Since its foundation in 1948, the University of Petroşani has had the mission to train graduate specialists for all the fields of activity specific for the mining industry, as well as for other industrial branches: mining machines and installations, technological equipment, energy and process automation. In Petroşani have graduated those specialists who worked especially in Romanian mining industry, but also in about 20 countries in Asia, Africa, South America, North America and Europe.
Social and economic changes that occurred after 1990 brought about major changes within the higher education in Petroşani and, consequently, technical education continues together with the emergence of new programs in the field of economy, mathematics, socio – humanistic, IT and public administration.
Therefore, the University underwent a radical transformation process by adjusting its study programs and organizational structures and becoming more open and flexible, in order to meet the needs of an increasingly heterogeneous student population, which can encompass, among other categories, lifelong learners and foreign students.
The strategy of developing the curricula of the HEI has started from the need to establish solid connections among the three levels of the Bologna educational system: Bachelor – Master studies – Doctoral studies. Over the last years, the educational offer expanded every year, both for bachelor and master studies, so that in the current academic year, the University provides 25 bachelor programmes, 18 master programmes and 5 Doctoral fields. The managerial structure of the University includes the following three faculties: the Faculty of Mines; the Faculty of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering; the Faculty of Science.
Nowadays, approximatelly 3,300 students are enrolled within the three Faculties and the Doctoral School.
Among the strenghts of the HEI we highlight the following:
- A consolidated infrastructure of the University, totally self-owned, permanently developed in order to ensure adequate education conditions and social services for students;
- Assurance of permanent connection to the Internet, both in the education spaces and the student hostels;
- The campus provides high standard accommodation, lounge, cultural and sports facilities;
- HEI has proficient teaching staff, with competences in their specific fields, capable of promoting modern, student-oriented education;
- Most study programs include in their curricula highly practical activities performed in modern laboratories;
- HEI has developped post-graduate courses structured accordingly to the needs of companies, public institutions and with quality standards;
- The documentation resources, the publications and journal subscriptions provided by the University Library are permanently renewed and accessible to the entire academic community