SUMMARY TABLE OF THE PROPOSAL FOR OPENING A NEW ACADEMIC PROGRAM

BIOTECHNOLOGY – DOCTORAL LEVEL

I. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS, PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES, AND TRAINING CURRICULUM OUTLINE

1. Entry requirements

Applicants must have obtained a master’s degree, or a bachelor’s degree with a classification of Good or higher in a relevant discipline, or an equivalent qualification at Level 7 of the Vietnam National Qualifications Framework in certain specialized fields relevant to the doctoral training program in Biotechnology, and must meet the following conditions:

a. Have a clear personal background and not be serving a criminal sentence or subject to disciplinary action at the level of warning or higher.

b. Be in good health for study.

c. Degrees awarded by foreign educational institutions must undergo recognition procedures in accordance with current regulations.

d. Within 03 years, equivalent to 36 months, up to the date of application, the applicant must be the author or co-author of at least 01 article published in a specialized scientific journal, or 01 scientific report published in the proceedings of a national or international scientific conference or seminar with peer review and an ISBN, related to the field or research topic, and recognized by the relevant Professor and Associate Professor Title Council of the discipline or interdisciplinary field.

e. Have a research proposal clearly stating the proposed thesis title, research field, reasons for choosing the field and research topic, a brief overview of the domestic and international research situation in the field, research objectives, major research contents, research methodology, expected outcomes, reasons for choosing the training institution, implementation plan during the training period, and the applicant’s experience, knowledge, understanding, and preparation for carrying out the doctoral dissertation. The proposal may include a suggested supervisor.

f. Have a letter of recommendation from at least 01 scientist holding the title of professor, associate professor, doctor of science, or doctor who has participated in professional activities with the applicant and understands the professional field in which the applicant intends to conduct research. The recommendation letter must include comments and assessments on:

  • The applicant’s ethical qualities, research capacity and attitude, and professional qualifications;
  • For scientists who meet the criteria to serve as doctoral supervisors and agree to supervise the dissertation, additional comments must be provided on the urgency and feasibility of the topic and research contents, as well as the possibility of involving the doctoral candidate in research topics or projects and the funding sources that may support the candidate’s research activities;
  • Other comments and the level of support and recommendation for the applicant to become a doctoral candidate.

g. Applicants must have one of the following degrees or certificates demonstrating foreign language proficiency in accordance with the program’s foreign language learning outcomes:

  • An English certificate with a TOEFL iBT score of 46 or higher, or IELTS Academic score of 5.5 or higher, or Cambridge Assessment English B2 First/B2 Business Vantage/Linguaskill score of 160 or higher, issued by an internationally and nationally recognized testing organization within 24 months from the test date to the application date;
  • A bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree awarded by a foreign training institution for a full-time program conducted overseas in a language appropriate to the language required by the program’s learning outcomes;
  • A bachelor’s degree in a foreign language major or foreign language teacher education major appropriate to the foreign language required by the program’s learning outcomes, awarded by a Vietnamese training institution;
  • In the above cases, if the foreign language is not English, the applicant must be able to communicate professionally in English so that others can understand their professional presentation in English and must understand others presenting professional issues in English. The Admissions Council shall establish a subcommittee to assess the professional English communication competence of applicants in this category.

h. Work experience requirement:

Applicants must have research experience demonstrated through a master’s thesis from a research-oriented training program; or published articles or scientific reports; or at least 02 years, equivalent to 24 months, of work experience as a lecturer or researcher at training institutions or science and technology organizations.

i. Commit to fulfilling all financial obligations during the training process in accordance with the regulations of Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade.

List of relevant disciplines: Disciplines identified as belonging to the same Level IV field in the Vietnam Education and Training Classification, or training programs of two different disciplines with a difference of less than 10% in the total number of class hours, academic units, or credits of the disciplinary knowledge block. These include Biotechnology, Applied Biology, Biology, Bioengineering, Biology Teacher Education, and specializations in the field of life sciences.

List of closely related disciplines: Disciplines identified as belonging to the same Level III field in the Vietnam Education and Training Classification, or training programs of two different disciplines with a difference of 10% to 40% in the total number of class hours, academic units, or credits of the disciplinary knowledge block. These include Food Technology, Post-Harvest Technology, Aquaculture, Aquatic Animal Pathology and Treatment, Animal Husbandry, Veterinary Medicine, Agronomy, Forestry, Fisheries, Medicine and related disciplines, Pharmacy and related disciplines, Biomedical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, Chemical Engineering, Organic Chemistry, and Environmental Chemistry.

2. Program learning outcomes

Upon completion of the program, learners will acquire knowledge, skills, and autonomous professional competence in the field of Biotechnology as follows:

Upon completion of the program, learners will acquire knowledge, skills, and autonomous professional competence in the field of Biotechnology as follows:

2.1. Knowledge

  • Synthesize core knowledge in organizing scientific research and developing new technologies in the field of Biotechnology.
  • Synthesize core knowledge in the training discipline; integrate foundational multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge to organize scientific research in Biotechnology.
  • Evaluate relevant studies in the development of new technologies in Biotechnology.
  • Systematize advanced and specialized knowledge in Biotechnology.
  • Systematize advanced and specialized knowledge of Biotechnology in order to evaluate development trends in the field.
  • Analyze unresolved scientific issues in the field, thereby forecasting emerging scientific problems and selecting appropriate solutions.

2.2. Skills and personal qualities

  • Develop and master modern methods serving scientific research in Biotechnology.
  • Develop modern and appropriate methods for research and problem-solving related to Biotechnology.
  • Synthesize new and modern research trends to consolidate, enrich, supplement, and renew professional knowledge in Biotechnology.
  • Recognize issues related to academic integrity, intellectual property, and ethics in scientific research.

2.3. Interaction skills

Coordinate with domestic and international professional associations and organizations to discuss, exchange, and disseminate research results, while strengthening cooperation and expanding research networks in Biotechnology.

2.4. Professional practice competence and autonomy

Develop independent research directions and publish research results in specialized scientific journals domestically and internationally.

3. Training curriculum outline

3.1. Training program for applicants with a master’s degree

Semester 1: 12 accumulated credits

Compulsory courses: 6 credits

  1. Course code: 102264
    Internal code: 09400001
    Course title: Biological Data Analysis
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  2. Course code: 102265
    Internal code: 09400002
    Course title: Development Trends in Modern Biotechnology
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  3. Course code: 102266
    Internal code: 09400003
    Course title: Development and Management of Biotechnology Projects
    Credits: 2 (2,0)

Elective courses: 6 credits
Doctoral candidates select 3 out of 8 courses:

  1. Course code: 102267
    Internal code: 09400004
    Course title: Genomics
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  2. Course code: 102268
    Internal code: 09400005
    Course title: Biomaterials
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  3. Course code: 102269
    Internal code: 09400006
    Course title: Plant Biotechnology
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  4. Course code: 102270
    Internal code: 09400007
    Course title: Food Biotechnology
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  5. Course code: 102271
    Internal code: 09400008
    Course title: Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  6. Course code: 102272
    Internal code: 09400009
    Course title: Animal Biotechnology
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  7. Course code: 102273
    Internal code: 09400010
    Course title: Environmental Biotechnology
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  8. Course code: 102274
    Internal code: 09400011
    Course title: Microalgae Biotechnology
    Credits: 2 (2,0)

Semester 2: 6 accumulated credits

Compulsory course: 6 credits

  1. Course code: 10275
    Internal code: 09401012
    Course title: Research Seminar 1
    Credits: 6 (0,6)

Semester 3: 6 accumulated credits

Compulsory course: 6 credits

  1. Course code: 10276
    Internal code: 09401013
    Course title: Research Seminar 2
    Credits: 6 (0,6)

Semester 4: 6 accumulated credits

Compulsory course: 6 credits

  1. Course code: 10277
    Internal code: 09401014
    Course title: Research Seminar 3
    Credits: 6 (0,6)

Semesters 5 and 6: 60 accumulated credits

Compulsory component: 60 credits

 

  1. Course code: 10278
    Internal code: 09406015
    Course title: Dissertation
    Credits: 60 (0,60)
 

3.2. Training program for applicants with a bachelor’s degree

Semester 1: 14 accumulated credits

General course: 3 credits

  1. Course code: 0310100408
    Internal code: 11100012
    Course title: Philosophy
    Credits: 3 (3,0)

Compulsory master’s-level specialized courses: 11 credits

  1. Course code: 0310100477
    Internal code: 08101001
    Course title: Biostatistics
    Credits: 1 (0,1)
  2. Course code: 0310100478
    Internal code: 08101002
    Course title: Advanced Molecular Biology
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  3. Course code: 0310100479
    Internal code: 08100003
    Course title: Advanced Biochemical Analysis Techniques
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  4. Course code: 0310100481
    Internal code: 08100004
    Course title: Advanced Plant Cell Technology
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  5. Course code: 0310101383
    Internal code: 08100005
    Course title: Modern Microbial Technology
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  6. Course code: 0310101385
    Internal code: 08100015
    Course title: Scientific Research Methodology
    Credits: 2 (2,0)

Semester 2: 16 accumulated credits

Compulsory master’s-level advanced courses: 8 credits

  1. Course code: 0310101386
    Internal code: 08100018
    Course title: Agricultural Product Value Chain
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  2. Course code: 0310100480
    Internal code: 08100022
    Course title: Biotechnology Products and Markets
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  3. Course code: 0310101388
    Internal code: 08100021
    Course title: Sustainable Technology
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  4. Course code: 0310101389
    Internal code: 08100032
    Course title: Project Management
    Credits: 2 (2,0)

Master’s-level specialized elective courses: 4 credits
Doctoral candidates select 2 courses:

  1. Course code: 0310100489
    Internal code: 08100006
    Course title: Advanced Molecular Diagnostic Techniques
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  2. Course code: 0310101384
    Internal code: 08100007
    Course title: Advanced Immunology
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  3. Course code: 0310100498
    Internal code: 08100010
    Course title: Advanced Bioreactor Techniques
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  4. Course code: 0310100490
    Internal code: 08100012
    Course title: Advanced Protein Techniques
    Credits: 2 (2,0)

Master’s-level advanced elective courses: 4 credits
Doctoral candidates select 2 out of 4 courses:

  1. Course code: 0310100484
    Internal code: 08100025
    Course title: Food Fermentation Technology
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  2. Course code: 0310101392
    Internal code: 08100020
    Course title: Quality Management Systems
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  3. Course code: 0310100487
    Internal code: 08100026
    Course title: Probiotic Microbial Preparations
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  4. Course code: 0310100493
    Internal code: 08100017
    Course title: Applied Nanotechnology
    Credits: 2 (2,0)

Semester 3: 12 accumulated credits

Compulsory courses: 6 credits

  1. Course code: 102264
    Internal code: 09400001
    Course title: Biological Data Analysis
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  2. Course code: 102265
    Internal code: 09400002
    Course title: Development Trends in Modern Biotechnology
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  3. Course code: 102266
    Internal code: 09400003
    Course title: Development and Management of Biotechnology Projects
    Credits: 2 (2,0)

Elective courses: 6 credits
Doctoral candidates select 3 out of 8 courses:

  1. Course code: 102267
    Internal code: 09400004
    Course title: Genomics
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  2. Course code: 102268
    Internal code: 09400005
    Course title: Biomaterials
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  3. Course code: 102269
    Internal code: 09400006
    Course title: Plant Biotechnology
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  4. Course code: 102270
    Internal code: 09400007
    Course title: Food Biotechnology
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  5. Course code: 102271
    Internal code: 09400008
    Course title: Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  6. Course code: 102272
    Internal code: 09400009
    Course title: Animal Biotechnology
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  7. Course code: 102273
    Internal code: 09400010
    Course title: Environmental Biotechnology
    Credits: 2 (2,0)
  8. Course code: 102274
    Internal code: 09400011
    Course title: Microalgae Biotechnology
    Credits: 2 (2,0)

Semester 4: 6 accumulated credits

Compulsory course: 6 credits

  1. Course code: 10275
    Internal code: 09401012
    Course title: Research Seminar 1
    Credits: 6 (0,6)

Semester 5: 6 accumulated credits

Compulsory course: 6 credits

  1. Course code: 10276
    Internal code: 09401013
    Course title: Research Seminar 2
    Credits: 6 (0,6)

Semester 6: 6 accumulated credits

Compulsory course: 6 credits

  1. Course code: 10277
    Internal code: 09401014
    Course title: Research Seminar 3
    Credits: 6 (0,6)

Semesters 7 and 8: 60 accumulated credits

Compulsory component: 60 credits

 

  1. Course code: 10278
    Internal code: 09406015
    Course title: Dissertation
    Credits: 60 (0,60)

 II.       FACULTY MEMBERS RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE TRAINING PROGRAM

The number of full-time faculty members participating in the opening of the program and teaching courses in the disciplinary knowledge block, specialized knowledge block, research seminars, internships, theses, course projects, seminars, and projects is 10 lecturers, including 02 associate professors and 08 doctors.

Among them, 02 associate professors are responsible for leading the development and implementation of the training program, and 03 doctors in the correct discipline or with appropriate expertise are responsible for leading the teaching of the knowledge blocks in the training program.

III.       LIST OF FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT SERVING TRAINING AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

  1. List of facilities and equipment serving training
  2. Halls, lecture halls, classrooms of various types, multifunction rooms, and working rooms for professors, associate professors, and full-time lecturers
    Quantity: 145
    Total floor area: 17,643 m²
    Courses/subjects: Applicable to theoretical courses
    Period of use: All semesters

1.1. Halls and large classrooms with more than 200 seats
Quantity: 1
Floor area: 504 m²
Courses/subjects: Theoretical courses
Period of use: All semesters

1.2. Classrooms with 100 to 200 seats
Quantity: 2
Floor area: 460 m²
Courses/subjects: Theoretical courses
Period of use: All semesters

1.3. Classrooms with 50 to 100 seats
Quantity: 7
Floor area: 980 m²
Courses/subjects: Theoretical courses
Period of use: All semesters

1.4. Classrooms with fewer than 50 seats
Quantity: 7
Floor area: 1,200 m²
Courses/subjects: Theoretical courses
Period of use: All semesters

1.5. Multimedia classrooms
Quantity: 7
Floor area: 199 m²
Courses/subjects: Online learning courses and foreign language courses
Period of use: All semesters

1.6. Working rooms for professors, associate professors, and full-time lecturers
Quantity: 4
Floor area: 280 m²
Period of use: All semesters

  1. Library and learning resource center
    Quantity: 1
    Floor area: 1,731 m²
    Period of use: All semesters
  2. Laboratories, practice facilities, internship facilities, and training facilities
    Courses/subjects: Practical courses
    Period of use: All semesters
  3. Scientific research

Scientific research activities focus on gradually improving quality, with 130 articles published in reputable domestic and international journals, 09 ministerial-level and institutional-level research projects, and other university-level scientific research works carried out.

Many textbooks and monographs have been compiled and published by the Faculty’s lecturers to serve teaching activities.

IV.       EXPECTED ADMISSION AND TRAINING PLAN FOR THE FIRST FIVE YEARS

  • Academic year 2024–2025: expected enrollment of 04 to 05 learners.
  • Academic year 2025–2026: expected enrollment of 04 to 05 learners.
  • Academic year 2026–2027: expected enrollment of 04 to 05 learners.
  • Academic year 2027–2028: expected enrollment of 04 to 05 learners.
  • Academic year 2028–2029: expected enrollment of 04 to 05 learners.