UBB recognition of academic doctoral degree and diploma in sciences or in a professional field, obtained abroad

1. Art. 2 of OM 7234/2024: Upon the entry into force of this order, the Order of the Minister of National Education and Scientific Research no. 5.923/2016 for the approval of the Methodology regarding the recognition of doctoral diplomas and the title of doctor in sciences or a professional field obtained abroad, published in the Official Gazette of Romania, Part I, no. 1014 of December 16, 2016, is repealed.
2. Art. 6, para. 3 of the Methodology: Within 60 days from the entry into force of this Methodology, accredited higher education institutions or units and institutions in the national research-development system shall develop their own methodologies for the recognition of doctoral diplomas, which shall be published on the website of each institution.

The procedure is based on the Methodology for the automatic recognition of the status of doctoral supervisor, teaching positions, doctoral degree and doctoral qualification obtained in accredited international higher education institutions, which was approved by the Babeș-Bolyai University (UBB) Senate by Decision 1755 of 06.02.2017 on the grounds of Order No 5923/2016 of 06 December 2016 approving the Methodology for the recognition of the doctoral degree and the qualification of doctor in science or a professional field obtained abroad. This procedure was amended and approved by the UBB Senate by Decision No. 9475 of 13.07.2020 (updated version).

Applies to qualified applicants who have obtained a doctoral degree at :

1. accredited higher education or research and development institutions in a member state of the European Union or the European Economic Area or the Swiss Confederation ;
2. accredited higher education or research and development institutions included in the List of prestigious universities abroad, approved by order of the line ministry, regularly updated ;
3. accredited higher education or research and development institutions covered by an international convention on mutual recognition concluded at intergovernmental or inter-university level.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS :

• application form : (Ro) or (En) ;
• the applicant’s consent to the processing of personal data (GDPR) :
  standard form in Romanian or standard form in English ;
• copy of the identity card and, if applicable, of the documents certifying the name change ;
• certified doctoral diploma, including its appendices (original). If these documents are not in Romanian, English or French, a certified translation is required. Submission of the original diploma with appendices is provisional.
  The following information on the authentication of the doctoral degree diploma submitted for recognition is required :
  1. For countries that are signatories to the Hague Apostille Convention, academic documents subject to equivalence/recognition must be certified with the Hague Apostille by the competent authorities of the issuing countries; academic documents from Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Cyprus will be certified with the Hague Apostille, while other EU Member States are exempt.
  2. For states that are not signatories to the Hague Apostille Convention, the academic documents would have to be super-legalised or accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by the competent authorities of the country of origin. Super-legalisation is performed either by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the issuing country and the Consulate/ Embassy of Romania in that country, or by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the issuing country, its Consulate/ Embassy in Romania and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania. For countries with no diplomatic missions from Romania or with no diplomatic missions in Romania, the academic documents will be validated by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the issuing country.
  Exemption from super-legalisation is admissible by law, by an international treaty Romania is signatory to or on a reciprocal basis;
• statement of authenticity of digital documents submitted by the applicant (Addendum 2), only if the applicant has taken the digital document submission route: (Ro) or (En) ;
• other documents, as applicable, at the request of any member of the Recognition Committee (e.g., but not limited to, hard copy of the doctoral thesis or the Internet address where it can be accessed, certification of the field of doctoral studies, etc.).

Any of the certified copies (not the certified translation) may be replaced by a simple copy only upon presentation of the original document.

List of countries for which apostille or super-legalisation is required

Following the conclusions of the recognition committee, the applicant will be provided with one of the following documents :

1. Certificate of recognition of the degree and title of doctor.
2. Decision of non-recognition of the degree and title of doctor.

The recognition of the degree and title of doctor is valid and takes legal effect only at Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca.

DOCUMENTS CAN BE SUBMITTED :

1. at the Office for the recognition of doctoral degrees, academic qualifications and teaching positions, associated with the Institute for Doctoral Studies at UBB, Echinox Building, 7-9 Universității Street, room 5 (ground floor).
   Office hours: Monday to Friday 09.00-12.00
2. by post or courier, addressed to Babeș-Bolyai University, 1 Kogălniceanu Mihail Street, Registrar’s Office, postal code 400084, Cluj-Napoca.
3. in digital format (pdf files scanned from the original documents), using the email address provided on the institution’s website or through digital platforms that may be provided to the public by the University or other nationally authorised institutions (e.g. the Romanian Digitisation Authority). Each pdf file will contain only one printed document, which will be included entirely (all its pages). The pdf file corresponding to the document submitted for recognition will correspond to a certified copy if it is issued in Romanian, English or French, or to a copy and translation into Romanian, certified by the Romanian authorities, for documents issued in other languages. A certified digital signature (according to Law 455/2001) can be used to sign each digital document.

This recognition procedure can also be consulted and initiated through the Electronic Single Point of Contact, provided by the Romanian Digitisation Authority. In order to use the portal, you will need to create a personal account first.

The submission of documents implies your consent to the processing of personal data, otherwise the University cannot provide the requested service.

PROCESSING DEADLINE

is 30 calendar days after the applicant has submitted all the documents required by the University. This deadline may be extended if the secretariat finds that the submitted file is not complete or if the resolution requires additional correspondence with the applicant, with the specialist department of the relevant ministry (CNRED) or with the institution that issued the document to be recognised. In either case, the applicant for the recognition will be notified in writing, by any of the communication channels indicated by the applicant in the application for recognition.

DEADLINE FOR COMPLETING THE FILE

with the documents required by Babeș-Bolyai University after this procedure has been initiated is 15 calendar days from the date the University has drafted and given the notification.

Failure to comply with the deadline results in the case being closed. After closure, the applicant may submit a new application, which will be processed according to the procedure in force at the time of submission.

LEGAL REMEDIES AGAINST THE DECISIONS OF THE RECOGNITION COMMITTEE :

1) The resolution provided by the Recognition Committee can be appealed by submitting a written appeal to the Babeș-Bolyai University Registrar’s Office within the specified deadline.

The deadline for filing an appeal is 48 hours from the announcement of the decision made by the Recognition Committee.
The Appeals Committee appointed by the UBB Rector will prepare a statement within 30 days of receipt/registration of the appeal.

2) The Babeș-Bolyai University’s solution to the appeal may be subject to appeal to the competent court, in compliance with the Administrative Litigation Law 554/2004, with subsequent amendments and supplements.

The archiving time limit for documents in the recognition application file is 50 years.

This procedure applies to :

• Qualifications obtained in an EU country
• Qualifications obtained in certain NON EU countries
• Procedure for permanent residence
• Procedure for temporary residence

The European Professional Card is currently not applicable for this procedure.

List of regulated professions in Romania :

Higher education teaching staff (teaching positions: teaching assistant, assistant professor/ lecturer, associate professor, university professor), https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/regprof/index.cfm?action=regprof&id_regprof=22605
listed under point A.8. of Addendum 2 of Law 200 of 25 May 2004 on the recognition of diplomas and professional qualifications for regulated professions in Romania.

The electronic correspondence may be sent to contact@ubbcluj.ro, available on the Babeș-Bolyai University website, www.ubbcluj.ro

Information regarding doctoral studies at Babeș-Bolyai University is public and can be consulted online at doctorat.ubbcluj.ro