Bulgaria

Basic Information about Bulgaria

The Republic of Bulgaria is situated in the north-eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe. In the north, the country borders Romania, in the south, it shares a border with the Turkish Republic and the Greek Republic, in the west, its neighbours are Serbia and Macedonia, and in the east, it looks on to the Black Sea. Bulgaria has a population of around 9 million. Its capital city is Sofia. Bulgarian is the official language.

The Higher Education System

The country’s higher education system acquired a new structure at the end of 1995, when the National Assembly passed the Higher Education Law. The following multiple-level structure of academic qualifications was introduced by this law:

• Three-year education at institutes and colleges, after its completion graduates receive a higher-education certificate and a professional qualification;
  
  
• Four-year education at university, after its completion graduates receive a Bachelor’s degree;
  
  
• Five or six-year course at a university, after its completion graduates receive a Master’s degree; and
  
  
• Three-year post-university training leading to a Doctorate.

Under the Higher Education Law, universities, specialised institutes, and colleges are classified as higher educational institutions in Bulgaria. They offer educational programmes of various types, as well as degrees, thus offering students opportunities for higher education in different ways.

Scholarships

Foreign citizens are enrolled in higher educational institutions, providing they pay 100% of the tuition fees. Tuition fee payment is waived for students studying for a doctorate and for postgraduate students in various fields accepted for a course of studies by a resolution of the Bulgarian Council of Ministers or under relevant governmental agreements.