Japanese Studies
Overview
Information
- General Objective
Program Objectives
After more than 50 years since the official establishment of diplomatic relations, Vietnam–Japan relations have been developing strongly. As a result, there is an increasing societal demand for high-quality human resources with doctoral-level expertise, in-depth knowledge of Japan, and advanced proficiency in the Japanese language.
To meet this demand, the Doctoral Program in Japanese Studies is designed to train highly qualified human resources in Japanese Studies at the doctoral level. The program equips learners with Area Studies-based thinking and research methodologies, broad and comprehensive knowledge, and strong creative capacity. Graduates are expected to be able to apply their specialized knowledge and skills in teaching, research, and other professional activities related to Japan.
- Specific Objectives
- Knowledge:
The training program (CTĐT) aims to develop highly qualified researchers with in-depth specialized knowledge, the ability to identify issues in the fields of Japanese Studies and Japanese Language Education, and the capacity to address these issues effectively. At the same time, the program also aims to train human resources capable of applying specialized knowledge to real-world social contexts.
- Skills:
The program provides human resources with the ability to flexibly and creatively apply professional skills related to Japan, soft skills, and Japanese language proficiency appropriate to the fields of education and research. It also develops critical thinking skills, problem-identification and problem-solving skills, teamwork skills, and project management skills in accordance with Japanese working style.
- Autonomy and Responsibility:
The program develops individuals with strong personal, professional, and social ethics, including honesty, discipline, respect for others, self-respect, openness to feedback, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Graduates are expected to demonstrate responsibility in their work, independence, creativity, and accountability to the community; to comply with laws; to uphold truth; to support innovation and progress; and to consistently think and act toward improving the quality of education and research.
Career Opportunities for Graduates (Doctoral Candidates)
Career Paths After Graduation
After graduation, PhD holders in Japanese Studies may work in the following institutions and organizations:
- Serve as researchers and experts at research institutes and centers specializing in Japan-related studies;
- Work as lecturers at universities or educational institutions in relevant fields;
- Act as policy advisors or work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or in departments/divisions of international cooperation within ministries such as the Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of National Defence, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Science and Technology, as well as other external affairs units within central and local governmental organizations;
- Work in international organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), non-profit organizations, and development centers or projects related to Japan;
- Work in press and media agencies, as well as domestic and international economic organizations related to Japan.
Opportunities for Learning and Professional Development After Graduation
- Participate in research topics and projects of domestic and international agencies and organizations to apply and further develop the specialized knowledge acquired during the course of study.
- Implement and apply research findings in practical research activities.
- Participate in research and teaching across academic programs from Bachelor’s to Postdoctoral (Postdoc) levels.
Program
For doctoral candidates holding a Master’s degree in the same or closely related discipline.
Doctoral Courses | 12 credits |
Compulsory courses: | 4 credits |
Elective courses | 8/16 credits |
| 9 credits |
Doctoral dissertation | 80 credits |
For doctoral candidates holding a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline
Doctoral candidates are required to complete supplementary knowledge courses (courses from the Master’s Program in Area Studies with a Japan Studies orientation, excluding foreign languages and thesis) as well as the requirements of the Doctoral Program.
Total required credits | 112 creadits |
Supplementary knowledge courses | 11 creadits |
Specialized knowledge component | 11 creadits |
Compulsory | 3 creadits |
Elective | 8/40 creadits |
Doctoral program courses | 12 creadits |
Compulsory | 4 creadits |
Elective | 8/16 creadits |
Doctoral seminars, overview report, and research activities (R&D): Professional academic activities, teaching assistance, and training support: | 9 creadits |
Doctoral dissertation | 80 creadits |
For doctoral candidates without a Master’s degree
Doctoral candidates are required to complete supplementary knowledge courses (courses from the Master’s Program in Area Studies, Japan Studies orientation, excluding foreign languages and thesis) as well as the requirements of the Doctoral Program.
Total required credits | 131 credits, trong đó |
Supplementary knowledge courses | 30 credits |
General knowledge component | 9 credits |
Specialized knowledge component | 21 credits |
Compulsory | 3 credits |
Elective | 18/40 credits |
Doctoral program courses | 12 credits |
Compulsory | 4 credits |
Elective | 8 credits |
Doctoral seminars, overview report, and research activities (R&D): Professional academic activities, teaching assistance, and training support: | 9 credits |
Doctoral dissertation | 80 credits |
Program Framework
Admission Information
- Admission Method
Admission Method
Eligible Applicants for Admission
General Admission Requirements:
- Admission conditions:
- Applicants must have a clear personal background and must not be serving a criminal sentence or subject to disciplinary action at the level of warning or higher.
- Applicants must be in good health to undertake study.
- Applicants must have graduated with a Master’s degree, or a full-time Bachelor’s degree with distinction or higher in a directly related field/discipline, or hold an equivalent qualification at Level 7 of the Vietnam National Qualifications Framework in certain specialized disciplines appropriate to the doctoral program. In cases where supplementary knowledge courses are required, candidates must complete them within two years after enrollment.
- Degrees awarded by foreign institutions must undergo recognition procedures in accordance with current regulations of Vietnam.
Applicants must meet the input requirements specified by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) and the doctoral program they are applying for.
- Degree requirements:
- Applicants holding a full-time Bachelor’s degree with distinction or higher in a directly related field;
- Applicants holding a Master’s degree in a directly related field;
- Applicants holding a Master’s degree in a relevant field and required to complete supplementary knowledge courses after admission;
- Applicants holding a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Social Sciences and Humanities obtained in Japan.
- Foreign language proficiency requirements for Vietnamese applicants:
Vietnamese citizens must meet Japanese language proficiency equivalent to Level 4 of the 6-level Foreign Language Proficiency Framework for Vietnam, proven by one of the following:
- A Bachelor’s degree or higher awarded by a foreign institution, a branch of a foreign institution in Vietnam, or a Vietnamese institution in which the entire program was taught in Japanese;
- A Bachelor’s degree in Japanese Language or Japanese Language Education awarded by a Vietnamese institution;
- A Japanese language certificate recognized by Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU), equivalent to Level 4 (valid within 2 years from the date of examination to the application date), issued by approved institutions.
Foreign language requirements for international applicants:
- Foreign applicants who wish to study doctoral programs taught in Vietnamese must have Vietnamese language proficiency of at least Level 4 under the Vietnamese Language Proficiency Framework for Foreigners, or must have completed a Bachelor’s degree (or higher equivalent) and meet foreign language requirements (Japanese or English), except for Japanese nationals, as Japanese is the instructional language of this doctoral program.
Research competency requirements:
- Applicants must demonstrate research skills and experience through their Master’s thesis (for research-oriented programs) and published scientific works in accordance with Vietnam Japan University regulations. Candidates with professionally oriented Master’s degrees, or those from relevant fields requiring supplementary courses, or Bachelor’s degree applicants must have at least one scientific publication as author or co-author.
Research proposal and recommendation letters:
- Applicants must submit a research proposal and at least one recommendation letter from a professor, associate professor, or a doctor who has worked with the applicant and is familiar with the intended research field, along with evidence of professional experience and expertise in fields related to Japan or Japanese language education.
Additional requirements:
- Applicants must demonstrate ethical qualities, research capacity, and academic attitude suitable for scientific research.
- Applicants with a Master’s degree in a relevant field must have at least one year of work experience in fields related to Japan.
List of directly related disciplines/majors
| Code | Discipline |
|---|---|
| 81401 | Educational Sciences |
| 82202 | Foreign Languages, Literature and Culture |
| 83101 | Economics |
| 83102 | Political Science |
| 83103 | Sociology and Anthropology |
| 83201 | Journalism and Communication |
| 83401 | Business |
| 83404 | Business Administration and Management |
| 83801 | Law |
| 87601 | Social Work |
| 88101 | Tourism |
| 88501 | Natural Resources and Environmental Management |
| 82290 | Humanities (Other) |
Foreign training programs will be considered and decided by the Admissions Committee based on the application dossier.
Expected enrollment scale
- 5–10 PhD students per year
Learning outcome
Requirements for the Dissertation
The doctoral dissertation topic must be relevant to Japanese Studies, demonstrate in-depth specialization, and combine both theoretical and practical significance, with new contributions to academic research and practice.
The research results presented in the dissertation must be the author’s own work, primarily conducted during the period of doctoral study, and must not have been previously published by others. If the work or materials of others are used, they must be clearly and properly cited. If the dissertation is based on a scientific work or part of a collective research project in which the candidate has made the principal contribution, written consent from all co-authors permitting the use of the shared results must be provided.
In principle, the dissertation must be written in either Vietnamese or Japanese.
For dissertations written in Vietnamese: Unicode font, Times New Roman, size 13, with a maximum length of 300 A4 pages excluding appendices.
For dissertations written in Japanese: MS Mincho font, size 10.5, with a minimum of 80,000 Japanese characters excluding appendices.
The dissertation must include a declaration by the doctoral candidate regarding the authenticity of the research content. At least 50% of the dissertation pages must present the candidate’s own research findings and analysis.
The dissertation abstract must accurately reflect the structure, organization, and content of the dissertation, and must include the full conclusion. The abstract should be approximately 3–5 A4 pages in both Vietnamese and English, summarizing the core content, new contributions, key findings, and major scientific contributions of the dissertation
Research Capacity Requirements
The dissertation must identify and address new scientific issues and make original contributions to both theory and practice. During the doctoral study period, the candidate must publish research results derived from the dissertation as the main author (first author or corresponding author) in peer-reviewed academic journals, with a total minimum score of 2.0 points according to the State Council for Professorship Evaluation scale (co-authorship points are not divided among authors).
International publications must be written in a foreign language. Domestic journal articles must be published in journals included in the list regulated by the State Council for Professorship Evaluation, with a minimum score of 0.75 points, and must satisfy at least one of the following conditions:
- At least one article published in a journal indexed in Web of Science (WoS) or Scopus;
- One patent or utility solution, plus at least one international publication in one of the following forms: (i) book chapter published by a reputable international publisher; (ii) monograph published by a reputable international publisher; (iii) paper in peer-reviewed international conference proceedings with ISBN; or (iv) article in a reputable foreign peer-reviewed journal with ISSN; or two domestic journal articles with peer review and ISSN;
- Two international publications in one of the following forms: (i) book chapter in an international publisher; (ii) monograph by an international publisher; (iii) peer-reviewed international conference proceedings with ISBN; or (iv) article in a reputable foreign peer-reviewed journal with ISSN.
Program Learning Outcomes (Knowledge)
General Knowledge (for candidates admitted with a Bachelor’s degree)
Upon graduation from the doctoral program, candidates are expected to achieve advanced, in-depth, and comprehensive theoretical and practical knowledge in Japanese Studies as follows:
PLO 01. Apply disciplinary methodologies, interdisciplinary approaches, and theoretical frameworks in Japanese Studies to scientific research activities.
PLO 02. Effectively apply core foundational knowledge in Japanese Studies and Japanese language education to analyze and explain current issues related to Japan in a scientific, objective, and detailed manner.
Field / Specialization Knowledge
PLO 03. Effectively apply advanced and specialized knowledge of Japan and related fields to the dissertation topic in analyzing and interpreting contemporary issues related to Japan in a scientific and objective manner.
PLO 04. Apply knowledge of organizational management to promote Japanese Studies and Japanese language education in Vietnam and globally.
Disciplinary Knowledge
PLO 05. Apply knowledge in organizing scientific research and developing new technologies to advance Japanese Studies and Japanese language education in Vietnam and internationally.
PLO 06. Create and develop new theories and knowledge in Japanese Studies.
Program Learning Outcomes (Skills)
Professional Skills
PLO 07. Apply mastery of scientific theories, methodologies, and research tools in research and development.
PLO 08. Apply skills in synthesizing, enriching, and expanding specialized knowledge.
PLO 09. Apply reasoning and analytical skills to scientific problems and propose innovative and original solutions.
PLO 10. Apply managerial and professional leadership skills in research and development activities.
PLO 11. Integrate theoretical frameworks in national and international academic discussions and disseminate research findings.
Other Skills
PLO 12. Apply IT skills to support research activities.
PLO 13. Apply project management skills in Japanese Studies and Japanese language education research.
Autonomy and Responsibility
PLO 14. Create new knowledge in Japanese Studies or Japanese language education.
PLO 15. Apply theoretical knowledge to adapt, self-direct, and lead others.
PLO 16. Apply theoretical knowledge to make expert-level judgments and decisions.
PLO 17. Demonstrate high responsibility in learning, professional development, and innovation.
PLO 18. Demonstrate personal ethics, professional ethics, and social responsibility.
Contact information
Program Office
Room 510, Vietnam Japan University, Luu Huu Phuoc Street, Tu Liem, Hanoi
Google Maps
ĐĂNG KÝ TƯ VẤN TUYỂN SINH 2024
