Academic credits   

Balkan Heritage Field School (BHFS) has the advantage of being affiliated with academic institutions in Bulgaria, Canada and the USA. The following universities award academic credits to students who participate in BHFS projects: New Bulgarian University, Bulgaria; Connecticut College through the Institute for Field Research, USA; and Queen's University, Canada. Participants who are not interested in academic credits are not expected neither to pay the additional cost of the universities' tuition fees nor to take part in activities related to academic curriculum (exams, academic reports, etc.).   

New Bulgarian University (Bulgaria)

The Balkan Heritage Foundation signed, in 2009, an affiliation agreement with New Bulgarian University (NBU). Through this agreement, Balkan Heritage Field School (BHFS) has been providing students the opportunity to obtain by request ECTS credits awarded by NBU for their participation in all the BHFS projects. The Centre for Professional and Continuing Education (CCE), NBU grants between 3 to 12 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) for attendance of different BHFS projects. It issues Transcript of Records (ToR) and transfers the credit hours to the student and the student’s home institution for an additional fee - please, refer to the Instructions for obtaining Transcripts of Records issued by the New Bulgarian University below. Syllabi are available upon request.   

Please contact your academic advisor prior to requesting credits to ensure that these ECTS are accepted and recognised by your university.

New Bulgarian University (est. 1991) is a modern Bulgarian academic institution with undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate programs in the humanities and social sciences, natural sciences, new technologies as well as arts. Since 2004, New Bulgarian University has been the exclusive representative for Bulgaria of the Open University (UK) in the field of distance education.   

As a part of the New Bulgarian University Program, all the Balkan Heritage Field School projects meet high educational standards. Quality of education is guaranteed by the professionalism, experience and reputation of instructors in charge and project monitoring and evaluation performed by the Department of Archaeology, NBU.

NBU tuition fees for three / six / nine / twelve academic credits are as follows:

• for EU nationals – 200/ 400/ 600/ 800 EUR
• for all other international students – 300/ 600/ 900/ 1200 EUR

Institute for Field Research and Connecticut College (USA)

In 2015, Balkan Heritage Foundation (BHF), Bulgaria, and the Institute for Field Research (IFR), USA started a strategic partnership and created the BHF-IFR Program for the Balkans. Thanks to this Program, students, when enrolled through Institute for Field Research (IFR) and attending specific field school sessions which are included in the BHF-IFR Program for the Balkans can now earn up to 8 US semester credit units. These credit units are awarded by the IFR's academic partner – Connecticut College. In addition, these students shall be covered under all relevant insurance policies issued by IFR.

For more information, please contact the Balkan Heritage Admissions Officer by e-mail at: [email protected]   

Queen’s University (Canada)

In 2024, 6.0 Queen’s University credits (1 term) are available for qualified Queen's University students (fourth-year undergraduate students and Graduate/Master's students) attending the Stobi Excavation. Interested students are asked to please contact the head instructor, Dr. George Bevan ([email protected]) for more information as soon as possible. Students must have at least second year standing and permission of the Department of Classics, Queen’s University, to register.

NB! All non-Queen's University students participating in the Stobi Excavation Project can obtain academic credit units through either New Bulgarian University, Bulgaria or Connecticut College. 

For more information, please contact the Balkan Heritage Admissions Officer by e-mail at: [email protected]

Where to enroll to obtain academic credits?   

New Bulgarian University (NBU) provides 3, European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits for one-week sessions, 6 for two-week sessions, 9 for three-week sessions and 12 ECTS credits for four-week project sessions at the Balkan Heritage Field School. Transcripts of Records (ToR) can be obtained upon request for an additional tuition fee, applicable to students globally, except for project sessions included in the BHF-IFR Program for the Balkans. For these specific project sessions, NBU can only sponsor academic credits for students studying in Europe (EU, EEA, CH, and countries from the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe, and Southern Caucasus). Other students attending these projects are eligible to obtain US credit units only.    

US credit units are available to all students attending any 3-week or longer field school session included in the BHF-IFR Program for the Balkans. To obtain US credit units students must enroll through the Institute for Field Research (IFR), USA. They will be awarded up to 8 semester credit units (equivalent to 12 quarter units) through our academic partner Connecticut College and will receive a letter grade. The tuition fee is included in the IFR admission fee. 

Participants in the BHFS who do not need academic credit units are not expected to pay for them.

Number/Type of credit units sponsored through the Balkan Heritage Field School academic partners:     

  ECTS = European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System

How to obtain academic credits from NBU?

• After registering in any of the credit eligible Balkan Heritage Field School projects/courses, please contact the Balkan Heritage Admissions Officer by e-mail at: [email protected] and declare your interest in obtaining academic credits.
• The Balkan Heritage Admissions Officer will send you, within a short period, a TRANSCRIPT REQUEST FORM. You will be expected to complete, print, sign, scan and return this form by e-mail to the Balkan Heritage Admissions Officer at least 30 days before the project starting date. Please note that the Transcript Request Form must be typed, handwritten forms will not be accepted!    
• You must either transfer the full amount of the tuition fee (corresponding to the expected credits’ number) to the Balkan Heritage Foundation bank account (bank details are specified in the TRANSCRIPT REQUEST FORM), including covering all related bank fees  (including those of the corresponding bank if any) at least 14 days prior to the project starting date; or pay the tuition fee in cash to the Balkan Heritage Foundation after arrival. Please note that the cost for participation in the BHFS project and the tuition fee for obtaining ToR must be transferred in separate bank transfers!    
• The amount transferred is fully refundable (minus bank fees), if a cancellation request is sent in written at least 10 days prior to the project starting date. Cancellation requests sent in the 10-day period prior to the project starting date are eligible only in case of VIS MAJOR (nature disaster, epidemic or pandemic disease or other cases of VIS MAJOR). Sickness, personal troubles, criminal offenses, loss of tickets and passports or not receiving visa shall not be considered as cases of VIS MAJOR. Cancellation requests apply only to the issue of the Transcript of Records by New Bulgarian University and not to the participation in the Balkan Heritage Field School project.
• You will receive the highest number of academic credits granted according to your project, if you attend at least 85% of the project program (fieldwork, lectures, training and workshops). Balkan Heritage Field School and New Bulgarian University retain the right to decrease the number of credits granted to students who attend less than 85% of the project program without refund of any of the tuition fee transferred.
• New Bulgarian University will issue and send the ToR to both the home institution and the student within a 60-day period following the end of the Balkan Heritage Field School project/course, but New Bulgarian University and Balkan Heritage Field School are not responsible for the duration of the mail delivery.*   
• An official extra copy “TRUE TO THE ORIGINAL” of the Transcript of Records (ToR) can be issued from New Bulgarian University and sent to any recipient upon request for an additional fee of 20 EUR (this fee shall be transferred to New Bulgarian University). The document/s will be issued and sent within the 10-day-period following the receipt of the bank transfer.*

* All the documents can be mailed to any address worldwide via DHL courier upon request for an additional fee according to the current DHL shipping rates.