• Regular - 8 semesters

Organization of the education

The curricular and the course of study in the major 'Social Pedagogy' are developed in accordance with the accepted standards in the field of the professional training of social pedagogues and meet the requirements set in the Law for Higher Education.

The duration of course of study is 4 years (8 semesters). The curriculum has a total of 2384 academic hours and grants 240 ECTS credits distributed equally through the semesters. The curriculum is structurally comprised by compulsory, elective and extracurricular courses.

The compulsory curricular courses (1875 academic hours- 194 credits) guarantee the acquisitions of the fundamental theoretic basis and also a more specialized training in the specialty. The course of study provides the students with a profound knowledge in different scientific fields such as pedagogy, psychology, sociology, philosophy and also develops their integrated and interdisciplinary competence, The practical training of the students is based on seminars and actual school and social institution visits and practice (180 academic hours).

The elective curricular courses (510 academic hours - 47 credits) are introduces in the second semester and provide an extended theoretical and specialized training in the field of social pedagogy. They add to and specify the knowledge and competences already acquired through the studying of the courses from the compulsory group. The different types of school and social institution practices and trainings total 195 academic hours within the elective courses load.

The percent ratio between the compulsory and elective courses in the curriculum is 79:21.

The extracurricular courses provide the students with the possibility to acquire knowledge and skills in different scientific fields they are interested in.

Students graduate after successfully passing their theoretical and practical state exams or successfully defend their Bachelor thesis (10 ECST credits as per article 10 in regulation 21 from 30.09. 2004)

Educational mobility and international compatibility of the expertise gained

The curricula contents, the programme structure, ECTS, the quality of education and the qualification gained enable students to be competitive on the labour market as social pedagogues or to continue their education in Bulgaria or abroad.

Qualifications and Career development.

The students who have graduated as Bachelors from the Social Pedagogy major gain the professional qualification 'social pedagogue'. They are trained to pedagogically and expertly help, consult and organize activities for children, adults and elderly people with social and/or pedagogical issues and can also participate in educational activities in both school and out-of-school institution.

The following career development and professional realization opportunities are available for the student who has graduated from the major Social Pedagogy.

• In the system of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Science as:

-An educator in elementary and secondary schools, social and pedagogical institution, specialized schools and orphanages, non-school institutions and centers for work with children and adolescence, in holiday structures and correction institutions;

-an educator and social pedagogue in special school;

-       a pedagogical counselors in schools;

-       an expert on regional school board related to the specific education needs of children with behavioral deviation.

-       an expert with the local education council;

-       a consultant and expert in socio-pedagogical centers and socio-therapeutic institutions, in social day care centers and in homes for old people and homes for people in socially unequal situations.;

-       a consultant and an organizer of social and cultural activities for people of different age, ethnos and professional groups in NGOs and charities within the system of life-long learning.

-       an analysis specialist in education and an explorer in the field of Social Pedagogy.

• In the system of the Ministry of the Internal Affairs as:

-       an inspector who investigates and works in dealing with children crime;

-       a social pedagogue in temporary homes for children and adolescence;

-       a social pedagogue for commissions and centers for prevention of children and adolescence crime and problematic behaviour;

-       a social educator.

• In the Judicial System as:

-       an educator and a social pedagogue in penalty institutions;

-       an educator and a social pedagogue in correctional institutions and probation centers.

• In the system of the Ministry of labour and social policy as:

-       an expert in local and regional commissions and departments for child protection and help.

Possible occupations:

According to the national classification of the occupations and professions in Republic of Bulgaria (2011) the occupations which the social pedagogues can take include:

• class 2- specialist:

- group 2359 - other types of teacher and educators ( deputy principles in the areas of educational and creative activities; junior educator, senior educator, chief educator, pedagogical advisor, manager of educational activities, educational activity controller);

- group 2635 - social work specialists and consultants (social services worker, social worker to work with children, social worker in social protection departments to work with families, social worker for people with deviation in behaviour, social worker for criminals, specialist in social aid and orientation for people in correctional institution, family counselor and children and adolescence counselor.);

• class 3 - Technicians and functional specialists:

- group 3412 - Functional specialists in social service (collaborator in social work with children, collaborator in social work at Social Protection departments, collaborator in social work with families, social services collaborator/ people with anti-ethical behaviour/, social services collaborator /people at penalty institutions/, social aid collaborator /social orientation and aid /prisons/, collaborator in addiction prevention).

The BA graduate in Social Pedagogy can further:

-       specialize in different post-graduate programmes and trainings;

-       continue his/her education to obtain a Master's Degree.