Why do excellent graduates rarely go straight to PhD?

The path from university to PhD should only be for those who are truly outstanding and have a clear research orientation.

According to Circular 08/2021/TT-BGDĐT of the Ministry of Education and Training , excellent graduates have a cumulative GPA from 3.60 to 4.00; excellent graduates have a GPA from 3.20 to below 3.60. In many universities, every year there are still students who achieve this result - they also have significant achievements in scientific research and international publications.

Qualified people still rarely choose to study for a PhD in the country

According to current regulations, university graduates with excellent grades or higher can go straight to doctoral studies if they meet certain requirements regarding research and professional competence. However, the number of people following this path is rare.

Associate Professor Dr. Pham Quoc Viet, Vice Principal of the University of Finance and Marketing (UFM), said that the school recently held a meeting with 16 excellent graduates to learn about career orientation and introduce policies for developing high-quality human resources. The school's policy is to prioritize recruitment, arrange suitable jobs and support funding for students to study after university, aiming to build a team of high-quality young lecturers.

Among the 16 excellent graduates, most are qualified for doctoral studies, but none have applied yet because they may have different paths after graduating from university. Only those who are really determined to pursue research or teaching will consider the path of studying for a master's or doctorate.

According to a representative of the University of Finance and Marketing, since the regulation was applied that university graduates who meet the requirements can pursue a doctorate, there has been only one student who has followed this path while studying at the school. This person worked at a company for a year before registering for a doctorate and is now about to defend his thesis.

Students receive PhD degrees from the University of Finance and Marketing

A similar situation is also happening at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry. Dr. Nguyen Trung Nhan, Head of the Training Department, said that all the school's graduating classes have students with good and excellent grades and are qualified to apply for doctoral studies, but so far there has been no case of students going straight to doctoral studies in the country. Some students choose to study for a master's degree, others receive doctoral scholarships abroad.

At Ho Chi Minh City University of Technical Education, Dr. Quach Thanh Hai, Vice Principal, said that although the school has many excellent graduates, no one has chosen to study for a PhD directly but still follows the traditional path: studying for a master's degree before going on to a PhD.

Shorter in time, longer in challenge

According to experts, studying straight for a PhD opens up the shortest path in terms of time but is a challenge in terms of research capacity and career orientation.

Dr. Nguyen Trung Nhan believes that if university students have participated in scientific research seriously and have real capacity, then studying for a PhD is a reasonable choice. Because at this level, the main requirement is no longer to learn knowledge but the ability to detect problems, design and implement independent research.

Associate Professor Dr. Pham Quoc Viet added that the time for doctoral training from university usually lasts 3-4 years. In which, the doctoral student must complete both the knowledge program equivalent to the master's and doctoral levels, and have scientific publications according to regulations. Thus, the total time is only about one year longer than the master's study route.

However, according to Dr. Quach Thanh Hai, the research environment at the doctoral level is very harsh, requiring independent thinking, perseverance and the ability to withstand high pressure. "Most excellent graduates should still study for a master's degree to practice research skills and get acquainted with the specialized academic environment. Only those who are truly excellent and passionate about research should study directly for a doctorate," Dr. Hai emphasized.

Studying directly for a PhD is a shorter path in terms of time, but longer in terms of challenges. This is not a popular choice, but is a suitable direction for students with good research thinking, passion for science and clear career goals in the academic field.

For most students, completing a master's degree is a necessary stepping stone that will help provide a more solid foundation before embarking on a doctoral research journey - a path that requires perseverance, independence and constant creativity.

Who can study for a PhD?

Article 7, Clause 1 of the Regulations on admission and training for doctoral degrees (issued with Circular 18/2021/TT-BGDDT) stipulates the subjects and conditions for admission with general requirements for candidates as follows: Having graduated with a master's degree or graduated with a university degree with honors or higher in a suitable major or graduated with a level equivalent to level 7 according to the Vietnamese national qualification framework in a number of specific specialized training majors suitable for doctoral training; Meeting the entry requirements according to the training program standards issued by the Ministry of Education and Training and of the doctoral training program registered for admission; Having research experience demonstrated through a master's thesis of a research-oriented training program; or published scientific articles and reports; or having worked for 2 years (24 months) or more as a lecturer or researcher at training institutions, scientific and technological organizations; Having a draft research outline and a planned study and research plan for the entire course.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/vi-sao-hiem-sinh-vien-tot-nghiep-loai-gioi-hoc-thang-len-tien-si-196251022204130216.htm