Third-cycle (PhD) programmes

7.Higher education

7.5Third-cycle (PhD) programmes

Last update: 14 April 2025

Organisation of doctoral studies

The doctoral studies are organised in fundamental domains of sciences and arts.

In sciences the doctoral studies are organised in the following domains:

exact sciences
natural sciences
humanistic sciences
social and political sciences
sciences of education
economy sciences
juridical sciences
agriculture and forestry sciences
medical sciences
architecture and urbanism
engineering sciences
theology and military sciences.

In arts the doctoral studies are organised in the following domains:

visual arts
music
theatre
cinematography
ballet
physical education and sport.

Doctoral studies are finalised with a doctoral thesis and are recognised through a diploma de doctor.

The PhD programmes can normally be organised as:

full-time programmes
part-time programmes.

The doctoral studies comprise the following:

High general training within a doctoral school, usually in the form of lectures and workshops.
A preparation plan determined by the doctoral candidate and his/her supervisor, and, subsequently approved by the council of the department, respectively by the scientific council of the research institute.
Preparation and elaboration of the doctoral thesis. The title and the subject of the thesis are approved by the council of the department, respectively by the scientific council of the research institute; the student is allowed to change the subject once.
Public presentation of the doctoral thesis.

By Order no. 3131/2018, ethics and academic integrity courses were included in the curricula for all university study programs. For doctoral students, the courses can be found in each training program and are mandatory.

The structure of the training programme consists of:

theoretical
practical activities for the specific field of the doctoral studies.

Doctoral university study programs ensure the formation of:

professional skills (content, cognitive and research) in specialized fields, as well as
transversal skills.

According to the Framework Regulation of 01/08/2024, the following field-specific skills are qualified as professional skills:

advanced knowledge in the field
the ability to identify, formulate and solve research problems in a creative way
mastery of advanced research methods and techniques
knowledge regarding the management of research projects
mastering new procedures and solutions in research
skills of documentation and valorization of scientific works
ability to write scientific papers and other academic materials at an advanced level, in a style appropriate to the field of study and respecting its specific rigors at the national and international level
the ability to process data at an advanced level, including through the use of dedicated software, depending on the field
language skills at an academic level in languages of international circulation necessary for the documentation and elaboration of scientific works
understanding and ability to apply the principles and values of scientific research ethics in the respective field.

The following are considered transversal skills:

communication skills, written and oral, in the field of science and culture
advanced linguistic skills in languages of international circulation, including expressing and formulating ideas in multicultural and multilingual contexts
advanced digital skills and competences, part of the digital transformation at the social level, including through the use of artificial intelligence
interpersonal and teamwork skills
knowledge of human, material and financial resource management
knowledge of career management, as well as the acquisition of techniques for searching for a job and creating jobs for others
knowledge of risk, crisis and failure management
knowledge of critical thinking, including the ability to analyze, interpret or formulate reasoning in different contexts
knowledge regarding the use of legislation in the field of intellectual property rights
the ability to innovate and master the concepts of economic, technological and social entrepreneurship.

Doctoral Schools

Doctoral schools can be organized by an institution organizing university doctoral studies (IOSUD), recognized as such by the Ministry of Education, based on accreditation.

Higher education institutions can acquire quality recognition by IOSUD following the external quality assessment process.

An IOSUD can enter into partnerships for the development of doctoral university study programs with other higher education institutions and/or with research and development units.

The Romanian Academy has the status of IOSUD and is subject to the legal provisions regarding periodic evaluation in order to maintain accreditation and for the accreditation of fields of doctoral university studies.

The Council for Doctoral University Studies (CSUD) is the organizational and administrative structure established within the IOSUD, responsible for the IOSUD strategy, the elaboration and application of its own regulations regarding doctoral university studies.

CSUD operates on the basis of the Higher Education Law no. 199/2023, with subsequent amendments and additions, of the provisions of the Framework Regulation of 01/08/2024 and of the IOSUD's own regulation.

Each Doctoral Schools is assessed individually, for each area, for accreditation:

The assessment of the Doctorate Organizing School is made according to its performance and the institutional capacity of IOSUD to which the Doctorate Organizing School belongs.
The assessment of the Doctorate Organizing Schools is made by ARACIS or by another national or foreign agency for academic quality assurance, based on the CNCS reports as to the quality of the research and on the CNATDCU reports on the quality of the human resources.
The criteria system and the assessment methodology are set by order of the Ministry of National Education, based on joint proposals of ARACIS, CNCS and CNATDCU.

Evaluation methodology for doctoral university studies is established by Order 3651/2021.

Each Doctorate Organizing School is assessed periodically, every 5 years.

PhD programmes are of two types:

Scientific PhD, which has as final result the production of original scientific knowledge, relevant at international level, based on scientific methods. The scientific PhD is an essential condition for a career as a researcher or professor in the higher education system.
Professional PhD, in arts and sports, which has as final result the production of original scientific knowledge based on scientific methods and systematic reflection, on artistic creation or on sports performance at national and international high level and which may represent a basis for the professional career in higher education and research in arts and sports.

Dual higher education is organized for the 3rd cycle through a professional doctorate according to a methodology approved by order of the Minister of Education.

According to the Framework Regulation on doctoral university studies of January 8, 2024, the cycle of doctoral studies in a dual regime is the form of education in which the responsibilities regarding the conduct of learning, teaching, application, research and evaluation activities are shared between IOSUD and the operators economical.

IOSUD organizes and carries out learning, teaching and evaluation activities, and economic operators organize learning through work activities and participate in evaluation.

Application and research activities can be carried out both at IOSUD and at economic operators.

IOSUD concludes the partnership contract with the economic operators, which establishes the collaboration conditions, the rights and obligations of the parties, as well as the costs assumed by the partners.

The doctoral student concludes with IOSUD and the economic operator an individual study and practical training/research contract, which establishes the rights and obligations of the parties.

The duration of the doctorate university study program is, as a rule, 4 years.

In special situations, the duration of the doctoral university study program can be extended by 1-2 years, with the approval of the university senate, at the proposal of the doctoral supervisor, and within the limits of available funds. The duration of these studies is extended, consequently, with the cumulative periods of interruptions approved.

A doctoral school can recognize, according to its own regulations and under the conditions of the Higher Education Law no. 199/2023, the completion of previous doctoral internships and/or scientific research internships, carried out in the country or abroad, in higher education institutions or in recognized research centers, as well as the recognition of courses completed within the study programs research master's degree.

University doctorate studies can be interrupted for good reasons, under the conditions established by the own regulation regarding university doctorate studies. The duration of these studies is extended accordingly with the cumulative periods of the approved interruptions.

The manner of carrying out the doctoral university study program is established by the doctoral supervisor, with the consultation of the doctoral student, and approved by the doctoral school council.

The doctorate can be conducted in Romanian, in a language of national minorities or in a language of international circulation, according to the doctoral studies contract concluded between IOSUD, the doctoral supervisor and the doctoral student.

Doctoral university studies can also be organized in co-supervision:

in which case the doctoral student carries out his work under the simultaneous guidance of a doctoral supervisor from Romania and a doctoral supervisor from another country or under the simultaneous guidance of two doctoral supervisors from different institutions in Romania, based on a written agreement between the organizing institutions involved.

The doctorate in co-supervision can also be organized if the doctoral supervisors are from the same IOSUD.

Admission requirements

The Ministry of Education yearly develops a framework methodology for the organisation of the admission in the Romanian public and private educational institutions on an annual basis.

Currently, the admission framework is regulated by Order No. 3693/2024, for the approval of the Framework Methodology regarding the organization of admission in undergraduate, master, and doctoral study cycles.

Each higher educational institution elaborates and applies its own regulations for the organization of the educational programmes it provides.

Any candidate from the member states of the European Union, from the European Economic Space and from the Swiss Confederation may take the admission exam for a public, private or confessional higher education for each educational cycle and programme, in the same conditions provided by law for Romanian citizens, including as far as the tuition is concerned.

Higher education institutions may charge candidates with registration fees for the organisation and execution of the admission, in the quantum approved by each university senate. In their own methodologies, university senates may decide upon fee exemption or reduction.

A person may benefit from financing from the budget for a single graduation programme, for a single master’s degree programme, and for a singer Ph.D. degree programme.

Only the graduates of the master’s degree programs or equivalent studies have the right to participate to the admission to PhD programs, and the cumulative number of transferable study credits acquired, for the bachelor's and master's degree cycle, should be at least 300.

Status of doctoral students/ candidates

The person admitted to a PhD educational programme is a doctoral student respectively, during their entire registration in the programme in question, from the registration moment and to the finalization of their studies, less the periods when their studies are interrupted.

Supervision arrangements

The competence of PhD mentor/ tutor/ supervisor is granted by order of the Ministry of Education, at the proposal, of CNATDCU for granting the habilitation certificate - abilitare in compliance with the standards and procedures developed by the Ministry of Education.

These standards are set in accordance with the evaluation criteria relevant at international level, proposed by CNATDCU and approved by order of the Ministry of Education.

The minimal standards for the acceptance of the competence certificate file by the CNATDCU are not dependent upon the didactic position and are identical to the standards for granting the professor title.

The habilitated teaching and research staff and the scientific researchers who have the competence to become Ph.D. tutors become Ph.D. tutors after they have been authorized in this respect.

The habilitation - abilitare represents the certification of a person's quality to conduct doctoral theses, following Order no. 3121/2015 regarding the organization and development of the process of obtaining the qualification certificate.

To supervise PhD studies, the teaching and research staff who have obtained such right must conclude a labour contract with a IOSUD or another IOSUD-member institution and must be a member of a PhD organizing school.

In the context of the university mobility policies, IOSUD may employ, on a contractual basis, specialists from abroad who have the legal right to be tutors.

Specialists who have acquired the legal right to conduct doctorates in higher education or research and development institutions abroad can obtain the qualification certificate as follows:

specialists who have the status of doctoral supervisor in one of the member states of the European Union or the European Economic Area or in the Swiss Confederation automatically acquire the status of doctoral supervisor in Romania by issuing the order of the Minister of Education
specialists who have the capacity of doctoral supervisor in one of the higher education institutions, outside of the previously mentioned countries, which are among the most prestigious higher education institutions in the world, automatically acquire the certificate of qualification by issuing the order of the Minister of Education
specialists who are PhD supervisors in institutions abroad, other than those provided above, can obtain the habilitation certificate in Romania, either through an international convention of mutual recognition, or according to the standard provisions.

A doctoral supervisor can simultaneously supervise doctoral students in only one IOSUD, with the exception of doctorates conducted under joint supervision.

A doctoral supervisor can simultaneously supervise 8 doctoral students.

As an exception, up to a maximum of 12 PhD students/supervisor may be mentored only with the approval of the university senate, but not for more than 20% of PhD supervisors in a doctoral school.

Employability

PhD students are employed by IOSUD or by any of the IOSUD members as research assistants or assistant professors, on a definite period.

During their entire activity, the doctoral student attending full-time programmes benefit from recognition of work experience and in specialty, as well as free medical and dental assistance under the conditions provided by Law no. 95/2006 regarding health reform, republished, with subsequent amendments and additions, and the framework contract, without the payment of mandatory social contributions regulated by Law no. 227/2015 on the Fiscal Code, with subsequent amendments and additions.

The PhD student may perform remunerated teaching activities, in compliance with the education services agreement, within the limit of the university assistant norm, in accordance with the legislation in force.

According to the pension law, the PhD education is an assimilated period and is taken into consideration when deciding the contribution rate, except for the case in which the student registers revenues for which, during this time, he/she is paying contributions to the social insurances.

After the defense of the doctoral thesis, IOSUD issues a certificate attesting to the period in which the doctoral student attended doctoral university studies.

Assessment

The examinations are performed by an Examination Commission.

Students can advance in their education and training programme if obtaining the minimum mark of good in examinations and a pass qualification for the research papers/creative works.

If they fail one examination or if one research paper is not accepted, they may sit for the examination once more, or may defend their research paper/creative work again.

Certification

The PhD thesis is drafted in compliance with the requirements decided by the IOSUD in its PhD regulation and in compliance with the regulations of the national Code for the PhD University Studies approved by GD no. 681/2011 with subsequent amendments and additions in 2016.

Doctoral studies are finalised through a thesis publicly defended and evaluated by a commission of specialists approved by the university senate.

IOSUD has the obligation to verify the doctoral thesis by means of a computer program for detecting similarities, in accordance with the Framework Regulation on doctoral university studies, before the public defense of the doctoral thesis.

The verification is carried out on the basis of the standards included in the National Guide on the writing of doctoral theses, developed by CNATDCU. The results of the analysis will be made available to the doctoral student and the doctoral committee.

The commission comprises a chair, the Director of the doctoral programme and three official reviewers, specialists with outstanding scientific activity holding a diploma de doctor in the domain (professors, lecturers, academicians, scientific researchers of rank I – from the country or abroad) of which at least two do not work in the respective IOD.

The members of the commission produce review papers containing general and analytical assessment remarks, and their conclusion on the academic value of the thesis, expressing their agreement or disagreement upon the awarding of the diploma de doctor.

The PhD thesis is defended in a public meeting before the PhD commission, after the positive evaluation of all the referees.

The defence of the PhD thesis may take place in the presence of at least 4 of the 5 members of the commission, with the mandatory participation of the commission’s president and PhD mentor.

The public defence must include a session of questions by the members of the PhD commission and the public.

Based on the public presentation of the PhD thesis and of the official referees’ reports, the PhD commission evaluates and deliberates upon the grade that the thesis receives. The grades are:

Excellent
Very good
Good
Satisfactory
Unsatisfactory.

Excellent is usually granted for maximum 15% of the candidates who acquire the PhD title in a certain IOSUD, in the course of an academic year.

If the PhD student has observed the requirements provided in the scientific research programme and the grade of the PhD thesis is Very good, Good or Satisfactory the PhD commission proposes to award the PhD title, proposal that is submitted to CNATDCU for validation.

Following the evaluation of the file, CNATDCU, proposes to the Ministry of Education to grant or to not to grant the PhD title.

If the grade is Unsatisfactory, the PhD commission will identify the content elements that must be remade or completed from the thesis and will request a new public defence.

The second defence of the PhD thesis takes place before the same PhD commission, as in the case of the first defence.

If, following the second public defence, the PhD thesis is graded Unsatisfactory, the PhD title is not granted, and the student shall be expelled.

The name and surname of the holder of the doctoral thesis, the surname and surname of the doctoral supervisor, respectively the surname and surname of the members of the doctoral committee are public data.

The doctoral thesis is a public document. This is also written in digital format.

The doctoral thesis and its appendices will be available for consultation 90 calendar days, before public support, on the national platform managed by UEFISCDI, in accordance with the legal provisions in force in the field of copyright.

During the period when the doctoral thesis is in transparency, before the public support, any natural or legal person can formulate observations regarding the existence of deviations from the standards of ethics and professional deontology, including from the perspective of the existence of plagiarism.

After the issuance of the doctoral degree, the doctoral thesis, in printed format, is archived at the library of the higher education institution, with a permanent term.

Order No 5110/2018 provides the minimum national standards for the award of the title of doctor.

The minimum national standards for the award of the doctor's degree are a set of 35 standards specific to doctoral fields assigned to the commissions of the specialty of CNATDCU.

EXAMPLE:

ECONOMIC SCIENCES AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION COMMISSION

Minimum national standards for the award of the doctorate:

To be awarded the title of doctor, it is necessary to fulfill the following minimum standards:

publication of at least three articles in minimum indexed scientific journals three international or Web of Science databases, of which, for one article, the doctoral student has the capacity of the sole author, first author, or corresponding author.
the presentation of at least three scientific papers at international conferences in the field, proven by the conference program.

The PhD title is granted by an order of the Ministry of Education, after the validation of the thesis by CNATDCU.

The validation follows Article 168 of the National Education Law no. 1/2011, with subsequent amendments and additions, and with the provisions of the Government Decision no. 681/2011 on the approval of the Code doctoral studies, as amended and supplemented.

The CNATDCU examines and decides on complaints concerning non-compliance with quality or professional ethics standards, including the existence of plagiarism in a doctoral thesis, following methodology set out in Annex 3 of the which forms an integral part of order No 5229/2020 for the approval of the methodologies relating to the granting of the habilitation certificate, the awarding of the title of doctor and the settlement of complaints concerning non-compliance with quality or professional ethics standards, including about the existence of plagiarism in a doctoral thesis.

Organisational variation

The PhD education may take place under a co-tutorship, in which case:

a student carries out his/her activity under the simultaneous guidance of a tutor in Romania and another one in a different country, or
under the guidance of two tutors from different universities in Romania, based on a written agreement between the institutions involved, or
PhD mentors are from the same IOSUD, but are specialised in different fields of study, or if one of the PhD mentors has reached the retirement age, in compliance with the university Charter.

Eurydice

Romania

7.5Third-cycle (PhD) programmes

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