Circular 74/2026/TT-BGDDT on the List of higher education disciplines

CIRCULAR

On the List of higher education disciplines

Pursuant to the Law on Education No. 43/2019/QH14, amended and supplemented under Law No. 123/2025/QH15;

Pursuant to Law on Higher Education No. 125/2025/QH15 dated December 10, 2025;

Pursuant to the Statistics Law No. 89/2015/QH13, amended and supplemented under Law No. 01/2021/QH15 and Law No. 138/2025/QH15;

Pursuant to the Government's Decree No. 279/2026/ND-CP dated July 12, 2026, defining functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of Ministry of Education and Training;

Pursuant to the Prime Minister's Decision No. 01/2017/QD-TTg dated January 17, 2017, promulgating the List of education and training classifications of the national education system;

At the proposal of the Director of the Department of Higher Education;

The Minister of Education and Training hereby promulgates the Circular on the List of higher education disciplines.

Article 1. Scope of regulation and subjects of application

1. This Circular prescribes the List of higher education disciplines (hereinafter referred to as the List of disciplines); the classification and arrangement of training programs and disciplines according to the List of disciplines; and the updating of the List of disciplines.

2. This Circular applies to higher education institutions; other education institutions permitted to conduct higher education activities (below collectively referred to as training institutions); and related agencies, organizations and individuals.

Article 2. Interpretation of terms

In this Circular, the terms below are construed as follows:

1. The List of higher education disciplines means the List of education and training classifications further developed to Level IV for all levels of higher education under Decision No. 01/2017/QD-TTg dated January 17, 2017, of the Prime Minister, promulgating the List of education and training classifications of the national education system.

2. Field means the broadest classification unit, comprising groups of disciplines with similar knowledge and skill foundations and subjects of study. Group of disciplines means a collection of related disciplines that share certain foundations of basic knowledge and core professional skills within the same field.

3. Discipline means a classification unit of training programmes that share a common foundation in terms of the volume of basic knowledge and core professional skills and are intended to serve a particular occupation or group of occupations.

4. Updating the List of disciplines means deciding on amendments and supplements to the List in order to meet the requirements of developing disciplines in practice under the provisions of this Circular, including adding a new discipline, renaming, repositioning or removing a discipline from the List of disciplines.

5. Discipline code means a unique 6-digit numerical code in the List of disciplines, of which the first two digits indicate the field-of-training code (Level II code), the following two digits indicate the code of the group of disciplines (Level III code), and the final two digits indicate the code of the discipline within the group of disciplines (Level IV code). Discipline codes shall be uniformly determined throughout the system to ensure the classification, statistical compilation, comparison, updating and management of data on disciplines at all levels of higher education.

6. Name of a discipline reflects its professional and occupational characteristics and conforms to the general characteristics of its field and group of disciplines.

7. Validity of a discipline means the period during which a discipline is applicable when it is newly added, renamed, repositioned or removed from the List of disciplines, together with the effective date or the date on which it ceases to be effective.

Article 3. Purposes and roles of the List of disciplines

1. To standardize the system for classification of disciplines and develop higher education disciplines.

2. To formulate and implement regulations on training programs, enrollment, training, quality accreditation, and the award and management of higher education diplomas.

3. To support training institutions in exercising autonomy and self-responsibility in association with accountability when formulating and developing training programs at all levels of higher education.

Article 4. Promulgation and updating of the List of disciplines

1. To promulgate together with this Circular the List of disciplines in Appendix I.

2. The List of disciplines shall be reviewed and updated at least once every 4 years. Where the List needs to be updated earlier to meet state management requirements concerning higher education, the Minister of Education and Training shall organize its review and updating, ensuring compliance with this Circular.

3. Changes from the applicable List of disciplines must be recorded in the newly promulgated List of disciplines. The updated List shall be published on the portal of the Ministry of Education and Training.

Article 5. Classification and arrangement of training programs and disciplines

1. The classification and arrangement of training programs and disciplines according to the List of disciplines must be based on the identification of their developmental origins, comparison of the volume and contents of knowledge and professional skills, and the following:

a) Provisions of the training program standards for the relevant discipline or field at the corresponding level (if any);

b) Common characteristics and universality of training programs currently implemented at other training institutions.

2. Classification and arrangement of training programs under disciplines

a) A training program shall be classified based on its core knowledge contents; objectives, subjects and scope; and the methods, tools and techniques taught for applying knowledge in practice.

b) A training program shall be arranged under a discipline in the List of disciplines when its contents and volume of foundational and core disciplinary knowledge and core professional skills belong to that discipline.

c) For an interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary or integrated training program, its classification and arrangement under a discipline in the List of disciplines shall be based on the principle that the larger proportion of its contents and volume of foundational and core knowledge, core professional skills, objectives, or occupational and learning orientations belongs to that discipline.

3. Classification and arrangement of disciplines under fields and groups of disciplines

a) A discipline shall be classified and arranged under a specific field in the List of disciplines, other than the “Other” field, when it shares the same origin as the disciplines in that field and has greater similarity in the contents and volume of knowledge and core professional skills with the disciplines in that field than with those in other fields.

b) A discipline shall be classified and arranged under a specific group of disciplines in the List of disciplines, other than an “Other” group, when it shares the same origin as the disciplines in that group and has a greater commonality in the contents and volume of knowledge and core professional skills with the disciplines in that group than with those in other groups.

c) An interdisciplinary discipline shall be arranged under a group of disciplines when it originates from the hybridization of several disciplines in such groups and shares an equivalent degree of common professional knowledge and skills with those disciplines.

d) Disciplines that cannot be arranged under a specific field in accordance with Point a of this Clause shall be classified under the “Other” field in the List of disciplines. Disciplines that cannot be arranged under a specific group of disciplines specified at Points b and c of this Clause shall be classified under the “Other” group of the appropriate field.

Article 6. Addition of new disciplines to the List of disciplines

1. A new discipline may be considered and added to the List of disciplines when it meets the following requirements:

a) At least 30% of the volume of its core professional knowledge and skills differs from that of the most closely related discipline in the List of disciplines;

b) There is a demand for human resources in the new discipline, as demonstrated by such grounds as strategies, master plans, and sectoral or field development programs of the Party and the State; workforce demands or human resource statistical requirements of ministries, sectors and localities; or survey and forecast results of competent agencies or organizations, professional associations or employers;

c) The new discipline is offered by at least 10 reputable foreign higher education institutions or is listed in at least 2 widely used international classifications of disciplines;

d) A discipline that directly serves a national development strategy, teacher training, arts, sports, law, health, security or national defense, or a new discipline arising from domestic practical needs, must satisfy Points a and b, Clause 1 of this Article and obtain the written opinion of the state management agency in charge of the field of the discipline proposed for addition.

2. Consideration of the addition of a new discipline to the List of disciplines shall be based on the proposal of a training institution, the appraisal results of the Advisory Council for the List of Disciplines, and state management requirements concerning higher education.

3. Upon satisfaction of the conditions specified in Clause 1 of this Article, a new discipline shall be considered and decided by the Minister of Education and Training for addition to the List of disciplines and assignment of a discipline code.

Article 7. Renaming, repositioning, and removal of disciplines in the List of disciplines

1. A discipline in the List of disciplines shall be considered and renamed or repositioned when it meets the following requirements:

a) The proposed new name or position is based on scientific and practical grounds and is more appropriate to the professional and occupational characteristics of the discipline as prescribed in Article 5 of this Circular;

b) The current name or position of the discipline is no longer appropriate when compared with the practical development of the discipline, human resource needs, or commonly used international classifications of disciplines;

c) The renaming or repositioning is consistent with the development trends of the discipline and is proposed by at least 75% of the training institutions currently providing training in that discipline in Vietnam.

2. A renamed discipline shall retain its discipline code. A discipline repositioned in the List of disciplines shall be assigned a new discipline code appropriate to its new field of training and group of disciplines; the former code shall not be deleted from the List of disciplines but shall cease to be effective from the effective date of the new code.

3. A discipline in the List of disciplines shall be considered for removal when it meets the following conditions:

a) There is no longer any demand for training in the discipline;

b) No training institution continues to enroll students in and provide training in the discipline;

c) Its removal is proposed by at least 75% of the training institutions that have provided training in the discipline.

4. When a discipline is removed from the List of disciplines, its previously used code and name shall not be deleted; such code and name shall be retained for historical data management, and their status as no longer effective shall be clearly specified in the Notes column.

Article 8. Advisory Council for the List of Disciplines

1. The Minister of Education and Training shall decide on the establishment of the Advisory Council for the List of Disciplines (hereinafter referred to as the Council) to provide advice on updating the List of disciplines in accordance with this Circular.

2. Composition of and criteria for Council members

a) The Council shall consist of a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson, members, and a Secretary who are reputable experts with management experience or appropriate professional qualifications in the relevant fields, groups of disciplines, or disciplines;

b) The Council shall have at least 09 members who are experts, scientists, managers, representatives of training institutions, enterprises, associations, professional organizations, and other experts. For specialized disciplines, the Council must include a representative of the state management agency in charge of the relevant field.

3. Duties and powers of the Council

a) To identify disciplines that satisfy the requirements for addition as new disciplines, renaming, repositioning, or removal from the List of disciplines in accordance with this Circular; request representatives of training institutions to provide explanations and additional information and supporting evidence when necessary;

b) To discuss, vote on, report, and propose that the Minister of Education and Training decide on updates to the List of disciplines;

c) To take responsibility for the contents of and advisory opinions provided by the Council; and fulfill its accountability obligations regarding the matters on which it provides advice.

4. The Council’s working principles

a) The Council shall convene a meeting when at least three-quarters (3/4) of its total members are present, including the Chairperson (or a Vice-Chairperson authorized in writing) and the Secretary;

b) The Council shall consider and evaluate the proposed updates to the List of disciplines based on the requirements prescribed in this Circular and relevant laws; the Council shall work in an objective, independent, public, and transparent manner;

c) The Council’s conclusions shall be adopted by secret ballot. A proposed update to the List of disciplines shall be recommended for adoption when at least three-quarters (3/4) of the total number of members specified in the decision establishing the Council assess it as satisfactory. The conclusions of the Appraisal Council shall be made in writing as a basis for submission for approval and promulgation.

5. The Ministry of Education and Training shall receive and consolidate proposals, organize the appraisal, and support the Council’s activities; the Minister of Education and Training shall, within their competence, promulgate the updated List of disciplines.

Article 9. Implementation organization

1. Training institutions shall compile statistics on and classify training programs according to the List of disciplines; fully, accurately, and promptly update and publicly disclose the list of their training programs on their websites; update such information in the national database on higher education; and report to the Ministry of Education and Training in accordance with regulations.

2. A training institution may develop multiple training programs with different orientations within the same discipline. Training institutions shall submit proposals for updating the List of disciplines through the Ministry of Education and Training’s Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS) (using the forms provided in Appendices III and IV to this Circular).

3. Training institutions under the Ministry of National Defence or the Ministry of Public Security shall compile statistics on and classify their training programs according to the List of disciplines promulgated by the Minister of Education and Training; report to the Ministry of National Defence or the Ministry of Public Security in accordance with regulations of the Minister of National Defence or the Minister of Public Security; and concurrently update information and report to the Ministry of Education and Training.

4. The Department of Higher Education shall guide training institutions in implementing this Circular; formulate and implement plans to review and update the List of disciplines in accordance with this Circular.

Article 10. Effect

1. This Circular takes effect from October 12, 2026, and applies to enrollment cohorts from January 01, 2027.

2. This Circular replaces Circular No. 09/2022/TT-BGDDT dated June 06, 2022, of the Minister of Education and Training, prescribing the Lists of higher education disciplines.

Article 11. Transitional provisions

1. For disciplines authorized for pilot training, disciplines autonomously opened by training institutions before the effective date of Circular No. 09/2022/TT-BGDDT, and disciplines opened by training institutions within their competence but not yet included in the List of disciplines prescribed in Circular No. 09/2022/TT-BGDDT and Decision No. 1596/QD-BGDDT dated June 07, 2024, of the Minister of Education and Training: Training institutions shall review, classify, and arrange such disciplines under appropriate disciplines in the List of disciplines to this Circular and complete this process before January 01, 2027.

2. For disciplines included in the List of disciplines to Circular No. 09/2022/TT-BGDDT and Decision No. 1596/QD-BGDDT dated June 07, 2024, of the Minister of Education and Training, whose names and codes have been updated in the List of disciplines issued together with this Circular, training institutions shall continue to organize enrollment and training under the new names and codes from January 01, 2027.

3. For enrollment cohorts before January 01, 2027, training institutions shall continue to provide training in accordance with regulations and the enrollment information announced at the time of enrollment.

* All Appendices are not translated herein.