CNATDCU Standards and Recommendations
The entire process of verifying the achievement of results within the doctoral program is formalized and managed in accordance with institutional methodologies, internal regulations, and the recommendations included in the guide for writing doctoral theses in the field of Engineering Sciences developed by the National Council for the Attestation of University Titles, Diplomas and Certificates (CNATDCU). The status of these evaluations is managed by the SD-AC Secretariat.
Starting in 2023, CNATDCU doctoral standards are governed by the new higher education legislation (Law No. 199/2023) and by the set of mandatory national minimum standards for awarding the doctoral degree approved through Order No. 3018/2025, applicable within academic communities.
General Legislative Framework
Fundamental Law
Fundamental law: doctoral university studies operate under Law No. 199/2023, which requires maximum transparency and digitalization in the management of doctoral theses.
Field-Specific Standards (CTI and IS)
Field-specific standards (CTI and IS): through Order No. 3018/2025, 35 specific standards were established for groups of fields corresponding to CNATDCU specialist committees. CNATDCU Committee 15 is the committee for Computers, Information Technology and Systems Engineering. The mandatory national minimum criteria applicable to doctoral students for awarding the doctoral degree are officially established through Order No. 3018/2025.
Minimum Standards for Awarding the Doctoral Degree
In order to be awarded the doctoral degree, the following minimum standards must be met: publication, as first author during the doctoral studies, of at least three articles strictly related to the thesis field, in journals or proceedings of scientific events indexed in Web of Science or Scopus, of which:
University Regulations
University regulations: universities (IOSUD) may establish through their own regulations standards above the national minimum level, but not below it. SD-AC has not established additional criteria, but provides recommendations for awarding grades: Excellent, Very Good, Good, Satisfactory.
Submission and Evaluation of Doctoral Files for Awarding the Doctoral Degree
Electronic Platform
Electronic platform: the doctoral file and the proposal of the defense/degree-awarding committee are uploaded by IOSUD to the national electronic platform.
Reevaluation Rule
Reevaluation rule: according to recent legislative amendments, Order No. 4092/2026, a doctoral file invalidated by CNATDCU may be resubmitted for reevaluation only after all issues identified in the summary evaluation report have been fully remedied.
Similarity Reports
Similarity reports: similarity verification using nationally recognized software is mandatory, together with the declaration of originality signed by the graduate. IOSUD POLITEHNICA Bucharest and, consequently, SD-AC use Turnitin as the similarity-checking software.
Public Doctoral Theses
In this section, users can access doctoral theses registered on the national platform or links to their publication, in accordance with Government Decision No. 681/2011, as subsequently amended and supplemented, depending on the doctoral student’s option regarding publication of the doctoral thesis:
