Students may take a temporary leave of absence from VinUni while keeping their academic results in the following circumstances:

a) To be assigned to the armed forces;

b) To be mobilized by a competent agency to represent the country to participate in international competitions and tournaments or to perform other national or sectoral tasks;

c) Being sick, pregnant or having an accident requiring long-term treatment, but a written certification from a competent medical examination and treatment facility is required as prescribed by the Ministry of Health;

d) For other personal reasons but must complete at least one semester at the College and not be considered for expulsion or disciplinary consideration.

2. The period of temporary absence from the University specified in point d, clause 1 of this Article must be included in the maximum time specified in this Regulation to complete the degree.

3. Students may withdraw from the University for personal reasons unless they are facing expulsion or serious disciplinary action.

4. The Office of the University Registrar is responsible for outlining the conditions, authority, and procedures for considering temporary leave, return to study, and expulsion, as well as the reservation and recognition of cumulative academic results for students who withdraw from the university.

Article 14. Program change and college transfer

1. Students who meet the following requirements are considered for College transfer and academic program transfer:

a) Meet the admission requirements of the academic program to which students are transferring, as well as ensure that the institution to which students are transferring meets all quality assurance requirements and has not yet exceeded the program’s capacity, as required by Ministry of Education and Training regulations.

b) The transfers are approved by both the Deans and/or the Program Directors of the transfer-out and transfer–in colleges or academic programs.

c) The student has enough time to complete the academic program in accordance with this Regulation and is not being disciplined at the written warning level or higher.

2. In circumstances of transferring College or academic programs, the recognition of prior learning and transfer of accumulated credits must comply with this Regulation.

3. The Office of Planning and Registrar is responsible for detailing the conditions, processes and procedures for changing College and changing academic programs.

Article 15. Student exchange programs and academic cooperation in education

1. The Provost determines on the recognition of the educational process, course content, and transferred credits of other higher education institutions as the foundation for permitting VinUniversity students to study a number of courses at other high education institutions and vice versa (hereinafter referred to as student exchange program). The academic outcomes of student exchange programs at other higher educational institutions are recognized as academic outcomes at VinUniversity.

In the case of international student exchange and academic cooperation with a foreign university, the existing legislation on academic cooperation and association with foreign countries must be followed.

2. The educational process, course content, and number of credits are recognized based on comparison and equivalence at the level of two academic programs from two institutions; the course level or course group in two academic programs.

The comparison and equivalence are conducted based on the basis of learning outcomes, course content, instructional format, academic management process, teaching methodology, assessment format, and quality assurance.

3. Implementation principles for student exchange programs:

a) There exists a written agreement on academic collaboration regarding the mutual recognition of the academic process, academic content, and credit value for the course, group of courses, or whole academic program.

b) The amount of credits earned at the partner institution cannot exceed 25% of the student’s current enrolled academic program. The length of study for an exchange program may be a full semester, an academic year, or determined by the length of the course(s);

c) The exchange program applies only to the same educational format;

d) The student is not a first-year student, is not facing expulsion, is not subject to written warnings or higher, and has sufficient time to study in accordance with this Regulation;

e) Students have the capacity and financial conditions to participate in the study in accordance with the provisions of the exchange agreement between VinUniversity and the partner institution.

4. The Office of the Planning and Registrar shall clarify the standards and processes for the exchange of students, recognize the credits students have earned and publish the relevant information on the University’s website.

Article 16. Handling student misconduct or violations

1. Students who cheat on examinations, tests, and assessments will be disciplined in accordance with the University’s current policies.

2. Students who take the exam for another student or ask another student to take the exam for them are subject to a one-year suspension for the first offense and expulsion for the second offense.

3. Students who violate one of the following regulations will be required to resign from the University; Master’s degrees will be revoked or cancelled in accordance with Ministry of Education and Training laws:

a) Committing acts of fraud in admissions, study, defense of theses or graduation projects, or forging documents for the issuance of diplomas or certificates;

b) Using other people’s academic results or copying or plagiarizing in the thesis or graduation project, and the thesis review committee concludes that the thesis or project does not satisfy even if the utilized, copied, or quoted contents are removed.

c) Requesting or contracting a third party to complete the thesis or project.

4. Conforming to the University Code of Conduct, detailed procedures will govern the processing of student violations.

CHAPTER V – IMPLEMENTATION

Article 17. Reporting and archive

1. Prior to December 31 of each year, The Office of Planning and Registrar is responsible for preparing a comprehensive report on the master’s degree’s academic database at the university for the Ministry of Education and Training; for fully and accurately updating master’s academic data into the national database system on higher education; for exporting data and reports from the system, advising the Provost to sign the report, and submitting it to the Ministry of Education and Training.

2. Colleges and related departments are responsible for archiving and safely preserving documents related to the master’s academic training process in accordance with their implementation responsibilities outlined in this Regulation, as well as relevant University and Ministry of Education and Training regulations.

3. The matriculation decision, the original academic transcript, the graduation recognition decision, and the original certificate of diploma issuance are permanent archival documents.

4. The thesis was deemed satisfactory or better by the evaluation committee, and the committee’s conclusions and reviewers’ comments are digitized, archived, and preserved in accordance with requirements.

5. Other records pertaining to enrollment and academic operations must be kept and maintained for at least five years (05) after graduation.

6. The destruction of documents whose archiving time has expired shall comply with the State’s current regulations.

Article 18. Implementation

1. This Regulation becomes effective on the date of signature and applies to enrollment intakes beginning on the date of its entry into force.

2. Academic regulations can be revised to adjust the latest regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training.

3. Faculties, Colleges, The Office of Planning and Registrar, and other relevant Units and individuals are responsible for the implementation of these Rules and Regulations.

4. During the implementation process, if any problems arise, the leaders of the units shall report to the Provost through The Office of Planning and Registrar to amend and supplement the Regulation. The Provost decides to adjust, supplement, amen

APPENDIX

Table of conversion factors of language qualification and certificates to Level 3 and Level 4 according to The Vietnamese Qualifications Framework was applied to enrollment and training at the master’s degree.