Circular No. 23/2021/TT-BGDĐT on promulgating the Regulation on enrollment and training at the master’s level

Circular No. 23/2021/TT-BGDĐT issued on August 30, 2021, regulates the Regulations on Admission and Training at Master’s Level. It took effect from October 15, 2021, and replaced Circular No. 15/2014/TT-BGDĐT. Key highlights are as follows:

1. Training Modalities and Duration

• Training modalities:

  • Full-time training applies to both research-oriented and application-oriented programs.

  • Part-time training applies to application-oriented programs only.

• Training duration:

  • Standard duration must align with the national education framework and be suitable for the majority of learners to complete.

  • For part-time programs, the training period must be at least 20% longer than the full-time equivalent.

  • The maximum time to complete the program must not exceed twice the standard duration for each training mode.

2. Admission Methods

• Institutions may choose from one of the following admission methods:

  • Entrance examination;

  • Admission review;

  • Combination of examination and review.

• In special cases (e.g., pandemics, natural disasters), institutions may organize online admissions if quality and fairness are ensured.

3. Online Training and Assessment

• Institutions may conduct online training for up to 30% of the total credit volume of the program.

• Online assessments may be used, provided they ensure reliability, fairness, and objectivity, and do not exceed 50% of the course’s total assessment weight.

4. Credit Recognition and Transfer

• Learners may be granted recognition and transfer of previously completed credits from other master’s programs or specialized programs, with a cap of 30 transferable credits.

5. Early Course Enrollment

• University students (or those at equivalent levels) with a GPA of at least “Fair” (Khá) and meeting other requirements may be permitted to take certain master’s-level courses at the same institution.

6. Transparency and Accountability

Training institutions must publicly disclose information related to admissions and academic activities, including:

• Institutional regulations on admissions and training;

• Approval decisions for training programs;

• Quality assurance conditions;

• Statistics on admitted, enrolled, withdrawn, and graduated learners;

• Teaching schedules and class timetables;

• Titles and abstracts of theses/projects, along with student and advisor details (excluding confidential topics).