About
The Sofia Semester offers qualifying AUBG students the opportunity to take a full load of AUBG credit-bearing courses for one semester while living in the capital city.
Most courses will take place at AUBG’s Elieff Center in Studentski Grad while others will take supplemental advantage of the Sofia location.
Of particular value are internship opportunities typically not otherwise accessible to students staying on the Blagoevgrad campus.
Fall '24
This semester is designed to be a professional semester
for Business majors with Junior or Senior status.
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Courses other than those listed below may be added based on student demand and student need, as determined by the Business Department Chair, Dean, and Provost.
If students need a Gen Ed or WIC, it will be offered if there is sufficient common need among the cohort to warrant offering it in Sofia. Otherwise, students will need to change their study plan to cover that requirement in a different semester or opt out of the Sofia Semester.
Blagoevgrad campus courses offered in online mode are available to Sofia Semester students. Students participating in Sofia Semester should not take more than two online courses.
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Academic (i.e., credit-bearing) internships typically not otherwise available to students staying on the Blagoevgrad campus will be available to Sofia Semester participants. These internship opportunities are strongly encouraged, though not required for participating in the program.
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The class days and times will be announced after internship opportunities have been prepared. Details about instructors will also be provided with the time of the schedule.
For BUS 4000, students will be paired with a faculty supervisor from the relevant disciplinary area who must agree to this formal supervisor role.
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The Elieff Center for Education and Culture is AUBG's outreach in Sofia. It is a space that fosters innovation through co-working and interacting in a creative community comprising academia, business, and youth organizations.
Elective
Strategic Management
BUS 4048
Consumer Behavior
BUS 3061
Human Resources Management
BUS 4050
Public Relations Fundamentals
JMC 3070
Internship
BUS 4000
Engaging in Sustainability
BUS 4442
Topics in Management: Project Management
BUS 4441
The Stranger
ENG 3481
8 / 17
Accommodation
Students will live at Kitchen 59.
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One student will be assigned to the role of Resident Assistant; this student will be the AUBG contact person for the cohort living there and a direct connection to AUBG Student Affairs. As payment, AUBG will cover that student’s housing costs for the duration of that Sofia Semester.
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The current cost is 1,150 EUR/student for the full semester in a shared room, but we are negotiating to try to bring that price down a bit.
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For the 2023-24 academic year, students will be given the option of choosing non-AUBG arranged housing if they wish. This means, for example, that Sofia based students may live at home if they choose. But non-Sofia-based students can also choose to find their own housing if they prefer.
Student Life
Students will enjoy a cultural program of planned events scheduled throughout the semester.
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Students will be provided AUBG transportation on a couple of key occasions during the semester to return to the Blagoevgrad campus for community-wide events.
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Students are welcome to participate in all Blagoevgrad campus events for which they wish to arrange their own transportation.
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The regular AUBG student activity fee will be charged. Along with funding ongoing student club activities (students may maintain their participation and club leadership if they can and wish), the fee will be used to organize occasional travel to Blagoevgrad (up to two trips per semester), to invest in activities and amenities organized for the students in Sofia. Students retain the right to apply for student travel fund.
FAQ
You still have questions? Here are some answers.
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Write to [email protected].
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Any AUBG Junior or Senior who can take a full load of courses from the limited Sofia Semester menu.
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No, this is not required for any major. It’s entirely optional. It is simply a cool opportunity!
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The move-in dates are the same as the Blagoevgrad campus; so, this is typically the weekend or the Monday before the start of classes (which is on Sept 7, 2023). Students must move-in prior to the orientation day.
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Yes. There will be an online information session sometime in August. The in-person orientation will be on Sept. 4 or Sept. 5.
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When registering for the Sofia Semester, indicate your interest in applying for the Resident Assistant position.
Candidates will be requested to participate in an interview.
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AUBG events that are open to all (such as an AUBG alumni event) may be attended by students from Blagoevgrad campus. Events specifically for Sofia-Semester students are limited to those Sofia Semester registered students.
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We will be looking for solutions for this, but right now the answer is no.
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For all student affairs and student life questions, please contact Dean Wien.
For all academic-related Sofia Semester questions, please contact [email protected].
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Students may maintain their participation and club leadership if they can and wish.
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We can arrange for certain hardcopy documents to be delivered between Blagoevgrad campus and Elieff Center at a regular weekly time.
