Higher education is organized in universities, academies of studies, institutes, schools of higher studies, hereinafter referred to as higher education institutions or universities, which have obtained provisional authorization to operate or accreditation.

Higher education institutions are education provider organizations that carry out educational activities based on study programs authorized to operate provisionally/accredited under the law, for initial and continuous university-level training, programs operating on the principle of quality and correlating the educational offer with the labor market.

The national higher education system includes all accredited higher education institutions. A higher education institution authorized to operate provisionally, according to the legal procedures in force, becomes part of the national higher education system only after accreditation. For more information, you can also access the website of the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education – www.aracis.ro.

Higher education institutions can be public, private, or denominational. These institutions have legal personality, are non-profit, and are apolitical. Higher education institutions are legal persons of public law or, as the case may be, legal persons of private law and of public utility.

University autonomy is guaranteed by the Constitution. Academic freedom is guaranteed by law. Also, public accountability is regulated for any higher education institution, public or private.

By an annual government decision, the following are validated:

• The nomenclature of fields and university study specializations/programs per union
• The structure of accredited or provisionally authorized public and private higher education institutions, with:
  • fields of bachelor's university studies and accredited or provisionally authorized specializations/study programs,
  • geographical locations of activity,
  • number of transferable study credits for each university study program,
  • form of education and teaching language,
  • the maximum number of students who can be enrolled

The mission of higher education is to generate and transfer knowledge to society both through initial and continuous university-level training, for personal development, the individual's professional integration, and meeting the competence needs of the socioeconomic environment, as well as through scientific research, development, innovation and technological transfer, through individual and collective creation, in the fields of science, engineering sciences, arts, humanities, by ensuring performance and physical and sports development, as well as the valorization and dissemination of their results. All these are carried out respecting the following principles:

a) the principle of university autonomy;

b) the principle of academic freedom;

c) the principle of public accountability;

d) the principle of quality assurance;

e) the principle of equity;

f) the principle of managerial and financial efficiency;

g) the principle of transparency;

h) the principle of respect for the rights and freedoms of students and academic staff;

i) the principle of independence from ideologies, religions and political doctrines;

j) the principle of freedom of national and international mobility for students, teachers and researchers;

k) the principle of consulting social partners in decision-making;

l) the principle of student-centered education.

Structure of the academic year (according to Law no. 1/2011 – art. 136)

• The academic year usually starts on the first working day of October, includes two semesters, and ends on September 30 of the following calendar year.
• A semester usually has a duration of 14 weeks of teaching activities followed, usually, by at least 3 weeks of exams.
• The structure of the academic year is approved by the university senate.
• When awarding transferable study credits in a semester, a period of at least 17 weeks is considered.
• The university senate of each higher education institution approves annually, at least 3 months before the start of the academic year, the regulation regarding students’ academic activity, as well as the calendar of educational activities specific to the academic study semesters.