Faculty of International Economics and Administration
Department: Administration and Management and Political Science 
Professional area: Administration and Management

Speciality: Leadership in a Global Environment

Specializations: Business Leadership

Leadership in the Public Sector

          Leadership in the Non-governmental and Social sector 

Awarded qualification: A Master's degree in Business administration

Level of qualification: Educational-and-qualification degree "Master"

Length of programme: 1,5 years

Number of credits: 90

Field(s) of study (ISCED-F):Business Administration

Specific admission requirements: A Bachelor's/Master's degree in professional areas Business administration and Public Administration or in other majors; average mark not lower than "Good" and an entry exam.

Specific arrangements for recognition of prior learning:
Information and guidelines: ECTS coordinator of International Master's degree programme Business Leadership in a Global Environment- Assoc. Prof. Miglena Temelkova, PhD provides initial information about the application and enrollment: e-mail: megitemelkova@abv.bg, mobile phone number: +359886787575 
Procedures:

- Diploma of Higher Education and standard papers submitted duly and within the prescribed period;

- an entry exam (a motivation test) - it can be taken online as well;

- an interview with the successful candidates

- ranking and enrollment of the candidates.

Qualification requirements and regulations:

In order to get their qualification postgraduates must be allocated 90 credits -39 credits from compulsory courses, 12 from elective courses, 9 credits from optional courses, 15 credits from work placements and  internships and 15 credits from a Master's thesis.

Profile of the major:

The international Master's degree programme Leadership in a Global Environment is the first and only postgraduate programme in the country which integrates within complex, specialized and innovative methods of teaching Grid leadership with new, innovative and creative teaching methods and practical training in a real business, public and social environment. It is part of the project of Varna Free University  "Chernorizets Hrabar" for development of entrepreneurial attitudes among learners.

Postgraduates can choose their specialization in the field of BUSINESS LEADERSHIP, LEADERSHIP IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR AND SOCIAL LEADERSHIP.

The international Master's degree programme Leadership in a Global Environment uses as major teaching methods "group dynamics," "learning based on trainees'own experience" (learning by experience) and "learning based on trainees' own belief" so that a real further development of human abilities can be achieved for profitable management, based on a more effective leadership style and successful teamwork. Training (during the seminars) is carried out under the methodological guidance of Grid International Germany and workshops are entirely under the direction of managers from abroad. 30% of the lectures included in the curriculum of the international Master's degree programme Leadership in a Global Environment are delivered by lecturers from abroad. Educational content is structured in blocks (incl. compulsory, specialized and additional courses) and postgraduates work in educational training companies all the time and actually further build their managerial and leadership skills. The evaluation of the postgraduates'acquired knowledge and skills during the training is in accordance with the European system of accumulation and transfer of credits (ECTS), which allows for mobility of students and teachers, work placements and internships abroad and participation in inter-university seminars. Training within the programme covers the necessary volume of interdisciplinary theoretical knowledge associated with leadership and oriented towards the acquisition of skills to formulate and achieve goals by developing  relevant leadership strategies and policies.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OF THE PROGRAMME

Objective: Learners work in a real structured training company that develops a project to achieve a leading position in a global environment. In the course of study, based on practice, postgraduates  acquire in-depth, integrated and practical oriented knowledge necessary for the effective functioning of organizations and the achievement of leadership in a global environment.

• High quality training by certified trainers from "Grid International" - Germany and leading teachers from abroad in the field of science. About 90% of the educational content of the international Master's degree programme consists of a group dynamic process.
• Training through modern, non-traditional, innovative and creative teaching methods, well establishedin leading universities all over the world, but applied for the first time in Bulgaria as a whole conceptual framework.
• Interactive methods of teaching - role plays, seminars and case studies.
• Work in real business, public and social environment through the development of specific management tasks and projects.
• Active training by using:
• theory, observation, knowledge and experience;
• preliminary independent work;
• teamwork in real time, rather than theoretical problem solving;
• mutual challenges;
• presentations and discussions;
• doing multiple-choice tests;
• telling the difference between self-assessment and evaluation of others;
• team support.
• Partnership in the process of study by Bulgarian and foreign organizations, leading to the establishment of a link between theoretical knowledge  and  practice.
• Participation in master classes, all participants are awarded credits
• Practical focus of training:
• solving practical case studies;
• exchange of experience among the participants;
• training in a real business environment;
• development of a project;
• annual work placement abroad.

STRATEGIC PARTNERS OF THE MASTER'S DEGREE PROGRAMME
Grid Institute - Germany

Academy "Knowledge and Innovation Management " at Varna Free University Entrepreneurship Institute "Coventry" – Great Britain

Hotel "Kamelia" and aparthotel "Semeli" - Thassos Island, Greece

Key learning outcomes:

The successful graduates of the program must have a thorough knowledge of:

• the nature of leadership and its role in a globalizing world;
• the mechanisms for the formation of primary leadership policies and processes of decision-making;
• the modern tools of interaction between organizations in a globalizing world.

The successful graduates of the program must be able to:

• apply theoretical knowledge in studying and evaluating the real facts and phenomena of the economic business practice, social and public sectors;
• devise strategies and guide flexibly and innovatively the achievement of leadership in a dynamic, competitive and globalized market;
• integrate the acquired creative abilities for expert analysis and evaluation of complex problems and situations in the development of alternatives to management decisions;
• use adequately the acquired communication skills (including negotiation, teamwork, etc.).

The training in the international Master's degree programme Leadership in a Global Environment contributes to build on participants' abilities in regard to:

• defining the need for innovation and entrepreneurial project development;
• obtaining information;
• presentation of a well-grounded opinion
• conflict resolution;
• decision-making;
• dealing with crisis situations;
• dealing with failure;
• the practice of criticism.

Occupational profiles of graduates:
The graduates of the Master's degree programme can work in:

• EU institutions and other European and international business organizations - as senior executives and experts;
• In state and local administration, public service organizations, etc.;
• In the business sector - in companies whose business operates within the EU single market;
• In consulting and research units that directly support the absorption of EU funds;
• In the NGO sector - in organizations that protect interests in a European context.

The graduates of the Master's degree programme "Leadership in a Global Environment" are awarded a diplomasupplement and a certificate, issued by GRID Institut-Germany as well as  certificates of internships, work placements, master classes.

Access to further studies:

Educational and scientific degree "doctor".