The establishment of a dynamic model for career development and social status improvement of the academic staff is a true challenge in this sphere and aims to turn HEIs into true scientific centers.

The competitive examination procedures regarding the admission of full- and part-time Doctoral students as well as the occupation of academic positions in professional fields and specialties accredited by the National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency (NEAA) take place after an official decision by the HEI or the scientific organization to conduct a competition. The competition is announced by a publication in the “National Newspaper” and on the web page of the respective HEI or scientific organization.

The academic staff includes the people occupying academic positions in HEIs and scientific organizations as well as others under the Higher Education Act and the Law on the Development of Academic Staff in the Republic of Bulgaria.

І. Academic degrees are as follows:

• "Doctor" (academic and scientific);
• "Doctor of Sciences".

Academic and scientific "Doctor" degrees, as well as the "Doctor of Sciences" ones, are acquired only in HEIs and scientific organizations that have received accreditation to provide education towards a “Doctor” academic and scientific degree by the NEAA, under the conditions and in the order decided by the Law on Higher Education and the Law on the Development of Academic Staff in the Republic of Bulgaria.

Academic and scientific "Doctor" degrees and the "Doctor of Sciences" ones have an indefinite duration and apply in all the country's territory.

Scientific degrees acquired abroad are recognized by HEIs or scientific organizations in the Republic of Bulgaria in terms and order defined by their statutes and according to normative acts and international contracts in which the Republic of Bulgaria is a side.

The academic and scientific "Doctor" can be acquired by a person with the educational qualification degree “master”. To acquire the academic and scientific "Doctor" the candidate needs to defend a dissertation  under conditions and in an order according to  the Law on the Development of Academic Staff in the Republic of Bulgaria.

The dissertation is prepared through full- or part-time education or by individual training in a HEI's or scientific organization's Doctorate programme, accredited by NEAA. The preparation is possible in remote form as well. Full-time and individual forms of education last up to three years, while part-time and remote ones up to four. With certain exceptions stated in the regulation of the respective HEI or scientific organization this term can be extended, but by no more than one year.

A “Doctor of Sciences” scientific degree can be acquired by a person with the academic and scientific degree“Doctor”.

Persons with either academic and scientific "Doctor" degree or a scientific "Doctor of Sciences" one, related to the performed job receive an extra monthly payment of an amount decided by the Council of Ministers.

ІІ. The academic positions are:

• "Assistant";
• "Head Assistant";
• "Associate Professor";
• "Professor".

Academic positions are opened in HEIs and scientific organizations according to the conditions and in the order defined in the Law on Development of the Academic Staff in the Republic of Bulgaria, the regulations of its implementation and the regulations of the respective institution. Additional requirements about the occupation of the academic positions “Associate Professor” and “Professor” and the specifications about their separate professional directions can be defined through the regulations of HEIs or scientific organizations.

An academic position is taken according to an occupational legal relationship. The transition from an academic position to the same one or a corresponding one in another HEI or scientific organization, including ones abroad, can be also completed without a competition exam, and by decision of the admitting HEI or scientific organization under conditions and in order according to their regulations. If the contract of employment is suspended not by fault of the habilitated person all personal rights derived from the respective academic position are kept.

Candidates for academic positions in HEIs and faculties of arts and sports can apply with artistic or sports related accomplishments specific to the respective field.

Persons occupying the academic positions can be subjects to performance evaluation no less than once per five years.

Conditions and order for the occupation of the academic positions “Assistant” and “Head Assistant”

HEIs and scientific organizations hire persons for the “assistant” position with a fixed-term employment contract. The academic position “head assistant” is taken only by a person who has acquired academic and scientific ”Doctor“ degree in the corresponding scientific field. In medical universities and faculties and university clinics, in HEIs and faculties of arts and sports, in military high schools as well as high schools of the Ministry of Interior, the “Head Assistant” position can be taken by persons without an acquired “Doctor” degree when this is stated in the regulation of the respective institution.

Conditions and order for the occupation of the academic position “Associate Professor”

Candidates for the academic position “Associate Professor” have to comply to the following conditions:

1. To possess the academic and scientific degree „Doctor“;
2. And for no less than two years they must:
   • have occupied the academic position “assistant”, “head assistant”, or
   • have been lecturers, including part-time, or members of the scientific and research team in the same or another HEI or scientific organization, or
   • have been exercising artistic practices, or
   • have been specialists in their practice and possess proven accomplishments in their respective field;
3. To have presented a published monographic work or other equivalent publications in specialized scientific issues, or the proof of corresponding artistic accomplishments which do not repeat the ones presented for the acquisition of either academic and scientific degree "Doctor" or the scientific degree "Doctor of Sciences".

The academic position “Associate Professor” is taken via competition and selection. A competition for the academic position “Associate Professor” is ran if the respective educational or research workload can be provided according to the regulations of the HEI or scientific organization.

Conditions and order for the occupation of the academic position “Professor”

Candidates for the academic position “Professor” have to comply to the following conditions:

To have presented a published monographic work or other equivalent publications in specialized scientific issues, or the proof of corresponding artistic accomplishments which do not repeat the ones presented for the acquisition of either academic and scientific degree "Doctor" or the scientific degree "Doctor of Sciences" or the academic position "Associate Professor";

1. To possess the academic and scientific degree „Doctor“;
2. To have occupied the academic position “Associate Professor” in the same or another HEI or scientific organization no less than two academic years or for no less than five years to:
   • have been lecturers, including part-time, or members of a science and research team in the same or another HEI or scientific organization, or
   • to have exerted artistic activities, or
   • have been specialists in their practice and possess proven accomplishments in their respective field;
3. To have presented other original research, publications, inventions or other scientific or applied science developments or artistic accomplishments, which are evaluated in their aggregation.

If the candidates haven't been occupying the academic position “Associate Professor”, they need to present another published monographic work or other equivalent publications in specialized scientific issues, or the proof of corresponding artistic accomplishments which do not repeat the ones presented for the acquisition of either academic and scientific degree "Doctor" or the scientific degree "Doctor of Sciences".

The academic position “Professor” is taken via competition and selection. A competition for the academic position “Professor” is ran if the respective educational or research workload can be provided according to the regulations of the HEI or scientific organization.