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 the provisional authorization to operate or accreditation.

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

The national system of higher education 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 visit 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 entities of public law or, as the case may be, legal entities 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, whether public or private.

By an annual government decision, the following are validated:

• The nomenclature of fields and university study specialties/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 specialties/study programs,
  • geographical locations of delivery,
  • number of transferable study credits for each university study program,
  • form of education and teaching language,
  • maximum number of students that can be trained

The mission of higher education is to generate and transfer knowledge to society both through initial and continuing training at the university level, for the purpose of personal development, the professional integration of the individual, and the satisfaction of 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 sciences, engineering sciences, arts, literature, by ensuring performance and physical and sports development, as well as the valorization and dissemination of their results. All these are achieved with respect for 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 national and international mobility freedom 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 generally begins on the first working day of October, includes two semesters, and ends on September 30 of the following calendar year.
• A semester generally lasts 14 weeks of teaching activities, usually followed by at least 3 weeks of exams.
• The structure of the academic year is approved by the university senate.
• In allocating transferable study credits per 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 academic year begins, the regulations regarding the professional activity of students, as well as the calendar of educational activities specific to academic semesters of study.