How long: up to 3 years full-time or as an independent candidate, up to 4 years part-time or at a distance; an extension of up to 1 year is possible in exceptional cases. Doctorates are awarded by universities and research organisations.
Your status: legally you are a student; the state pays your health insurance contributions. You may work under an employment contract while studying.
How to get in: a master's degree. Full-time and part-time places are filled by a competitive exam within state-funded quotas; independent candidates are admitted outside these quotas.
Where to look: doctoral positions and calls are published on the websites of universities and their doctoral schools and on EURAXESS. Programmes in Bulgaria in our database: Bulgaria – 1823 doctoral programmes (as of September 2026) »
Sources: Eurydice – national description of third-cycle (PhD) programmes (updated 27 November 2023). As of October 2026.
Sources: European Commission – Study in Europe (education.ec.europa.eu/study-in-europe), Eurostat, official national study and residence portals and authorities, Eurodesk, enic-naric.net, studentnews.eu. As of September 2026.
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