1.              Institutional context

1.1.         Overview of the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City

The University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) was founded in 1976 as a public uni-disciplinary higher education institution in economics. As the university evolves, it has become multi-disciplinary offering a wide range of degree programmes in other disciplines such as business administration and finance. UEH has recently offered inter-disciplinary programmes such as urban planning and real estate since 2021 as the rising demand of the labour market necessitates the convergence of disciplines.

Pursuant to Decision No. 426/TTg promulgated by the Prime Minister on October 27^th 1976, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City was formed under the administration of the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Vocational Education – the former name of the Ministry of Education and Training. The university also became a member of Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh (VNU-HCM) in 2000. In October 2000, UEH was detached from VNU-HCM. Since then, the institution has grown and thrived tremendously under the management of the Ministry of Education and Training. In 2014, UEH became the first public university to be granted full management autonomy in Vietnam.

In the period of 2021-2025, UEH transforms itself to meet the market needs and the internationalization context with the restructuring strategy to become a multidisciplinary university with sustainable development in the fields of economics, business, management, law, design and technology. More specifically, UEH University has three colleges and one branch in Vinh Long province as follows:

• UEH College of Business with the mission of training high-quality human resources, promoting international relations, researching and transferring new knowledge in the field of management and business;
• UEH College of Technology and Design with the mission of training high-quality human resources, conducting research, and disseminating new knowledge in the fields of Mathematics, Statistics, Information Systems, Economics, Data science, Technology, Computing, Innovation, Architecture, Planning, Multimedia Design;
• UEH College of Economics, Law and Government with the mission of training high-quality human resources, conducting research, and disseminating new knowledge in the fields of economics and behaviour, public finance, governance, law, and the environment for policymakers;
• UEH Vinh Long Branch was established on December 4th, 2019 upon the merger with Vinh Long College of Economics and Finance, being a pioneer centre for academic training, research and consultation for UEH in the Mekong Delta.

UEH is currently a multi-disciplinary and sustainable university supplying a variety of programmes (bachelor, master and doctorate) and different modes of study (full-time and part-time) with more than 30,000 students and a network of over 240,000 alumni. More importantly, the university has officially entered the Top 301+ Best Universities in Asia in 2023 (QS Asia University Rankings 2024).

UEH’s vision is to become a multidisciplinary and sustainable university with a high academic reputation in Asia by 2030. To achieve its vision, the university’s mission is to commit to enhancing and elevating knowledge acquisition, and to breed young talents in the age of globalization and integration while pioneering innovation and serving the public interest.

1.2.         Overview of School of Foreign Languages

On September 5, 2014, the School of Foreign Languages for Economics was established on the foundation of upgrading its predecessor, the Department of Foreign Languages. On March 8, 2021, the School was renamed the School of Languages (SFL). Before becoming the School of Foreign Languages for Economics, the Department of Foreign Languages was responsible for teaching General English courses. The Business English Programme has been introduced and taught to students since 2015.

Since its establishment until now, the School of Foreign Languages has gradually developed and affirmed its position in the field of English language studies, becoming one of the schools achieving a high quality of training, a high percentage of graduates having jobs, as well as providing human resources majoring in Business English in the national economy, contributing significantly to the economic development of the nation. SFL’s vision up to the year 2030 is to offer undergraduate students more majors in other languages, such as Chinese or Japanese and also add more minor majors to meet the needs of society. The school’s mission, strategic objectives and core values are explained and presented in Appendix 1.

The SFL offers foreign language instruction ​​for students of different academic levels, especially undergraduate programmes for training highly qualified human resources to master the English language. Also, the SFL provides long- and short-term courses to improve foreign language capacity for people in need and sets out development strategies for training, scientific research, and international cooperation in foreign language teaching and learning for UEH.

The SFL currently has a full-time faculty of 30 highly qualified, experienced and dedicated lecturers, including 11 senior lecturers; 23 lecturers with Master’s degrees, 07 with PhD degrees, and 06 lecturers are currently taking PhD programmes. The faculty members graduated from prestigious domestic and international educational institutions. In addition, the SFL also has a team of 20 visiting lecturers, including 03 lecturers from native English-speaking countries.

SFL is organised into the following three departments, including Department of Foreign Languages for General Purposes, Department of English Language Studies, and Department of Foreign Languages for Specific Purposes.

The SFL has been carrying out research projects and scientific publications in foreign language teaching and learning and applied linguistics. In addition, we are focusing on innovating teaching methods, developing training programmes, and compiling teaching materials to improve the quality of foreign language training in UEH as well as the national education system.

The SFL has promoted cooperative relationships with domestic and international universities and institutions, international educational organisations and businesses to:

• implement academic exchanges: exchange of students and faculty;
• build on affiliate training programmes;
• develop collaborations in scientific research and international publications;
• expand opportunities for our students to participate in internships, business semesters and cultural exchanges.

2.              Further development of the programme and implementation of recommendations from previous accreditation (if relevant)

The programme of Business English was developed and issued according to Decision No 4041/QĐ-ĐHKT-ĐBCL dated  December 09th, 2014. UEH’s Cohort 41 had the first students pursuing the bachelor programme in Business English.

Compared with the previous programme, the current bachelor programme, revised in June 2023, aims to build a solid foundation of language and necessary skills for students. The programme has 46 courses equivalent to 125 credits, including four elective courses. The current programme has some changes in the structure as well as in the content. The current programme has made some changes as follows:

1. Adding research methodology course to assist students in completing their graduation theses;
2. Restructuring and changing the number of credits for some courses on language skills;
3. Updating teaching and learning materials for all courses;
4. Increasing the number of credits for some linguistics courses to 03 credits instead of 02 credits as phonetics – phonology, morphology-syntax, and semantics;
5. Providing interpretation courses for students;
6. Adding one more elective course which provides knowledge of English-American literature for students;
7. The two courses of micro-economics and macro-economics with 6 credits were replaced by courses: Introduction to Psychology, Sustainable Development and Design Thinking which were decided by the Rector Board of UEH for all programmes of UEH

Since its implementation in 2015, the bachelor‘s programme in Business English has attracted many candidates from different parts of the country. Table 0.1 below presents the programme’s statistical data for the period 2015 – 2023. The number of applicants to the programme in the first year, 2015 was 636 but then in 2016, the figure was a 150% increase. Particularly, it soared up more than three times in the period of 2018 and 2019. Impressively, in 2021, the number of applicants enrolled in the programme was five times greater than the number in the first year. Though in two recent years, 2022 and 2023, the number of applicants to the programme was smaller than that in 2021, the figures showed that this programme is still one of the favourable majors among high school leavers.

Table 0.1. The Business English programme’s statistical data for the period 2015-2023

Year	Cohort	Enroll-ment Quota	Number of Applicants		Application rate	Admission Number	Number of Graduates	Gradua-tion rate	Number of dropouts	Drop-out rate
		Total	Total	Annual increase (%)	%	Total	Total	%	Total	%
2023	49 (1st year)	165	1270	6.99	769.7	152	NA	NA	NA	NA
2022	48 (2nd year)	165	1187	-63.47	719.4	159	NA	NA	NA	NA
2021	47 (3rd year)	165	3250	108.06	2,166.7	200	NA	NA	NA	NA
2020	46 (4rd year)	150	1562	-32.90	1,041. 3	139	NA	NA	NA	NA
2019	45	150	2328	109.19	1,552.0	143	137	97.2	04	2.80
2018	44	150	2132	233.77	1,421,3	153	138	90.2	15	9.80
2017	43	100	912	-3.5	912.0	120	108	90.0	12	10.00
2016	42	120	945	150	787.5	127	123	88.98	14	11.02
2015	41	80	636		795.0	86	72	83.70	14	16.28

1.    OBJECTIVES

1.1.              Objectives of the study programme*

Being aware of the importance of the programme objectives, since developing the programme for Business English majors, SFL has already conducted surveys on the programme with stakeholders, such as the academic board, lecturers, students and employers to revise the programme (see Appendix 2, Appendix 3, Appendix 4). The reference to similar programmes in the international context of some universities, such as the University of Birmingham, the Open University, and Bangor University which had programmes in English language studies as a reference source was also helpful for the revision of the programme (see Appendix 5). The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), Bloom Taxonomies (1965) and Simpson’s Taxonomy (1972) were also employed for references to build the programme objectives and learning outcomes.

According to UEH’s training programme adjustment roadmap to meet the new requirements of the labour market, every two years, the curricula of programmes are updated for some minor changes and every 5 years major changes are made to renew and improve and renew them. The current objectives and learning outcomes of the Business English programme were revised according to Decision No 1806/QD-DHKT-DBCLP issued on 14th June 2023 by UEH’s president.

The Bachelor Business English programme is designed to strengthen the students’ English competencies and enrich their knowledge of English linguistics. It also aims to provide specialised knowledge of economics, trade, and management giving students more career opportunities to work across various business sectors.

The programme develops English language proficiency, professional skills, professional ethnics and attitudes that help graduates have the ability to adapt and grow in the modern era. The programme is designed for those who wish to use English as a means of communication to work for multinational corporations or domestic enterprises possessing business partnerships with foreign companies. Business English graduates will be able to take on different positions in Vietnamese and foreign companies and organizations, including sales representatives, tellers, human resources staff, media persons, foreign affairs staff, secretaries, director/ manager assistants, interpreters and managers. They can also choose to take a certificate in teaching methodology to become teachers of English at different educational institutions.

More specifically, the programme will provide graduates with:

PO1: General knowledge of social sciences, linguistics, cultures, and politics

PO2: Foundation knowledge of economics and business management

PO3: Translation and interpretation skills

PO4: General knowledge of informatics in business

PO5: Professional skills, research skills and adaptability

PO6: Second foreign language ability

PO7: Professional ethics and responsibility for work

The programme of Business English also identifies specific competencies corresponding to the level of knowledge, skills as well as the level of autonomy and responsibility that graduates will be able to gain and presented in Table 1.1 below.

 

Table 1.1. Programme Learning Outcomes (Knowledge)

PO	PLO	Description
PO1	PLO1.1	Apply general knowledge of social sciences for learning and researching the English language
	PLO1.2	Apply advanced knowledge of English language skills, linguistics and intercultural business communication in business activities or international contexts
PO2	PLO1.3	Adapt knowledge of economics, business, and management for personal and professional development
PO3	PLO1.4	Select theories of translation and interpretation for professional development
PO4	PLO1.5	Apply knowledge of information technology to effectively exploit the Internet and data for personal learning and professional development [1]
PO5	PLO1.6	Effectively adapt knowledge in the field of expertise in the Enterprise Semester  training or internship duration
	PLO1.7	Plan professional, consultancy and business activities
	PLO1.8	Utilize knowledge of the major in managing professional activities

Table 1.2. Programme Learning Outcomes (Skills)

PO	PLO	Description
PO2	PLO2.1	Demonstrate English language competency at C1 Level proficiency[2]
PO5	PLO2.2	Apply critical thinking, innovation, creativity, and life-long learning skills in doing research, or in business activities
	PLO2.3	Enhance presentation skills, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking skills
	PLO2.4	Demonstrate organizational and teamwork skills
	PLO2.5	Improve debating ability and creativity
PO6	PLO2.6	Communicate in a second foreign language equivalent to level 3 over 6 of Vietnam’s Foreign Language Competency Framework [3]

Table 1.3. Programme Learning Outcomes (Autonomy and Responsibility)

PO	PLO	Description
PO7	PLO3.1	Work independently or effectively in a team as a member or team leader by supporting, guiding, and supervising the work of colleagues to continuously improve the quality of work
	PLO3.2	Take personal responsibility and accountability for the team while performing assigned tasks.
	PLO3.3	Demonstrate an ability to encourage and direct others to perform their duties
	PLO3.4	Make expert decisions on issues related to the English language, especially in the field of business; take responsibility for the accuracy, honesty and logic of the professional conclusions
	PLO3.5	Plan, coordinate and manage recourses when doing research
	PLO3.6	Evaluate and propose solutions for the improvement of professional activities

In addition to the above programme learning outcomes, upon graduation, graduates are also required to gain a Certificate of Physical Education and a Certificate of National Defense Education. 

The Vietnam National Qualifications Framework (VQF) for undergraduates has five requirements for knowledge, six requirements for skills and four requirements for autonomy and responsibility. Hence, it can be concluded that this bachelor’s programme has met all these requirements (see Appendix 6).

1.2.              International orientation of the study programme design*

As stated in UEH’s vision, by 2030, UEH plans to turn into a multidisciplinary university with sustainable development and strong academic influence in Asia. To achieve this target, the university actively engages in quality assurance towards internationalisation with respect for national differences in all aspects, from institutional management, facilities and equipment, and international cooperation to curriculum development, textbooks, and academic staff, so that students who graduate from UEH are highly recognized and be able to get a good job and work confidently in domestic or international working markets.

 The international orientation of our Bachelor of Business English (BBE) programme can be reflected in various aspects. First, the international orientation of the BBE programme can be seen in our programme learning outcomes such as PLO 1.2, PLO 2.1 and PLO 2.2. The international aspect can be shown in the career prospects of the programme. For example, graduates of the BBE programme can work for multinational corporations or international firms. Second, the programme also promotes student exchange or academic exchange with some universities around the world such as Humber [1.2.01], Sunway University [1.2.02], Bangor University [1.2.03], STID Al-Hadid [1.2.04], National University Philippines[1.2.05]. These universities have already mapped the BBE programme of UEH with theirs, which makes the current programme internationally recognized. Third, most of the courses of the programme are instructed in English (39/46 courses) which makes the programme easily recognised by international universities. To be globalised, our teaching materials or textbooks and other reading materials are carefully selected from well-known publishers such as Cambridge University Press,  Oxford University Press, and University of Michigan Press which help students access international standards of content. The training programme mainly instructed in English also gives graduates more opportunities for higher education at other institutions around the world after completing the undergraduate programme in Business English at UEH. Last but not least, most of the academic staff received Master‘s or PhD degrees from various universities in other foreign countries (see CVs of the full-time and visiting lecturers). It is widely believed that what they have obtained abroad will be applied in their teaching practices of the programme.

    Consequently, a large number of the SFL’s students are capable of doing internships and work at multinational companies as well as international corporations. This will be presented with more details in the following parts.

1.3.              Positioning of the study programme

1.3.1.         Positioning of the study programme in the educational market

In 2023, UEH was ranked in the Top 301+ Best Universities in Asia by QS World University Rankings. This result marks the development of the university and confirms its position in the region. Therefore, UEH can be considered the leading university in economics and management in the Vietnamese educational market. Furthermore, the university is a pioneer in developing training programmes in the country to provide highly qualified labour resources for society. The BBE programme can be considered as one of the favoured ones at UEH as well as in the educational market of Vietnam.

Though the programme of Business English was not developed as early as other majors at UEH, it still receives much attention from school leavers. It was highly evaluated as one of the most prestigious training programmes in Business English, particularly in the South of Vietnam. The admission scores of the programme are often higher than those of most similar programmes in Vietnam. In 2023, the enrolment score of UEH’s Business English programme was 26.3 for three subjects, ranking higher than other universities in the region with the programme of Business English (see Appendix 7). In other words, candidates who are admitted to the programme must score at least 8/10 points for each subject on average.

Moreover, the number of candidates who applied to the programme has increased over the years (see Appendix 8). Specifically, it jumped up more than four times in 2018 and has continued to rise significantly up until now. The programme’s application rate was around 300% to 400% between 2015 and 2017 and 1,800% to 4,700% for the period 2018 to 2022. Consequently, the programme targets good students from prestigious high schools like Le Hong Phong, Nguyen Thuong Hien, Tran Dai Nghia, Gia Dinh, Tran Phu, and others with good English abilities.

In summary, UEH’s programme of Business English is positioned as the leader of the national market in the field of English studies. In the region, the high achievement of UEH (the Top 301+ in the Best Universities in Asia, QS Asia University Rankings 2024) will raise the university’s reputation. Many graduates from the BBE programme were admitted to postgraduate programmes at universities in Asia and the United States.

1.3.2.          Positioning of the study programme on the job market for graduates (“Employability”)

The programme in Business English aims to provide graduates with knowledge and skills to work across different sectors at multinational companies, international companies, English language centres, or translation agencies. Graduates will be able to hold the following positions in Table 1.4.

Toward the goal of providing high-quality human resources for society, the programme first aims to supply a workforce who can work in different positions at firms in Vietnam where English is needed. The SFL’s executive board has periodically had face-to-face meetings with its scientific advisory board [1.3.01], along with surveys on the quality of the programme with lecturers (Appendix 3). Their recommendations for new courses of research methodology in applied linguistics, interpretation or the elective course of British-American Literature were included in the current programme. In addition, another survey was conducted with the graduates of the BBE programme who were working across various sectors (Appendix 4). Most of the graduates are satisfied with the knowledge and skills provided by the programme, but they also indicated a lack of knowledge of research, which has been recently added to the current programme.

Table 1.4. Job Positions of UEH Business English graduates

Organisations	Job positions	Job description
International businesses	Office staff (sales, HR manager)	Do transactions related to English and management
Domestic businesses	HR executive, office staff, project management executive	Do transactions related to English and management
English language Centers	EFL teachers/ Tutors, IELTS trainers	Deliver English lessons
Translation offices	translators	Do translation or interpretation tasks
Educational agencies	consultants	Consult students when choosing educational institutions to study abroad Do some communication work with educational partners of the agency
Media companies	Content creators Story writing collaborators	Write, review, edit, and update English content for company websites, writing and editing marketing materials, and similar platforms

Source: Results from the survey with graduates of the  programme of Business English

In addition, some companies participate in the programme’s training process through the annual internship. The close relationship between the SFL and other firms in Vietnam is reflected in signed MOUs and annual activities. It helps graduates meet the expectations of their target employers. 

At the time of graduation, most graduates (approximately 90%) found jobs in various sectors across the country. In summary, the graduates of this programme are competitive candidates in the job market, but they can meet the job market’s requirements and were almost employed with good jobs. 

The SFL periodically conducts a survey on job demands related to the job positions targeted to position ourselves in the job market. There will be many more job opportunities in the future for graduates of the Business English programme.

1.3.3.          Positioning of the study programme within the HEI’s overall strategic concept

The vision of UEH from now to 2030 is to become a multidisciplinary and sustainable university with a high academic reputation in Asia. In line with UEH’s vision, SFL’s vision from now to 2030 is the training unit providing high-quality staff not only gaining knowledge and skills in English applied linguistics but also in fields of translation, marketing, or management. More importantly, UEH’s BBE programme has become one of the most renowned programmes of English studies in Vietnam and is appreciated by high school leavers across the country. The Business English programme’s graduates have been accepted to follow master programmes at some prestigious universities in regional and international institutions. In addition, the programme is also the first choice of high school candidates who intend to pursue a major in English studies (see Appendix 7).

To carry out UEH’s mission of enhancing and elevating knowledge acquisition, and breeding young talents in the age of globalisation and integration while pioneering innovation and serving the public interest, the programme is periodically reviewed and updated with the latest knowledge toward international trends. The programme also prioritises recruiting lecturers who graduated from prestigious universities around the world. Moreover, the programme promotes scientific research by lecturers and students to gain insights into the language and tackle some issues related to teaching and learning activities.

The programme also builds connections among the stakeholders: the SFL’s faculty, employers, students, professional associations, governmental agencies (MoET) and other universities in Vietnam to share knowledge and enhance the sustainable development of foreign language training in Vietnam.

 

 

[1] Students of Business English Programme are required to obtain IC3 (Internet and Computing Core Certification) or MOS (Microsoft Office Specialist)

[2] CEFR-Common European Framework of Reference for Languages or IELTS 7.0

[3] Students may choose one of the 2^nd foreign languages such as Russian (TRKI 1), French (DELF B1/ TCF Niveau 3), German (B1 ZD), Chinese (HSK level 3), Korean (TOPIK3-intermediate 1), or Japanese (JLPT N4)