Academic Degrees
According to the new structure of the curriculum the process of study is conducted in four academic degrees: Specialist, B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D.
A university degree is awarded to a student when she or he has completed a program comprising the number of years of study established by law and when he or she has successfully passed the required examinations.
The study program also involves regular attendance at seminars, the submission of reports and practical training. The transition to the four level educational system was completed during the 1997/98 academic year. In the 2001/02 year the last students under the 5-year educational plan graduated and were granted the educational degree of Master as per the requirement of the Act on higher education.
The first Bachelors graduated in 2002 and since the 2002/03 year Technical University of Varna has been carrying education of Masters according to the new curricula. The duration of Bachelor education is 4 years and for Master -1-1,5 years after the Bachelor Degree.
Structure
The Technical University of Varna is governed by its General Assembly, which elects the executive management, namely: Rector, Academic Council and Control Committee. All executive bodies are elected for a term of four years. There is a strong self-governance at Faculty and department level, which have their own collective management bodies elected independently from the University management bodies.
Library
The Library at TU – Varna was founded in 1964. It is a cultural and information center located on 1600 square metres, housing about 25 000 volumes. The collection can be accessed through a card catalogue or through on-line library catalogue. To consult reference works and periodicals on open shelves, no formalities need to be fulfilled. The access to the fund of the library is free for internal users. The library is connected via Internet with the libraries of other universities in Bulgaria and allows as well electronic access to catalogues, electronic issues, interlibrary borrowing of books. This university unit is equipped with an information system, the so called “Current contents – Engineering, Computing and Technology discipline comparison”, designed by the Institute for Scientific Information in Philadelphia. This system allows access to information directly from the author. The resources of the library and the reading halls’ capacity satisfy completely the needs of the studying students. During the academic year, the library is open on weekdays between 9 am – 5 pm, on Saturdays between 8.30 – 12.30.
Sports
A large and modern sports complex is at the disposal of the students. Sport teams represent the Technical University of Varna in student’s competitions. The Technical University of Varna has open and indoor sports facilities, providing excellent conditions for sports and entertainment.
The Open-air sports complex at the Technical University of Varna holds:
– Football playground, paved with artificial grass, (110 x 75) m. This playground can be used day and night.
– Basketball playground, paved with a flooring staff – (40 x 20) m
– Beach volleyball playgrounds
– Two basketball and volleyball playgrounds, paved with an asphalt covering
– Two tennis courts, paved with an asphalt covering.
The in-door sports complex at the Technical University of Varna holds:
-Fitness hall
– Multi functional sports hall (70 x 30) m, paved with artificial tarquet, EU certified for 9 types of sport games. This hall had been totally renovated to support the requirements for due training and organization of official sports events
– Table tennis hall
– Kick-box hall, furnished with all necessary needed equipment
– Hall, fit for dancing and aerobics
– Chess and board games hall.
National system of education
The start of the democratic changes in Bulgaria created conditions for the development of a new model of higher education. The adoption of the new Act on higher education and all its amendments as well as the inclusion of the country in the European system of higher education through the signing of the Bologna declaration, caused certain changes in the national system of higher education, mainly relating to:
– Creation of a real academic autonomy
– Expel of ideology from the study curriculum
– Introduction of the , three level system” of education
– Transformation of the two and three years educational institutions into colleges
– Introduction of a system for accreditation and evaluation of the higher education
The higher educational system provides academic tuition leading to the following degrees:
– Bachelor’s degree is awarded after completion of a study program lasting at least 4 years
– Study programs lasting at least 5 years lead to the Master’s degree. Alternatively, the Master’s degree can be obtained by attending a one or two-year study program following the Bachelor’s degree
– The PhD degree is awarded after completion of a study program following the Master’s degree with a duration of at least 3 years
Career oriented colleges offer education programs lasting at least 3 years and leading to a specialist’s degree.
Students’ knowledge is mainly evaluated by written examinations as specified in the curricula. The evaluation is based on a six-point grading system with 6 being the highest grade point. The mark 1 is not used. A grade point of at least 3 must be achieved in order to pass an examination.
