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 temporary operation authorization or accreditation.

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

The national higher education system includes all accredited higher education institutions. A higher education institution authorized to function temporarily, 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 state, private, or confessional. These institutions have legal personality, are non-profit, and are non-political. Higher education institutions are legal entities under public law or, as the case may be, legal entities under 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, whether state or private.

By an annual government decision, the following are validated:

• The nomenclature of fields and specializations/university study programs per union
• the structure of state and private higher education institutions accredited or authorized to function temporarily, with:
  • fields of undergraduate university studies and specializations/study programs accredited or authorized to function temporarily,
  • geographical locations,
  • number of transferable study credits for each university study program,
  • form of education and language of instruction,
  • 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 the purpose of personal development, the professional insertion of the individual, and meeting the competence needs of the socio-economic environment, as well as through scientific research, development, innovation and technology transfer, through individual and collective creation, in the field of sciences, engineering sciences, arts, letters, by ensuring physical and sports performance and development, as well as valorization 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 national and international mobility freedom of 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 COVID-19 Law no. 1/2011 – art. 136)

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