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 operating authorization or accreditation.

Higher education institutions are education-providing organizations that carry out teaching activities based on study programs authorized to operate provisionally/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 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 state, private or denominational. These institutions have legal personality, are non-profit and 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 accountability is regulated for any state or private higher education institution.

By an annual government decision, the following are validated:

• Nomenclature of fields and university study specializations/programs per union
• the structure of accredited or provisionally authorized state and private higher education institutions, with:
  • fields of undergraduate 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 language of instruction,
  • 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 continuous university-level training, for personal development, the professional integration of the individual, and to meet the competence needs of the socioeconomic 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 performance and physical and sports development, as well as the 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 liberties 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 normally begins on the first working day of October, includes two semesters and ends on September 30 of the following calendar year.
• A semester normally 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 assigning transferable study credits from 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 the professional activity of students, as well as the calendar of the educational activities specific to the academic semesters of study.