Announcement

Re: Admissions to the Master’s Program in Development Economics, Vietnam–Netherlands, Round 1, Cohort 32, Academic Years 2025–2027

National Economics University (NEU) announces the first round of admissions for Cohort 32 of the Vietnam–Netherlands Master’s Program in Development Economics (hereinafter referred to as the MDE Program) in 2025 as follows:

Educational objectives:

The MDE Program aims to develop high-quality human resources for various sectors of the economy. MDE master’s students will gain knowledge of economic and financial theories and their applications in businesses, industries, and the economy, with a focus on developing countries. Upon completing the program, graduates will have opportunities to become leaders, policymakers, consultants, researchers, and economics and finance specialists in domestic and foreign organizations. They will also have opportunities for career advancement through the following knowledge and skills:

– In-depth, up-to-date knowledge of economics and finance;

– Skills in collecting, processing, and analyzing data to address problems in their employing organizations;

– The ability to analyze and propose solutions to corporate financial issues and general economic and financial issues in the economy;

– The ability to design and evaluate development policies and programs;

– The capacity for independent research and development in economics and finance.

2. Field of study: Master’s in Economics, specializing in Development Economics.

3. Program Duration and Organization

– Program duration: The program lasts 24 months (including the internship and graduation project), with classes held outside regular working hours.

– Class size: 25–45 master’s students per class

4. Eligible applicants and admission requirements:

a) Eligible applicants:

Applicants must be Vietnamese or foreign nationals holding a bachelor’s degree earned through full-time, distance, or part-time study.

b) Degree requirements:

– Applicants whose bachelor’s degree is in the same field as the program for which they are applying are not required to take supplementary courses.

– Applicants whose bachelor’s degree is in a closely related, relevant, or different field from the program for which they are applying must take three supplementary courses: Development Economics; Statistical Theory; and Labor Economics.

c) Foreign language proficiency requirements:

Applicants must demonstrate foreign language proficiency at Level 4 or higher under the Six-Level Foreign Language Proficiency Framework for Vietnam. Specifically:

– Hold a bachelor’s degree or higher in a foreign language; or a bachelor’s degree or higher from a program taught primarily in a foreign language. The foreign language applicable to this provision is English.

– Hold a bachelor’s degree or higher issued by a university within the past two years, with program learning outcomes meeting foreign language proficiency requirements at Level 4 or higher under the Six-Level Foreign Language Proficiency Framework for Vietnam.

– Hold a foreign language diploma or certificate demonstrating proficiency equivalent to Level 4 or higher under the Six-Level Foreign Language Proficiency Framework for Vietnam, or another equivalent certificate announced by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), issued no more than two years before the application submission date.

Note: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees and transcripts issued by foreign educational institutions must have notarized Vietnamese translations and be submitted with a recognition document from the Vietnam Education Quality Management Agency, Ministry of Education and Training (MOET)^[1].

5. Qualifications awarded

Graduates will be awarded a master’s degree in Economics, specializing in Development Economics. The degree is awarded by NEU (Vietnam), and the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) at Erasmus University (the Netherlands) issues a certificate confirming participation in the MDE Program.

6. Languages of instruction: Vietnamese + English

7. Admissions fees and tuition

– Admissions fee per applicant: VND 1,200,000 (one million two hundred thousand Vietnamese dong only). The fee is payable upon submission of the entrance examination application. The admissions fee includes the application and entrance examination fees.

– Total tuition for the entire program: VND 110,000,000 (one hundred ten million Vietnamese dong only), payable in three installments during the first academic year (first installment: 50% upon enrollment; second installment: 30% six months after the first installment; third installment: 20% six months after the second installment).

– Tuition exemptions and reductions:

+ Students graduating from NEU in 2025 have the opportunity to receive scholarships covering up to 50% of tuition for the entire program.

+ Students who graduated from NEU before 2025 have the opportunity to receive scholarships covering up to 20% of tuition for the entire program.

8. Admissions schedule:

Application deadline: June 7, 2025

Entrance examination date: June 15, 2025

Entrance examination components: Two components—Interview and General Economic Knowledge—assess applicants’ overall competence and their capacity for logical thinking, analysis, critical thinking, and problem-solving.

+ Interview: Assesses applicants’ understanding of socioeconomic issues and directly evaluates their motivations for joining the Program.

+ General Economic Knowledge: A 90-minute examination comprising multiple-choice and written-response questions covering mathematics, logic, and economics.

9. Admission review method:

Requirements for admission:

+ Applicants must meet the degree and foreign language proficiency requirements stated above.

+ Applicants must score at least 5.0 in each entrance examination component (on a 10-point scale).

Admission score: The total score for the two components, Interview and General Economic Knowledge

Admission score calculation:

Admission score = (Interview score x 0.5) + (General Economic Knowledge score x 0.5)

Applicants are admitted in descending order of admission scores until the admissions quota is filled.

10. Examination preparation and supplementary course schedule:

Examination preparation guidance schedule: Applicants should prepare independently and study materials related to the topics specified in the examination content in Section 8. The MDE Program will publish preparation guidance and related materials on its website http://mde.neu.edu.vn/ and hold one session on examination techniques, tentatively scheduled for 15 days before the examination.

Supplementary course and examination schedule:

Supplementary course fees (estimated): VND 830,000 per course (2 credits per course) x three courses = VND 2,490,000

Three courses: (1) Development Economics; (2) Statistical Theory; (3) Labor Economics

11. Application documents:

The application must include:

Entrance examination application form, available from the MDE Program or downloadable from the Program’s website (applicants may complete the form when submitting their application);

Personal history form, downloadable from the MDE Program’s website or using a commonly used current template, with an attached photograph bearing a stamp across its edge and certification by the applicant’s employer or local authority at their place of residence;

Notarized copies of the undergraduate transcript and bachelor’s degree. Recent graduates awaiting their degree must provide a graduation confirmation and submit a notarized copy of their degree upon enrollment;

Foreign language certificate or diploma (original or notarized copy);

Four 3 x 4 cm color photographs. The back of each photograph must include the applicant’s full name, date of birth, and place of birth;

One certificate from the Vietnam Education Quality Management Agency, Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), recognizing a bachelor’s degree issued by a foreign university (if the bachelor’s degree was issued by a foreign university);

Supplementary course certificate (if applicable).

Application submission location: Faculty of Economics, Room 803, 8th Floor, Building A1, NEU, No. 207 Giai Phong Road, Dong Tam Ward, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi.

12. Contact information and inquiries

For updated information and answers to inquiries, please contact:

Vietnam–Netherlands Master’s Program Office, Faculty of Economics

Telephone: 024.36280280, extensions 6540/6542; Hotline: Ms. Thom – 0914 333 959 Website: http://mde.neu.edu.vn Email: Economics@neu.edu.vn;

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mde.neu.edu.vn/

This is an automated translation. If you notice any errors, please contact the Department of Communications, National Economics University at phongtruyenthong@neu.edu.vn.