Higher education is organized in universities, study academies, 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 aligning educational offerings 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 current legal procedures, becomes part of the national higher education system only after accreditation. For more information you can also visit the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education website - www.aracis.ro .

Higher education institutions can be state, private or denominational. These institutions have legal personality, are nonprofit and are apolitical. Higher education institutions are legal persons of public law or, as the case may be, legal persons of private law and 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, state or private.

By an annual government decision, the following are validated:

• The list of domains and university specializations/programs per union
• The structure of accredited state and private higher education institutions or those authorized to operate provisionally, with:
  • fields of undergraduate university studies and specializations/programs of studies accredited or authorized to operate provisionally,
  • geographical locations of activity,
  • number of transferable study credits for each university study program,
  • form of education and language of teaching,
  • maximum number of students who may 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, individual professional insertion 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 science, engineering, arts, literature, by ensuring performance and physical and sports development, as well as by valorizing and disseminating their results. All these are carried out respecting 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, teachers 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 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 by a minimum of 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 annually approves, at least 3 months before the beginning of the academic year, the regulation regarding the students' professional activity, as well as the calendar of educational activities specific to the academic study semesters.