• Regular - 2 semesters - Info Pack
• Regular - 4 semesters - Info Pack

EDUCATIONAL GOALS

The master's program in "Social-pedagogical Prevention and Counseling" allows pedagogues who have completed a bachelor's or master's degree in specialties from the professional area "Pedagogy" to specialize and work in the field of social-pedagogical prevention, mediation and counseling in the socio-educational sphere.

The growing need of curtailing the negative social phenomena in the modern society through preventive intervention, socio-educational and psychological-educational support to people at risk determines the necessity of preparing highly qualified specialists for the social-pedagogical prevention system.

The instruction in the master's program in social-pedagogical prevention and counseling aims at preparing professionals with professional qualifications. They are given an opportunity for fulfilling career in the social-pedagogical prevention system, counseling and mediation in problems, associated with personality dis-adaptation, implementation of efficient preventive and counseling work, oriented towards encouraging and supporting the psychosocial development of the personality as well as stimulating the creation and sustainment of positive relationships in the social group and community.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

The curriculum and syllabi are developed in accordance with the requirements of the policies of higher education in Bulgaria.

The duration of the program is 2 (two) semesters. The curriculum provides 390 academic hours and 60 ECTS credits. The ECTS credits are divided equally in the two semesters according to the State requirements (article 44а of the Law for change and complementing the Law for higher education - Official Gazette, vol. 48/04.06.2004 and Regulation № 21 from 30.09.2004 for the application of the system for credit transfer in higher educational institutions - Official Gazette, vol. 89/12.10.2004).

The structure of the programme offers compulsory, elective and facultative courses.

The compulsory courses guarantee an in-depth theoretical and specialized training for the implementation of efficient preventive, intermediary and counseling work.

The elective courses provide an extension and building on the theoretical and specialized training in the field through mastering specific knowledge and competences.

The facultative courses enable students to acquire new skills and knowledge of their interest that are not a part of the curriculum.

Students are to graduate after they successfully pass their final exam or defend their master thesis. For that final part of the master's programme they gain 10 ECTS credits (article 10 of 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 that students gain gives them a competitive edge on the labour market as special education specialists or resource teachers or to continue their education in Bulgaria or abroad.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

The students who have successfully completed the master's program in social-pedagogical prevention and counseling acquire the professional qualification "master - pedagogue of social-pedagogical prevention and counseling". They are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to perform counseling and preventive educational work in school and out-of-class environment as well as at the institutions, engaged in social-pedagogical prevention.

Graduate Master's students have a future possibility:

• to specialize in different forms of continuing education and lifelong learning;
• to proceed with their education in Ph.D degree