The Department of Economic Sociology was established in 1975, as the successor to the “Economic Sociology” section of the Department of Political Economy. Its founders were Academician Jacques Nathan and Prof. Kiril Grigorov from the Department of Political Economy, as well as Prof. Zhivko Oshavkov, director of the Institute of Sociology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The first head of the department was Assoc. Prof. Tasho Pachev, and the research secretary was Senior Assistant Prof. Blagoy Kolev.

The following courses were first offered to students in the Faculty of General Economics:

- General Sociology by Prof. Mincho Semov, Ph.D. (Philosophy); Economic Sociology by Prof. Tasho Pachev, Ph.D. (Economics);

- Demography by Prof. Minko Minkov, Ph.D. (Economics);

- Social Psychology by Prof. Mincho Draganov, Ph.D. (Philosophy);

- Methodology and Methods of Empirical Sociological Research, taught by Prof. Ivanka Saykova, Ph.D. in Economics.

This development was a natural result of the qualitative leap that sociology in Bulgaria made after 1968. The main prerequisites for the development and progress of university sociology are as follows: During the period 1975–1984, the Department of Economic Sociology was headed by Prof. Tasho Pachev. The research secretaries were, in succession, Senior Assistant Professor Blagoy Kolev, Chief Assistant Professor P. Tsenov, Chief Assistant Professor D. Varzonovtsev, and Associate Professor Kolyo Ramchev, Ph.D. (1981–1990).

1. In 1959, the Bulgarian Sociological Association was founded.
2. The first large-scale sociological projects were developed under the leadership of Prof. Zhivko Oshavkov, Ph.D. in Philosophy, which became the intellectual foundation for sociology education and the professional development of several generations of sociologists.
3. In 1968, the Institute of Sociology was established, along with other sociological units—the Institute for Trade Union Issues, the Research Institute for Youth, the Institute for Culture, and other departmental units conducting sociological and interdisciplinary research— .
4. On the one hand, the international recognition that Bulgarian sociology received at the 7th World Congress of Sociology, held in 1970 in Varna; on the other hand, the intellectual impetus that the discipline gained from the congress.

During the period 1984–1986, the department was renamed “Sociology and Pedagogy.” By decision of the Academic Council, the Department of Economic Sociology was merged with the Department of Pedagogy and Psychology. The new department consisted of two structural units: the “Sociology” section, headed by Assoc. Prof. Blagoy Kolev, and the “Pedagogy and Psychology” section, headed by Assoc. Prof. Nayden Dimitrov, and later by Prof. Atanas Nikov. The head of the department was Prof. Tasho Pachev, and the scientifc secretary - Assoc. Prof. Kolyo Ramchev (1981–1990). In 1985–1986 academic year the department was divided into two separate departments: the Department of Economic Sociology and the Department of Pedagogy and Psychology. The department’s management remained unchanged.

During the period 1986–1990 the Department of Economic Sociology operated independently, headed by Prof. Tasho Pachev with Assoc. Prof. Kolyo Ramchev serving as scientific secretary.

The period 1990–1994 marked a new change — by decision of the Academic Council, a Department of Sociology and Political Science was established. The department comprised two sections: the “Sociology” section, headed by Assoc. Prof. Blagoy Kolev, and the “Political Science” section, headed by Assoc. Prof. G. Yankov. The department heads, in succession, were: Prof. Tasho Pachev (1990–1991), with Senior Assistant Professor Valentin Valov, as scientific secretary (1990–1991); Assoc. Prof. Blagoy Kolev (1991–1992), with Senior Assistant Prof. Andrey Nonchev as scientific secretary; and Assoc. Prof. Kolyo Ramchev (1992–1994), with Senior Assistant Prof. Andrey Nonchev as scientific secretary (1991–1994). In 1994–1995 academic year the department split in two new departments: the Department of Economic Sociology headed by Assoc. Prof. Blagoy Kolev, and the Department of Political Science, headed by Prof. Georgi Yankov.

From 1995–1999, the Department of Economic Sociology once again became an independent department. It was headed by Assoc. Prof. Blagoy Kolev, with Senior Assistant Prof. Vara Stoilova serving as scientific secretary.

During the period 1999–2004, the department was headed by Prof. Blagoy Kolev, with Assoc. Prof. Maria Stoyanova serving as scientific secretary.

During the period 2004–2008, a third change was made to the department’s name and composition. By a decision of the Academic Council of 9 February 2005, the Department of Psychology and Pedagogy became part of the Department of Economic Sociology. The merged department was named Department of Economic Sociology and Psychology. The chair was Prof. Blagoy Kolev and the research secretary - Assoc. Prof. Maria Stoyanova.

In the 2010–2011 academic year, by decision of the Academic Council, a fourth change was made to the department’s name, which remains in effect to this day. The Department of Economic Sociology and Psychology was renamed Department of Economic Sociology. Prof. Dr. Blagoy Kolev continued to serve as department chair and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Maria Stoyanova - as research secretary.

In the period 2012–2022, the chair of the Department of Economic Sociology was Assoc. Prof. Andrey Nonchev. The academic secretaries during this period were Assoc. Prof. Donka Nikova (2012–2015), Senior Assistant Prof. Mihaela Misheva (2015–2017), and Senior Assistant Prof. Todorka Kineva (2017–2022).

In 2022, Prof. Georgi Petrunov was elected head of the Department of Economic Sociology. Starting this year, the department also has a deputy head — Assoc. Prof. Todorka Kineva. The department’s academic secretary is Assoc. Prof. Dragomir Draganov.

The Department of Economic Sociology offers programs in two fields of study:

3.1. Sociology, Anthropology, and Cultural Studies, major in “Sociology,” and

3.8. Economics, major in “Economic Sociology and Psychology.”

Student education is organized into a three-tier structure: the Bachelor’s and “Master’s degree programmes, and a Doctoral degree programme in Sociology.