Vietnamese universities have started their campaign to recruit students for school year 2019. Many of them plan to offer new majors to attract more students and meet emerging market demands.

There are three noticeable trends of launching new majors at Vietnamese universities.

1. There are more majors that meet the demands of digital transformation in the 4.0 industrial era. For example, robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, software engineering, biological engineering, automation, and technical infrastructure in construction are new majors to be opened by many universities specialised in science and technology. Analysts say that universities have focused on reforming their training methods and updating academic knowledge for students to help graduates adapt to the digital economy.

2. Interdisciplinary training majors are becoming more common. For example, Hanoi Economics University has launched seven new majors, including Business Analysis, Data Science in Economics and Business, Financial investment, Financial Technology, Smart Business Administration, Quality Management & Innovation and International Hotel Management. The rector of the university said these are interdisciplinary training majors designed to prepare students with skills and knowledge for the 4.0 industry era. These majors have been created with experts and partner schools. Many seminars have been organised with representatives from businesses where trainers and employers exchanged views about curricula.

3. Many subjects will be taught in English. For example, the National Economics University will offer, for the first time in Vietnam, the major of digital business training, totally taught in English, which will include courses in advanced applications of IT and digital technology. Ha Noi University will open two new majors of multimedia communication and marketing with instruction in English. The University of Technology and Education in Ho Chi Minh city will also teach mechanical engineering, electrical and electronic engineering and information technology in English.

For those majors taught in English and other high-quality programmes, universities set high requirements of candidates based on their examination results or English level. For example, the HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy require candidates with international English certificates (IELTS score of 6.0 and above or TOEFL iBT score of 60 and above). The HCM City University of Economics only admits students with an average English point in grade 12 of 8.0 and above. English has become an important admission criterion.

Read further at:
https://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/education/217553/universities-go-moder...
https://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/education/217552/universities-launch-n...
https://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/education/216329/new-majors-offered-at...

Comments from Lien Ta, Senior Education Services Manager:
In the context of high competition among local universities in recruiting students, this trend of opening new and diverse specialist majors also reflects a change in market demand and students' perceptions about study majors. Students and their parents have also done more detailed research of institutional offers because there are many more options for them. Similarly in the overseas study market, specialist majors that link to industrial era 4.0 have become much more appealing to Vietnamese students. In terms of TNE, these are also the subject areas that Vietnamese institutions are looking to develop programmes with UK partners.