University of Science and Technology of Hanoi (USTH) – Vietnam France University is an advanced-model international public university established under Decision No. 2067/QĐ-TTg dated December 9th, 2009 of the Prime Minister based on the Intergovernmental Agreement between Vietnam and France signed on November 12th, 2009.
USTH was granted institutional accreditation by The High Council for Evaluation of Research and Higher Education (HCERES) complying with French and European standards for educational institutions on October 26, 2023.
The PhD programs at USTH are established on the principle that scientists are integral to the advancement of society. These programs are designed to equip doctoral students with the skills and knowledge necessary to conduct meaningful research and generate innovative contributions that foster societal development and enrich the scientific community.
The PhD programs at USTH have been developed collaboratively by Vietnamese and French scientists, based on societal needs and aligned with the university’s key research fields. As a result, PhD students benefit from an international academic environment that fosters both intellectual growth and professional development. Upon graduation, the PhD students are awarded a doctoral degree of high academic value, which is recognized by international institutions.
1. The PhD programs
| No. | Training programs | Code | Enrollment target (tentative) |
| 1 | Pharmacological, Medical and Agronomical Biotechnology | 9420201 | 10 |
| 2 | Advanced Material Science and Nanotechnology | 9440122 | 05 |
| 3 | Water – Environment – Oceanography | 9440301 | 05 |
| 4 | Information and Communication Technology | 9480201 | 05 |
| 5 | Energy | 9520201 | 02 |
| 6 | Space and Applications | 9440101 | 05 |
| 7 | Chemistry | 9440112 | 03 |
| Total | 35 | ||
2. Training duration
- The PhD training program is conducted in the form of full-time education.
- The training duration is 03 years (36 months) for students with Master’s degrees or graduation certificate at an equivalent Level 7 qualification according to the Vietnamese Qualifications Framework and 04 years (48 months) for students with Bachelor degrees of very good or higher.
3. Admissions method: Application dossier evaluation
Upon completion of the required application dossier, applicants will be required to present and defend their research proposal before the Admissions Interview Committee.
4. Requirements for application
Applicants to PhD training programs of USTH should have the following qualifications and capabilities:
– Applicants must hold a full-time Master’s degree, or a full-time Bachelor’s degree with very good grade or higher in the relevant field to the registered program or have completed a qualification equivalent to Level 7 in the Vietnamese Qualifications Framework in certain specialized training fields relevant to the doctoral program;
– Applicants have research experience demonstrated through his/her research-oriented Master’s thesis; or a published scientific article or report; or have at least 2 years of working experience as a lecturer or researcher at educational institutions or science and technology organizations;
– Applicants must have a Bachelor’s degree or higher obtained through full-time study with English as the language of instruction or have a Bachelor’s degree in English Linguistics and Literature issued by a Vietnamese educational institution or must hold one of the following valid certificates of English language:
+ TOEFL iBT 46 or higher;
+ IELTS 5.5 or higher;
+ TOEIC (Listening: 400; Reading: 385; Speaking: 160; Writing: 150 or higher);
+ Cambridge Assessment English: B2 First/ Linguaskill 160 or higher;
+ Aptis Esol: B2
+ Other foreign language certificates equivalent to level 4 of the 6-level Foreign Language Proficiency Framework for Viet Nam approved by the Ministry of Education and Training.
– Applicants must submit a research proposal which is approved by their expected supervisors (see template).
5. Supervisors
– Each applicant can propose maximum 2 supervisors:
+ At least one supervisor must be a full-time lecturer of USTH, or a French lecturer who is teaching or working at one of the university’s laboratories or affiliated laboratories in Vietnam;
+ The other supervisor could be a scientist who works for a university or a research institute in Vietnam or abroad.
+ The proposed supervisors must: hold a doctoral degree or higher and have at least 3 years of professional experience since obtaining the doctorate; be active researchers in the field of the PhD research topic during the three years prior to the commencement of PhD supervision; and meet other requirements as stipulated in Circular No. 18/2021/TT-BGDĐT dated June 26, 2021, issued by the Ministry of Education and Training.
6. Scholarship and fellowship
USTH offers various scholarships to PhD students who are enrolled at the university. Scholarships are as follows:
- Pathway to Success Scholarship (DS-PS): for PhD students who graduated from USTH’s Master/Bachelor programs and further their study in USTH’s doctoral programs. Scholarship value is up to 100% of tuition fee (the scholarship grants for the first training year);
- Capacity Building Scholarship (DS-CS): for PhD students who are employees of VAST’s institutes and centers, have a valid employment contract of at least one year and are officially nominated to pursue studies at USTH. The scholarship covers 50% of the tuition fees (the scholarship grants for the first training year, continuation in subsequent years is subject to meeting the USTH’ requirements);
- Academic Encouragement Scholarship (MS): for PhD students with excellent academic achievements who have entered the school, scholarship value is up to 100% of tuition fee;
- Access Scholarship (AS): for PhD students who are employees of the institutions that have signed cooperation agreements with USTH, including provision on scholarship support: The scholarship is granted pursuant to the agreement.
- Support Scholarship (SS): for PhD students who are employees of the institutions that have signed cooperation agreements with USTH, including provision for financial support. The scholarship is granted pursuant to the agreement.
For PhD students who do not have a labor contract/professional service contract with the USTH but demonstrate academic, research, or professional contributions equivalent to those of contracted PhD students, the award of scholarships shall be considered based on the candidates’ activity reports and decided by the Scholarship Review Committee.
7. Application dossier
Applicants have to submit an application dossier including the following documents:
- Application form (see template);
- Notarized copies of degrees, certificates, transcripts of Bachelor and Master levels* or proof of graduation at an equivalent Level 7 qualification according to the Vietnamese Qualifications Framework;
If the degrees, certificates and transcripts are neither in English, notarized copies must be translated into English. In case these documents are issued by a foreign university, the applicants should include an explanation of the grading system of that university.
- Valid English certificates;
- Motivation letter of the candidate;
- Updated and detailed resume (CV) including awards and prizes (if any);
- Certificate of employment (if any) (see template);
- Consent letters and scientific resumes of proposed supervisors (see template);
- Recommendation letters from 2 scientists having PhD degree (see template);
- Research proposal in English (15 – 20 pages) (see template);
- Full list and copies of scientific articles and publications in domestic and international journals (if any);
- Other related documents (if any);
- Proof of funds (required for international PhD candidates as part of the enrollment procedure, in compliance with relevant regulations).
>>>>>Templates can be downloaded at HERE<<<<<
* Applicants having completed their Master programs but not yet received their diploma or official academic transcripts can submit a provisional letter of graduation confirmation or academic transcript (notarized copies and translations in English). Successful candidates will be required to submit all those documents to be officially accepted.
8. Application submission time: From April 17, 2026 to August 31, 2026
9. Tuition fee (tentative): 23,000,000 VND/ academic year
10. Application fee
Application fee: 1,000,000 VND/ dossier (non-refundable in all cases).
11. Application dossier submission
The applicant submits the application dossier at the following address:
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Department of Admissions and Communications University of Science and Technology (USTH) Room 102, A21 Building, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Nghia Do, Hanoi Tel: +84 247 772 7748, +84 247 774 7748 |
All documents must be enclosed in an appropriate application folder. The cover of the folder must clearly state the following information:
- Full name of applicant
- Mobile phone numbers, and email address
- Training program
In addition to submitting the hard copy, applicants need to scan the application dossiers into a PDF file (maximum size 6MB, zip acceptable), and send via email the following address admission@usth.edu.vn with the email title: Admission.PhD-Training program-Full name.
Applicants can contact the Department of Admissions for consultation and support during the application preparation and submission process via the following phone: +84 247 772 7748, +84 247 774 7748 (Ms. Le Thi Cuc).
Detailed information about the PhD programs, scholarship policies, and living allowance support is available on the university’s official website: www.usth.edu.vn