NJIT and Fulbright University, Vietnam Partner in Master's Pathway Program

The increasing interest in NJIT’s Ying Wu College of Computing (YWCC) as an educational destination for Vietnamese students has inspired a partnership between NJIT and Fulbright University, Vietnam (FUV). The partnership will offer FUV undergraduate students a unique opportunity for a U.S. educational experience in the global tech hub of the New York metro region, and credit towards an accelerated master’s degree. 

Success stories of students such as Hang Nguyen ’22, currently a software engineer at Google, and Phung Lai, Ph.D. ’22, who will soon join the faculty at the University of Albany, among several other recent achievements by Vietnamese students, has demonstrated the popularity of NJIT among young professionals hailing from Vietnam. 

Cristian Borcea, YWCC associate dean for strategic initiatives and professor of computer science, said, “Vietnam is an up and coming country for technology right now, and it stands to reason that we are attracting more students from that part of the world. The Ying Wu College of Computing at NJIT is also experiencing rapid growth, and we are excited and proud to play a role in developing Vietnam’s tech talent pipeline as we continue on our own upward trajectory.”

The “Master’s Pathway” or “3+1+1 Program” will allow FUV students to complete their fourth and final year of undergraduate study at NJIT. Three of the courses taken during this year will be graduate level, and will also count towards a potential NJIT master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science or Software Engineering, as well as fulfilling requirements for their FUV bachelor’s degree. 

Upon successful completion of all courses, students may then formally apply for admission to one of the three approved master’s programs at NJIT and register their nine graduate credits in anticipation of earning an M.S. in one year. 

The Master’s Pathway Program acts as a springboard to an accelerated graduate degree in the U.S. while also lowering the cost of international student tuition. 

“One of the biggest advantages will be to work on real-world capstone and M.S. projects with academic and industry leaders here in a major tech hotspot,” said Hai Phan, associate professor and director of NJIT’s data science program.

Tien Nguyen, professor of computer science at the University of Texas at Dallas and co-director of FUV’s initiatives, stated that liberal arts is an important component of the education at FUV and feels that “the cultural exposure to the U.S. for the first time will have an invaluable impact on our students’ personal and professional development as they work to make a difference in the world around them.”

NJIT President Teik C. Lim added, “This partnership will further enhance NJIT’s expanding global footprint and reputation while providing talented students with an opportunity to pursue a STEM education in the U.S. Through NJIT’s many international academic and research collaborations, including this effort with FUV, we are expanding the scope of NJIT’s impact.” 

NJIT’s YWCC expects to welcome the Master’s Pathway Program’s first class in fall 2023.