1. Training Objectives

NEU’s doctoral education aims to train scholars with advanced theoretical and applied knowledge and the capacity to conduct independent, innovative research to advance knowledge and address new issues, supervise scientific research, and undertake professional activities in economics, business, and management.

2. Duration and Mode of Study

The standard duration of doctoral study is four years (48 months). PhD candidates entering with a master’s degree may register for a three-year (36-month) study period. The duration is specified in the decision recognizing each PhD candidate’s status and in their study and research plan for the entire program.

Doctoral study is conducted on a full-time basis. PhD candidates must devote sufficient time to study and research at the University in accordance with their approved plans; specifically, they must register for a full 30 credits over at least the first two academic years of the academic program.

3. Programs, Admissions Quotas, and Languages of Instruction

NEU’s total doctoral admissions quota for 2024 is 110 PhD candidates (quotas for individual fields are detailed in Section 4), including:

3.1. Standard doctoral programs: Admissions are offered for 26 doctoral academic programs. The language of teaching and learning is Vietnamese. Doctoral dissertations may be written and defended in Vietnamese or English.

3.2. Doctoral programs taught in English (E-PhD): The admissions quota is 10 PhD candidates (within the University’s total quota), across two academic programs: Economics and Business Administration. English is the language of study, doctoral dissertation writing and defense, with higher foreign language proficiency requirements than those for standard doctoral programs.

3.3. Doctoral programs for foreign nationals: Admissions are offered for 26 doctoral academic programs with content similar to the standard doctoral programs, exclusively for foreign PhD candidates (with priority given to Lao and Cambodian nationals) who wish to study and write their dissertations in English. A minimum of three PhD candidates is required for an academic program to run.

4. List of Doctoral Academic Programs

5. Eligibility Requirements

Applicants for doctoral study must meet the following requirements:

5.1. Hold a bachelor’s degree classified as very good or higher, or a master’s degree relevant to the field and doctoral academic program to which they are applying. The list of undergraduate and master’s fields and academic programs considered relevant to the doctoral fields and academic programs is provided in Appendix 1 to the Admissions Announcement. Degrees in fields and academic programs not included in this list but closely related to the field and academic program applied for will be considered individually by the Admissions Council after applicants submit their applications. Applicants who do not hold a master’s degree, or who hold a relevant master’s degree that is not in the same field and academic program as the doctoral field and academic program applied for, must complete supplementary master’s-level coursework after admission.

For doctoral programs taught in English specifically, applicants must hold a master’s degree in economics, business or management relevant to the field for which they are applying; or a master’s degree in certain other relevant fields of study with a graduation classification of good or higher (a grade point average of at least 7.0 on a 10-point scale or equivalent).

5.2. Applicants must be the author of one article or paper related to their intended research field, published in a scientific journal on the State Professorial Council’s list of journals eligible for publication credit (see Appendix 2 to the Admissions Announcement), or in the proceedings of a national or international conference or scientific conference bearing an ISBN, within three years (36 months) preceding the application registration date.

5.3. Have a draft research proposal (approximately 3,000 words) containing the following main elements:

– The applicant’s proposed research title or direction;
– Full name of the proposed supervisor;
– Reasons for choosing the research title/direction;
– A review of published scientific works on the selected topic or research direction;
– Research objectives and research questions;
– Proposed research methods;
– Expected research contributions;
– Proposed study and research plan.

The applicant’s draft research proposal must be endorsed by the proposed supervisor. The proposed supervisor must meet the requirements set out in Appendix 3 to the Admissions Announcement.

Applicants for doctoral programs in English must write their draft research proposals in English.

5.4. Have a letter of recommendation from one scholar who holds the title of professor or associate professor or a Doctor of Science or doctoral degree, has engaged in professional activities with the applicant, and is knowledgeable about the applicant’s intended research area. The letter must assess the applicant’s professional qualities, professional competence, and ability to conduct research.

The letter of recommendation must include the following:
– The context of the recommender’s professional collaboration with the applicant;
– The recommender’s comments and assessments of the applicant’s abilities and qualities (ethical qualities, professional competence, working methods, research ability, prospects for professional development, etc.).

5.5. Have a degree or certificate demonstrating foreign language proficiency, as specified below:

5.5.1. Vietnamese citizens applying for standard doctoral programs must hold one of the following degrees or certificates:

a. 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 for full-time study in a foreign language;

b. A bachelor’s degree in a foreign language awarded by a Vietnamese educational institution;

c. A foreign language proficiency certificate at Level 4 of the Six-Level Foreign Language Proficiency Framework for Vietnam or equivalent (see Appendix 4 to the Admissions Announcement).

Applicants who meet the requirement in point a but whose language of study was not English; who meet the requirement in point b but hold a bachelor’s degree in a foreign language other than English; or who hold a certificate in a foreign language other than English under point c must also hold an English proficiency certificate at Level 3 of the Six-Level Foreign Language Proficiency Framework for Vietnam or equivalent (see Appendix 5 to the Admissions Announcement).

Foreign language certificates must be valid on the application date and have been issued within the preceding 24 months by an organization recognized by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET). The test must also have been taken at a location recognized by MOET (see Section 10.1).

5.5.2. Vietnamese citizens applying for doctoral programs in English must hold one of the following degrees or certificates:

a. A bachelor’s or master’s degree awarded by a foreign educational institution for full-time study abroad in which the language of study was English.

b. A master’s degree in English language from Hanoi University or a university of foreign languages affiliated with a national or regional university.

c. An IELTS (Academic) certificate with a score of at least 6.0 or a TOEFL iBT certificate with a score of at least 70.

d. An IELTS (Academic) certificate with a score of at least 5.5 or a TOEFL iBT certificate with a score of at least 46. In this case, applicants must submit an IELTS (Academic) certificate with a score of at least 6.0 or a TOEFL iBT certificate with a score of at least 70 within six months of admission to the program.

Foreign language certificates must be valid on the application date and have been issued within the preceding 24 months by an organization recognized by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET). The test must also have been taken at a location recognized by MOET (see Section 10.1).

5.5.3. Applicants who are foreign citizens

a. Applicants to the standard doctoral academic program must hold one of the following degrees or certificates:
– A bachelor’s or master’s degree awarded by a Vietnamese educational institution for full-time study in Vietnam;
– A certificate of Vietnamese language proficiency at Level 4 or higher under the Vietnamese Language Proficiency Framework for Foreigners.

b. Applicants to the doctoral academic program for foreigners must meet the requirements specified in Section 5.5.1.

c. Applicants to the English-taught doctoral academic program must meet the requirements specified in Section 5.5.2.

5.6. Applicants must obtain certification or a recommendation from their employing organization (for those who are employed), their educational institution (for recent graduates), or the local government where they reside (for those who are self-employed). Applicants who are foreign citizens may obtain certification or a recommendation from their employing organization, their undergraduate/master’s educational institution, or the embassy of the country under whose protection they fall.

6. Doctoral Application Documents

6.1. Doctoral application documents include:

6.1.1. An application form certified by the organization recommending the applicant as specified in Section 5.6 (with a photograph affixed and an official seal stamped across its edge, using Form M1).

6.1.2. One notarized copy and three copies of each of the following degrees and certificates:

– Bachelor’s degree and academic transcript
– Master’s degree and academic transcript (not required for applicants applying directly from the undergraduate level)
– Bachelor’s degree in a foreign language and academic transcript (if any)
– Foreign language certificate (if any)

Bachelor’s and master’s degrees and academic transcripts issued by foreign educational institutions must be translated into Vietnamese and notarized, and submitted together with a notarized copy of the qualification recognition document issued by the Vietnam Education Quality Management Agency, Ministry of Education and Training (MOET). See

6.1.3. One original and three copies of the letter of recommendation specified in Section 5.4 (using Form M2).

6.1.4. An Official Letter from the applicant’s direct managing organization recommending the applicant for admission, in accordance with current regulations on the training and professional development of civil servants and public employees (if the applicant is a civil servant or public employee) (refer to Form M3).

6.1.5. One original and three copies of the applicant’s draft research proposal as specified in Section 5.3 (using Form M4).

6.1.6. Four sets of copies of the applicant’s scientific articles or papers.

Note:
– For each scientific article or paper, applicants must provide photocopies of the cover (of the journal or conference or scientific conference proceedings), the table of contents and the article or paper itself.
– Applicants with more scientific articles or papers than required in Section 5.2 must bind them into a volume in the order listed on the cover sheet (using Form M5), clearly separating the section for standard scoring (one scientific article or paper) from the section for bonus scoring (all remaining articles or papers).

6.1.7. A 3 x 4 cm photograph with a white background, with the applicant’s full name and date of birth clearly written on the back.

6.2. Application submission procedure: Applicants must download the forms from sdh.neu.edu.vn (under Admissions/Doctoral/2024 Doctoral Admissions Announcement), complete their application with the documents listed in Section 6.1, and arrange them as instructed in Appendix 6 to the Admissions Announcement. The application form (M1) can also be generated through NEU’s online application portal.

Doctoral applications must be submitted in three steps:

Step 1. Register an application online
– Access the online application portal.
– Enter the required information (note that mandatory fields are marked with an asterisk *). The photograph uploaded to the system must be a 3×4 photograph of the applicant, identical to the photograph in the hard-copy application.
– After entering the information, generate the application form (Form M1) with all information completed.
– Complete the online application on or after April 1, 2024, and before the date you submit the hard-copy application.

Step 2. Pay the application processing and admission review fee
– Application processing and admission review fee: VND 1,200,000.
– Check your personal email for a notification containing the link to pay the fee through the VnPay gateway.
Note: Applicants who need to verify their eligibility before paying the application processing fee should send scanned copies of the application documents specified in Step 3 to phd@neu.edu.vn.

Step 3. Submit the application (hard copy)
– Applications will only be accepted if they contain all required documents arranged according to the instructions in Sections 6.1 and 6.2. Applicants must bring the original documents for verification when submitting their applications.
– Submission hours: 8:30–11:30 a.m. and 2:00–5:00 p.m., in two rounds:
+ Round 1 (admission review in May 2024): April 22–26, 2024
+ Round 2 (admission review in August–September 2024): July 29–August 2, 2024
– Submission location: Institute of Postgraduate Education, Room 412, Building A1, NEU, 207 Giai Phong Road, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi.

7. Admission Review Method

The specialist subcommittee assesses doctoral applicants on a 100-point scale, comprising application documents (60 points) and presentation of the draft research proposal (40 points).

7.1. Assessment of application documents includes the following:

a. Assessment scores for qualifications and academic performance are based on the reputation of the educational institution, grade point average, and master’s thesis score (if any);

b. Assessment scores for foreign language proficiency are based on the applicant’s foreign language degree or certificate;

c. Scores are based on the recommender’s academic standing, the closeness of their area of expertise to that of the applicant, and their comments and support for the applicant in the letter of recommendation;

d. Scientific article scores are based on the standing of the publishing journal, the article’s relevance to the applicant’s proposed research direction and specialization, and its quality;

e. The score for the quality of the draft research proposal is based on the persuasiveness of the rationale for selecting the topic, the depth and breadth of the review of related research, the scientific rigor demonstrated in defining the objectives and research methods, and the writing style.

f. Assessment of the ability to complete the research is based on the feasibility of the draft proposal and research plan.

7.2. Assessment of the Draft Research Proposal Presentation

Applicants present their draft research proposals to the specialist admissions subcommittee. The specialist subcommittee asks questions to assess applicants in the following areas:

a. Knowledge: The applicant’s understanding of the proposed research problem and of the nature and requirements of research activities.

b. Qualities and attitudes required of a PhD candidate: including the ability to analyze and synthesize information, seriousness, confidence and strong determination, creativity, honesty, discipline, etc.

Note: Successful applicants must score at least 50% of the maximum points in each component (application assessment and interview) and rank among the highest-scoring applicants, in descending order, within the admissions quota for their field of specialization.

8. Admission Review and Admission Notification Schedule

8.1. Admission reviews for PhD candidates are expected to take place in two rounds: Round 1 from May 27 to May 31, 2024; Round 2 from August 26 to August 30, 2024.

8.2. Notifications to attend the admission review will be sent by email at least seven days before the review date.

8.3. Admission review results will be announced in June 2024 for Round 1 and September 2024 for Round 2.

8.4. Admission notices will be sent in late September 2024 by email and post to the addresses applicants provided in their applications. The program will also begin in late September 2024.

9. Doctoral Academic Program Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are published in NEU’s annual tuition fee announcement, with a maximum increase of 10% per year.

Applicants may refer to the tuition fees for the 2023-2024 academic year below:

English-taught doctoral academic program: VND 60.0 million

Standard doctoral programs:
+ PhD candidates who are Vietnamese citizens: VND 41.0 million
+ PhD candidates who are Lao or Cambodian nationals: VND 63.5 million
+ PhD candidates of other nationalities: VND 93.2 million

10. Reference and Contact Information

10.1. Reference Information

a. Introduction to NEU’s doctoral academic programs

b. Admissions announcement (stamped version), Appendix and application document templates

c. Contact information and research publications of scholars available to supervise PhD candidates (See Instructions for troubleshooting access to this database)

d. List of organizations and examination venues for foreign language certification recognized by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET):

+ National foreign language certificates: List published by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) in July 2023

+ International certificates: List published by MOET in June 2023; Decision extending the partnership for administering TOEFL iBT certification tests; Decisions approving partnerships for administering certification tests in French, Chinese (Supplementary Decision 1, Supplementary Decision 2, Supplementary Decision 3, Supplementary Decision 4), Cambridge English (Supplementary Decision 1, Supplementary Decision 2, Supplementary Decision 3, Supplementary Decision 4, Supplementary Decision 5, Supplementary Decision 6, Supplementary Decision 7, Supplementary Decision 8, Supplementary Decision 9), Japanese (Supplementary Decision 1, Supplementary Decision 2, Supplementary Decision 3), Aptis English (Supplementary Decision 1, Supplementary Decision 2), IELTS English (Supplementary Decision 1), and Linguaskill English (Supplementary Decision 1).

e. Guidance on processes and procedures for qualification recognition at the Vietnam Education Quality Management Agency, Ministry of Education and Training.

10.2. Contact Information for Doctoral Admissions and Training

Institute of Postgraduate Education

Address: Room 412, 4th Floor, Building A1, NEU, 207 Giai Phong Road, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi
Telephone: Switchboard (024) 36 280 280, extensions 5414, 5415
Portal: neu.edu.vn
Institute website: sdh.neu.edu.vn
Email: phd@neu.edu.vn