During the conference on 25th of May "Bulgaria - Africa, 21st Century and thereafter" organized on the occasion of the Day of Africa by the Group of African Ambassadors and Honorary Consuls in the Republic of Bulgaria

in cooperation with the Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", PhD Elena Tsenkova from the Students' Admission Office, presented a report. It focused on the conditions and ways in which young people from abroad can apply for bachelor's or master's degree programs at the university. Because of the important and timely information - the training application period is from 15 June to 15 September 2017, we present you the full text of her speech.

Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" is the first institution of higher education (University) in Bulgaria, which was founded in 1888 to teach Law, Arts, Natural Science, the Medicine and Technological sciences.

Today, we are not only proud of our almost 130-year university history and traditions but also of our talented students and dedicated academicians.

We are proud that during the years the University of Sofia has grown into a fully developed European university and one of the most prestigious educational, cultural, and research centers in the Balkans. Being the largest and most prestigious university in Bulgaria, it is well-known abroad for playing a leading role in internationalization of education and science.

Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" is accredited and evaluated every 6 years by the Bulgarian National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency (NEAA). The present general institutional accreditation was given after a decision of the Accreditation Council from 25.10.2012 (valid until 25.10.2018). According to this act, the University’s achievements are generally assessed at 9.59 points (out of 10).

High ranking data has also been provided to the University by international ranking authorities with high credibility such as:

QS WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS (2017 ranking: amongst 651-700 universities in the world)

UNIVERSITY RANKINGS BY ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE (URAP)

RANKING WEB OF UNIVERSITIES

U-MULTIRANK and many others, which have placed Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" amongst the first 651-800 universities in the world.

The Ranking by Subject has placed SU in the first 251-300 universities in the world for teaching modern languages, for example.

At present, the academic structure of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" comprises 16 faculties that offer study programs leading to Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral Degrees and teaching more than one hundred undergraduate degree programs and over three hundreds master’s degree programs (after completed higher education) in humanities and sciences, programs in English and other foreign languages included.

The University is open to all international applicants who are holders of High school leaving Certificates or Diplomas for Higher education with Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree awarded (if they intend to apply for a higher university degree) that makes them eligible to pursue their further study at the universities in the country, in which they have completed their previous education.

Students can choose from among the different modes of study (full-time, part-time, or distance learning) depending on the programs offered by the respective faculties. 

The GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION are available on the University website www.uni-sofia.bg under the Admission Section.

The non-EU applicants for Bachelor's and Master’s Degree Programs (after completed secondary education) are required:

1. To have completed secondary education that makes them eligible to continue their studies in higher educational institutions in the country in which the applicants have completed their secondary education.

2. In the applicant's diploma for secondary education the grades relevant to the major applied for are not lower than 62% of the maximum grade in accordance to the grading system in the country, in which the applicant has completed secondary education (i.e. the equivalent to a grade Good 4).

3. To not suffer diseases contra-indicated to the area of study or the profession applied for. 

The applicants for Master's Degree Programs are required:

1. To have completed higher education (BA/BSc or MA/MSc).

2. The average grades of the applicant’s Diploma for the higher education (BA/BSc) is no less than the equivalent of Good 4 according to the Bulgarian system of grades.

3. The faculties may have additional requirements for some of the programs. 

I would like to draw your attention to the Master’s degree programs in English and/or other foreign language offered by Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" to the holders of BA/BSc Degrees.

The Master’s degree programs taught in foreign languages are enlisted below, faculty by faculty. I will start with the Faculty of Philosophy because of the nature of Philosophy to reflect our reality and encompass the entire world.

 

Faculty of Philosophy:

  • Master’s program Philosophy Taught in English Language – 3 semesters, full-time and part-time /extramural/
  • Master’s program Political Science – 3 semesters, full-time, in English or Russian
  • Master’s program General Psychology in English – 3 semesters, part-time
  • Master’s program Public Administration – 2 semesters, full-time, in English
  • Master’s program Rhetoric – 3 semesters, full-time, in Russian
  • Master’s program Library and Information Studies - 3 semesters, full-time, in Russian
  • Master’s program Gender Studies– 4 semesters, full-time, in English

Partner-universities are:

  • University of Vienna, Austria
  • University of Lumiere, France
  • Central European University, Hungary
  • University of Nottingham, Great Britain
    • Master’s program Media, Communication, Culture – 4 semesters , full-time, in French and German(bilingual), with the University of Frankfurt (Oder), Germany, and University of Nice, France    

 Faculty of Education:

  • Master’s program Management of Education - 2 semesters, full-time and part-time, in English

 Faculty of Primary and Pre-school Education:

  • Master’s program Special Education– 3 semesters, full-time, in English
  • Master’s program Educational Science and Intercultural Education– 2 semesters, full-time, in English

Faculty of Classical and Modern Philology:

  • Master’s program Cultural Liaisons and Geopolitics of the European Union – 3 semesters, full-time and part-time, in English
  • Master’s program Europe and Asia: Cultural Diplomacy and Geopolitics of the European Union – 3 semesters, full-time and part-time, in English
  • Master’s program Communication: Language, Literature, Mass Media – 3 semesters, full-time and part-time, in English
  • Master’s program Language and Culture – 3 semesters, full-time (flexible study program), in English
  • Master’s program Semiotics, Language and Advertising – 2 semesters (for specialists) / 3 semesters (for non-specialists), full-time, in English

(in collaboration with the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication)

  • Master’s program Anthropological Studies of the Mediterranean Countries and the Balkans: Italy – Bulgaria– 3 semesters, full-time, in Bulgarian and Italian(bilingual), with the University La Sapienza in Rome, Italy.

Master’s program Francophonie, plurilinguisme et mediation interculturelle– 3 semesters, full-time, in French (in collaboration with the University of Geneve)

  • Master’s programTranslation – 3 semesters, full-time, in Bulgarian and English / French(bilingual / trilingual). Specific admission requirements. The program is accredited member of the European network of master’s programs in Translation.

Faculty of Law: 

  • Master’s program European Union Law – 2 semesters, full-time, in Bulgarian and French (bilingual), with the Universities of Strasbourg, Bordeaux and Nice in France

Faculty of Mathematics and informatics:

  • Master’s program Electronic Business– 3 semesters, full-time, in English
  • Master’s program Logics and Algorithms– 3 semesters, full-time, in English
  • Master’s program Probability, Actuarial Sciences and Statistics – 4 semesters, part-time, in English

Faculty of Physics:

  • Master’s program Fusion Science and Technology (FUSENET Project)– 4 semesters, full-time, in English
  • Master’s program Wireless networks and device – 3 semesters, full-time, in English
  • Master’s program Aerospace Engineering and Communications (in 2 modules)– 3 semesters, full-time, in English
  • Master’s program Nuclear and particle Physics I – 3 semesters, full-time, in English(BSc degree in Physics required)
  • Master’s program Nuclear and particle Physics II – 5 semesters, full-time, in

English (BSc degree in Physics required plus knowledge in Nuclear and Particle Physics, according to the Academic Record of the applicant) 

Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy:

  • Master’s program Computational Chemistry – 3 semesters, full-time, in English
  • Master’s program Disperse systems in Chemical Technologies – 3 semesters, full-time, in English
  • Master’s program Polymers – 3 semesters, full-time / part-time, in English
  • Master’s program Contemporary Spectral and Chromatograph Methods of Analysis – 3 semesters, full-time, in English
  • Master’s program Functional Materials – 3 semesters, full-time, in English 

Faculty of Biology 

  • Master’s program Genetics and Genomics– 3 semesters, full-time, in English
  • Master’s program Genetics and Genomics(for non-biologists) – 4 semesters, full-time, in English
  • Master’s program Biochemistry– 3 semesters, full-time, in English
  • Master’s program Plant Biotechnologies– 3 semesters, full-time, in English

Faculty of Economics and Business Administration:

  • Master`s program Financial Management – 3 / 5 semesters, full-time, in English with the University Montesquieu-Bordeaux IV, France
  • Master’s program Business Administration – Human Resources Development – 2 / 4 semesters, full-time, in English
  • Master’s program Business Administration – Strategic Management – 2 / 4 semesters, full-time, in English
  • Master’s program Applied Econometrics and Economic Modeling – 3 semesters, full-time, in English

*All Master’s degree programs offered by the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration could be taught in English for applicants of non EU member countries, if any

Faculty of Geography and Geology 

  • Master’s program Applied Economic Geology – 3 semesters, full-time, in English

Our university welcomes the applicants from Africa and encourage them to submit their application papers as soon as possible, because of the procedure with the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science and the visa process that takes more time.

The document (Udostoverenie) on the basis of which a long-term stay in Bulgaria is permitted and a student visa (type D) is granted is to be issued by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science after the original application documents are considered by the University and the candidate approved by the Ministry.

In order to get admission and apply for a visa type D in time, the applicants are invited to submit in person or through an authorized agency their officially certified by the authorities in their countries (the country of the origin of the document), translated into Bulgarian an legalized documents at the Students’ Admission Office in the period June, 15 – September, 15 of the respective academic year.

I would like to announce that Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" did start the application procedure for non-EU citizens for the new academic 2017 / 2018 year.

For more details about the programs, please, look at the websites of the faculties that offer them or contact the faculty’s administration.

There’re also information brochures of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" at your disposal at the entrance of the AULA hall.

Knowledge is power and education is not only the bridge that links different cultures and nations but the only way to enlarge our human horizons and get more opportunities in our lives!

Photo: "Diplomatic Spectrum"