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, initial and ongoing university-level training programs, programs that operate on the principle of quality and aligning educational offers 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 confessional. These institutions have legal personality, are nonprofit, and are apolitical. Higher education institutions are legal entities of public law or, as appropriate, legal entities 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, public or private.

By an annual government decision, the following are validated:

• The nomenclature of fields and university studies specializations/programs per year
• The structure of accredited public and private higher education institutions or those authorized to operate provisionally, with:
  • fields of university study for undergraduate studies and specializations/study programs accredited or authorized to operate provisionally,
  • geographical locations,
  • number of transferable study credits for each university study program,
  • form of education and teaching language,
  • 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 ongoing university-level training, for personal development, the professional insertion of the individual and meeting the competency needs of the socioeconomic environment, and through scientific research, development, innovation and technology transfer, through individual and collective creation, in the fields of sciences, engineering sciences, arts, letters, by ensuring performance and physical and sports development, as well as capitalizing and disseminating these results. All this is achieved with respect for 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 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 usually starts on the first working day of October, includes two semesters, and ends on September 30th of the following calendar year.
• A semester usually lasts 14 weeks of teaching activities followed, normally, by at least 3 weeks of exams.
• The structure of the academic year is approved by the university senate.
• When allocating transferable study credits from 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 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.