PART I. GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE TRAINING PROGRAM

1. Some information about the training program

- Program name:

+ Vietnamese: Religious Studies

+ English: Religious Studies

- Name of the training program:

+ Vietnamese: Religious Studies

+ English: Religious Studies

- Training program code: 9229009

- Language of instruction: Vietnamese

- 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 Religious Studies

+ English: Doctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies

2. Objectives of the training program

2.1. General Objectives

The doctoral program in Religious Studies aims to develop independent research capabilities by systematizing interdisciplinary and specialized theoretical knowledge, and employing in-depth research methods in the field of Religious Studies. This fosters the creation of new knowledge and contributes to solving complex religious and belief issues at both national and international levels. Graduates become highly qualified scientific professionals capable of participating in academic activities, solving practical problems, and contributing to the shaping of social policies and strategies related to religious and belief matters.

2.2. Specific Objectives

- Specific Objective 1 (O1): The training program helps learners systematize their interdisciplinary knowledge base, combining theoretical knowledge and in-depth research methods of Religious Studies to apply to theoretical and practical research activities.

- Specific Objective 2 (O2): The training program helps learners develop design skills and master modern religious studies research methods to carry out independent scientific research projects that meet international research standards, aiming to discover and create new knowledge, contributing to solving theoretical and practical problems related to beliefs and religions.

- Specific Objective 3 (O3): The training program helps learners develop the qualities of a Religious Studies expert, such as academic autonomy, professional ethics and a high sense of social responsibility, collaborative research skills, the ability to lead and guide academic research, and the ability to develop new research to participate in solving practical problems.

3. Admission Information

3.1. Admission method:

Admission is based on the evaluation of professional profiles in accordance with 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 Religious Studies. In cases where candidates are required to complete 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. Research Competency Requirements

- 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, those with a master's degree requiring supplementary knowledge, 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 scientific conferences or seminars with peer review, 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 must 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 must also include a proposed 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, French, Russian, German, Japanese, or Chinese) that align with the foreign language output standards of the training program. Foreign language proficiency must 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 that meets the foreign language output requirements of the doctoral program in Religious Studies;

+ Possess a foreign language certificate equivalent to level 4 according to the 6-level foreign language proficiency framework used in 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 of at least 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 as stipulated by the program (if any), except in the case of native speakers of the language used in the doctoral program.

Other requirements

- Must have 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.

- 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 Religious Studies.

- 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 allocated annually by Vietnam National University, Hanoi (expected 2-5 doctoral candidates/year)

The detailed admission plan is implemented according to the Admission Regulations, the annual postgraduate admission guidelines of 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 regarding thesis quality

This doctoral dissertation in Religious Studies demonstrates the discovery and resolution of new issues, making new contributions to science and practice in the field of religious studies. It is valuable in developing and increasing scientific knowledge and comprehensively addressing the problem posed by the dissertation topic.

A doctoral dissertation in Religious Studies must meet the following requirements:

- Regarding structure: The structure of a doctoral dissertation in Religious Studies must include at least the following sections:

+ Introduction: Briefly introduce the research project, reasons for choosing the topic, objectives, subjects, scope of research, and scientific and practical significance of the topic; + Overview of the research problem;

+ Theoretical basis; scientific hypothesis; research methods; research results and analytical evaluation;

+ Conclusion and recommendations;

+ List of references cited and used in the thesis;

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

+ Appendix (if any).

- Comply with intellectual property protection regulations as 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 a major 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 must be checked for plagiarism and duplication before defense.

- The dissertation must be written in Vietnamese, using Unicode characters, Times New Roman font, size 13, and no more than 300 pages, excluding appendices. It must include the doctoral candidate's commitment to the dissertation's content, with at least 50% of the pages dedicated to the candidate's own research results and arguments.

2. Research competency requirements

Doctoral candidates who publish their dissertation research results in a specialized scientific journal as the main author (first name/corresponding author) must achieve a total score of 2.0 or higher, calculated according to the maximum score stipulated by the State Council of Professors for each type of work (as the main author; no points are divided when there are co-authors). International publications must be written in a foreign language; 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 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;

- There must be at least two international articles/reports 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 reputable foreign scientific journal with a peer review and an ISBN.

3. Knowledge Output Standards

3.1. Supplementary course (for doctoral candidates who do not yet have a master's degree)

PLO 1: Systematize interdisciplinary knowledge in the fields of social sciences and humanities, basic knowledge of science and technology, and in-depth and broad knowledge of the theories and research methods of religious studies, in order to apply them to professional activities as well as continue studying at a higher level.

PLO 2: Systematizing practical knowledge and in-depth, advanced theories of religious studies as a basis for application in researching contemporary religious and belief issues.

3.2. Knowledge required for doctoral courses, doctoral dissertations, and review essays:

PLO 3: Synthesize in-depth theories of religious studies and modern research methods in religious studies, linked to the individual student's research orientation, in order to evaluate specific religious and belief issues, provide policy recommendations in the context of globalization and digital transformation, and meet the requirements of sustainable development.

4. Skill Output Standards

PLO 4: Skillfully combine appropriate theories, research methods, and research tools to conduct research on contemporary religious and belief issues in the world and in Vietnam.

PLO 5: Effective management of scientific research activities requires adaptability, self-direction, and the ability to guide others in a complex and changing context.

PLO 6: Disseminating research results in domestic and international forums ensures scientific standards, persuasiveness at the theoretical level, and practical application regarding beliefs and religions.

5. Output standards regarding autonomy and responsibility:

PLO 7: Demonstrates the qualities of a religious studies expert with autonomy, responsibility, and academic integrity when presenting new ideas and knowledge in professional activities and the application of religious studies knowledge.

PLO 8: Possesses a high sense of responsibility in self-study and professional knowledge development, continuously developing research capabilities and creating new ideas to contribute to solving complex religious and belief issues in the context of globalization, digital transformation, and sustainable development goals.

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

- Group 1: Taking on research positions in research institutions, teaching at educational and training facilities in religious studies, culture, and society.

- Group 2: This group includes civil servants working in Party and State government agencies, mass organizations, international and non-governmental organizations, and other socio-political organizations that require doctoral-level knowledge of religious studies and religious research methods.

- Group 3: Working as state management officials in religious affairs, religious policy consultants, capable of undertaking applied work serving the planning and implementation of religious policies, such as religious policy research, assessing the impact of religious and belief laws and policies on community and social development, and managing and directing research projects/topics related to the knowledge and research methods of religious studies at the doctoral level.

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

After graduating with a PhD in religious studies, students acquire a solid and in-depth foundation in the theories, methods, and skills of religious studies and possess the capacity for lifelong learning, participating in postdoctoral training, and attending conferences and seminars to update their knowledge in the field of religious studies. PhDs in religious studies are capable of collaborating with experts both domestically and internationally to exchange knowledge and research experience, and can conduct independent research to further their expertise.

PART III: TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT METHODS

1. Teaching methods

- Lectures: The lecturer gives a lecture on a given topic, and the students listen, take notes, and discuss as required by the lecturer.

- Group learning: The instructor divides the class into learning groups and assigns learning tasks. The groups complete the assigned tasks on time.

- Problem-based learning: instructors provide problems related to the learning content, and learners are assigned to solve these problems individually or in groups.

- Teaching through discussion: The instructor prepares discussion topics, learners present their personal views and discuss with group or class members, participating in analysis and contributing to other opinions. The instructor summarizes and concludes the issue.

- Students independently read materials, attend lectures, and search for and research relevant documents related to the course content.

- Students participate in classroom activities organized and guided by the instructor, engaging in group/individual activities.

- Students undertake doctoral research projects under the guidance of their supervisors, with the content of these projects serving as the basis for their doctoral dissertation in Religious Studies.

2. Evaluation methods

- Regular assessment: Attitude towards participating in theoretical classes + Discussion and group work.

- Midterm assessment: Individual or group assignments, Format: presentation or essay.

- Final exam/assessment: Essay (individual or group).

- For review essays and specialized papers: These will be evaluated by a subcommittee, in accordance with the requirements of the current doctoral training regulations.

- For the dissertation: It will be evaluated by a committee, based on the requirements regarding the form, content, and quality of the dissertation, in accordance with the current regulations for doctoral training.

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: 90 credits, including:

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.