University of Forestry, Faculty of Ecology and Landscape Architecture

The University of Forestry, often abbreviated as LTU), based in Sofia, is a state university with 6 faculties with a total of 30 departments.

It is located in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria and is close to the Technical University and the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy. The University of Forestry has two Research Forests: the first one located near the village of Yundola in coniferous forest, and the other in the village of Barzia in deciduous forest. It also has a Training and Experimental Field Station in Vrazhdebna suburb of Sofia.

For more than 90 years now, the University of Forestry has been the only university in Bulgaria providing education in forestry, forest management, landscape architecture and wood processing. In the 1990s, the range of scientific fields was expanded to include ecology, agronomy, veterinary medicine and business management.

In mid 1990s, the University adopted the three-level degree system of bachelor, master and doctor degrees. At that time, it also introduced the European Credit Transfer System.

The motto of the University is Bulgarian traditions and European standards in education. As an educational institution the University of Forestry strives to establish an academic environment in which values such as professionalism, freedom of speech and thought, humanism, collaboration and tolerance are encouraged.

The mission of the Faculty of Ecology and Landscape Architecture is to prepare highly qualified specialists with higher education in ecology and environmental protection and landscape architecture, to ensure their successful professional and social fulfillment, and to develop research and development activities in the areas of professional fields. Combining educational, research and applied research activities solve problems related to the conservation and sustainable management of natural resources, and creating and maintaining a healthy and esthetic environment.

The aim of the training is to build specialists ecologists and landscape architects with knowledge, skills and competencies in line with international practice and national traditions and opportunities for creative solving complex tasks in terms of structuring relationships between the public and private sectors, developing technological and information environment and professional competition.

Achieving the goal is achieved by solving the following tasks:
- Providing modern advanced training in line with the European standards by highly qualified academic staff;
- Enter the integration of education with research and involving students and PhD in research;
- Providing modern material and technical basis, applying innovational and the best practices.

History
Faculty of Ecology and Landscape Architecture (FELA) was established in July 1994. With a decision of the Academic Council (AC) of the UF from 1999 it merged with the Faculty of Agronomy and in 2004 it is again restored. Faculty trains students in two specialties - Ecology and Environmental Protection and Landscape Architecture. Both courses are accredited by the National Agency for Assessment and Accreditation (NAAA) to Council of Ministers. The graduated landscape architects are more than 1 200, environmentalists bachelors are over 150, and over 300 Masters environmentalists.