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Eurydice

EACEA National Policies Platform:Eurydice
Programmes outside the bachelor and master structure

Bulgaria

7.Higher education

7.4Programmes outside the bachelor and master structure

Last update: 27 November 2023

Specialization

In higher education, in addition to students and doctoral students, there are also specialising post graduate students. A post-graduate student is the one who increases his qualification according to a specialised study plan without acquiring higher educational degree or new speciality. The admission of post-graduate students is carried out under conditions and by order, determined in the regulations of the respective higher school. Post-graduate students pay tuition fees. The post-graduate students post-graduate students - orphans, people with sensory disabilities and others with durable damages and reduced ability to work 70 and over 70 percent, military disabled and victims of war and persons who, at the moment of reaching legal age, are under the protection measure pursuant to the Child Protection Act - placement in a foster family, social service of a resident type or specialized institution, mothers with children up to 6 years of age and dispensarised, shall have the right to special alleviations, provided in the regulations of the higher education establishment. Specializations can be held in all fields of science.

Acquisition of a specialty

Training for acquiring a specialty in the healthcare system is strongly represented. The training consists in the acquisition of theoretical knowledge and practical skills in a specialty that covers a separate section of medical science and practice and ends with a state exam. A specialty in the healthcare system is acquired after the implementation of the curriculum and successfully passed practical and theoretical exams before a state examination commission, determined by an order of the Minister of Health. Theoretical training is conducted by higher education institutions that have received a positive accreditation assessment under the Higher Education Act; national centers for public health issues, received accreditation in the respective specialty under the Higher Education Act; Military Medical Academy of Military Medical Specialties. It is not possible to conduct simultaneous training for acquiring more than one specialty.

Postgraduate qualification

Higher education institutions also organize and conduct continuing education for the acquisition of postgraduate professional qualification and specialization in the following forms:

  • training for acquiring additional professional qualification lasting up to one year. Upon successful completion of the exams, students receive a Certificate of Professional Qualification;
  • short-term specialization courses on a specific topic lasting up to one semester. After successfully passing the exams, the candidates graduate with a Certificate of successful completion of the course;
  • others, at the request of interested persons or organizations.

Postgraduate qualification is conducted in various fields, such as: foreign language training, psychology / organizational, labor, social, pedagogical, psychology of development, education and culture, clinical and counseling, psychology of preventive work in educational and social institutions, etc./ ; special pedagogy / hearing and speech rehabilitation, pedagogy of visual impairment, pedagogy of children with intellectual disabilities /; additional qualification "teacher" and "teacher of ..."; long-term and short-term programs in the social sphere and in the field of education; qualification in scientific fields of biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics; school of journalism; international tourism; mediation and conflict resolution; Strategic Management; education management; specialized training in informatics and information technologies and many others.

According to the Preschool and School Education Act, all children with special educational needs are integrated and educated in the mainstream school. The number of children with special educational needs is constantly increasing. That is why teachers can go through a resource teacher education program. The main requirement is that the candidates have a teaching qualification. During the training they acquire fundamental psychological-pedagogical and specialized methodological training for planning, organizing, conducting, leading and controlling educational activities in primary education, as well as theoretical knowledge and practical skills in the field of education, upbringing and development of children with special educational needs. Students are prepared to know and use diagnostic tools and correction procedures to provide specialized assistance in the presence of problems in personal development and socialization of students. Graduates of the specialty Resource Teacher acquire competencies to perform educational, methodological, organizational and managerial, consulting, diagnostic and expert activities in educational and social institutions, in specialized centers for work with children. Successful graduates receive a Certificate of Professional Qualification.

Postgraduate qualification courses do not lead to the acquisition of a new educational qualification degree. The order and conditions for their holding are regulated in the regulations of the higher schools.

A number of HEIs also run:

  • thematic science schools attended by students, researchers and business representatives;
  • courses for the continuous education of alumni;
  • targeted training requested by businesses in order to update the competences of working employees;
  • topical remote courses for employees to increase their aptness, etc.