Commodities Science Department was founded in 1948, simultaneously with the creation of the program Commodities Science. The first Rector of Higher School of Commerce – prof. Tsani Kalyandzhiev – was the first professor of commodities science in Bulgaria. In its 65-year history the Commodities Science Department is the only one national center for specialists’ training with university education in the field of quality and expertise of goods. It provides training of students in the bachelor program Commodities Science and in the master program Quality and Expert Examination of Commodities. Since its establishment in the department have been trained and graduated more than 3000 bachelors and 250 masters. At present 204 bachelor students and 33 master students, in full-time and part-time form, are training. The Departments is also an important research center for training of PhD students and for in-depth research on current issues with a scientific and practical significance – consumer properties, quality, management and product safety, standardization, certification, and etc.

All lecturers in the department are excellent professionals and researches. They are authors of numerous inventions, inventors’ certificates, patents (over 45), and more than 36 scientific developments. The members of the departments participate as experts and consultants in the state institutions and private companies in the field of standardization, quality management and commodities safety, certification of products and services. Published textbooks are over 150, scientific studies, articles and reports are also numerous.

Commodities Science Department maintains longstanding relationships with similar educational institutions in Bulgaria and abroad – Poland, Italy, Serbia, Russia, Ukraine. The department is desired partner and participant in national and international projects. It is a member of the International Society of Commodity Science and Technology (IGWT), and a member of scientific branch organizations in Bulgaria. The department organizes every four years international scientific conferences on assortment, quality, packaging and product safety. In order to increase the quality of education and the validation of acquired practical skills the department maintains partnerships with a number of state institutions and private companies in the field of inspection stock control, management and control of quality and product safety, trade, logistics and brokering.

By decision of the Academic Council of the University of Economics - Varna from November 5th, 2015  the name of the specialty "Commodity Science" at the University of Economics - Varna was changed to "Commodity Science and customs activities". The new disciplines, included in the curriculum, are Customs Activity, Customs Clearance, Tax and Customs Duties, Customs Regimes and Procedures, and Commodity and Customs Control.

Programs and curriculum of Commodities Science and Customs Activities meet the main parameters and professional orientation of those programs in a number of European leading universities, which indicates the relevance of disciplines and allows mobility of specialists.