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 providers that carry out teaching activities based on study programs authorized to operate provisionally/accredited under the law, offering initial and continuing university-level training, programs that operate on the principle of quality and the correlation of 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 the current legal procedures, becomes part of the national higher education system only after accreditation. For more information, you can also visit the website of the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education - www.aracis.ro.

Higher education institutions may be public, private, or denominational. These institutions have legal personality, are non-profit, and are apolitical. Higher education institutions are legal persons under public law or, as appropriate, legal persons 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 higher education institution, public or private.

By an annual government decision, the following are validated:

The nomenclature of fields and specializations/university study programs per union

- the structure of accredited or provisionally authorized public and private higher education institutions, with:

• fields of undergraduate university studies and specializations/accredited or provisionally authorized study programs,
• geographic locations of activity
• the number of transferable study credits for each university study program,
• form of education and language of instruction,

the 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 university-level training, for the purpose of personal development, professional integration of the individual, and meeting the competence needs of the socioeconomic environment, and through scientific research, development, innovation, and technological transfer, through individual and collective creation in the fields of sciences, engineering sciences, arts, letters, ensuring performance and physical and sports development, as well as valorization and dissemination of their results. All these are carried out observing 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 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 generally starts on the first working day of October, includes two semesters, and ends on September 30 of the following calendar year.
A semester generally lasts for 14 weeks of teaching activities, usually followed by a minimum of 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 taken into account.
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 students’ professional activity and the calendar of educational activities specific to the academic semesters of study.