Preparatory year at Petru Maior University

Overview

Preparatory year at Petru Maior University Faculty of Sciences and Letters (within George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș – UMFST) is a one-year, 60-ECTS Romanian language programme for foreign citizens.

It prepares international students linguistically and academically for future Bachelor, Master or PhD studies taught in Romanian at UMFST or any other Romanian university. Through intensive training and a final B1-level language exam, students develop the listening, speaking, reading and writing skills needed to succeed in university-level coursework.

The programme combines general Romanian with discipline-specific language strands (Philology, Medicine, Mathematics, Economics and Technical Sciences), helping students connect language learning to their intended study field.

As the successor of the former Petru Maior University, the faculty offers a strong humanities and social-science tradition within a large, research-active public university that educates over 10,000 students, including more than 1,500 internationals from 40+ nationalities. This context opens doors to Erasmus+, European alliances and diverse academic pathways in Romania and across Europe.

Program Highlights of Preparatory year at Petru Maior University

• Duration & structure: 1 academic year, 2 semesters, 60 ECTS, aligned with Bologna/ECTS standards.
• Curriculum focus: General Romanian (A0→B1) plus discipline-specific language for medicine, engineering, economics, philology and technical sciences.
• Learning methods: Intensive seminars, language labs, conversation practice, academic-skills workshops and a final linguistic competence exam.
• Teaching language: Romanian (with support in major international languages for administration and document processing).
• International outlook: Hosts students from many countries; part of Erasmus+ mobility, the DIVERSE European University Alliance and over 160 global partnerships.
• Location: Historic, student-friendly city of Târgu Mureș, in a large public, non-profit university recognised by Romania’s Ministry of Education.

Programme Structure

The Preparatory year at Petru Maior University is structured as a full-time, one-year programme with at least 28 weeks of classes and a total of 60 ECTS credits. Teaching is organised into two semesters that gradually move students from absolute beginner or elementary Romanian to functional B1 level, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Semester 1 – Foundations

Focus on general Romanian grammar, core vocabulary, pronunciation, everyday communication and essential reading and writing skills. Introductory modules in Romanian culture and civilisation familiarise students with social norms, academic life and basic terminology used at Romanian universities.

Semester 2 – Academic & Specialised Language

Builds toward B1 level with more complex texts, academic writing, presentations and note-taking in Romanian. Students follow language for specific purposes based on intended degree area (Philology, Medicine, Mathematics, Economics, Technical Sciences etc.), strengthening discipline-related vocabulary and communicative competence.

At the end of the Preparatory year at Petru Maior University, students sit a linguistic competence exam in Romanian; successful candidates receive a Preparatory Year graduation certificate and an annex describing their achieved level and competencies, enabling enrolment in Romanian-taught degree programmes across Romania. If credits or exams are missing, students may request an additional paid year to complete requirements.

Admission Requirements

Certified copy of high school diplomaCertified copy of academic recordsCertified copy of birth certificatePassport and two photosHealth certificateA Certificate of recognition (for students from the EU, EEA, and Switzerland) of the studiesApplication FormLanguage Proficiency CertificatePayment proof for application fee

Tuition Fee

Located in Târgu Mureș (Transylvania), the former Petru Maior University (UPM) now lives on inside UMFST as three non-medical faculties: Engineering & IT, Sciences & Letters “Petru Maior”, and Economics & Law. The merger created a comprehensive, multilingual public university with strengths in medicine, health sciences, engineering, IT, humanities and socio-economics. UMFST teaches in Romanian, English and Hungarian, and also operates an English-language medical track in Târgu Mureș and at its Hamburg campus (UMCH).