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

Higher education institutions are educational providers that carry out educational activities based on study programs authorized to function provisionally/accredited under the law, for both initial and continuing university-level training, programs that operate on the principle of quality and aligning 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 may be public, private, or denominational. These institutions have legal personality, are nonprofit, 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. Public accountability is also regulated for any higher education institution, public or private.

By an annual government decision, the following are validated:

• The nomenclature of the fields and specializations/university study programs per union
• the structure of public and private higher education institutions accredited or authorized to operate provisionally, with:
  • fields of undergraduate studies and the specializations/accredited or provisionally authorized study programs,
  • geographical locations of operation,
  • the number of transferable study credits for each university study program,
  • form of education and language of instruction,
  • the maximum number of students that can be enrolled

The mission of higher education is to generate and transfer knowledge to society both through initial and continuing university training for personal development, the professional integration of the individual, and meeting the competence needs of the socio-economic environment, as well as through scientific research, development, innovation and technological transfer, through individual and collective creation, in the fields of science, engineering, arts, letters, by ensuring performance and physical and sports development, as well as the capitalization and dissemination of their results. All these are carried out in compliance with 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 respecting 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, teaching staff, 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, usually followed by a minimum of 3 weeks of exams.
• The structure of the academic year is approved by the university senate.
• When assigning 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 regulations concerning students' academic activity, as well as the calendar of educational activities specific to the academic study semesters.