About us

Proud to Be One of the University's First Faculties

On September 24, 1997, together with the establishment of Ton Duc Thang University, the Social Sciences Division and the Humanities Division were established within the Faculty of General Education. On July 6, 2001, the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FSSH) was officially established. In its early years, the Faculty offered only an undergraduate program in Sociology and was responsible for providing general education courses, including Political Theory, Skills, Text Grammar, Vietnamese Culture, and other subjects for students across the University. FSSH is proud to be one of the first faculties of the university named after President Ton Duc Thang. Over the years, the Faculty has made significant contributions to the development of the University.

Experienced Faculty Members

With a development strategy focused on the comprehensive development of intellectual capacity, personal qualities, and professional competencies, as well as the advancement of modern science, FSSH has developed a faculty team that meets both quantitative and qualitative requirements. Its faculty members are dedicated to their profession, highly qualified, and committed to continuous innovation and creativity to enhance the quality of teaching and learning.

FSSH currently has 47 full-time faculty and staff members, including 5 Associate Professors, 19 PhD holders, 11 lecturers currently pursuing doctoral degrees, 9 Master's degree holders, 2 Bachelor's degree holders, and 1 engineer. In addition, the Faculty has a team of visiting lecturers comprising distinguished professors and scholars from Vietnam and abroad.

Academic Programs

FSSH currently offers five major fields of study: Sociology, Social Work, Vietnam Studies, Tourism, and International Relations. The Vietnam Studies program includes three specializations: Tourism and Travel, Tourism and Tourism Management, and Vietnamese Language, Culture and Society. The Tourism program includes two specializations: Tour Guiding and Tourism Management. Since the 2016–2017 academic year, the Faculty has admitted international students to the Vietnamese Language, Culture and Society specialization and has welcomed international students for internships and short-term courses in Tourism and Tourism Management. In addition, FSSH is responsible for teaching Political Theory courses to students across the University.

To date, the Faculty has nearly 2,000 students and postgraduate students and has graduated more than 3,000 Bachelor's degree students and nearly 200 Master's degree students in Sociology. All graduates have secured employment and met the requirements of employers. The proportion of students achieving good and excellent academic results has increased steadily each academic year, while the quality of incoming students has continued to improve.

Advanced, modern, and practice-oriented curricula constitute one of the Faculty's key strengths and provide a solid foundation for its continued development. In Sociology, through a multidimensional approach to society, the curriculum equips students with fundamental knowledge for comprehensive development and enables them to apply academic principles and theories to the realities of social life. Upon graduation, Sociology students can pursue careers in a wide range of fields, including social work, development research, market research, human resource management, consulting, teaching, community development, journalism and communications, among others. Since 2017, the Faculty has also offered a Master's program in Sociology, followed by a PhD program in Sociology from 2026. Since 2025, the Faculty has additionally offered an advanced Bachelor's program in Sociology.

The Vietnam Studies program comprises three specializations: Tourism and Travel, Tourism and Tourism Management, and Vietnamese Language, Culture and Society. Among these, Tourism and Travel and Tourism and Tourism Management attract a large number of students due to the strong demand for human resources in the tourism industry. Students are equipped with foundational and specialized knowledge in tourism economics, tourism business management, restaurant and hotel management, culture, history, and the arts, as well as foreign language proficiency. During their studies, students have opportunities to engage with travel enterprises and undertake field practice at destinations throughout Vietnam and abroad. In addition to the Standard Program, Vietnam Studies also offers a High-Quality Program in Tourism and Tourism Management. Through this program, students have opportunities to participate in study and exchange activities in Taiwan at Nanhua University, Singapore at Nanyang Polytechnic, and Thailand at Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University, among other destinations. From 2016 to 2021, the Vietnam Studies program also offered a joint program with National Penghu University of Science and Technology, Taiwan, specializing in Tourism and Leisure Management. In 2020, Vietnam Studies introduced a program taught entirely in English in the Tourism and Tourism Management specialization. In addition, the Tourism and Travel specialization of Vietnam Studies and the Tour Guiding specialization of the Tourism program are offered at TDTU's Khanh Hoa Campus.

Graduates of the Vietnamese Language, Culture and Society specialization can pursue suitable employment opportunities in diplomatic agencies, international organizations, tourism companies, trade offices, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations requiring professionals with in-depth knowledge of Vietnam, both within Vietnam and abroad. Graduates may also work in interpreting, translation, research, and Vietnamese language teaching.

The Social Work program provides students with broad knowledge of social issues and equips them with intervention and problem-solving skills at the individual, group, community, and societal levels. Upon graduation, students are capable of contributing to the development of social policies that respond to the country's development needs. Social Work graduates are also equipped with professional, personal, and social ethics to practice in government agencies, enterprises, socio-political organizations, professional organizations, particularly non-governmental and international organizations, thereby contributing to the development of a prosperous, equitable, democratic, integrated, and civilized Vietnam.

Detailed information about the academic programs is available on the Faculty's website: http://ssh.tdtu.edu.vn/giao-duc/giao-duc-dai-hoc

Scientific Research Activities

Over the years, scientific research has consistently been a key priority of FSSH and has been implemented effectively. Faculty members and students have successfully conducted numerous research projects at ministerial, provincial, and municipal levels. Many research projects undertaken by faculty members and students have been applied to social practice and the University's teaching activities. Students across the Faculty's academic programs have achieved notable accomplishments. A team of Sociology students won First Prize at the expanded city-level EURÉKA Student Scientific Research Awards in 2016. In December 2017, Tourism student Vo Minh Hieu won First Prize in the Tourism Ideas 2017 competition organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology. A team of Social Work students also won First Prize in the 2017 competition on “tudents in HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control”. These achievements demonstrated the students' capabilities and their ability to apply disciplinary knowledge to addressing practical issues. Notably, in 2020, Sociology student Nguyen Phi Hien and Social Work student Bui Mai Sinh, together with faculty members, published the article “LGBTQIA+ at the Blue Sky Club in Ho Chi Minh City” in a Rank 6 (Q3) journal indexed in the ISI database. In 2021, a team of Tourism students won First Prize at the city-level EURÉKA Student Scientific Research Awards.

Each year, the Faculty organizes scientific conferences that attract the participation and interest of experts from Vietnam and abroad. The University also provides opportunities for the Faculty's staff and lecturers to participate in study visits, professional exchanges, conferences, academic exchanges, and both long-term postgraduate education at Master's and doctoral levels and short-term professional development programs abroad. At the same time, international experts and professors are invited to participate in academic exchanges at the Faculty. FSSH has strengthened its position through teaching and scientific research activities while progressively establishing connections with partners in the social sciences. Its international cooperation activities have included collaboration with universities such as the University of Trieste, Italy; Leipzig University, Germany; the University of Warwick, United Kingdom; National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan; Purdue University, United States; the University of Melbourne, Australia; Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania; the Higher School of Economics, Russia; Jadavpur University, India; London Metropolitan University, United Kingdom; Gampaha Wickramarachchi University of Indigenous Medicine, Sri Lanka; and Walailak University, Thailand. These institutions have participated in co-organizing the ISSH international conferences in 2019, 2021, 2024, and 2026, providing a foundation for the Faculty to engage with international academic networks.

International Cooperation

FSSH continuously promotes educational partnerships and cooperation with universities and research institutes in Vietnam and abroad to foster innovation and keep pace with contemporary developments. The Faculty has established partnerships with several international universities to provide students with opportunities for field studies and professional internships. The Faculty has signed an MOA with CHESS, Purdue University Northwest, Indiana, United States, and MOUs with National Chiao Tung University; Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University, Thailand; Ming Chuan University, Taiwan; and the University of Melbourne, Australia, among others, focusing on faculty and student exchanges as well as educational and international cooperation activities.

Youth Union and Student Association Activities

In addition to their academic studies, students are encouraged to participate in Youth Union and Student Association activities, cultural and artistic programs, and community service initiatives to enhance their social awareness and understanding. A variety of student activities and club models within the Faculty, including the Connecting Hearts Club, Travel Club, and Sociology Club, have attracted considerable student interest and received positive recognition from the media and the wider community. Notable achievements include three First Prizes in school singing competitions, First Prize in a flower arrangement competition, First Prize in women's football, First Prize in a storytelling competition about President Ton Duc Thang, and First Prize in the Marxism-Leninism Olympic Competition, among others.

Discipline and Academic Culture

FSSH places strong emphasis on discipline and institutional standards, fostering civic responsibility and students' commitment to learning through the University's educational program based on three ethical principles. This program has contributed significantly to building a positive academic and campus culture.

Looking to the Future

With a development strategy aligned with societal needs, FSSH continues to advance its international integration and pursue new opportunities in human resource development. The Faculty remains committed to strengthening its reputation as a trusted educational institution and contributing to society by developing highly qualified professionals with strong occupational competencies who meet the standards of global citizenship.