West University of Timișoara (UVT) is based on its foundations a sustainable tradition of higher education supported by the establishment in Timișoara of the Faculty of Philosophy (1841) and then of the Faculty of Law (1845). Based on the Royal Decree no. 660 of December 30, 1944, signed by King Mihai I of Romania, West University of Timișoara, new alma mater studiorum, was able to offer university study programs in the fields of Law, Letters and Philosophy, Sciences, Human Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacy and Theology.
By Decree no. 175 published in the Official Gazette no. 177 of 3 August 1948 came into being Pedagogical Institute of Timisoara with a single faculty, Faculty of Mathematics-Physics, with a duration of 3 years.
As of September 1, 1956, it is established Faculty of Philology.
In the year 1959 was established 5-year-old Pedagogical Institute from Timișoara with the Faculties of Mathematics, Physics-Chemistry, Philology, Natural and Agricultural Sciences, History and Geography, Fine Arts, Physical Education.
The modern period of the higher education institution was reconfigured by the Decision of the Council of Ministers no. 999 of September 27th 1962, by which it was decided that the higher education institution should be called University of Timisoara, consisting of the Faculties of Mathematics-Mechanics, Physics and Philology and sections of Music and Arts.
Between the years 1962-1989, the activity of the university was carried out on the basis of repeated ministerial orders and decisions, which provided for the forms of education, faculties, domains, departments and disciplines. Thus, in 1967 the Faculty of Economic Sciences is established, with the functioning of a law departmentt within it, and in 1968 the reorganization of the Faculties of Music, Fine Arts, History-Geography, Physical Education and Sports is requested from the relevant ministry. After the year 1976 they will be abolished, the university going through a difficult period as a higher education institution. Specializations within the Faculty of Philology will be abolished, and the Faculties of Physics and Mathematics will become sections within the Faculty of Natural Sciences. In 1971, the Informatics department was established within the Faculty of Mathematics-Mechanics.
In 1989 there were three faculties in the university: Natural Sciences (with the sections of Mathematics, Informatics, Mathematics-Physics and Physics), Philology (with the sections of Romanian Language and Literature and Foreign Languages: English, French, German, Russian) and Economic Studies (with the sections of Industry Economics, Finance-Accounting and Accounting and Agrarian Economics).
The period immediately following the events in 1989 brings substantial changes in the structure of the university, the offer being enriched with new fields through the Faculties of Fine Arts, Physical Education and Sports, Chemistry, Geography, Biology, Psychology and Sociology, Law, Music and Theater. Starting with the academic year 1990-1991, the didactic activity registers fundamental changes. An autonomy of the faculties was established in making important decisions regarding the educational process and placing it on the basic coordinates regarding the profile of specializations. In 1999, the establishment of the youngest UVT faculty, the Faculty of Political Science and Communication Sciences, was authorized. Since 2003, the Faculty of Letters has also hosted the Department of Orthodox Theology.
By the Decision of the Romanian Government no. 458 of 29.07.1994, the institution receives the current name - West University of Timișoara.
The evolution of UVT faculties over time is described in the table below.