DOCTORAL PROGRAM IN PSYCHOLOGY

PART I: GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE TRAINING PROGRAM

1. Some information about the training program

- Program name:

+ Vietnamese: Psychology

+ English: Psychology

- Name of the training program:

+ Vietnamese: Psychology

+ English: Psychology

- Training program code: 9310401

- 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 degree awarded after graduation:

+ Vietnamese: Doctor of Psychology

+ English: Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology

2. Objectives of the training program

2.1. General Objectives

The doctoral program in Psychology aims to train highly qualified professionals with in-depth knowledge of a specific field of psychology, capable of independent research, identifying and solving scientific and practical problems in the field of psychology, able to create new knowledge, and effectively meet the requirements of teaching, research, and application of psychology in modern society, as well as capable of academic leadership and contributing to the development of the field of Psychology.

2.2. Specific Objectives

Specific Objective 1 (O1): To train experts with in-depth professional knowledge in the field of psychology; capable of evaluating, synthesizing, and creatively and effectively applying knowledge in the field of psychology to identify and solve related theoretical and practical problems, while developing and proposing new research directions, contributing to the expansion and enrichment of scientific knowledge in the field.

Specific Objective 2 (O2): Possess the capacity for independent scientific research; Be able to organize and implement networks and research groups; Be able to participate in scientific forums and academic dialogues.

Specific Objective 3 (O3): To be capable of self-learning, updating knowledge and research methods in the specialized field; to be capable of adapting, self-directing and leading others in the field of psychology; to adhere to and promote academic integrity; to be able to participate in consulting, critique and policy planning in the specialized field.

3. Admission Information

3.1. Admission method: Selection based on evaluation of professional profiles according to the regulations of Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU-Hanoi).

3.2. Eligibility Criteria

3.2.1. Educational requirements

- 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 Psychology. In cases where candidates require supplementary courses, these must be completed before a decision is made to recognize them as doctoral candidates.

- Diplomas issued by foreign educational institutions must undergo recognition procedures in accordance with the current regulations of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

3.2.2. Requirements for research competence and experience

- Meet the entry requirements according to the training program standards issued by the Ministry of Education and Training and of the doctoral training program for which you are applying.

- Candidates must demonstrate research experience through a master's thesis from a research-oriented training program and published works as required by the training unit (if any). Specifically, candidates with an applied-oriented master's degree or a master's degree in a relevant field who have to complete supplementary courses, or candidates applying from a bachelor's degree, 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 an ISBN related to the field or research topic, and recognized by the professorship/associate professorship council of the discipline/interdisciplinary field.

- 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 undertaking the doctoral dissertation. The proposal may also suggest a 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 appropriate foreign language proficiency requirements, achieving level 4 or higher in one of the following languages: English, Russian, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, or Korean, according to the 6-level Foreign Language Proficiency Framework for Vietnam. Foreign language proficiency can be demonstrated 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;

+ 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 foreign language 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 level or higher) where the program is taught in Vietnamese, and must meet the requirements for a second foreign language according to the program's standards (if any), except in the case of native speakers of the language used in the doctoral program.

3.2.4. Other requirements

- 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.

- Commitment to fulfilling financial obligations during the training process as stipulated by the training institution.

3.3. List of suitable industries

- This field is in the same group as Psychology.

- 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 VNU before enrollment and be responsible for this professional evaluation.

3.4. Projected enrollment size

According to the quotas granted annually by Vietnam National University, Hanoi (expected to be 3-5 doctoral candidates per year).

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

PART II: LEARNING OUTCOMES OF THE TRAINING PROGRAM

1. Requirements for the thesis

- A doctoral dissertation is the result of a doctoral candidate's scientific research, containing new theoretical and practical contributions in their specialized field, valuable in developing and increasing scientific knowledge, and comprehensively addressing the problem posed by the dissertation topic.

- 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.

- The dissertation content must be certified and signed by the doctoral student.

- The structure of a doctoral dissertation must include at least the following sections:

+ Introduction: Briefly introduce the research project, the reasons for choosing the topic, the purpose, the subject, the scope of the research, the research methods, and the scientific or practical significance of the topic;

+ Overview of the research problem: analyzing and evaluating research works directly related to the dissertation topic that have been published domestically and internationally, identifying the issues that the dissertation will focus on solving, determining the objectives of the topic, content and research methods;

+ Theoretical basis, scientific reasoning and hypotheses; research methods; research results and analytical evaluation;

+ Conclusion and recommendations: Present new findings and conclusions drawn from the research results; make recommendations for further research;

+ List of references cited and used in the thesis;

+ A list of published works/articles related to the doctoral thesis topic, along with written consent from co-authors (if any).

- Comply with the regulations on intellectual property protection stipulated in the Intellectual Property Law; the research results in the dissertation must be the result of the doctoral candidate's own work, primarily obtained during their training period. If using the results or materials of others, the author's consent must be obtained and clearly cited. If the dissertation is a scientific work or part of a scientific work of a group in which the doctoral candidate made the main contribution, documents showing the agreement of the members of that group to allow the doctoral candidate to use the group's collective results in writing the dissertation must be presented.

- Dissertations and all scientific research papers must be checked for plagiarism and duplication before being submitted for publication, presentation, or defense.

2. Research competency requirements

During their doctoral studies, doctoral candidates must publish the research results of their dissertation in a specialized scientific journal as the main author (first name/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 (no scoring is allowed for co-authors). International publications must be written in a foreign language, while articles published in domestic specialized scientific journals must be on the list of journals for which the State Council of Professors has stipulated a minimum evaluation score of 0.75 points and 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 at least 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.

- There must be at least 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. Learning outcomes regarding knowledgechest

- PLO 1: Establish a system of in-depth knowledge in one of the following psychology specialties, demonstrated through a doctoral dissertation: social psychology, management-business psychology, clinical psychology, counseling psychology, developmental psychology, educational psychology, etc.

- PLO 2: Identify and develop new approaches to solving theoretical and practical problems in psychology.

4. Skill Output Standards

- PLO 3: Proficient in literature review and operationalizing scientific concepts.

- PLO 4: Design and publish research results in reputable, peer-reviewed academic forums (scientific journals, international scientific conference proceedings, etc.).

- PLO 5: Select and appropriately apply data analysis software (such as SPSS, AMOS, Nvivo,...) to process, analyze, and interpret data for scientific research in psychology.

5. Output standards regarding autonomy and responsibility.

- PLO 6: Strictly adhere to ethical principles in teaching, research, and practice of psychology.

- PLO 7: Independently lead professional activities in the field of psychology and adapt to new contexts.

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

- Teaching Psychology at educational and training institutions.

- Conducting psychological research in institutes, research centers, and related organizations.

- Providing counseling, therapy, and prevention for mental health issues, and offering psychological services.

- Human resource management, business management, labor organization - employment.

- Advising on and managing community development programs and projects.

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

Students can enhance their research skills and capabilities by pursuing postdoctoral research positions or undertaking other research projects.

PART III: TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT METHODS

1. Teaching methods:

The course modules employ diverse teaching and learning methods to foster active participation and practical skills among learners. In addition to lectures on core content, instructors organize discussions and practical exercises on various topics to encourage students to exchange, analyze, and apply their knowledge. Students are divided into groups to present, practice, or implement small projects related to the subject. Practical activities focus on skills such as writing reviews, scientific papers, and analyzing, processing, and interpreting data based on different models and techniques. Simultaneously, the modules encourage self-study, research, and self-assessment to develop independent and creative thinking and enhance lifelong learning capabilities.

2. Evaluation method:

Course modules are assessed through three main components: ongoing assessment (10%), mid-term assessment (30%), and final assessment (60%). Ongoing assessment is conducted through small assignments and group discussions to assess student attendance, participation, and learning spirit. Mid-term assessment is in the form of an individual essay and/or presentation on a topic related to the course content as required by the instructor, thereby measuring the ability to analyze, synthesize, and present information. Final assessment is a written essay on a specific topic, requiring students to apply their knowledge to research, argue, and complete an academic product. Overall, the assessment system aims for comprehensive evaluation, covering aspects from participation, critical thinking skills, presentation skills, to research abilities and the application of knowledge to practice.

PART IV: TRAINING PROGRAM CONTENT

1. Summary of training program requirements

1.1. For PhD candidates with a master's degree

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

2. Training program framework

2.1. For PhD candidates with 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): Internship, Research, Self-study with assessment