INCOMING STUDENTS

ELIGIBILITY

Entry Requirements

To be considered for the Student Exchange and Study Abroad Programs, undergraduate and graduate applicants must:

  • Complete at least one year of full-time study
  • Achieve  GPA at least of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale in the USA or equivalent
  • Have intention  to receive full workload (no less than 12 credits per semester) for the duration of your study at IU
  • Have a letter of nomination from the home institution as required for exchange students

English Proficiency

No English proficiency assessment is required for students who live in an English-speaking country or study in a tertiary institution where the language of instruction is English.

If you are not from an English-speaking country or if the language of instruction at your institution is not English, one of the following requirements is applied:

  • IELTS minimum overall band score of 6.0 (no sub-score bellow 5.5);
  • TOEFL (PBT) minimum score of 550;
  • TOEFL (CBT) minimum score of  213;
  • TOEFL (iBT) minimum score of 57 (no sub-score bellow 19);
  • Unicert 1 (Cetified by German Academic Exchange Service – DAAD);
  • CEFR Level B1 (Common European Framework of Reference’s English Certificate);
  • ISEP’s Language Proficiency Report ( accepted for students from ISEP-Exchange programs);

Please note that IELTS &TOEFL test results are valid for 2 years.

HOW TO APPPLY

Applications Process

 

Student Exchange Program

Direct Exchange Program

Step1:

Nomination

To be an exchange student, you must be nominated by your home institution.

Not required

Step 2:

Complete the application package

Fill in  and attach all required documents:

  • An application form (for exchange program)
  • A letter of nomination from your home university
  • An official transcript
  • An evidence of English Proficiency
  • A copy of passport

All documents should be certified and translated into English.

Fill out  and attach all required documents:

  • An application form (for study abroad program)
  • An official transcript
  • An evidence of English Proficiency
  • A copy of passport

All documents should be certified and translated into English.

Step 3:

Submission

Submit your application to the Student Exchange office at your home institution.

Submit your application to IU.

Step 4:

Application outcome

Once your home institution confirms that you are selected for the program, you will receive an official notification package from IU, including:

  • An acceptance letter
  • General information before your arrival includes Visa, Accommodation, Health insurance, Orientation Days, Academic schedule
  • Registrar forms for visa, accommodation, buddy program, airport pick up service, courses

At the same time, you will be assisted by IU incoming coordinator for the next steps.

When you are accepted for the program, you will receive an official notification package from IU, including:

  • An acceptance letter
  • General information before your arrival includes Visa, Accommodation, Health insurance, Orientation Days, Academic schedule
  • Registrar forms for visa, accommodation, buddy program, airport pick up service, courses

At the same time, you will be assisted by IU incoming coordinator for the next steps.

Application form can be downloaded here

Applications Due Date

Applications should arrive at IU by the following dates:

  • 01 January    for  Semester 1 (September – January)
  • 01 July            for Semester 2 (January – June)
  • 01 January    for Summer semester (June – August)

 PROGRAMS OFFERED AT IU

BACHELOR LEVEL

Business

  • Business Administration
  • Finance and Banking

Engineering

  • Automation and Control Systems
  • BioMedical Engineering
  • Electronics and Telecommunications
  • Financial Engineering & Risk Management
  • Information Technology
  • Industrial and Systems Engineering
  • Logistics and Supply Chain Management
  • Civil Engineering
  • Space Engineering

Sciences

  • Biotechnology
  • Aquatic Resource Management
  • Food Technology
  • Biochemistry

 

MASTER LEVEL

Business

 

Business Administration

 

Science in Leadership (Northeastern University)

Engineering

 

Biomedical Engineering

 

Electrical Engineering

 

Industrial and Systems Engineering

 

Information Technology Management

Sciences

 

Applied Mathematics

 

Biotechnology

 

 

ACADEMIC MATTERS

Course Selection/ Dropping or Withdrawing from the course

The official information of course registration will be published on IU website prior to 2 weeks before the semester starts. You are responsible for contacting as well as getting approval from your home institution’s academic advisor when selecting programs or courses that might meet your academic needs.

Once you are officially admitted to IU, your file is forwarded to an IU academic advisor who will assist you with course registration. If there is any problem with your course registration or class schedule, you will be notified by email.

It is also quite common for your course list to change after arrival at IU. This may be due to some reasons:  the courses are cancelled; the course timetable may be in conflict; or courses are not offered during the semester you are attending. Therefore, it is very important to contact and confirm students’ actual course list to both your home exchange coordinator and IU academic advisor once you are enrolled in their classes.

One week after the classes begin, you cannot drop or withdraw the courses. The courses that youwithdraw after the drop period will still be present on the transcript.

Course Registration Process

* For Undergraduate Students

Step 1: Visit website: http://www.hcmiu.edu.vn/edusoftweb/
Step 2: Choose language: English, on the top of right hand  (British flag).
Step 3: Fill in the identification letters, then click on “Vào website”. Please do not press Enter or the website will not accept it.
Step 4: Choose “TIMETABLE
Step 5: Select semester to view timetable. E.g.: “Quarter 4, Academic year 2014-2015
Step 6: Click on “School”
Step 7: Click on “Chưaphânkhoa”, select your School. E.g.: “Business
Step 8: Choose “View display format of semester”
Step 9: Click on “Choose”
Step 10: After being able to see the list of courses that will be offered for the upcoming semester, please fill in the Course Registration Form For Undergraduate Inbound Student all the courses you want to study.

Term explanation:
Sub’s ID              : Subject’s ID
Cre                       : number of credit per course
Day:
-        Hai = Monday
-        Ba = Tuesday
-        Tư = Wednesday
-        Năm = Thursday
-        Sáu = Friday
-        Bảy = Saturday
Start slot:
               1: class starts at 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM
               5: class starts at 01:00 PM – 4:00 PM
CBGD                   : Lecturer’s ID (e.g. BA141 is the indentity of the lecturer from School of Business)
Time duration: the starting and ending day of the course. This period does not include Final examination.

 

Step 11: Finally, please email the list of courses you wish to enroll in to Ms. Nguyen Khong Thanh Thao - our Incoming exchange coordinator via email: nktthao@hcmiu.edu.vn or studentexchange@hcmiu.edu.vn

We will support you to manually register all the courses you need.

Due Date: You will be able to do the course registration process by the deadline which will be confirmed via emailThe late email of course registration will not be accepted.

Step 12: The confirmation of the approved courses and your schedule will be sent to you by via mail after 5 days.

Good to know:Once this manual course registration process is finished, you can use your ID student to log in Edusoftweb to check your approved schedule, mid-term and final examination dates and their results, etc.

* For Graduate Students

Step 1: Visit website: http://www.hcmiu.edu.vn/edusoftMaster/
Step 2: Choose language English, on the top of right hand  (British flag).
Step 4: Choose “VIEW TIMETABLE
Step 5: Select semester to view timetable. E.g. “Quarter 4, Academic year 2014-2015
Step 6: Click on “Title” and select “Faculty”
Step 7: Click on “Chưaphânkhoa”, select your School that you are enroll in, e.g.: “Business
Step 8: Choose “View display format of semester”
Step 9: Click on “Choose”
Step 10: After being able to see the list of courses that will be offered for the upcoming semester, please fill in the Course Registration Form For Graduate Inbound Students all the courses you want to study.
Step 11: Finally, please email the list of courses you wish to enroll in to Ms. Nguyen Khong Thanh Thao - our Incoming exchange coordinator via email: nktthao@hcmiu.edu.vn or studentexchange@hcmiu.edu.vn

Term explanation:
Cre                       : number of credit per course
Week Day:
-       2 = Monday
-       3 = Tuesday
-       4 = Wednesday
-       5 = Thursday
-       6 = Friday
-       7 = Saturday
Start slot:           9: class starts at 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
ST (Vietnamese language): means Period (each period consists of 45 minutes)
CBGD                   : Lecturer’s ID (e.g. BA141 is the indentity of the lecturer from School of Business)
Period                 : means Time duration: the starting and ending day of the course. This period does not include the Final examination.

  

We will support you to manually register all the courses you need.

Due Date: You will be able to do the course registration process by the deadline which will be confirmed via emailThe late email of course registration will not be accepted.

Step 12: The confirmation of the approved courses and your schedule will be sent to you via mail after 5 days.

Good to know:Once this manual course registration process is finished, you can use your ID student to log in Edusoftweb to check your approved schedule, mid-term and final examination dates and their results, etc.

Credit Requirements

For Semester 1 and Semester 2

All Exchange and Study Abroad students must be enrolled in a minimum course load of 12 credit points (approximate 4 courses) and no more than 24 credit points per semester (each credit is equivalent to approximately 15 class hours and 2 self-study hours).

For Summer semester

All Exchange and Study Abroad students must enroll in a minimum course load of 6 credit points (approximate 4 courses) and no more than 12 credit points per semester.

Official Transcripts

Two copies of the official transcript will be sent directly to your home university within four weeks after the end of the final examination period.

Credit Transfer Systems

Vietnamese semester credit system

Normally, most Vietnamese higher education institutions divide an academic year into three semesters as follows:

  • Semester 1 and semester 2: with the duration of 16-20 weeks per semester
  • Summer semester: with the duration of 8-10 weeks per semester (this semester is not compulsory)

The measurement of a credit is determined by the class contact hour. The actual number of a single semester credit hours is often calculated as follows:

  • Normally each course is awarded 3 credits.
  • Each credit represents 15 hours of theoretical lectures per week plus 2 hours of self- study.
  • Each contact hour is 45 minutes spent in the classroom.

US semester credit system

A large number of US universities have a similar credit system to the Vietnamese system, including credit hours in course descriptions, syllabi, and transcripts – so there is no conversion of credits needed.

European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS)

Every 1 IU credit equals to 1.7 ECTS credit.

BEFORE YOUR ARRIVAL

Visas

Student Visa

Please see the latest update about visa regulation in 2015 in this attachment

Student visas are non-immigrant visas that do not require the holder to obtain citizenship. Any prospective student seeking higher education in another country must obtain a student visa for that country.

Procedure to obtain student visa:

Step 1: Once you are accepted to study at IU, you will receive the Letter of Acceptance. At the same time, IU will send an email requesting you to fill in the Visa information form concerning the location of receiving visa (Vietnam Embassy or Vietnam Consulate General) near your place.

Step 2: IU then submits these necessary documents to Vietnam Immigration Department in Ho Chi Minh City (VID-HCMC).

Step 3: Once your submitted documents are approved, VID-HCMC will fax a copy of visa pre-approval to Vietnam Embassy or Vietnam Consulate General in your home country. At the same time, you will receive the copy of visa pre-approval from IU via email. This process takes at least 7 working days.

Step 4: Once receiving the pre-approval confirmation from IU, you are responsible for printing the visa pre-approval and submitting it at Vietnam Embassy or Vietnam Consulate General in your home country in order to get the visa. The required documents include:

  • Passport with validity of at least 6 months
  • Pre-approval confirmation (Printed on an A4-size-paper)
  • Letter of Acceptance from IU
  • Visa application forms (in accordance with the officials’ guidance at Vietnam Embassy/Vietnam Consulate General)
  • Visa application fees (submit at Vietnam Embassy/ Vietnam Consulate General)

Step 5: You will be notified by the Vietnam Embassy/Vietnam Consulate General about the date and time to receive the visa, C2-type-visa.

Visa On Arrival (receive at Vietnam’s International Airport – Tan Son Nhat, Noi Bai, Da Nang)

This is an alternative way to obtain visa for Vietnam and the visa on arrival will be issued and picked up at your  airports of arrival.

Visa on arrival will be issued in the following cases:

  • There are not any representative diplomatic offices such as Vietnam Embassy or Vietnam Consulate General in your home country.
  • Your visa applications are in emergency and you are not likely to obtain visa at Vietnam Embassy or Vietnam Consulate General.

Procedure to obtain visa upon arrival:

Step 1: Once you are accepted to study at IU, you will receive the Letter of Acceptance. At the same time, IU will send an email requesting you to fill in the Visa information form concerning the location of receiving your visa when you arrive in Vietnam, pick one of the following  international airport: Tan Son Nhat, Noi Bai or Da Nang Airport.

Step 2: IU then submits these necessary documents to Vietnam Immigration Department in Ho Chi Minh City (VID-HCMC).

Step 3: Once your  submitted documents are approved, VID-HCMC will fax a copy of visa pre-approval allowing you to receive their visa at one of the international airports in Vietnam. At the same time, you will receive the copy of visa pre-approval from IU via email. This process may take about 7 working days.

Step 4: Once receiving the pre-approval confirmation from IU, you are responsible for printing the visa pre-approval and carry it with you to Vietnam in order to collect your visa at the airport. The required documents include:

  • Passport with validity of at least 6 months
  • Pre-approval confirmation (Printed on an A4-size-paper)
  • Letter of Acceptance from IU
  • Visa application forms (in accordance with the officials’ guidance at the airport)
  • Visa application fees (pay at the airport)

Step 5: You will receive their visa from the Immigrant Department officers at the airport.

Accommodation

You are responsible for arranging your own accommodation.

In order to support incoming international students on finding accommodation, IU will provide you a list of housing options which will be sent to you via email prior to your departure. It is your responsibility to make decision the validity of your lease.  As soon as you receive the Letter of Acceptance from IU, you must fulfill the Accommodation Request Form and email it back to us, so we can then help to find the best place for you to live in. Late application is not accepted.

On-Campus Housing Options


Accommodation

No. of student per room

Facilities

Board

Cost per month per person

HCMC-VNU Dormitory

4

Fan
Bunk bed

N/A

Approx. USD 15

Air-conditioner
Bunk bed

Approx. USD 25

HCMC-VNU Guest House

2

Wireless,
Air-conditioner
Private bathroom

N/A

Approx. USD 130

1

Approx. USD 250

On-Campus Housing’s Advantages:

  • On-campus housing is near IU campus,  it takes about 5 to 8 minutes to IU campus and within a  5-minute walk to the bus station.
  • Utilities are included in housing charge, you do not pay any additional fees for electricity or water.

On-Campus Housing’s Disadvantages

  • The rooms are few and therefore hard to get.
  • Typically, 4 students share a room and share bathroom.
  • Far away from the city center and IU city campus.
  • Cooking is not allowed in the room.
  • All the stores and restaurants are closed around 9:00PM.
  • The laundry facilities are not available, thus you need to use the laundry serviced outside of  the dorm. Please ask the receptionist.
  • On-campus housing will be closed around 11:00 PM. You are strongly recommended to get home before 9:00 PM for your safety

Off-Campus Housing Options (*)

Off-campus accommodations are owned and managed by the landlords. These types of housing are available in the surrounding areas of Ho Chi Minh City downtown which is easy to commute to and from IU campus by bus.

Accommodation

No. of student per room

Facilities

Board

Cost per month per person

IU Down-town Housing

4

Wireless Internet,
Air-condition
Bunk beds
Private bathroom
Common kitchen and laundry areas

N/A

Approx. USD 92

6

Home-stay

1

Wireless Internet,
Air-condition
Private bathroom
Common kitchen and laundry areas

2 daily meals

Approx. USD 430

Down-town Guest House

1

Wireless Internet
Air-condition, TV, refrigerator
Sofa

N/A

Approx. USD 330

Serviced Apartment

2

Wireless Internet
Air-conditionr, TV, refrigerator
Sofa, Desk
Common or private kitchen
Some will have Common laundry area

N/A

Approx. USD 400

Serviced Room

1

Wireless Internet
Air-conditionr, TV, refrigerator
Desk
Common or private kitchen
Some will have common laundry areas

N/A

Approx. USD 300 to 400

(*) The detailed off-campus housing options will be sent to you in the official notification package once you are accepted for the IU’s Student Exchange & Study Abroad programs.

(Please be noted that if you are ISEP-Exchange students, your accommodation and meals will be covered by IU according to our agreement.)

Off-Campus Housing’s Advantages

  • Rooms are furnished.
  • You will have your own space with more privacy.
  • It is easier to have visitors over.
  • All the stores and restaurants are available until mid-night.
  • You can easily explore the nightlife in the most populated and lively city in Vietnam.

Off-Campus Housing’s Disadvantages

  • Off-campus housing may not be close to IU campus or IU city campus. In order to get to and from each campus, you will need to use the public transportation such as buses. The buses run 7 days a week and some will have a late-night routes by 9:00 PM. With student ID cards, you can take buses at the fare of 2.000 VND per route.
  • You are responsible for signing your own rental contract.
  • Almost serviced apartments’ contracts run for 12 months and it will be difficult for you to get out of the lease before the expired dates without a penalty. Therefore we highly recommend you pay attention to dealing the duration of the rental before signing the contract.
  • Typically, you will need to pay at least 1-month deposit upon signing the lease and all the rental payment will be paid directly to the landlords.
  • You have to pay additional fees for electricity or water except wireless fee.
  • Cooking is not allowed in the room.
  • Some off-campus housing does not have the laundry facilities; however, you can ask the landlords to provide the contact of the laundry services.

Cost of living

You will prepare at least USD 3,000 (or 2,386 EUR) per semester for living costs in Vietnam, including room, meals, textbooks, materials, student activities and personal expenses.

Buddy program

IU offers the Buddy Program, in which new international students will be paired up with current students (Buddy Mentors) who provide the helping hand and friendship to the international new comers at IU. 

Before coming to Vietnam, your buddy will contact you via email to get to know and help you to be well prepared. During your stay and study time in Vietnam, if you have any concerns or problems, do not hesitate to ask your buddy.

Airport pickup

IU offers an airport pickup service for new-incoming international students. Below is the Airport pickup process:

Step 1: Complete the Airport Pick-Up Request form and send back to us at least 7 working days before your arrival so that IU could arrange the buddy to welcome you at the airport.

Step2: You will then be picked up at Tan Son Nhat International Airport by your buddy who will have a sign with your name for your recognition. He/ she will support you on how to transfer to your accommodation destination.

Transportation Fee: You are responsible for purchasing the transportation fee or you can also get to your place on your own by taking a taxi which is easy to find at the airport. There are two highly creditable taxi brand names that you could use:

Mai Linh Taxi     :(+84 8) 38 383838          or           Vinasun Taxi       :(+84 8) 38 27 2727

Good to know: There will be a lot of taxis waiting for customers in front of the international airport gate. However, remember to choose the trustworthy one to avoid unfortunate accidents. You should remember the following rules when taking a taxi by yourself:

  • Keep track of the fare meter on the taxi to make sure that the taxi-driver does not try to scam you. If you have google map on your smart phone, use it to keep track of the route.
  • Never ask the taxi driver to suggest some places to buy your necessary stuffs.
  • Do not buy taxi coupons since they are of low creditability.

Health insurance

IU offers the medical insurance for all international students. International students are responsible to obtain and purchase for this medical insurance.

In case you pay for your own overseas health insurance at your home country, please make sure that this insurance is valid throughout your stay in Vietnam. IU reserves the right to ask for the proof of insurance.

ON YOUR ARRIVAL

Arrival day

For the first few days in Vietnam, you might get homesick and feel lonely for being in a foreign country with no friends and acquaintances. You still have your Vietnamese buddy, who will be by your side from your first day in Vietnam till the day you leave. It’s time to explore the world by your own. There are some tips for you to keep in mind before arriving in Vietnam:

  • Remember to book the flight and arrive in Vietnam at least 2 weeks before your first day at IU. So that you will have enough time to get to know the environment, the living styles and also your buddy.
  • Be aware to buy all necessary things before your first course at IU. You may ask for help from your buddy, who will be your most creditable friend at IU.

Orientation Days

The ISSC will be conducting the Orientation Day for incoming international students. This Orientation Day takes place at the beginning of each semester: in October and February.
The orientation is designed to help you get settled during your first stay in Vietnam and to learn more about our university. You will receive general information regarding your studies at IU, with other tips, trips, and lots of opportunities to contact other students. Participation is free, except for trips, meals and drinks.

We strongly recommend you take part in the first day of the orientation week which is very important because we will introduce IU and all issues relevant to your study at IU and living matters in Vietnam. This promises to be one of unforgettable moments during your study time at our university. The program will last 2 days including:

 

Programs

1st Date

 1

Rector’s welcoming speech

Presentations

  • Introduction about IU, Schools/ Departments
  • Studying at IU
  • Guidance on using Blackboard, Student mail account, Edusoftweb
  • Guidance on Library Services
  • Academic Matters guidance
  • Living in Vietnam (transportation, health care, emergency contact and social security)

Campus tour
A supplementary tour will introduce international students to IU and the surrounding areas. It is an opportunity to know more about Schools and Departments as well as the Clubs activities and other services in our campus.

City tour to explore Ho Chi Minh City
We would like you to have a profound understanding about our city in terms of main architectural projects, sightseeing venues, and restaurants in the city centre and near your place.

2nd Date

Travel Tour

Partners