Master’s Degree Admission Requirements for the Academic Year 2023-2024

I. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Art. 1.

1.  Admission to the master's programmes of the Partium Christian University (for furthering one’s studies) is based on a competitive examination.
2.  Based on the principle of university autonomy, the organisation of the admission competition falls under the responsibility of the PCU.
3.  The organization and unfolding of the admission competition for the academic year 2023/2024 is carried out in accordance with the provisions of the National Education Law no. 1/2011 with its subsequent amendments and additions, of the Law no. 288/2004 on the organization of university studies, with its subsequent amendments and additions, and in accordance with the Order of the Minister of Education no. 3102/of 8 February 2022 for the approval of the Framework Methodology on the organization of admission to undergraduate, master and doctoral university studies, respectively Order no. 3359/11.03.2013 on the modification of the Methodology for the admission and enrolment of foreign citizens from non-EU countries in state and private accredited education institutions in Romania, approved by Order no. 6000/2012.

Art. 2.

1. For the academic year 2023/2024, PCU organizes admission examinations for the Master's degree study programmes, accredited in accordance with the legal provisions in force, for full-fee and fee-free places.

Art. 3.

1. For the academic year 2023/2024, the PCU admission examinations will be held in two sessions: July 2023 and September 2023, according to the calendar approved by the Senate.
2. If, following the summer admission session, not all the places are filled, or places are given up, a new admission session shall be organised to fill them, conducted in a similar manner, scheduled before the start of the 2023/2024 academic year, the period of which shall be determined by Senate resolution.

Art. 4.

1. The amount of the tuition fee shall be established annually, on the proposal of the faculties, by the Senate, for each specialisation.

(2) The amount of the full tuition fee must cover all the expenses involved in the student's tuition in the specialisation concerned.

Art. 5.

1. The amount of the tuition fee for the admission examination is approved by the Senate and made public on the notice boards of the faculties, respectively on our website.

(2) This amount shall be set so as to cover all expenses related to the organization of the admission examination.

II. PREPARATORY ACTIVITIES

Art. 6.

The admission committees at the level of the University and the faculties, appointed by the Senate for the undergraduate admission examinations, according to Art. 7-8 of the PCU Undergraduate Admission Regulations are responsible also for the organization and unfolding of the admission examinations at the level of the Master's programmes.

Art. 7.

1. At least six months prior to admission, the Faculty Councils shall approve, on the proposal of the departments, the admission methodologies by specialisation, which shall include the following information:

      a) the composition of the admission average and the weighting of marks;

      b) the criteria for deciding between candidates with the same admission average for the last place;

      c) other specific regulations.

1. The Rectorate shall submit to the Senate for approval the proposals of the faculties concerning the admission conditions for each department, the method of calculating the admission averages, and the examination periods.
2. This information shall be made public at least 6 months before the admission examination.
3. The Rector's Office and the Deans' Offices will use all means of communication to publish all information on the organisation and conduct of the admissions, by means of notice boards, information leaflets, as well as the University's website.

Art. 8.

(1) Candidates for admission are obliged to follow the information made public.

(2) Complaints or appeals arising from not knowing the published information will not be taken into consideration.

III. REGISTRATION FOR THE ADMISSION EXAMINATION

Art. 9.

1. Citizens of the Member States of the European Union, of the countries belonging to the European Economic Area and of the Swiss Confederation have access to the Master's degree admission examination under the same conditions as those provided by law for Romanian citizens, including in terms of tuition fees.
2. The recognition of the studies completed by them outside Romania will be carried out by the specialized directorate of the Ministry of National Education, before the registration of the candidates for the admission exam, each candidate having the obligation to present the certificate of recognition of studies or to prove the start of the recognition procedure.

Art. 10.

1. The admission of non-EU citizens is based on the Methodology for the admission and schooling of foreign citizens from non-EU countries in state and private accredited education in Romania, approved by OMECTS no. 6000/2012 and amended by OMEN no. 3359MD of 11 March 2013.
2. These candidates can be enrolled only on the basis of the bachelor's degree recognized in accordance with the methodologies developed by the specialized directorates of the Ministry of National Education.

Art. 11.

1. The right to take part in the admission examination for master's degree studies is granted to graduates with a bachelor's degree from the first cycle of university studies or equivalents, according to National Education Law no. 1/2011.
2. A candidate may be admitted and enrolled as a student in no more than two study programmes at the same time, regardless of the study cycle and the educational institutions offering them.
3. Applicants to the University's Master's programmes may opt, in the application form, for a maximum of two specialisations, benefiting from the normal/discounted admission fee only for the first option.
4. If a student follows two master's specializations at the PCU, he/she is entitled to study without paying tuition fees for the total period of one cycle of tuition.
5. The application to the admission examination for Master's degree studies can be made regardless of the field in which the candidate has obtained the Bachelor's degree.

Art. 12

Students or graduates of master's degree courses at state or private higher education institutions in the country or abroad who obtain the results required for a place, may obtain, on the basis of the provisions approved by the Senate, recognition of the qualifications obtained in previous specialisations.

Art. 13.

1. In the application form, the candidate shall indicate the language in which he/she will take the admission examination, and indicate whether or not he/she will accept a full-fee place if he/she does not obtain a subsidised place.
2. If the candidate wishes to apply for more than one specialisation, he/she must indicate on their application form the order of their choices.
3. After the registration closing date for the admission competition, candidates' choices may not be changed.
4. The candidates must provide all the details required by national regulations correctly on their application form.
5. Incomplete applications will not be taken into consideration.

Art. 14.

(1) Candidates may apply for admission to the competition by the following means:

a) in person, on the basis of their identity card/passport;

b) on behalf of the candidate by another person, on the basis of a written authorisation;

c) online on the University's electronic application platform.

(2) In the case of application in person or by proxy, the required documents must be submitted in original and in photocopy. The photocopies will be authenticated by the Head Secretary of the Faculty, after which the candidate will receive back the original documents.

(3) In the case of online application candidates will upload to the University's electronic application platform in digital/scanned form all the documents reffered to in Art. 15, including the additional documents reffered to in point 3.

(4) Candidates enrolled online and admitted will submit the required original documents to the Dean of the Faculty upon enrolment at the University.

Art. 15.

(1) Documents required for registration:

a) the application form - a specimen of which may be obtained on application, completed and signed by the candidate;

b) the baccalaureate diploma or an equivalent, accompanied by the transcript of records (and, where appropriate, the equivalence certificate);

c) the bachelor's degree accompanied by the diploma supplement (obtained on the basis of Law 1/2011) or the transcript (obtained on the basis of Law 84/1995 or 288/2004) or an equivalent, and for those enrolled at another university a certified copy of the bachelor's degree or equivalent, accompanied by the certificate issued by the institution in question. Graduates of class 2023 may submit the certificate that replaces their bachelor's degree. Graduates of foreign universities must submit the certificate of equivalence of the bachelor's degree, issued by the CNRED, or prove that the official equivalence procedure has been initiated.

d) medical certificate issued by the family doctor;

e) three passport-size photographs (3x4 cm) (in the case of online enrolment, these must be submitted at the beginning of the academic year);

f) birth certificate;

g) identity card/passport;

h) proof of payment of the admission fee or proof of entitlement to exemption from payment of the fee;

i) professional curriculum;

j) certificate of language proficiency in an international language (English, German, or French). If the candidate has not yet obtained a certificate of language proficiency, he/she may be accepted for the admission exam, but must undertake to obtain the certificate by the end of the master's studies as a precondition for registration for the dissertation exam;

1. In certain cases, the following documents are also required (original document and a simple photocopy):

(a) marriage certificate, or other documents relating to the change of name.

b) for those candidates who are students at another higher education institution or in another master's degree course, their student ID card or a document certifying their student status is also required.

1. In the case of online application, candidates must submit the following additional documents:

a) a signed, written declaration of responsibility concerning the authenticity and correspondence between the digital/scanned documents and the original documents (standard form);

b) a declaration of consent to the processing of personal data (standard form).

1. For graduates of foreign universities, the scanned version of the original diploma can be taken into account if the applicant has previously submitted to the Rectorate (personally or by post/courier service) the necessary documents for the official recognition of the diploma by the CNRED.

Art. 16.

1. The following documents are required for applicants who are foreign nationals of non-EU countries:

a) application for the issuance of the Letter of Acceptance provided for in Annex 2 of the Methodology approved by Order 2000/2012;

b) baccalaureate diploma or its equivalent and bachelor's degree - copy and certified translation;

c) transcripts - copies and certified translations - of completed studies and the analytical programme, in the case of candidates applying for equivalence of certain periods of study;

d) birth certificate - copy and certified translation;

e) copy of passport - valid for at least 6 months after the date on which the Letter of Acceptance to Study is issued;

f) medical certificate (in an international language) certifying that the person to be enrolled for studies does not suffer from contagious diseases or other conditions incompatible with the future profession;

g) marriage certificate - if applicable (to justify the change of surname).

(2) Upon enrolment, candidates must present the original documents from the application file, endorsed for authentication by the Romanian Embassy in the issuing country or with the Hague Apostille if the previous studies were not carried out in Romania, in a country of the European Union or in accordance with legal assistance agreements concluded by Romania with non-EU countries.

(3) Admitted candidates are obliged to enter the country with a study visa and to legitimize their stay in Romania for study purposes.

Art. 17.

Candidates applying for exemption from the application fee for the admission examination must submit one of the following documents in original and simple photocopy:

a) death certificate in the case of orphans or half-orphans;

b) certificate issued by the children's educational institutions for candidates who were brought up in such institutions;

c) certificates issued by educational institutions for candidates whose parents are or have been teachers/professors (retired).

Art. 18.

(1) Payment of the application fee for the admission competition shall be made in exchange for the issue of a receipt except for electronic payment.

(2) The following candidates are exempt from paying the application fee:

a) orphans of one or both parents;

b) those who have grown up in orphanages or foster care;

c) children of professors or auxiliary personnel (including retired professors);

d) full-time University employees and their children.

Art. 19.

1. At the time of registration, admission cards are issued to those candidates who sit the written and/or oral admission tests. These admission cards are valid for the identification of the candidate during the entire admission examination.
2. Aside from the admission card, during the admission examination, an identity card is required for the identification of the candidate.
3. Each candidate will be given a unique identification code upon registration, which will enable him/her to check his/her marks/average on the admission results lists.

Art. 20.

1. In case of failure or withdrawal from the admission, the competition file shall be returned to the candidate or his/her representative on the basis of his/her identity card.
2. In case of withdrawal of the candidate at least 24 hours before the beginning of the admission examination, in the case of specialisations for which such tests are organised, the admission fee shall be refunded, on request, at the rate of 75%.

Art. 21.

(1) Candidates who have completed their studies in another language and do not take the admission test in Hungarian in accordance with the criteria established for the study programme in question will take an eliminatory test to assess their language skills in Hungarian.

(2) The organisation of this test falls under the responsibility of the faculties.

Art. 22.

During the period of registration for the admission examination, the admission committees of the faculties shall submit daily to the Rector's Office updated records of the number of candidates registered.

IV. ORGANISATION OF THE ADMISSION EXAMINATION

Art. 23.

1. Depending on the admission methodologies of the specialisations, the admission of candidates is carried out on the basis of the analysis of the competition file and/or by examination (oral, written, practical, interview).
2. The specific methodologies of the specialisations may provide for the possibility of taking the admission examinations online.
3. At least one day before the beginning of the admission exam, the persons authorized by the admission committees of the faculties will post on the notice boards of the deaneries the lists with the names of the candidates, and, if necessary, the order of the subjects, respectively the scheduling of the exams by rooms.

Art. 24.

(1) In the case of specialisations where admission includes competitive examinations (written, oral, practical, interview), the presence of candidates (physical or online depending on the specific methodology) at all examinations is compulsory.

(2) If a candidate is absent from any of the competitive tests, the admission test taken is invalid.

(3) In the case of oral/practical tests, the permanent presence of at least two candidates in the examination room (physical or online depending on the specific methodology) is compulsory.

Art. 25.

(1) Insofar as the candidate requests to take the admission examination in his/her mother tongue or in the language in which he/she studied his/her bachelor's degree, other than the language of the admission examination, the admission/examination committee must provide for translation. Exceptions to this rule are foreign language specialisations.

(2) In the admissions process, equal opportunities for people with disabilities will be provided for, ensuring, where necessary, additional support adapted to the needs of adults with disabilities, supporting their access to the institution.

V. CONDUCT OF THE ADMISSION EXAMINATION

Art. 26.

(1) Before the examination begins, the committee shall verify the identity of the candidates registered for admission on the basis of their identity card and admission certificate.

(2) Candidates who are not present in the hall (physically or online according to the specific methodology) at the announced starting time of the test(s) will be eliminated from the examination.

Art. 27.

(1) Examination topics, tests, etc. will be prepared based on the topics announced at least 24 hours before the examination and approved by the Chairperson of the Faculty Admission Committee.

(2) The choice of examination subjects will be made by drawing lots by the chairperson of the examination committee, ensuring transparency of choice.

(3) The subjects/texts shall be multiplied according to the number of candidates and transported to the examination venue in sealed envelopes.

Art. 28.

In the case of written examinations, the following shall be observed:

a) Papers will be written only on the competition or test sheets handed out by the hall supervisor.

b) Drafts will be written only on the stamped sheets received from the invigilator. Cancelled drafts and papers will not be taken into account for marking.

c) The space provided for the candidate's name shall be glued, stamped and signed by the hall supervisor on the competition/test sheets.

(d) Candidates may use only blue ink pen or blue ballpoint pen for the paper. Graphite pencil or other means approved by the examination board shall be used for drawings, diagrams, etc. The application of any distinguishing mark on the examination paper will invalidate the paper.

(e) After handing in the subjects, candidates may leave the examination room only after they have handed in their papers, the candidate certifying that they have handed in their papers by signing a document attesting to that. The first draft will be handed in together with the paper, and they must be collected separately. Spaces left blank on the exam paper are cancelled by crossing out, including blank pages.

(f) The written examination will last no more than three hours from the announcement of the subjects. At the end of the time limit all candidates must hand in their papers.

(g) Any proven attempt at fraud will result in immediate exclusion from the admission competition.

Art. 29.

(1) For the purpose of uniform evaluation of the papers during the written examination, the examination board shall draw up a scale, which shall be approved by the chairman of the faculty admission committee or his representative.

(2) The scale shall be posted on the notice board of the faculty before the end of the written examination. Its application shall be compulsory for all professors marking the papers.

Art. 30.

(1) The marking of papers shall be carried out by designated professors.

(2) Tests are marked on the basis of the marking scale; the result being checked by a second professor.

Art. 31.

(1) The written papers are assessed separately by two examiners on marking sheets, giving marks from 1 to 10.

(2) If there is a difference of less than one point between the two marks, the final mark represents the average of the two marks awarded.

(3) If the difference between the two assessments is more than one point, the paper is assessed by a third examiner appointed by the examination board.

(4) The final mark for the paper will be the mark awarded by the third examiner.

(5) The evaluators write the final mark on the paper and sign it, and the chair of the faculty admission committee validates the final results by signature. Only after this is the paper opened.

Art. 32.

(1) It is forbidden for candidates to bring into the examination rooms the following objects: bags, mobile phones, books, notebooks, maps, or any other means of obtaining information.

(2) The admission committee for each faculty shall organise surveillance in the examination rooms throughout the examination, ensure the confidentiality of the candidates' data on the examination papers, take and number the papers and transfer them securely to the specialists who will mark them.

VI. THE ELABORATION OF THE LIST OF SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES

Art. 33.

(1) The calculation of the admission average is made according to the admission methodologies, publicly announced in the admission guide, with two decimals, without rounding.

(2) For the candidates who took the undergraduate exam in foreign institutions, the equivalence of the results obtained will be done by the admission committee by comparing the respective grading system with the Romanian one. In questionable cases, the University Admission Commission takes the final decision.

Art. 34.

(1) The results of the admission examination are published on preliminary lists, which contain the admission averages accompanied by the identification codes of the candidates.

(2) The lists are checked and approved by the Admission Committee of the Faculty.

(3) The final admission results shall be established after the resolution of appeals, in accordance with the provisions included in Chapter VII.

Art. 35.

(1) Admission to the specialisations announced for the competition is made in descending order of the admission average within the limit of the approved number of places for that specialisation.

(2) The approved number of places for a specialisation may not be exceeded.

(3) Candidates whose admission average does not reach 6.00 (or the corresponding mark) cannot be admitted to the course.

Art. 36.

(1) The final results of the admission examination are valid only for master's programmes for which the conditions of the admission examination are identical and only if the candidate has applied for them.

(2) If a candidate is admitted to more than one Master's programme, he/she may opt for enrolment in one or at most two specialisations as set out in Art. 11.

Art. 37.

(1) The list of admitted candidates shall be established by the Faculty Admission Committee in descending order of the admission average.

(2) The places announced shall be filled within the limits of the tuition figures in the following order: fee-free places, and full-fee places.

(3) In the case of more than one candidate with the same average on the last place, both fee-free and full-fee places, the criteria for the selection of candidates set out in the admission methodologies of the specialisations shall apply.

(4) Successful candidates ­– who according to the provisions of this Regulation or on the basis of their choice (in the case of the second specialisation) can only be admitted to full-fee places – will be placed in the section of those admitted to full-fee places, ranked on the basis of their admission average.

Art. 38.

(1) The final list of admitted and rejected candidates shall be verified and approved by the University Admission Committee, and signed by the Chairman of the University Admission Committee or his/her delegate before posting.

(2) The date and time of posting of the results shall be indicated on the notice board of the faculty.

(3) Candidates will be listed on the posted lists by the unique identification codes received on registration.

Art. 39.

(1) Admitted candidates must register for studies for the specialization(s) they had chosen, meet the deadline set by the University in that respect, and sign the tuition contract.

(2) The study contract, completed and signed by the enrolled student, can also be submitted online, with the obligation to submit the original by the beginning of the academic year.

(3) The place of admitted candidates who have not enrolled for studies within the set deadline, thus becoming vacant, may be filled by rejected candidates who have obtained a passing average in the admission competition. Candidates' applications will be taken into consideration in descending order of average, applying the criteria for the last place as appropriate. The Registrars will inform the candidates concerned of the places thus becoming vacant.

(4) Candidates admitted to full-fee places shall pay an advance of the tuition fee, in the amount set by the Senate, by the deadline set by the University.

(5) If, following the withdrawal of candidates admitted to fee-free places, these places become vacant, they shall be filled by candidates admitted to full-fee places, insofar as they are entitled to fill them, and the tuition fee advance paid shall be returned to them.

(6) Candidates who withdraw their application before the results are announced will be disqualified from the competition.

(7) After the end of the registration period for the summer admission session, any remaining vacancies will be advertised for the autumn session.

VII. APPEALS

Art. 40.

(1) Appeals may be lodged following the publication of the preliminary admission results.

(2) Only the results of the written examinations may be contested. No appeals may be lodged against the results of the oral or aptitude tests.

(3) The resolution of appeals falls exclusively within the competence of the Appeals Committees set up at faculty level. The decision of the Appeals Committee is final.

(4) The acceptance or rejection of appeals is the exclusive right of the higher education institution.

Art. 41.

(1) Appeals concerning the results of the competition may be submitted to the admission committee of the faculty within 24 hours after the preliminary results have been posted.

(2) The deadline for resolving appeals is 48 hours after the deadline for submission.

Art. 42.

(1) For the re-grading of the contested papers the Faculty Appeals Committee resorts to teachers who did not participate in the first evaluation.

(2) The re-scoring of the papers will be carried out according to the original approved marking scheme.

(3) If the original mark is lower than 9.50, the final average will be modified if the difference between the two marks is higher than 0.50 points.

(4) If the initial mark is greater than or equal to 9.50, the result of the re-evaluation is valid regardless of the difference.

(5) If there are admissible appeals, the teachers who carried out the first and the second correction respectively, face the marks awarded in the presence of the Chairperson of the Faculty Admission Committee.

(6) The result of the appeal becomes final only after this confrontation.

Art. 43.

(1) If the Faculty Appeals Committee accepts an appeal, and the admission average has been recalculated, the candidate shall be ranked, in the admission lists containing the final results, according to the recalculated average.

(2) After the resolution of appeals the result of the admission competition becomes final, is made public on the website and on the notice boards of the faculties, and no further changes can be made.

VIII. FINAL PROVISIONS

Art. 44.

(1) The university and Faculty Admissions Committees and the Appeals Committees are responsible for compliance with the provisions of the law, with the orders, and with these regulations.

(2) Faculties shall submit to the Rector the final list of admitted candidates before the beginning of the academic year 2023/2024. After this date, the lists of those admitted to studies shall not be changed, and the rector of the university shall order the enrolment of first-year students on the basis of these lists.

(3) This Regulation was approved at the meeting of the Senate of the Partium Christian University on 15.12.2022 and shall apply starting with the summer session of admissions for the academic year 2023/2024.