Training - PhD in Nutrition Training

PhD in Nutrition Training

31/10/2025 09:09:30

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I. Legal Basis

Decision No. 181/CP dated June 13, 1980, of the Government Council on the establishment of the National Institute of Nutrition and the definition of its functions and duties;
Decision No. 204/2004/QD-TTg dated December 9, 2004, of the Prime Minister assigning the Ministry of Health’s National Institute of Nutrition the responsibility for doctoral training;
Decision No. 300/QD-BYT dated January 27, 2015, of the Ministry of Health promulgating the Regulations on the Organization and Operation of the National Institute of Nutrition under the Ministry of Health;
Circular No. 18/2021/TT-BGDDT dated June 28, 2021, of the Ministry of Education and Training promulgating the Regulations on Doctoral Education;
Decision No. 217/QD-VDD dated March 1, 2024, of the Director of the National Institute of Nutrition promulgating the Regulations on Doctoral Education at the National Institute of Nutrition;
Decision No. 725/QD-VDD dated May 15, 2024, of the Director of the National Institute of Nutrition promulgating the Doctoral Training Program in Nutrition;
Decision No. 977/QD-VDD dated July 12, 2024, of the Director of the National Institute of Nutrition promulgating the Standard Operating Procedures for Admission to and Training for the Doctoral Degree in Nutrition;
Decision No. 528/QD-VDD dated April 28, 2025, of the Director of the National Institute of Nutrition promulgating the Regulations on Examinations, Course Assessment, and Dissertation Defense in Doctoral Education;
Decision No. 625/QD-VDD dated May 22, 2025, of the Director of the National Institute of Nutrition recognizing full-time faculty members for the 2025 academic year;
Applicable regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Health governing doctoral education.

II. Training Objectives

To train highly qualified nutrition research specialists with advanced theoretical knowledge and practical competencies in nutritional interventions in hospitals and communities; capable of conducting independent and innovative scientific research, identifying and addressing new issues of scientific and practical significance, guiding research, and implementing nutrition and food safety policies to improve public health.

(Section 10, Decision No. 725/QD-VDD dated May 15, 2024)

III. Admission Requirements

Applicants must hold a Master’s degree in Nutrition or a closely related discipline, including Nutrition, Dietetics, Community Nutrition, or Sports Nutrition.
Applicants who do not hold a Master’s degree must have a Bachelor’s degree with a grade of Very Good or higher in Nutrition or another field deemed appropriate for the Nutrition discipline in accordance with applicable regulations.

(Section 14, Decision No. 725/QD-VDD dated May 15, 2024)

IV. Training Program and Duration

Mode of study: Full-time.
Duration: Four years.
The program has three study pathways corresponding to applicants’ entry qualifications:

Doctoral candidates holding a Master’s degree in Nutrition: 96 credits.
Doctoral candidates holding a Master’s degree in a closely related discipline: 129 credits.
Doctoral candidates holding a Bachelor’s degree with a grade of Very Good or higher: 144 credits.

Program structure:

Supplementary courses, doctoral-level courses, and a doctoral dissertation;
Doctoral candidates must complete their dissertation, publish at least 1–2 scientific articles in specialized journals, and defend their dissertation at the Institute level in accordance with the applicable regulations.

(Sections 6 and 15, Decision No. 725/QD-VDD dated May 15, 2024)

V. Facilities and Faculty

The National Institute of Nutrition has 28 full-time faculty members participating in the Doctoral Training Program in Nutrition. They include Professors, Associate Professors, and PhD holders from the following specialized departments: Basic Nutrition, Community Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Nutritional Epidemiology and Statistics, and Food Science.

(Decision No. 625/QD-VDD dated May 22, 2025)

The program also involves visiting lecturers from medical and pharmaceutical universities and research institutes, both in Vietnam and internationally.

The training institution is equipped with classrooms, laboratories, a library, scientific databases, and community-based practical training facilities that meet the requirements for research and learning.

VI. Admission and Application Procedures

The National Institute of Nutrition conducts two doctoral admission rounds each year, in March and September.

The application dossier includes:

An application form endorsed by the applicant’s employer or local authorities (for independent applicants);
Notarized copies of degree certificates and academic transcripts for undergraduate and Master’s studies (if applicable), together with evidence of foreign language proficiency;
A curriculum vitae and a scientific CV, duly certified;
An official nomination for study or a personal undertaking;
A health examination certificate using the prescribed form, valid for six months;
Written consent from the proposed academic supervisor;
Supporting documents confirming eligibility for admission priority, if applicable;
Two 3 × 4 cm photographs and a copy of the citizen identity card.

Applications must be submitted in person or by post to the Center for Nutrition and Food Training, National Institute of Nutrition, together with the application review fee in accordance with current regulations. Detailed requirements concerning application assessment, publications, foreign language proficiency, and the research proposal are specified in the appendices to Decision No. 977/QD-VDD.

The admission process consists of six steps:

1. Announcement of admission, including the admission plan, quotas, eligibility requirements, application documents, and deadlines.

2. Receipt and verification of application dossiers.

3. Assessment of applicants’ eligibility.

4. Interviews and assessment of applicants’ competencies and research proposals.

5. Approval of admission results, recognition of successful applicants, and assignment of academic supervisors.

6. Enrollment, assignment of candidate identification numbers, and management of doctoral candidates.

(Decision No. 977/QD-VDD dated July 12, 2024)

VII. Training Materials, Textbooks, and Training Fees

The official textbooks used in the Doctoral Training Program in Nutrition include:

1. Basic Human Nutrition;

2. Nutrition in Health and Disease;

3. Nutritional Epidemiology;

4. Statistics in Nutrition Research;

5. Practical Training for the Doctoral Program in Nutrition;

Reference materials specified in Decision No. 725/QD-VDD dated May 15, 2024.

Training fees: Training expenses are managed in accordance with the annual financial plan of the National Institute of Nutrition and applicable State regulations. Students pay tuition fees as announced for each academic year. The estimated total tuition fee is approximately VND 172 million for the four-year program.

(Decision No. 725/QD-VDD dated May 15, 2024)

(Decision No. 528/QD-VDD dated April 28, 2025)