Many universities train bachelor's degrees in 3 - 3.5 years

CMC University has been training all majors for about two years now in three years, including Information Technology, Computer Science, Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering Technology, Business Administration, Marketing, Graphic Design, Korean Language, and Japanese Language.

Students are taught a full range of subjects from general to fundamental, major, internship and graduation. In return, they have to study three semesters a year instead of two like students at other schools.

The group of schools that offer three-year bachelor's degrees also includes Gia Dinh University and Dai Nam University. Nguyen Tat Thanh University is similar, but only applies to certain majors such as Business Administration, Marketing, Finance - Banking, Accounting, International Relations, etc.

Many other schools announced a 3.5-year study program such as Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Ho Chi Minh City Foreign Languages ​​- Information Technology or Hoa Sen.

According to the national education system framework approved by the Prime Minister in October 2016, the university training program will last 3-5 years of concentrated study, down from the previous 4-6 years.

From 2021, the university training regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training allow schools to flexibly design programs, can organize 2-3 main semesters per year and add additional semesters.

Teaching three main semesters a year, to shorten the bachelor's degree to 3 - 3.5 years, is based on this regulation, according to representatives of many schools. The schools affirmed that they have carefully calculated to ensure output quality.

Ms. Cao Thi Quynh, Head of Admissions Department of Dai Nam University, said that the school must invest in improving the teaching capacity of lecturers and facilities, and adjust the curriculum so that students can both study theory and approach practice early.

In fact, three-year undergraduate training is common in the world. Some schools with international elements also follow this route, such as British University Vietnam (BUV), RMIT Vietnam or University of Science and Technology of Hanoi (USTH).

BUV representative said that following the British university education model, the curriculum structure is concise, focusing on expertise from the first year, instead of just teaching general subjects.

However, the 3-3.5 year program also has some difficulties. At the conference to evaluate the results of the first 3.5 year program of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Foreign Languages ​​and Information Technology in early March, the school said that the teaching staff was under pressure to improve the quality of lectures, the ability to apply English and technology in teaching.

On the student side, representatives of Dai Nam University and BUV acknowledged that they face higher academic pressure due to having to study specialized subjects, do internships early, and complete the required number of credits in a shorter time than before. This requires students to know how to self-study and manage their time.

"With international study programs, students also need to be proficient in academic English to absorb lectures and communicate effectively with lecturers and friends," said a BUV representative.

However, most students support shortening the training time, according to Ms. Cao Thi Quynh. Many other schools said that at admissions counseling events, many parents and students were interested in the three-year program.

At four-year schools, many students proactively accelerate their learning path to graduate early, especially in the fields of Business - Economics and Social Sciences and Humanities. For example, at the Foreign Trade University, in 2024, nearly 1,100 students graduated half a year early, an increase of nearly 140 compared to the previous year, accounting for more than 30% of the total number of students. This year, the number of students graduating early at this school continued to increase - to 1,300 people.