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 operation authorization or accreditation.

Higher education institutions are education providers that carry out educational activities based on study programs authorized to operate provisionally/accredited under the law, for initial and continuous training at the university level, programs that operate on the principle of quality and alignment 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 system of higher education 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 nonprofit, and are apolitical. 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 responsibility is regulated for any higher education institution, public or private.

Through an annual government decision, the following are validated:

• Nomenclature of fields and specializations/university study programs per union
• structure of accredited or provisionally authorized public and private higher education institutions, with:
  • fields of undergraduate studies and specializations/accredited or provisionally authorized study programs,
  • geographical locations,
  • number of sop (transferable study credits) for each university study program,
  • form of education and teaching language,
  • maximum number of students who can be trained

The mission of higher education is to generate and transfer knowledge to society both through initial and continuous training at the university level, for personal development, professional insertion of the individual 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 sciences, engineering sciences, arts, letters, by ensuring physical and sports performance and 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 responsibility;

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 chiefly independence from ideologies, religions and political doctrines;

j) the principle of freedom of national and international mobility 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 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 next 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 awarding transferable study credits from a semester, a period of at least 17 weeks is taken into account.
• The university senate of each higher education institution annually approves, at least 3 months before the start of the academic year, the regulation regarding the professional activity of students, as well as the calendar of educational activities specific to academic study semesters.