Varna
Naval Academy Varna
Varna, Bulgaria
Naval Academy Varna
Maritime University Varna ” The Bulgarian Maritime University . Since its foundation in 1881, its main objective has been to develop highly qualified leaders for the Bulgarian Navy and the maritime industry, to prepare them for the challenges of the transforming Navy and the rapidly changing sector of the global maritime economy.In 1904, it was upgraded to a secondary technical school, training technical staff for the naval forces and civilian shipping, as well as for industry, railways, coal mines, power stations, etc. The first effort to train naval officers for naval forces and civilian shipping was in 1914, and in 1942 the school was re-profiled into Maritime Academy, training deck officers and electromechanics. In 1949 it was renamed “Nikola Vaptsarov Higher Maritime Academy” after the name of the famous Bulgarian poet and revolutionary, a graduate of the Higher Maritime Academy of Varna. In 1960, when Bulgaria became a member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Maritime Academy in Varna became a world-class higher education institution (HEI), and in 1953 it began to train foreign students, and by 1993 students from 12 different countries were trained for both Army and Merchant Marine. In 1974, the Academy has modernized its old equipment. In 1986 the Planetarium (the biggest one in the Balkans) was launched, training students to navigate by the stars.
Strict adherence to the international educational standards for training of maritime personnel has always been the main rule for the Naval Academy. Today, it provides integrated training for officers both for the Navy and for the Merchant Marine in a military environment. Their education in “Navigation”, “Marine Engineer” and “Ship Power Plants” has been approved by IMO and the Academy was included in the White List of Educational Institutions with “approved education”. Since then the Naval Academy has been recognized by ship-owners all over the world without any additional exams.Today many graduated students from the Naval Academy work as engineers in various civil industries and many Merchant Marine officers are captains and ship engineers in foreign companies in England, USA, Germany, France, Japan, Norway and many other countries.
Why Naval Academy?
Nikola Vaptsarov Maritime University is the most authoritative center of maritime science and marine technologies in the country, which prepares world-class mariners and engineers. The Academy provides both theoretical and practical training, using state-of-the-art methods and technologies. The training facilities comprise a planetarium (the biggest one on the Balkan Peninsula), polygons, simulators, summer camp, boat base, sail training vessels “Kaliakra”and “Royal Helena”, sea born training base 421 and auxiliary training ship 206. Also an R&D laboratory for practical navigation, a magnetic compass deviation laboratory, and other facilities for training in radio navigation systems, gyro-compasses, echo-sounders and logs, ship handing and maneuvering, rigging, shipping operation, etc.
Naval Academy employs 116 qualified lecturers – officers and civilians, 44 of which professors and associate professors and 21 lecturers with doctoral degree. They are responsible to train moral and commanding skills, as well as strong discipline, which are the key to success in the Academy.
Naval Academy has received accreditation by the National Agency for Assessment and Accreditation as tertiary educational institution. It offers many Bachelor and Master programs in English. The diplomas issued by the Academy are recognized worldwide, so after graduation you will be able to travel under any foreign flag.
Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy is a co-founder and an active member of the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU). It maintains international contacts with similar schools and academies from the USA, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Ukraine, Romania, Poland, etc.
The Naval Academy offers 200 rooms in its dormitory, situated close to the university campus. The rent for a room is 70 EUR per month, including bills. This is the cheapest option for accommodation and a real advantage for the students.
Study Programs
- Faculty of Navigation
- Faculty of Engineering
- Post graduate Studies Department
1. Faculty of Navigation
- Navigation
- The training is conducted in English. The Department of Navigation successfully performs the training of highly qualified engineering specialists in the field of “Navigation”. The training includes annual practice in a training camp, a training ship, and other ships, where the sailing takes place in the Black Sea, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean.Upon successful completion of the four-year course of study, graduates are awarded a Bachelor’s degree. They could occupy the post of “Chief Mate” of all civilian vessels, as well as to be assigned to the following coastal positions: Ship manager, Ship agent, Broker, Freight expert, etc.
- Information and Communication Technologies in the Maritime Industry
- Language of instruction – English
- Duration of the course of study for a Bachelor’s degree – 4 years (8 semesters)
- The speciailty “Information and Communication Technologies in the Maritime Industry” is a new discipline, designed to train IT specialists who entered all areas of the maritime business. Wide-profiled training allows graduates of the speciality to become IT specialists outside the field of maritime business.
- Water Transport Management
- Language of instruction – English
- Duration of the course of study for a Bachelor’s degree – 4 years (8 semesters)
- The speciality “Water Transport Management” is the only specialty of the NVNA, accredited by the National Agency for Assessment and Accreditation in the professional field “Administration and Management.
- The speciality aims to satisfy the trend of increased demand for managerial staff in the dynamic international environment of water transport, with a combination of engineering, economics, management and legal education. It prepares future experts and leaders in international maritime trade, shipping business, port complexes and State control institutions.
- Exploitation Fleet and Ports
- Language of instruction – English
- Duration of the course of study for a Bachelor’s degree – 4 years (8 semesters)
- Upon successful completion of the speciality, graduates are awarded a Bachelor’s degree and are prepared for the positions of Organizer, Deputy Director of port and Head of a small port. They can also occupy different operator and expert positions in the port administration and in the shipping companies.
- Logistics
- Language of instruction – English
- Duration of the course of study for a Bachelor’s degree – 4 years (8 semesters)
- The education under this programme aims to prepare future professionals in logistics activities by building skills for effective management of commodity-tangible values and related flows among economic operators
- River Shipping
- Language of instruction – English
- Duration of the course of study for a Bachelor’s degree – 4 years (8 semesters)
- The training in the specialty is four years. Students graduate with a Bachelor’s degree and can occupy the position of “Deck Officer” of all ships, ships sailing on rivers as well as various positions in transport management process in ports and in merchant companies of river shipping.
2. Faculty of Engineering
- Marine Engineering
- Language of instruction – English
- Duration of the course of study for a Bachelor’s degree – 4 years (8 semesters)
- Upon successful completion of the four-year course of study, graduates are awarded a Bachelor’s degree. They could occupy the following positions: “Officer in charge of an engineering watch with maintenance” or “Duty engineer officer in an unmanned engine-room” on civilian ships with unlimited power of the ship propulsion system (SPS), a Second engineer officer on a ship with propulsion power of Ship propulsion system up to 3 000 kW, Chief engineer on a ship with propulsion power of Ship propulsion system up to 3 000 kW and Chief engineer on a ship with a power of SPS up to 3 000 kW on inland waterways in Europe. Graduates of the speciality can be assigned to various managerial positions both in the field of maritime and river transport, as well as in industry.
- Electrical Ship Equipment
- Language of instruction – English
- Duration of the course of study for a Bachelor’s degree – 4 years (8 semesters)
- Upon successful completion of the four-year course of study, graduates are awarded a Bachelor’s degree and a legal capacity as a seafarer “ship electrician”. They can occupy the position of “ship electrician” on board of the respective class of civilian ships and other managerial positions in the field of maritime transport and industry – Electromechanics, Power engineers.The curriculum is approved and meets all criteria and requirements of the Maritime Administration.
- Ship Repair Technology
- Language of instruction – English
- Duration of the course of study for a Bachelor’s degree – 4 years (8 semesters)
- Upon successful completion of the four-year course of study, graduates are awarded a Bachelor’s degree and acquire a legal capacity “ship repair technology engineer”. Graduates of the speciality can be appointed to various managerial positions in the ship repair and shipbuilding industry.
- Ocean Engineering
- Language of instruction – English
- Duration of the course of study for a Bachelor’s degree – 4 years (8 semesters)
- Upon successful completion of the four-year course of study, graduates are awarded a Bachelor’s degree. Graduates can occupy engineering, research and design positions in the field of marine equipment exploitation.
- Marine Radio Electronics
- Language of instruction – English
- Duration of the course of study for a Bachelor’s degree – 4 years (8 semesters)
- Upon successful completion of the speciality, graduates are awarded a Bachelor’s degree. They are prepared to work with ship and shore communications, radar and radio navigation aids and automation systems, as well as for their maintenance.
3. Post Graduate Studies Department
- Military doctor
- The training course is in the English language and lasts for 6 years. Upon successful completion graduates are awarded a Master’s degree.
- The training takes place at the Medical University-Varna, MMA (Military Medical Academy) -Sofia and NVNA – Varna in full-time mode of study.
- Military nurse
- Language of instruction – English
- The duration of the training is 4 years (8 semesters), and at the end of their studies, students elaborate a diploma thesis.
- Upon successful completion of the training, graduates are awarded a Bachelor’s degree.
Application Documents & Fees
The admission of prospective students is on the basis of documents with no extra exams.
- The applicant must have at least 62% of the overall maximum grade.
- Foreign students from non-EU member country who want to acquire a Bachelor or Master degree in English should pay the following annual tuition fees: Annual fee – € 3900 (The fee is payable in two equal installments of € 1850 each, at the beginning of each semester)
- For EU-citizens the respective tuition fees are 2750 EUR per year for full-time students and 1375 EUR per year for extra-mural students. The fee is payable in two equal installments before the beginning of each semester. The student signs a contract that guarantees that from the beginning of their studies to the end they will pay the same fees.
- Students with dual citizenship, one of which is Bulgarian, pay half of the tuition fee.