Sofia University St. Klement Ohridski

Uncle (or anyone else in the know):

What're your thoughts on these philosophy programs (master's and doctorate), taught in English and available extramural?

http://www.uni-sofia.bg/students/philos.html

2000 Euros a year extramural. Can't beat the price.

Any Carpathian wisdom about Bulgarian education that you would like to share?

BTW, I tried to search the board for this topic. I only got one thread about this university, but it wasn't about this program.

Thanks much,

marilynd

 

Univ. Sv. Kliment Ohridski

The university itself is wholly legitimate and prestigious to boot. I would regard a degree from USKO with admiration. The state-run universities in Bulgaria are GAAP.

Here's the catch, *if* there is one. There is an entity which I would not begin to assess called Ignatius University run by a Malankara Orthodox (I think) priest named Anthony DeLuca. Ignatius claims to have a dual degree program by which one is awarded a degree from itself and also a degree from USKO.

Since the non-Chalcedonian or "oriental" Orthodox are not in communion with the Chalcedonian or "eastern" Orthodox, I have been somewhat puzzled by the link between these two institutions, since it appeared to focus on theology and philosophy.

Perhaps one of our (eastern) Orthodox posters--Chris Larsen, IIRC--might know more about the issues implicit in the two preceding paragraphs. My information is a bit old.

In sum: I did not look at the link, Marilyn, but if it is run *directly* by USKO and in English and cheap to boot, I think you've got a newie but goodie here!

 

Pardon my non-Bulgarian interruption. I will be happy to learn that I am wrong in this matter but I do not believe that these degrees (Masters or Doctorate) can be completed in a 100% non-residential manner. Now this may not dissuade someone from pursuing such a program. I have, for example, calculated that even with a trip to South Africa, it remains well worth the cost. However, please talk with the school before making plans.
Jack

 

making SURE it's 100% DL

Good advice! Thanks, Jack.

 

Ignatius University is run by a cleric of the Syrian Crthodox Chuch (non-Chalcedonian) I believe. I ran across them briefly while investigating DL options in psychology. They claimed some sort of link with Sofia University in Bulgaria in which a dual degree was awarded. Ignatius does not have US accreditation and I believe Sofia University is the major university in the country. The whole set up seemed quite odd and made me wonder what the real story is/was. The non-chalcedonian churches are actually very close to the chalcedonian churches in practice and theology ... indeed in practice in many parts of the world such as the Middle East there is de facto intercommunion. The schools are legit but I wonder what the "catch" is. I remember coming across a webpage of a past student of the program who was an orthodox deacon in the NE part of the US. A google search might turn something up.

 

Uncle, Jack, Chris:

Thanks for the informative replies.

The site, which looks to me to be Sofia's Web site, specifically distinguishes between residential and extramural studies. Extramural in the UoL context would be 100% DL. Whether the term means 100% DL for Sofia, I don't know.

. . . but I will find out. I think I'll look into the horses mouth, so to speak.

BTW, the Web page specifically speaks about procedures for Asian applicants and an Asia recruiting office. Perhaps this is their target audience.

BTW2, there is no mention on the Web page of Ignatius.

I'll let you know what I find out.

marilynd

 

Please do so!
I am also enormously interested in this program!
Cheers,
Trigger

 

It's a go . . . . . . . I think

Today, I received a reply from Alexander Gungov, Program Director, concerning the philosophy doctorate taught in English at Sofia University. His responses to my questions were succinct but very cordial and encouraging. The salient points are these:

1. It is a taught doctorate. There are independent reading courses prescribed by the department, each requiring a research paper. Guidance is provided by faculty through email. 8 courses need to be completed. The specific courses to be taken will be determined by focus, I assume. It was not clear to me from his response whether these were year-long courses or what we would call semester courses.

2. At the end of course completion, the doctoral student will take a comprehensive examination.

3. The dissertation phase requires a proposal defense, a 250-page double-space dissertation, and a dissertation defense. Guidance is provided by faculty via email.

4. Jack was correct. This is not a pure DL program. Travel to Bulgaria is required, but it is not too onerous, I think. Gungov states: "You need to come to Bulgaria about three times: 1) to meet the professors and your dissertation supervisor and receive the general instructions; 2) to take the comprehensive exam and attend the first stage of the defense; 3) final stage of the defense." If you wanted to attend graduation ceremonies, that would mean a fourth visit, I suppose. Not too bad for a three-year program. You can hardly mind their demand to meet you personally. I'm sure they want to know that they are not giving the degree to someone's pet duck.

It looks like an interesting and achievable DL degree. I'm a little concerned about the 8 courses. If these are year-long courses, that's roughly the equivalent of 48 semester hours, which is in keeping with other taught courses. If they are 8 semester courses, there may not be much depth. It may be a sort of hybrid between a taught course as we would know it and a research doctorate, such that all 8 of the courses are directed toward preparation for the dissertation. We also didn't get into the question of language requirements either.

At 2,000 Euros a year, however, one can hardly ask for anything more: a GAAP doctorate, nearly entirely DL, and inexpensive. Sometimes, life is cruel and hard. Other times, it introduces you to a Bulgarian!

I'm asking for any literature and more specifics. As I learn more, I'll let you know.



marilynd

 

This is indeed a great oportunity for some distance learners at both the master and doctoral level. I am sure some here will be interested. THX, marilynd

 

I don't travel much and so after stumbling through a couple of travel websites (Orbitz, etc.) it seems that a round trip ticket would cost between $1,000-$1,500 USD (you can pay more but probably not less). Considering that there are essentially no US DL PhD Philosophy programs, and considering that most US DL PhD programs require some residency (meaning time from work/family, airfare, accomodations, etc) then I'd say that this program is a real discovery. Despite the residency requirements (and the associated costs) this is an viable, affordable program from a very well regarded school. BTW, the format sounds like some of the "new route" British PhD programs.
Jack

 

Some more information from Dr. Gungov at Sofia:

"The tuition is flat rate 2,000 Euro per school year for the extramural studies. The period of studies is 4 years. The tuition can be paid in 1,000 Euro installments each semester. The first installment is paid after you receive the official letter from the Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy about your admission."

The application process is a simple one-page application and obtaining apostilles of diploma and transcripts:

"You will need to submit also a photocopy of your . . . [personal info removed] degrees and your transcripts. They should go through a special procedure called APPOSTILLE. Usually, the documents of the American Universities receive the Appostille from the Secretary of the county where the University is located. Then, they have to be officially translated into Bulgarian and the translation has to be verified at the Bulgarian Consular Section. If it will be too difficult for you to secure the Bulgarian translation and the verification with the Consular Section, we can do this in Sofia after you obtain the Appostille; the cost here will be about 40 Euro. The deadline is in September."

I am assuming the 40 Euro charge is per document. Fortunately, Bulgaria is part of the Hague agreement that set up the apostille process. Otherwise one would have to go through a mind-boggling diplomatic chain-of-custody sort of certification. Nevertheless, the apostille process is complicated, and if you have multiple degrees, can be quite expensive. If you have degrees from different states, as I do, it becomes nauseatingly complex. The Secretary of State for Texas, for instance, requires that the diploma and transcripts be certified and notarized by the school. The notary's signature then has to be validated by the county clerk, whose signature is then validated by the Texas SOS before the apostille is granted. If you have different degrees from different states and/or different counties, this could become a long-time project. (I believe that the state apostille is all that is necessary; that is, that it does not have to go to the U.S. Department of State for a further apostille.) And THEN the whole lot has to be translated into Bulgarian. The irony, of course, is that the program is taught in English.

If it wasn't so cheap, it wouldn't be worth the effort . . . well, probably.

BTW, they are coming out with a CD-ROM about the program, which he is going to send me as soon as it's ready. I only hope it's in English.

Just thought I'd pass this along.

marilynd

 

I felt it was my duty to contribute to the thread on the Sofia University, and more particularly, the comment by uncle janko, for the reason that it seems to me that an information provided in 2005 remains a valid source of information for current references to distance learning options, and hence may guide or misguide some potential students in their quest for education.

To start with, I would like to remind of the caution to attribute one's personal opinion or experience to generalizations.

As it is correctly noted, there is a dual philosophy program between the Ignatius University run by Father DeLuca and the Sofia University administered by Professor Alexander Gungov, to which I was enrolled in 2007. In this regard, I can only present my respects to the personally caring approach and highly professional training offered by both universities. Since I lacked the transitional philosophical training before taking up the doctorate studies, the Ignatius University kindly gave me a chance to accommodate my existing skills through a tailored Master's program to the basic requirements of D. phil at the SU. Although I personally failed the course, I cannot recommend this program highly enough for those who are interested in different approaches of philosophy and a broader view on the existing diversities of the humanity. Hence, even if uncle janko's comment implied almost a secret religious society dealing with the Schism, underlying the educational organization between the IU and SU, in more profane words I can attest that the dual program is indeed a great effort to promote better understanding and cooperation between people and nations of the world by the proposed studies and/or consolidation of the analytic philosophy and continental philosophy on important matters.

ignatiusu.org/
Ôèëîñîôñêè ôàêóëòåò

Best regards,
J.E.

 

Holy thread necromancy, Batman! A seven year old thread!

 

It made me sad to see Uncle's words again.

 

Last year I had a lengthy email conversation with Alexander Gungov, the chair of the philosophy department, about doing a second doctorate with them. I heard about their Ph.D. in Philosophy, I'm surprised how difficult it is to find an accredited Ph.D. in Philosophy by research. Here are the pros and cons relevant to my situation:

Pros: Fully accredited. As has been mentioned above, it is accredited and actually highly respected. They are set up to receive GI Bill. Their degrees may be fully accomplished via DL and the coursework is available in English. Low cost. On the order of a SA degree. In a historic city that would be well worth a trip for graduation.

Cons: To apply one must have their entire degree translated into Bulgarian, not merely the transcripts but syllabi of coursework etc, a complete package, so that they can evaluate your degrees. While they are set up for GI Bill, they got set up for a Navy Officer some years ago but then he didn't do any coursework with the school. As a result, they are listed as an approved international school on GI Bill's website (I also called VA and spoke to GI Bill rep and confirmed that they are eligible) they have never done it and are uncertain how it works. It could be pretty tough to instruct an international school how to certify with GI Bill.

I decided not to pursue their Ph.D. or any other second doctorate for now as my life is just too busy with ministry, writing, and family, but they are a worthy option, in my estimation. Dr. Gungov is an international scholar who travels to the US with some frequency as I understand it. I enjoyed my conversations with him and I may one day earn a philosophy degree with them.