The higher school education in Bulgaria dates back to 1891 when the Department for Natural History at the Sofia University was founded. The lectures in Geology and Mineralogy started also in the same year.
Nowadays in the "Geology" profile are prepared specialists for the following disciplines:
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Structure and geological history of the Earth.
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Underground and surface processes on the Earth.
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Regularities for accumulation and distribution of ores, non-metalliferous raw materials, coal, oil and gas.
There are Bachelor and Master degrees with respective duration of 8 and 3 semesters. The Bachelor Degree provides fundamental knowledge in all geological sciences. The Bachelor students graduate with a written state exam.
The following subjects are studied in the Master Degree:
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Paleontology and Stratigraphy.
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Geotectonics.
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Mineralogy and crystallography.
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Oil and Coal Geology.
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Economic Geology and Geochemistry.
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Geology and Environment.
The Master students graduate with a master thesis which is prepared during the third semester along with the educational process.
Educational and scientific research work is carried out in specialized, well-equiped laboratories for investigation of geological materials. The following laboratories are available: polishing/petrographic, chemical, X-ray, spectral, infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, atomic absorption, flammable photometry, laboratory for coal petrology and organic chemistry.
There are two museums: Museum for Paleontology and Geology; Museum for Mineralogy, Petrology and Economic Geology.
The graduates could work as specialists in:
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Prospecting and Mining Companies troughout the country.
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Laboratories and Departments related with preservation and recultivation of the environment.
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All kinds of laboratories investigating rocks, ores, oil and gas.
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Construction companies and institutes.