What is ECTS?
ECTS, the European Union Course Credit Transfer System was developed by the Commission of the European Union in order to provide common procedures to guarantee academic recognition of studies abroad. It provides a way of measuring and comparing learning achievements, and transferring them from one institution to another.
The ECTS system is based on the principle of mutual trust and confidence between the participating higher education institutions. The few rules of ECTS, concerning Information (on courses available), Agreement (between the home and host institutions) and the use of Credit Points (to indicate student workload) are set out to reinforce this mutual trust and confidence. Each ECTS department will describe the courses it offers not only in terms of content but also adding credits to each course.
ECTS credits are a value allocated to course units to describe the student workload required to complete them. They reflect the quantity of work each course requires in relation to the total quantity of work required to complete a full year of academic study at the institution, those are, lectures, practical work, seminars, private work - in the library or at home - and examinations or other assessment activities. ECTS credits express a relative value.
In ECTS, 60 credits represent the workload of one year of study; normally 30 credits are given for a semester and 20 credits for a term. It is important that no special courses are set up for ECTS purposes, but that all ECTS courses are mainstream courses of participating institutions, as followed by home students under normal regulations.
It is up to the participating institutions to subdivide the credits for the different courses. Practical placements and optional courses which form an integral part of the course of study also receive academic credit. Practical placements and optional courses which do not form an integral part of the course of study do not receive academic credit. Non-credit courses may, however, be mentioned in the transcript of records.
Credits are awarded only when the course has been completed and all required examinations have been successfully taken.
The students participating in ECTS will receive full credit for all academic work successfully carried out at any of the ECTS partner institutions and they will be able to transfer these academic credits from one participating institution to another as long as there is prior agreement between the institutions involved.
Most students participating in the ECTS scheme will go to one single host institution in one single EU Member State, study there for a limited period and then return to their home institution. Some may decide to stay at the host institution and finish their degree there. Some may also decide to proceed to a third institution to continue their studies. In each of these three cases, students will be required to comply with the legal and institutional requirements of the country and institution where they take their degree.
When the student returns and has successfully completed the study programme previously agreed upon between the home and the host institutions, credit transfer will then take place, and the student will continue the study course at the home institution without any loss of time or credit. If, on the other hand, the student decides to stay at the host institution and to take his/her degree there, he/she may have to adapt his/her study course to the legal, institutional and departmental rules in the host country, institution and department.
Students shall not be required to pay tuition fees at the host institution. The student may, however, be required to continue to pay his/her normal tuition fees to the home institution during the study period abroad.
The national grant/loan to which a student may be entitled for study at his/her institution may not be discontinued, interrupted or reduced while that student is studying in another Member State and is receiving an ERASMUS grant.
Planning the programme of study abroad:
Students who wish to study abroad contact their home departmental coordinator and study the information packages of other institutions to choose their destination and plan their programme of study abroad. The package helps the student to select courses which are appropriate in their content and academic level, for recognition by the home institution as part of the student's final degree.
Using the ECTS credits helps students to organise a study programme which is realistic in terms of overall workload. The ECTS credit rating demonstrates the relative weight of each course in the proposed programme of study.
Ensuring full academic recognition:
An ECTS study programme must be approved by both the home and the host institutions before the student leaves for the study period abroad. If the programme of study described in the learning agreement is completed satisfactorily by the student, it is fully recognised by the home institution.
The transfer of ECTS credits:
Home and host institutions prepare and exchange transcripts of records for each student participating in ECTS before and after the period of study abroad. A copy of these transcripts is given to the student for his/her personal file.
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