Doctoral training is now only available in the formal education format.

VTV.vn - The draft regulations on postgraduate admissions and training stipulate that doctoral programs will only be offered in full-time settings, increasing research requirements and accountability.

Illustration photo: VGP

The Ministry of Education and Training has just released a draft Circular promulgating the Regulations on postgraduate admissions and training for public consultation. The draft is based on the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Education Law of 2025 and the Law on Higher Education (amended) of 2025, aiming to complete a unified legal framework for master's and doctoral training.

According to the draft, the new Circular will replace Circular No. 23/2021/TT-BGDĐT on admission and training for master's degrees and Circular No. 18/2021/TT-BGDĐT on admission and training for doctoral degrees.

Shift strongly towards quality management in training.

One of the notable points of the draft is the strong shift from managing the training process to managing the quality of training, learning outcomes, and accountability of training institutions.

The draft is designed to establish principles, requirements, and minimum standards so that training institutions can proactively develop regulations that suit their practical conditions and the specific characteristics of each program.

Accordingly, schools are given the autonomy to decide on the form and method of training organization, the overall course study plan, and the standard training duration for each program. However, training institutions must ensure openness, transparency, objectivity, and fairness in student recruitment and training organization.

The draft also strengthens the role and responsibilities of training institutions and specialized units in academic management and the management of the learning and research process of students and postgraduate researchers.

In addition, schools are permitted to apply information technology in student recruitment, application registration, management, and storage of student records, provided they ensure reliability, authenticity, and fairness in evaluating applicants.

Increase the interconnectedness and flexibility in training.

The draft includes several additional regulations aimed at increasing the interconnectedness between different levels of training in higher education .

According to the draft, academic results and higher education certificates used for credit recognition and transfer are valid for a period of 60 months from the date of completion of the course or the date the certificate is issued.

Learners must complete the program within a minimum time equal to two-thirds and a maximum of 2.5 times the standard training time of the program. If the maximum time is exceeded without completing the program, the learner must have their entry requirements reviewed according to the regulations of the training institution and will only be allowed to retain credits for courses and certificates that are still valid.

For integrated training programs, learners who accumulate enough credits at a particular level will be considered for recognition and awarded a degree at the corresponding level, according to the regulations of the training program.

Doctoral training is now only available in the formal education format.

Another noteworthy point is that the draft regulations stipulate that doctoral training programs can only be conducted in the form of full-time training, aiming to enhance the academic and research environment and ensure the quality of doctoral training.

The draft continues to stipulate strict regulations regarding the academic competence, scientific research capacity, and responsibilities of faculty members and supervisors. It also adds regulations concerning co-supervisors and supervisors who are foreign faculty members.

The requirements for scientific publication for doctoral students have also been clarified to be more transparent and clear. The draft also adds regulations on independent peer review of doctoral dissertations.

Notably, for the first time, the draft introduces a mechanism to exempt doctoral students with outstanding research results that meet high international standards from independent peer review. Accordingly, doctoral students must have at least 3 WoS/Scopus publications directly related to their dissertation, including at least 2 publications in the Q1 category.

In addition, the draft also includes provisions for organizing online thesis defenses when necessary, provided that quality, objectivity, openness, and transparency are ensured.

Source: https://vtv.vn/dao-tao-tien-si-chi-con-hinh-thuc-chinh-quy-100260518003826815.htm