European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS)
European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System is a standard across the European Union. Its aim is, to makes programmes and the performance of students of higher education more transparent and comparable European-wide and to replace or complement the different local (national) standards within Europe. The ECTS consists out of two main elements:
ECTS-credits
By completing a course, seminar, module etc. you get awarded with ECTS-credit points. Every ECTS credit point stands hereby for a certain amount of work load. One year corresponds to 60 ECTS-credits. A 3-year Bachelors programme has therefore usually 180 ECTS-credits; a 2-year Masters programme usually 120 ECTS-credits.
ECTS grading scale
Besides the ECTS-credits, an ECTS grading system was defined by the European Commission. Since there are nearly as many different grading systems as countries, its aim is to make grades more comparable to each other. The ECTS grading system is not replacing the local grading systems but just meant as a supplement aside the local grades, for example on a transcript of records
Undergraduate programmes
The undergraduate programmes correspond to a number of 180 transferable study credits (ECTS – European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System).
Master’s degree programmes
Master’s degree programmes correspond to 120 transferable study credits. In full-time education, master’s degree studies normally last for is of 1 – 2 years and this correspond to 60 transferable study credits for one year of study
