National Security and Defence Faculty

The Faculty of „NSD“ is a primary educational and research unit of the Rakovski National Defence College.

The faculty conducts scientific and applied research on national security and defence systems. It offers educational programs for the academic degrees of Bachelor and Master. It educates, supports, and facilitates the attainment of the educational and scientific degree Doctor (PhD) in the professional fields of National Security, Military Affairs, and Psychology. The faculty also conducts postgraduate qualification courses.

The Command and Staff Faculty is a core unit of the Rakovski National Defence College. The Faculty is considered to have been established with the order signed on 27 September 1950 by the Head of the Rakovski National Defence College, Major General Asen Krastev. Since 2003, it has been the successor of the Operational-Tactical Faculty.

Function

The Faculty of National Security and Defence (FNSD) implements higher education programs at Bachelor’s and Master’s levels, doctoral programs, and postgraduate qualification courses, based on continuous and targeted research of the national security and defence systems.

Contacts

Dean of the FNSO
Col. Assoc. Prof. Zhivko Zhelev, PhD
phone (02) 92 26 505
Fax: (+03592) 92 26 544

Deputy Dean of the FNSO Col. Assoc. Prof. Petko Petkov, PhD
phone (02) 92 26 533

Faculty Objectives

To educate senior officers in the theory and practice of managing the defence system and the armed forces, and to develop competencies for working in multinational teams aligned with NATO and EU standards.

To prepare experts who ensure coordination and cooperation among ministries, government agencies, the public administration, and local government bodies, equipped to address tasks related to the protection of both allied and national interests within NATO, the EU, and regionally or nationally significant security organizations.

To conduct scientific research contributing to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of Higher Education Area 9: “Security and Defence” and Area 3: “Social, Economic and Legal Sciences.”

To provide expert support to national security policy, the defence policy of the Ministry of Defence, the leadership of the armed forces, and the command and control system.

To participate in public and international debates on security issues, peacekeeping, civil-military relations, and training that promotes transparency and trust among stakeholders at bilateral, regional, and allied levels.

Guiding Principles

• Enhancing the effectiveness of the educational process
• Continuously updating learning materials
• Ensuring fair distribution of teaching workload

Courses Offered by the Faculty

Courses in Bulgarian (for functional and additional qualification):

• Strategic Course – full-time
• Strategic Course – distance learning
• Staff Officers’ Course for All Branches of the Armed Forces
• Force Resource Mobilization and Allocation
• Personnel Management in Military Units
• Human Resources Management in Defence
• Public Administration in Defence
• Public Relations – Level I
• Public Relations – Level II
• Civil-Military Cooperation
• Permanent Seminar with Senior Leadership
• National Orientation Course for Officers Graduated from Foreign Military Universities, Colleges, and Academies (Strategic Level)
• Defence and Mobilization Training
• Crisis Management
• Psychological Operations
• Anti-Corruption
• Adaptation Consultants
• Countering Modern Terrorism

Courses in English (for functional and additional qualification):

• Strategic Course – full-time in English
• Advanced Staff Officers Training
• Operational Planning in NATO (based on the Allied Command Operations Comprehensive Operations Planning Directive – COPD)
• Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) in Multinational Operations
• Strategic Communications

Partnerships Maintained

• Leading universities and institutes with whom academic programs and lecturers are exchanged
• The Consortium of Military Academies and Security Studies Institutes under the „Partnership for Peace“ program, NATO’s education and training policy in the framework of the DEEP (Defence Education Enhancement Programme), and others.

Accreditation

The Faculty of National Security and Defence holds an international LLOYD’S REGISTER certificate in accordance with ISO 9001:2015 standard.