PART I: GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE TRAINING PROGRAM

1. Some information about the training program

- Program name:

+ Vietnamese: Journalism

+ English: Journalism

- Name of the training program:

+ Vietnamese: Journalism

+ English: Journalism

- Training program code: 9320101

- Language of instruction: Vietnamese

- Standard training duration: 3 years for those with a master's degree, 4 years for those with a bachelor's degree.

- Name of the graduation certificate:

+ Vietnamese: Doctor of Journalism

+ English: The Doctor of Philosophy in Journalism

2. Objectives of the training program

2.1. General Objectives

The doctoral program in Journalism aims to develop students' independent research capabilities, creativity in generating new knowledge, and problem-solving skills. It provides high-quality human resources at the expert level in Journalism, capable of working in media organizations, educational and research institutions, central and local government agencies, international organizations, and businesses related to journalism and media. Upon completion of the program, students will possess interdisciplinary thinking and approaches, the ability to identify and solve problems, the ability to manage programs and projects related to journalism and media; critical thinking and the ability to create new knowledge; and the capacity to design, advise, consult, and organize journalistic and media activities.

2.2. Specific Objectives

- Specific Objective 1 (O1): The program aims to equip students with a comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge system at the doctoral level in the field of Journalism, including the scientific theoretical foundations of Marxism-Leninism, the Party's viewpoints and guidelines, and the State's policies and laws related to journalism, media, and socio-political life. Students will master the core theories and modern research approaches of Journalism, understand the characteristics, social functions, and political-cultural role of journalism in the context of digital transformation and international integration. Simultaneously, the program helps students master the system of methodologies and scientific research methods in the specialized field, serving the development of new knowledge and the resolution of theoretical and practical issues in contemporary journalism.

- Specific Objective 2 (O2): Learners will develop high-level independent scientific research skills, including the ability to identify research problems with academic and practical value; build theoretical frameworks, select and apply appropriate research methods; analyze and interpret data and form scientific arguments that make new contributions to the field of Journalism. The program also trains teaching skills, research guidance, and the ability to impart specialized knowledge in undergraduate and postgraduate educational environments. In addition, learners will be able to apply their professional knowledge and skills to management, leadership, and organization of journalism and media, as well as participate in policy consulting, public opinion shaping, and creating high-quality journalistic products that meet the requirements of socio-political realities.

- Specific Objective 3 (O3): Upon completion of the program, learners will demonstrate a high degree of autonomy in research, teaching, and professional practice, capable of working independently, creatively, and taking responsibility for their professional decisions. Learners will have a deep understanding of the scientific, social, and political responsibilities of researchers, educators, and journalists, adhering to professional and research ethics. Simultaneously, learners will be capable of participating in, proposing, and critically evaluating development directions in journalism and media, contributing effectively to the industrialization and modernization of the country and the leadership and guidance of the Party and State in the field of journalism.

3. Admission Information:

3.1. Admission method: evaluation of professional qualifications according to the regulations of Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU).

3.2. Eligibility Criteria

3.2.1. Requirements regarding diplomas, fields of study, and graduation classification

- Must have graduated with a Master's degree or a Bachelor's degree with a GPA of Excellent or higher in a relevant field, or have graduated with an equivalent level 7 qualification according to the Vietnamese National Qualifications Framework in certain specialized fields relevant to Journalism. If the candidate requires supplementary courses, these must be completed before the decision to recognize them as a doctoral candidate is made.

- Diplomas issued by foreign educational institutions must undergo recognition procedures in accordance with current regulations.

3.2.2. Requirements regarding research competence and experience

- Candidates must demonstrate research experience through a master's thesis from a research-oriented training program. Candidates with a master's degree in a relevant field must complete supplementary courses or possess an applied-oriented master's degree. Candidates applying from a bachelor's program must be the author or co-author of at least one scientific publication. Scientific publications can be articles in specialized scientific journals or scientific reports published in the proceedings of national or international peer-reviewed scientific conferences or seminars, with relevant ISBNs related to the research field or topic, and recognized by the professorship/associate professorship council of the relevant field/interdisciplinary area.

- The research proposal should clearly state the proposed topic, research field; reasons for choosing the research field and topic; a brief overview of the research situation in that field domestically and internationally; research objectives; some key research contents; research methods and expected results; reasons for choosing the training institution; implementation plan during the training period; the candidate's experience, knowledge, understanding, and preparation for conducting the doctoral dissertation. The proposal may also suggest a research staff member to be the supervisor.

- A letter of recommendation from at least one scientist holding the title of professor, associate professor, or a doctorate in science or a PhD, who has collaborated professionally with the applicant and is knowledgeable in the field the applicant intends to research. The letter of recommendation must include comments and assessments of the applicant regarding:

+ Moral character, abilities and scientific research attitude, and professional qualifications of the applicant;

+ For scientists who meet the criteria for supervising doctoral students and agree to act as thesis supervisors, additional comments on the urgency and feasibility of the research topic and content should be included; and the ability to mobilize doctoral students for research topics and projects, as well as the available funding for the doctoral students' research activities (if any), should be clearly stated.

+ Other comments and levels of support and recommendations for the candidate to pursue doctoral studies.

3.2.3. Foreign language requirements

- Applicants who are Vietnamese citizens must meet the foreign language proficiency requirements (in one of the following languages: English, Chinese, Russian, German, French) at level 4 or higher, in accordance with the foreign language output standards of the training program, as evidenced by one of the following diplomas or certificates:

+ A university degree or higher awarded by a foreign educational institution, a branch of a foreign educational institution in Vietnam, or a Vietnamese educational institution to a full-time student in a foreign language;

+ A university degree in a foreign language or foreign language pedagogy awarded by a Vietnamese educational institution;

+ Possess a foreign language certificate equivalent to level 4 according to the 6-level Foreign Language Proficiency Framework for Vietnam, valid for 2 years from the date of the exam to the date of application, issued by institutions accepted by the Ministry of Education and Training and Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

- Applicants who are foreign citizens and register for a doctoral program taught in Vietnamese must have a Vietnamese language certificate at least at level 4 or higher according to the Vietnamese Language Proficiency Framework for Foreigners, or have graduated from a university (or equivalent or higher) where the program was taught in Vietnamese, and must meet the requirements for a second foreign language as stipulated by the program.

3.2.4. Other requirements

- A clean personal record, not currently serving a criminal sentence or subject to disciplinary action at the level of a warning or higher.

- I am healthy enough to study.

- I commit to fulfilling my financial obligations during the training period as stipulated by the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

3.3. List of suitable industries

- This field is in the same group as Journalism.

- The field of study is defined in the training program standards issued by the Ministry of Education and Training.

- For cases where there are no established training program standards for the corresponding field or group of disciplines, the specialized unit must have a scientific and practical basis, determined by the Scientific and Training Council of the specialized unit and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, to identify the discipline with the closest professional foundation to the training program and determine the corresponding supplementary courses (if needed); report to Hanoi National University before enrollment and be responsible for this professional evaluation.

3.5. Projected enrollment size

- According to the quotas granted annually by Vietnam National University, Hanoi (expected to be 5-8 doctoral candidates per year).

- The admission plan follows the regulations and guidelines for postgraduate admissions of VNU Hanoi each year, and the admission scheme of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities approved by VNU Hanoi (if any).

PART II: LEARNING OUTCOMES OF THE TRAINING PROGRAM

1. Requirements regarding thesis quality

- The dissertation is an independent, systematic, and in-depth scientific research work with both theoretical and practical aspects, making new contributions to science and practice, and is relevant to the field of Journalism.

- The research results in the dissertation must be the author's own research, primarily obtained during their studies, and must not have been published in any other research works by others, ensuring academic integrity and compliance with current intellectual property laws. If using the results or materials of others, clear citations must be provided. If the dissertation is a scientific work or part of a scientific work of a group in which the author made a major contribution, documents showing the consensus of the group members allowing the author to use the collective results to write the dissertation must be submitted.

- The dissertation must be written in Vietnamese, using Unicode characters, Times New Roman font, size 13, and no more than 300 A4 pages in length, excluding appendices. It must include a declaration by the doctoral candidate regarding the content of the dissertation, with at least 50% of the pages dedicated to the candidate's own research results and arguments. The dissertation abstract must accurately reflect the structure, layout, and content of the dissertation and must include the full text of the dissertation's conclusions. The dissertation information sheet, approximately 3 to 5 pages (300 to 500 words) in both Vietnamese and English, should summarize the basic content, new content, research results, and the most important contributions of the dissertation.

2. Research competency requirements

- Publish at least (during the doctoral research period) the research results of the dissertation in a specialized scientific journal as the main author (first name author/corresponding author), with a total score of 2.0 or higher based on the maximum score stipulated by the State Council of Professors for each type of work (scores are not divided when there are co-authors).

- International publications must be written in a foreign language. Articles published in domestic specialized scientific journals included in the list prescribed by the State Council of Professors must have a minimum evaluation score of 0.75 points and must meet one of the following criteria:

+ Have at least one article published in a scientific journal listed in the Web of Science or Scopus database (hereinafter referred to as WoS/Scopus database);

+ Possess one granted patent/utility model and at least one international article/report in one of the following publications: (i) a reference book chapter published by a reputable international publisher, or (ii) a monograph published by a reputable international publisher, or (iii) a report in the proceedings of a peer-reviewed international conference with an ISBN, or (iv) an article published in a peer-reviewed, reputable foreign scientific journal with an ISSN.

+ Two international articles/reports in one of the following publications: (i) reference book chapters published by reputable international publishers, or (ii) monographs published by reputable international publishers, or (iii) reports in peer-reviewed international conference proceedings with ISBN, or (iv) articles published in peer-reviewed foreign professional scientific journals with ISSN.

3. Knowledge Output Standards

3.1. Supplementary course knowledge (for doctoral candidates without a master's degree)

PLO 1. Analyze issues in journalism and media based on the scientific theoretical knowledge of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh Thought, the viewpoints and guidelines of the Party, and the policies and laws of the State; explain journalistic phenomena using the worldview and methodology of dialectical materialism and historical materialism.

PLO 2. Analyzing and generalizing fundamental knowledge in social sciences and humanities, culture, and socio-political science as a theoretical basis for journalism research in the context of development and international integration.

PLO 3. Analyze and systematize the core and foundational knowledge of the field and specialization of Journalism Studies, including the main theories, models, concepts, and research approaches of Journalism Studies.

PLO 4. Evaluate and compare advanced, in-depth, and up-to-date theories, issues, and trends in the field of Journalism Studies in the context of digital transformation, globalization, and changing media environments.

PLO 5. Evaluating models of scientific research and knowledge development in the field of journalism and media, including research design, research management, and evaluation of scientific research results.

3.3. Knowledge of doctoral coursework, doctoral dissertations, and review essays

PLO 6. Evaluating and selecting modern methodological systems and scientific research methods in Journalism; creatively applying specialized and interdisciplinary methods in doctoral research.

PLO 7. Develop and advance new research directions; synthesize and systematize knowledge to form review essays and doctoral dissertations that make new scientific contributions to the field of Journalism.

4. Skill Output Standards

PLO 8. Identify modern scientific theories, methods, and research tools to design and implement effective and independent research in Journalism Studies.

PLO 9. Develop professional knowledge; design and publish scientific research results, participate in academic exchange within the domestic and international research community.

5. Output standards regarding the level of autonomy and responsibility

PLO 10. Proposing new scientific knowledge through independent research; proposing new scientific ideas and arguments within the complex research and practical contexts of the field of Journalism.

PLO 11. Propose expert judgments and decisions; lead and guide others in research, teaching, and professional practice in Journalism.

PLO 12. Demonstrate and maintain personal, professional, and social ethical standards; protect and practice academic integrity, respect intellectual property rights, and uphold the social responsibility of scientists, educators, and journalists.

6. Job positions that students can take on after graduation.

After graduation, PhDs in Journalism will work in the following agencies and organizations:

- Policy-making officials or officials working in departments related to press and media in ministries, agencies, organizations, from central to local levels, international organizations, etc.

- Research and teaching positions at training institutions and journalism research institutes.

- Participating in leadership and management of the press, serving as editor-in-chief, deputy editor-in-chief of press agencies, director, deputy director of radio and television stations, in charge of specialized departments of press agencies, chief commentators, chief editors, chief reporters in various fields, or potentially as experts in ideological and cultural agencies, press agencies of the Party, State, and mass organizations.

- Managers and specialists at businesses (domestic and foreign) involved in media and journalism activities.

- Research and consulting staff at research institutes and centers specializing in journalism and media, and international organizations in the field of journalism and media.

- Working as a highly qualified expert at universities, research institutes, management and policy consulting agencies in the field of journalism and media, businesses, corporations, and organizations both domestically and internationally…

7. Opportunities for further learning and professional development after graduation.

- Participate in research topics and projects of domestic and foreign agencies and organizations to apply the specialized knowledge acquired during the learning process;

- Conduct advanced and in-depth research on specialized issues at the regional and international levels;

- Connect with international research and teaching networks to exchange knowledge and address issues related to journalism studies.

- Implement and apply research results in practical research activities.

- Participate in research and teaching in Postdoctoral programs.

PART III: TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT METHODS

1. Teaching methods:

The program is implemented using a research-based and problem-solving approach, flexibly combining lectures, seminars, academic discussions, and case studies. Doctoral students are required to read foundational materials (philosophy, communication theory, research methods), participate in domestic and international case analyses, simulate professional roles (editorial leader, researcher, media manager), and practice designing processes, models, products, or research proposals.

The teaching process emphasizes linking theory with contemporary journalism and media practice, especially in the context of digital transformation, data, and AI. Academic and practical case studies are used as open-ended problems to guide learners in analyzing, reasoning, critically analyzing, and proposing solutions. This approach emphasizes the proactive, creative, and independent thinking of learners, in line with the doctoral training orientation.

2. Evaluation method:

Learning outcomes are assessed in a diverse and continuous manner, combining both process and summative assessments. Assessment methods include: attendance and participation in discussions; individual or group presentations on theoretical issues, case studies, or scenarios; design assignments (content production processes, newsroom models, management plans, research outlines, media products); and written tests or final essays.

Essays and reports require students to apply theory, methods, and data to analyze a specific journalistic and media issue, demonstrating their scientific reasoning, critical thinking, and academic creativity. The assessment method aims to measure critical thinking skills, application abilities, and mastery of knowledge, rather than simply testing memorization of content.

PART IV: TRAINING PROGRAM CONTENT

1. Summary of training program requirements

1.1. For PhD candidates with a master's degree

Total number of credits to be accumulated: 105 credits, including:

1.2. For PhD candidates who do not yet have a master's degree.

Total number of credits to be accumulated: 135 credits, including:

2. Training program framework

2.1. For PhD candidates who already hold a master's degree.

2.2. For PhD candidates who do not yet have a master's degree.

Note: One credit is equivalent to 50 hours of student-standard learning, including time spent observing lectures, guided learning, self-study, research, experiences, and participating in tests and assessments; for classroom teaching activities, one credit requires a minimum of 15 hours of lectures or 30 hours of practical work, experiments, and discussions, with one classroom hour counted as 50 minutes.

(1): Theory

(2): Practice, Experiment, Discussion

(3): Practice, Research, Self-study with stone testing