Circular No. 07/2015/TT-BGDĐT provides regulations on the minimum volume of knowledge, requirements for skills that students must achieve upon graduation for each level of higher education training, and the process of developing, evaluating, and issuing training programs at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels.

CIRCULAR

Issuing regulations on the minimum volume of knowledge and requirements for abilities that students achieve upon graduation for each level of higher education training.

After graduation for each level of higher education training and the process of developing, reviewing, and issuing training programs.

For bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels.No. 11 of 2014; Law amending

_______________________

Pursuant to the Higher Education Law on June 18, 2012;

Pursuant to Decree No. 36/2012/NĐ-CP dated April 18, 2012, of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of Ministries and ministerial-level agencies;

Pursuant to Decree No. 32/2008/NĐ-CP dated March 19, 2008 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Education and Training;

Pursuant to Decree No. 141/2013/NĐ-CP dated October 24, 2013 of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Higher Education Law;

Pursuant to Decision No. 70/2014/QĐ-TTg dated December 10, 2014, of the Prime Minister promulgating the University Charter; Based on the proposal of the Director of the Department of Higher Education,

The Minister of Education and Training issues this Circular regulating the minimum volume of knowledge and requirements for abilities that students achieve upon graduation for each level of higher education training and the process of developing, reviewing, and issuing training programs for bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels.

Article 1. Attached to this Circular are regulations on the minimum volume of knowledge and requirements for abilities that students achieve upon graduation for each level of higher education training and the process of developing, reviewing, and issuing training programs for bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels.

Article 2. This Circular takes effect from June 1, 2015.

Repeals Decision No. 2677/GD-ĐT dated December 3, 1993, of the Minister of Education and Training promulgating the Regulations on the structure and minimum volume of knowledge for each level of training within the bachelor's degree and other regulations issued in related documents concerning the provisions of this Circular.

Article 3. The Heads of the Office, the Director of the Department of Higher Education; Heads of relevant units under the Ministry of Education and Training; Directors of national universities, regional universities, academies; Principals of universities; Institute Directors of scientific research institutes permitted to train at the doctoral level and related agencies, organizations, and individuals are responsible for implementing this Circular./.

REGULATIONS

On the minimum volume of knowledge and requirements for abilities

that students achieve upon graduation for each level of higher education training

and the process of developing, reviewing, and issuing

training programs for bachelor's, master's, doctoral levelsNo. 11 of 2014; Law amending
(Issued together with Circular No. 07/2015/TT-BGDĐT dated April 16, 2015 of the Minister of Education and Training)

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

This document regulates the minimum volume of knowledge and requirements for abilities that students must achieve upon graduation for each level of higher education training and the process of developing, reviewing, and issuing training programs for bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels.

Article 2. Applicability

These regulations apply to national universities, regional universities (including member higher education institutions of national universities and regional universities), academies, universities, scientific research institutes permitted to train at the doctoral level (hereinafter referred to collectively as educational institutions) and related agencies, organizations, and individuals.

Article 3. Explanation of Terms

In this Regulation, the following terms shall be understood as follows:

1. Credit is the unit of measurement for the volume of study undertaken by a student.

a) One credit is defined as a minimum of 15 hours of theoretical lectures and 30 hours of self-study, individual preparation with guidance; or 30 hours of practical work, experiments, discussions, and 15 hours of self-study, individual preparation with guidance; or 45 hours of internship at a workplace, writing term papers, large assignments, projects, final theses, dissertations, and doctoral theses.

b) One hour of credit is calculated as 50 minutes of study time.

2. The minimum volume of knowledge for a level of higher education training is the number of required credits that a student must accumulate at that level of training, excluding the number of credits for Physical Education and National Defense-Security Education courses.

3. A training program is a system of theoretical and practical knowledge designed in a coordinated manner with teaching methods, learning methods, and assessment methods to ensure that students accumulate knowledge and achieve the necessary abilities for each level of higher education.

4. Graduation standards are the minimum requirements for knowledge, skills, attitudes, and professional responsibilities that students achieve upon completing their training program, which the educational institution commits to the students, society, and publicly announces along with the conditions to ensure implementation.

5. The abilities achieved by students upon graduation are the capacity to work individually and in teams based on adhering to occupational safety principles, professional ethics, and passion for the profession; including knowledge, skills, and proactive creativity in solving problems related to the corresponding field/specialization for each level of training.

Chapter II

MINIMUM VOLUME OF KNOWLEDGE AND REQUIREMENTS FOR ABILITIES THAT STUDENTS ACHIEVE UPON GRADUATION

EACH LEVEL OF HIGHER EDUCATION TRAINING

Article 4. Minimum volume of knowledge for each level of higher education

The minimum volume of knowledge for each training level of higher education is specified as follows:

1. Bachelor's degree: 120 credits. For majors with a five-year or six-year training period, the corresponding minimum accumulated knowledge volume is 150 or 180 credits.

2. Master's degree: 60 credits. For majors/specializations at the bachelor's degree level with a minimum accumulated knowledge volume of 150 credits or more, the minimum knowledge volume for the master's degree is 30 credits.

3. Doctorate degree: 90 credits for those who have completed a master's degree, 120 credits for those who have completed a bachelor's degree.

Article 5. Requirements for competencies that students must achieve upon graduation for each level of higher education

In addition to general requirements regarding professional ethics, compliance with occupational safety principles, theoretical political knowledge, national defense and security knowledge as currently prescribed, and meeting the basic standard for information technology skills as prescribed by the Ministry of Information and Communications, graduates from each level of higher education must also meet the following minimum competency requirements:

1. Bachelor's degree

a) Knowledge:

Possess deep theoretical knowledge in the field of study; be proficient in techniques and have practical knowledge to solve complex tasks; accumulate foundational knowledge about basic principles, natural and social laws in the field of study to develop new knowledge and continue learning at a higher level; possess management, leadership, legal, and environmental protection knowledge related to the field of study;

b) Skills:

Have the ability to complete complex tasks requiring the application of theoretical and practical knowledge of the field of study in various contexts; have the ability to analyze, synthesize, evaluate data and information, consolidate collective opinions, and utilize new scientific and technological achievements to address practical or abstract issues in the field of study; have the ability to lead professionally to handle local and regional scale problems;

Have foreign language skills sufficient to understand the main points of reports or speeches on familiar topics related to the field of study; be able to use a foreign language to express and handle common professional situations; be able to write simple reports and present opinions related to professional work;

c) Self-management and responsibility:

Have the ability to lead professionally and in business areas studied; have initiative in performing assigned tasks; have the ability to self-direct and adapt to different working environments; engage in self-study and accumulate knowledge and experience to enhance professional expertise; be able to draw conclusions on common and some complex technical issues; have the ability to plan, coordinate, and leverage collective intelligence; have the ability to assess and improve medium-scale professional activities;

2. Master's degree

a) Knowledge:

Master specialized knowledge, capable of undertaking the role of an expert in the field of study; possess critical thinking skills; have deep theoretical knowledge to develop new knowledge and continue research at the doctoral level; have comprehensive knowledge about law, management, and environmental protection related to the field of study;

b) Skills:

Have the ability to complete infrequent, non-routine, unpredictable complex tasks; have the ability to independently research and develop and test new solutions, advance new technologies in the field of study;

Have foreign language skills sufficient to understand reports or speeches on most topics related to the field of study; be able to express oneself in a foreign language in most common professional situations; be able to write reports related to professional work; be able to clearly present opinions and critique technical issues in a foreign language;

c) Self-management and responsibility:

Have the ability to identify and resolve professional training issues and propose valuable initiatives; have the ability to self-direct personal development, adapt to highly competitive working environments, and lead professionally; draw expert conclusions on complex professional and business issues; take responsibility for professional conclusions; have the ability to establish and review plans; have the ability to leverage collective intelligence in management and professional activities; have the ability to assess, decide on directions for assigned tasks; have the ability to lead professionally to handle large-scale issues;

3. Doctorate degree

a) Knowledge:

Possess advanced and comprehensive specialized knowledge in the field of scientific specialization; have independent and creative research thinking; master core and important values in academia; develop principles and theories of the research specialization; have comprehensive knowledge about law, organizational management, and environmental protection; have innovative thinking in organizing professional work and research to address emerging complex issues;

b) Skills:

Have the ability to identify, analyze complex issues, and propose creative solutions; create new knowledge in the field of specialization; have the ability to establish national and international cooperation networks in professional activities; have the ability to integrate collective intelligence, lead professionally to handle regional and international scale issues;

Possesses foreign language skills sufficient to understand complex reports on specific and abstract topics, including academic exchanges within the specialized field. Can communicate and engage in academic exchanges in a fluent and proficient manner with native speakers. Able to write scientific reports and specialized reports; can explain their own viewpoints on issues and analyze different options.

c) Self-management and responsibility:

Demonstrates the ability to identify and resolve problems; derive principles and laws during the problem-solving process; propose valuable initiatives and evaluate their value; adapt to international working environments; possesses leadership capabilities and influences strategic development directions for groups; has the ability to provide expert recommendations based on solid scientific and practical evidence; capable of making decisions regarding work plans, managing research activities, developing new knowledge, ideas, and processes.

Chapter III

TRAINING PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, REVIEW AND ISSUANCE PROCEDURES

UNDERGRADUATE, MASTER'S AND DOCTORAL LEVELS

Article 6. Training program development procedures and organization

1. Training program development procedures

a) Step 1: Survey and determine human resource needs according to the level and field/specialized field of training; survey labor demand from employers for graduates of the trained field/specialized field, combined with minimum knowledge requirements and post-graduation competency requirements as stipulated in Articles 4 and 5 of this Regulation;

b) Step 2: Establish general goals, specific goals, and graduation standards for the training program;

c) Step 3: Determine the structure and necessary volume of knowledge for the training program, develop the training program to ensure training objectives and graduation standards;

d) Step 4: Compare and contrast with similar training programs at the same level and field/specialized field from other domestic and foreign educational institutions to refine the training program;

đ) Step 5: Design detailed syllabi for each course component according to the established training program;

e) Step 6: Organize seminars to gather opinions from faculty members, administrative staff both within and outside the educational institution, scientists, representatives of relevant labor-using units, and graduates (if available) on the training program;

g) Step 7: Finalize the draft training program based on feedback from all parties involved and submit it to the Scientific and Training Council of the educational institution for review and approval;

h) Step 8: Evaluate and regularly update the content of courses and teaching methods based on new advancements in the specialized field and labor demands.

2. Organization of training program development

a) The Rector of universities and academies; the President of university colleges; the Director of research institutes authorized to train doctoral level (hereinafter referred to collectively as the Head of the Educational Institution) assigns the relevant specialized unit to carry out Points a and h of Clause 1 of this Article and issues a decision to establish a program drafting team (hereinafter referred to as the Drafting Team) based on the proposal of the Head of the relevant specialized unit to implement Points b, c, d, đ, e, and g of Clause 1 of this Article;

b) Members of the Drafting Team include individuals knowledgeable about the field/specialized field of training and capable of developing and enhancing training programs, comprising: representatives of related specialized units, representatives of the training department, some faculty members in the correct field/specialized field, some scientists, education experts, and other relevant components required by the field/specialized field, and representatives of some enterprises/agencies using labor in the field/specialized field. The Head of the Educational Institution decides on the criteria and number of participants in the Drafting Team.

Article 7. Procedure for reviewing and issuing training programs

1. The head of the training institution issues a decision to establish the Training Program Review Board (hereinafter referred to as the Review Board) based on the proposal of the Scientific and Training Council. The criteria and structure of the Review Board are stipulated as follows:

a) The Review Board must have at least five members who are professors, associate professors, or doctoral degree holders in the relevant field/specialization of the training program to be reviewed; among them, there must be at least one person representing labor users after training; members of the drafting team shall not participate in the Review Board. Training institutions are encouraged to invite reputable lecturers from foreign universities to join the Review Board for the training program;

In cases where there is no qualified representative of labor users to join the Review Board, individuals with a master's degree in the relevant field of training for at least three years and having a minimum of five years of practical experience in the field of the training program may be invited to serve as members of the Review Board for undergraduate and master's level training programs;

b) The Review Board consists of a Chairperson, Secretary, and several members, including two opposing members from different training institutions. The training institution whose program needs to be reviewed does not participate or only nominates one person to join the Review Board;

In cases where the training program belongs to a new field/specialization that has not been trained anywhere in Vietnam, the Review Board includes individuals meeting the criteria set forth in this provision in a related field who have researched and published at least one scientific work related to the training program to be reviewed (excluding the member representing the labor user unit);

2. Reviewing the training program

a) The Review Board bases its review on current regulations of the training regulations for corresponding levels; current regulations on training programs; requirements of the field/specialization of training and the determined objectives and output standards to review the program;

b) The meeting of the Review Board must be recorded in detail in minutes, including the voting results on the Review Board's conclusion, signed by all members of the Review Board;

c) The Review Board must conclude clearly one of the following contents: The Review Board approves the training program without requiring any amendments or additions, or the Review Board approves the training program but requires specific amendments or additions to be made, or the Review Board does not approve the training program and states the reasons for non-approval;

3. The head of the training institution signs a decision to issue the training program based on the proposal of the Scientific and Training Council; publicly announces the training program, its objectives, output standards, and conditions to ensure implementation on the training institution's electronic information website;

Article 8. Procedure for updating and organizing the evaluation of training programs

1. Procedure for updating and evaluating training programs

a) Step 1: Develop a plan for updating and evaluating the training program;

b) Step 2: Collect information and evidence related to the necessity of updating the training program (changes in national regulations and training program regulations of the training institution; new advancements in the field of science in the relevant field/specialization; economic and social issues, research results related to the training program; feedback from stakeholders; changes in course components, subjects, or specialized content...);

c) Step 3: Evaluate and prepare a report on the effectiveness of the currently implemented training program (compliance with output standards and determined objectives; consistency and integration between program content, assessment methods, learning materials, and teaching resources...); compare research results on the requirements for developing the training program with the extent to which the currently implemented training program meets these requirements; anticipate the impact of changing and updating the training program;

d) Step 4: Draft the contents that need to be revised and updated in the training program and submit it to the Scientific and Training Council for consideration and approval;

e) Step 5: The Scientific and Training Council reviews and approves the revised and updated training program content and submits it to the head of the training institution for issuance of the revised and supplemented training program. If necessary, the Scientific and Training Council decides to review the revised and supplemented training program according to Article 7 of this Regulation;

2. Organizing the evaluation of training programs

a) At least once every two years, the head of the affiliated professional unit of the training institution must organize the evaluation of the training program according to the provisions of Clause 1 of this Article (from Step 1 to Step 4). The drafting of the contents that need to be revised and updated in the training program is carried out according to Article 6 of this Regulation or through a simplified and streamlined process, depending on the extent of revision and update;

b) The head of the training institution issues the updated and supplemented training program based on the proposal of the Scientific and Training Council after the training program has been evaluated according to Clause 1 of this Article;

Chapter IV

IMPLEMENTATION, INSPECTION, AUDIT, AND VIOLATION HANDLING

Article 9. Implementation Organization

1. The head of the training institution is responsible for organizing the implementation of the provisions of this Circular regarding the minimum volume of knowledge and capabilities that students achieve upon graduation for each level of training; issuing output standards for each training program;

For language proficiency requirements, the head of the training institution selects either the general provisions here or one of the six levels of the Vietnamese National Foreign Language Proficiency Framework issued together with Circular No. 01/2014/TT-BGDĐT dated January 24, 2014, of the Ministry of Education and Training, equivalent to the language proficiency requirements specified for each level of training in this Circular. If the student is a Vietnamese citizen wishing to study a minority ethnic language or a foreigner wishing to study Vietnamese instead of a foreign language, then the head of the training institution will consider and decide accordingly based on the conditions of the training institution.

2. The head of the training institution shall organize the review and evaluation of the current training program; issue the training program in accordance with the provisions of this Circular before January 1, 2016.

3. The head of the training institution shall be responsible for implementing the regulations on the procedures for developing, examining, and issuing the training program to ensure the quality of the training program; specify in detail the contents of these regulations in accordance with the requirements of the level, field/specialization of training and the conditions of the training institution.

Article 10. Inspection and Audit

1. The training institution shall be responsible for internal inspection and audit, and self-assessment of the implementation of the regulations on the minimum volume of knowledge and the requirements for competencies that students achieve upon graduation for each level of higher education training, and the regulations on the development, examination, and issuance of the training program of the institution as stipulated in this Circular.

2. The Ministry of Education and Training shall organize inspections and audits of the implementation of the regulations in this Circular at training institutions.

Article 11. Handling Violations

1. If a training institution violates this Regulation, depending on the nature and severity of the violation, it will be subject to administrative penalties and other legal liabilities as provided by current laws; if it violates Point a, Clause 2 of this Article, it will be suspended from admissions for twelve months, and if it repeats the violation, its decision to establish a training program will be revoked.

2. The head of the training institution and those directly violating the Regulation shall be subject to disciplinary action in the following cases:

a) Failing to ensure the minimum volume of knowledge and the requirements for competencies that students achieve upon graduation for each level of training;

b) Failing to comply with the procedures for developing, examining, and issuing the training program;

c) Failing to retain documents and evidence materials demonstrating the implementation of the regulations in this Circular;

d) Failing to comply with other provisions of this Circular./.