Faculty of Public Health, Health Care and Tourism

Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Public Health, Health Care and Tourism

Address: National Sports Academy, 1 Gurgulyat Str., Sofia, 1000, Bulgaria
dekanatozzgt@nsa.bg

By Decree No. 124 of the Council of Ministers in 1942, the Higher School of Physical Education /now the National Sports Academy/ was established. In 1947, by Decision of the Council of Ministers, it was renamed the Higher School of Physical Culture /HSFC/ with one specialty, “Physical Culture”, and training of specialists with qualifications as: “Physical Education Teacher”, “Coach in a Specific Sport” and “Methodologist in Mass Health-Improving and Therapeutic Physical Exercise”. In the same year, 1947, the Department of “Therapeutic Physical Exercise” was also founded. Bulgaria is one of the first countries in Europe and in the world to introduce higher 4-year university-type education in kinesitherapy. The specialties studied at the Faculty of Public Health, Health Care and Tourism are accredited by NEAA with the highest rating of “very good”.
At the Faculty, students are trained for the qualifications of “kinesitherapist”, “sports animator”, “coach in adapted physical activity and sport”, as well as in a number of master’s programmes at the Master’s Degree Centre. Training is conducted in the three educational degrees – Bachelor, Master, Doctor.

Bachelor’s Programmes

Specialty “Kinesitherapy” - professional field “Public Health”

The specialized departments where kinesitherapy training is conducted are “Kinesitherapy and Rehabilitation” and “Theory and Methodology of Kinesitherapy”. The four-year training - eight semesters in full-time form of study within 248 credits for the educational degree “Bachelor of Kinesitherapy” can be completed after secondary education and successfully passed entrance examinations. Training for the qualification “kinesitherapist” is carried out according to an approved curriculum, including basic disciplines /humanities, physical education and sport/, specialized, elective and optional academic disciplines, specialized /clinical/ internships, training courses /snow sports, water sports, tourism and mountaineering/, and the preparation of 2 course papers.
In accordance with the Unified State Requirements for the specialty “Kinesitherapy”, lecture courses in the compulsory and elective academic disciplines are delivered by habilitated lecturers in the respective professional field.

Specialty “Sports Animation” - professional field “Sport”

With the professional qualification “sports animator”, students acquire skills for providing, organizing and managing summer and winter tourist-animation activities.

Specialty “Adapted Physical Activity and Sport” - professional field “Sport”

With the professional qualification “coach in adapted physical activity and sport”  students acquire professional skills for organizing, managing and conducting training and long-term sports preparation in adapted sport.

The duration of training in these specialties is four academic years (eight semesters), only in full-time form of study.

Master’s Programmes

At the Faculty, students are also trained in the following accredited master’s programmes: “Kinesitherapy”, “Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation”, “Sports Animation”, “Adapted Physical Activity and Sport”, “SPA Culture, Eastern and Aqua Practices”, “SPA Culture, Hydro, Litho and Thalasso Practices”, “Creation and Implementation of Sports and Show Programmes”.

Doctoral Students

The accredited doctoral programmes at the Faculty are: “Kinesitherapy” and “Wellness – Health Promotion”.

Doctoral studies are offered in 2 forms: full-time /with a duration of 3 years/ and part-time /4 years/. Graduates of higher education institutions abroad may apply after recognition of their acquired higher education under the procedure of the Regulation on State Requirements for Recognition of Education. The training of doctoral students is carried out in a scientific specialty and according to an individual study plan.
Training in kinesitherapy has international recognition.

There are opportunities to participate in various courses at the Postgraduate Qualification Centre.

 IMPORTANT FOR FOREIGN FULL-TIME STUDENTS AND DOCTORAL STUDENTS

In order to be health insured, foreign students and doctoral students (full-time form of study) must visit the Territorial Directorate of the National Revenue Agency (Studentski Grad residential district, block 5, floor 3) with their identity documents in order to receive a personal health insurance number, which they must present to the respective faculty office.