Advertising Romanian Master Programs. A Case Study

Romanian higher education institutions have taken the internationalization process as an objective of strategic development, in order to improve the quality of study programs, both in education and research activities. A key factor in increasing the interest in internationalized curriculum is the actual situation on the labor market, in the context of Romania's accession to the European Union. Internationalization strategies must be defined at the level of MA study programs, taking into account several important elements: mobility, societal goals, the Romanian legal framework, the institutional organization, the specificity of the field of study, the profile of the MA student participating in internationalized programs. Beyond all these, each university must build a viable marketing strategy, which includes a series of indicators similar to those used by prestigious international universities. A good strategy for the promotion of internationalized curriculum creates a number of opportunities: the international recognition of diplomas; the achievement of internationally recognized standards; the facilitation of the international movement of labor force (and, implicitly, the recognition of diplomas); the compatibility and harmonization of curriculum and methodologies with those of partner universities; the attraction of foreign students; improving the image of the institution; professional and financial benefits; promoting attractive specializations at international/European/regional levels; reinforcing and developing partnerships with Romanian and foreign companies, in order to support the curriculum by means of the proposed research topics, with funding based on the results obtained; strengthening and extending the existing partnerships; increasing the selection base for the PhD level; promoting the European dimension of the Romanian higher education by developing the curriculum; promoting the mobility of students and teachers, by recognizing the traineeships offered by other higher education institutions and by respecting the statutory rights of these people; jobs at international companies, at home and abroad, and lastly, the achievement of academic prestige.