The teaching of West Slavic and South Slavic languages, literatures and cultures at Veliko Tarnovo University (VTU) has long traditions. It started with the lectureships in Polish language (since academic year 1973/74) and Slovak language (since academic year 1978/79) on the basis of the interstate agreements on academic, educational and cultural exchange and with the reception of lecturers from the respective countries.
Since the early 1990s for almost two decades, Polish, Slovak, , and Serbian have been studied as elective Slavic languages in the master degree program Russian Philology. They were also offered as optional subjects for students of other degree programs.
Тhe degree program Slavic Philology started at the beginning of the academic year 1993/94 with professors and lecturers from the Department of Old Bulgarian Language, General and Slavic Linguistics. The Department of Slavic Studies was founded in 1996, and since then teaching staff has been gradually expanding, including guest lecturers, lectureships with native speakers of Polish, Slovak and Serbian languages. Up to the beginning of the 21st century the program Slavic philology was a philological master's degree (10 semesters), with two equal professional qualifications: Slavic language and literature and Bulgarian language and literature. In academic yeas 1993/94 and 1994/95 students were admitted to study Polish, in academic year 1995/96, students were admitted to study Slovak, and since academic year 1996/97, students were also admitted to study Serbian and Croatian language. Subsequently, in academic year 2004/5 Slavic Philology was transformed into a bachelor's degree program with a study period of 8 semesters. In 2022 it was renamed to Slavic Languages and Cultures, offering philological education (8 semesters) with the professional qualification of Slavic philologist in the study of two Slavic languages and their cultures from zero level. Since academic year 1998/99 Slavic languages have periodically been included as second languages in the bachelor’s degree programs Applied Linguistics with Two Foreign Languages.
Currently, Polish, Slovak, Serbian and Croatian languages are studied in accredited Bachelor's degree programs from the Applied Linguistics group, as a combination of one foreign language from the high school level of study (English, German, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese) and with a second foreign language of choice, the study of which starts from zero level at the university. Polish, Slovak, Serbian and Croatian languages are present in innovative degree programs based on two foreign languages with a professional qualification as a linguist translator and with a profiling qualification: Applied Linguistics (Two Foreign Languages), Applied Linguistics (Two Foreign Languages and International Tourism), Applied Linguistics (English, Second Foreign Language and IT).
Students from other degree programs can choose to study Polish, Slovak, Serbian and Croatian in additional modular study Foreign Language (parallel language qualification lasting 5 semesters), or as an optional subject within 2 or 4 semesters.
The upgrading of knowledge and skills with Slavic languages is offered in two master's education programs – Translation Studies (Slavic or Balkan Language) and Translation Studies (Two Foreign Languages). After graduation, the professional qualification of an expert translator is acquired.
The doctoral educational and scientific program Slavic Languages aims to train researchers with in-depth knowledge (theoretical and applied) of a specific Slavic language (Russian, Polish, Slovak, Serbian and Croatian) in a diachronic and/or synchronic plan in the light of modern linguistic theories, but also in the context of research applicability. Doctoral study in Slavic literatures is offered within the doctoral educational and scientific program Literatures of the Peoples of Europe, America, Africa, Asia and Australia program.
In its half-century of gradual development, Slavic education and Slavic studies at VTU established highly qualified staff of scholars and lecturers with significant publications (dissertations, monographs, dictionaries, textbooks, studies, articles, reviews, participation in editorial boards in the country and abroad, translations), as well as successful graduates in the country and abroad.