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 authorization to operate 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, of initial and continuing university-level training, programs that operate on the principle of quality and the 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 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 non-profit and 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, public or private.

By annual government decision, the following are validated:

• Nomenclature of domains and specializations/undergraduate study programs per union
• the structure of state and private higher education institutions accredited or authorized to operate provisionally, with:
  • fields of undergraduate studies and accredited study specializations/programs or authorized to operate provisionally,
  • geographic locations for activities,
  • number of transferable study credits for each undergraduate 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 continuing training at university level, for the purpose of personal development, professional insertion of the individual and meeting the competency needs of the socio-economic environment, as well as through scientific research, development, innovation and technological transfer, through individual and collective creation, in the field of sciences, engineering sciences, arts, letters, through 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 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 university year (according to Law no. 1/2011 – art. 136)

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