POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION AT NATIONAL SPORTS ACADEMY “VASSIL LEVSKI”– RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS

ABSTRACT An important element in the system of educational and scientific activity of the National Sports Academy “Vassil Levski” is the Postgraduate education. This is dictated by both the mission and educational traditions of the Academy, as well as by the needs of Bulgarian society and the legal framework in higher education. The purpose of the study is to make a retrospective analysis of the Postgraduate studies at NSA “Vassil Levski”. The analysis was made by studying historical information included in different reports, Educational-Scientific Council’s minutes of meetings, memo reports, references with statistical data, regulatory documents, questionnaires and other documentary sources. Part of the collected data is subject to quantitative analysis and expert-analytical evaluation and summery. In the retrospective analysis, the Postgraduate studies at the Academy are differentiated into three stages through the prism of political, economic, legal and educational features over time. Some strategic goals, structural units, types and forms of Postgraduate studies are characterized and this is supported by information about the specializations and courses conducted over the years. The overall analysis, revealing the stages and the trends in the development of Postgraduate education provides opportunities through additional research to derive main perspectives that will serve to make strategic decisions for its expansion and improvement at NSA “Vassil Levski”.