The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is a standard means for comparing academic credits, i.e., the "volume of learning based on the defined learning outcomes and their associated workload" for higher education across the European Union and other collaborating European countries. For successfully completed studies, ECTS credits are awarded. One academic year corresponds to 60 ECTS credits that are normally equivalent to 1500–1800 hours of total workload, irrespective of standard or qualification type. ECTS credits are used to facilitate transfer and progression throughout the Union. ECTS also includes a standard grading scale, intended to be shown in addition to local (i.e. national) standard grades.
Current systems
List of credits given in one year in European countries3| Country | Credit points per year | Hours per credit point | Credit point name | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Union (EU) | 60 | 25-304 | ECTS credits | |
| Austria | 60 | 25 | ECTS (also ECTS-Punkte, ECTS credits) | EU member state |
| Belgium | 60 | 25-30 | ECTS (also studiepunten, crédits, ECTS) | EU member state |
| Bulgaria | 60 | 25-30 | кредити | EU member state |
| Croatia | 60 | 25-30 | ECTS bodovi | EU member state |
| Cyprus | 60 | 30 | ECTS | EU member state |
| Czech Republic | 60 | 26 | kredity | EU member state |
| Denmark | 60 | 28 | ECTS-point | EU member state |
| Estonia | 60 | 26 | ainepunkt (EAP). Currently because many students are still used to the older system the longer name 'euroopa ainepunkt' is more often used for clarity's sake | EU member state |
| Finland | 60 | 27 | opintopiste (op) / studiepoäng (Swedish) (lit. study point) | EU member state |
| France | 60 | 25-305 | crédits ECTS | EU member state |
| Germany | 60 | 25-30 | ECTS, Leistungspunkte (LP), Kreditpunkte (KP), Credit Points (CP) or Credits | EU member state |
| Greece | 60 | 30 | ECTS, Credit Points (CP), Μονάδες Φόρτου Εργασίας (Διδακτικές Μονάδες - Δ.Μ) or Credits | EU member state |
| Hungary | 60 | 30 | kredit (pont) | EU member state |
| Ireland | 60 | ECTS | EU member state | |
| Italy | 60 | 25-30 | crediti formativi universitari (CFU) | EU member state |
| Latvia | 60 | 30 | ECTS kredītpunkts (1 "Latvian" credit point (kredītpunkts) equals 1.5 ECTS)67 | EU member state |
| Lithuania | 60 | 28 | kreditai; ECTS kreditai | EU member state |
| Luxembourg | 60 | ECTS | EU member state | |
| Malta | 60 | 25 | ECTS-credits | EU member state |
| Netherlands | 60 | 28 | studiepunten (ECTS or EC) | EU member state |
| Poland | 60 | 25-30 | punkty ECTS | EU member state |
| Portugal | 60 | 28 | créditos ECTS | EU member state |
| Romania | 60 | 30 | credite (SECTS) | EU member state |
| Slovakia | 60 | 25 | kredity | EU member state |
| Slovenia | 60 | 25-30 | kreditne točke | EU member state |
| Spain | 60 | 25-30 | ECTS (also créditos and crèdits) | EU member state |
| Sweden | 60 | 26.667 | högskolepoäng (Used from July 2007) | EU member state |
| Iceland | 60 | 25-30 | einingar (units) | EFTA member state |
| Liechtenstein | 60 | EFTA member state | ||
| Norway | 60 | 25-308 | studiepoeng | EFTA member state |
| Switzerland | 60 | 25-309 | ECTS-credits, Kreditpunkte (KP) | EFTA member state |
| Albania | 60 | 30 | Pikët ECTS | Non-EU, Non-EFTA member state |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 60 | 25 | ECTS bodovi | Non-EU, Non-EFTA member state |
| England, Wales and Northern Ireland | 120 (60 ECTS) | 10 (20 hours per ECTS) | Credits. One ECTS credit is equivalent to two UK credits.1011 | Non-EU, Non-EFTA member state |
| Georgia | 60 | 30 | კრედიტები (kreditebi) | Non-EU, Non-EFTA member state |
| Montenegro | 60 | ECTS-krediti | Non-EU, Non-EFTA member state | |
| North Macedonia | 60 | кредити (ECTS) | Non-EU, Non-EFTA member state | |
| Russia | 60 | 30 | кредиты | Non-EU, Non-EFTA member state |
| Scotland | 120 (60 ECTS) | 10 (20 hours per ECTS)12 | SCQF credit points (2 SCQF points equal 1 ECTS point13) | Non-EU, Non-EFTA member state |
| Serbia | 60 | 30 | ЕСПБ бодови / ESPB bodovi | Non-EU, Non-EFTA member state |
| Turkey | 60 | 25-30 | AKTS - kredi14 | Non-EU, Non-EFTA member state |
| Ukraine | 60 | 30 | кредити | Non-EU, Non-EFTA member state |
See also
- Educational policies and initiatives of the European Union
- Bologna Process
- European Higher Education Area
- ECTS grading scale
- Carnegie Unit and Student Hour
- Erasmus Programme
- Academic mobility
References
"ECTS Users' Guide". Publications Office of the European Union. 2015. p. 10. https://education.ec.europa.eu/document/ects-users-guide-2015 ↩
"European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) - Education and training - European Commission". Education and training. http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/doc48_en.htm ↩
"ECTS User's guide". Publications Office of the European Union. 2015. https://education.ec.europa.eu/document/ects-users-guide-2015 ↩
typical values which can vary between national systems, "academic year" is normative ↩
"Article 8 - Arrêté du 22 janvier 2014 fixant le cadre national des formations conduisant à la délivrance des diplômes nationaux de licence, de licence professionnelle et de master" [Article 8 - Order of 22 January 2014 establishing the national framework for courses leading to the award of national bachelor's, professional bachelor's and master's degrees]. Légifrance (in French). 22 January 2014. https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/article_lc/LEGIARTI000037300245 ↩
"Credit point system". Retrieved 27 November 2015. http://www.aic.lv/portal/en/izglitiba-latvija/kreditpunktu-sistema ↩
"Law of Higher education (in Latvian)". 1 January 1995. Retrieved 27 November 2015. http://likumi.lv/doc.php?id=37967 ↩
"Norway's education system". studyinnorway.no. Study in Norway. https://studyinnorway.no/norways-education-system ↩
"Richtlinien des Hochschulrates für die koordinierte Erneuerung der Lehre an den universitären Hochschulen der Schweiz im Rahmen des Bologna-Prozesses". Retrieved 12 November 2018. https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified-compilation/20150869/index.html ↩
"Erasmus Mundus credits" (PDF). University of Salford. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 June 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20070613043009/http://www.aqs.salford.ac.uk/erasmus_mundus/Erasmus_Mundus_credits.pdf ↩
"Higher education credit framework for England: guidance on academic credit arrangements in higher education in England" (PDF). Quality Assurance Agency. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 February 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190210044350/https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/quality-code/academic-credit-framework.pdf ↩
"SCQF Credit Points" (PDF). Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework. p. 3. Retrieved 5 December 2018. https://scqf.org.uk/media/1368/european-developments-explained-final-web-version-april-2012.pdf ↩
"SCQF Credit Points" (PDF). Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework. p. 3. Retrieved 5 December 2018. https://scqf.org.uk/media/1368/european-developments-explained-final-web-version-april-2012.pdf ↩
"ECTS and Course Load - Yükseköğretim Kurulu". www.yok.gov.tr. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20180313154242/http://www.yok.gov.tr/en/web/uluslararasi-iliskiler/tyyc-akts-ve-ders-yuku ↩