Program Site
Founded in 1991 as a joint Bulgarian and American initiative, the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG) is a private, highly selective, residential, undergraduate university with a strong liberal arts orientation. Bulgaria is a Balkan, Southeast European country with 13 centuries of dramatic history, a rich cultural heritage, an emerging democracy, and spectacular natural surroundings. The city of Blagoevgrad is the administrative and economic center of Southwestern Bulgaria. It lies close to the Rila and Pirin mountains, about 60 miles south of Sofia, the capital city, and about 80 miles north of the Greek border. A city of 80,000, Blagoevgrad has a large open-air market, a professional theater, an opera house, a national folk ensemble, numerous art galleries, an historical museum, cinemas, a variety of shops and restaurants, preserved traditional architecture, a local sports federation, an Open Society Institute office and a Rotary Club.

Academic Program Highlights
Participants in this program typically enroll in 4 to 5 AUBG courses per semester, for a total of 12-15 semester hours of credit. AUBG offers courses in a variety of academic fields: American Studies, Anthropology, Business Administration, Computer Science, Dance, Drama, Applied Economics, English, Music, History, Journalism and Mass Communication, Mathematics, Modern Languages (Bulgarian, French and German), Philosophy, Political Science, Natural Science, Southeast European Studies, and Sociology. English is the language of instruction.

Program Duration
September 6 - December 18 (Fall)
January 17 - May 8 (Spring)

Application Deadlines*
Fall, Spring and Academic Year deadline: April 1

*Note: Contact Rio Salado College for exact dates.

Recommended Credits
12 - 15 credits

Transcripts
For all courses taken at the American University in Bulgaria where there are equivalent courses in the MCCCD, the official record for those credits will be posted on the MCCCD, Rio Salado College, transcript.

Eligibility
Students of a sophomore or higher standing with at least a 3.0 GPA are invited to apply to this program, transcripts, essay, 2 letters of recommendation.

Student Life
AUBG provides an American-style housing system. Students live with AUBG students in 4 residence halls that provide a main desk with telephones, a television lounge, laundry facilities, a security system and study areas. Each hall has its own community feeling and has been adapted to create a living/learning experience. Students dine in a centrally located cafeteria. AUGG provides a Career Center, A Health Center, and a large variety of extracurricular activities. Participants may also take field trips to museums, nearly monasteries and archaeological sites.

Costs
The cost of a semester may vary as changes occur in the economies and currencies of the U.S. and Bulgaria. The factors listed below are used to calculate program costs.

  • Tuition at Rio Salado College (assessed according to the student's residency status).
  • Program costs in Bulgaria, including instruction, housing, application and orientation fees, insurance, books and field trips.
  • Transportation to Bulgaria.
Financial Aid
Any financial aid for which students are eligible during the course of their study at Rio Salado College, including Pell Grants, can be used toward the cost of the program in Bulgaria.

For More Information
Office of International Education
Rio Salado College
2323 W. 14th St.
Tempe, AZ 85281
(480) 517-8416
(480) 517-8849 Fax
Contact: Erma Abeyta, Director of International Programs
OIE@riomail.maricopa.edu