ECTS Credits Calculator: European Credit Transfer & Accumulation system

European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits are a standard means for comparing 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.

Here, you’ll learn more about ECTS, the credits, why they are awarded, and the calculator.

ECTS includes a standard grading scale intended to be shown in addition to local (i.e., national) standard grades. It is a credit system designed to make it easier for students to move between different countries to study.

Since they are based on the learning achievements and workload of a course, a student can transfer their ECTS credits from one university to another, so they are added up to contribute to an individual’s degree program or training.

Stay with me as I break this down for you. Here is a table of what to expect:

What is European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS)?
What are ECTS Credits?
How many ECTS Credits in a Semester?
What are the ECTS Credits Used For?
How Does ECTS Work?
In Conclusion
Recommendations

What is European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS)?

ECTS is a central tool in the Bologna Process, which aims to make national systems more compatible.

ECTS makes it possible to merge different types of learning, such as university and work-based learning, within the same program of study or in a lifelong learning perspective.

It helps to make learning more student-centered, through the planning, delivery, and evaluation of study programs making them more transparent.

The differences between national systems can lead to problems with the recognition of educational qualifications from other countries and periods of study taken abroad, so greater transparency of learning achievements simplifies the recognition of studies done in other countries.

What are ECTS Credits?

ECTS credits represent the workload and defined learning outcomes of a given course or program. They are awarded for successfully completed studies and are used to facilitate transfer and progression throughout the European Union.

How many ECTS Credits in a Semester?

One academic year corresponds to 60 ECTS credits which are normally equivalent to 1500–1800 hours of total workload, irrespective of standard or qualification type.

60 ECTS credits are the equivalent of a full year of study or work, and in a standard academic year, 60 credits would be broken down into several smaller components.

A typical Bachelor’s (or “first cycle”) Degree would consist of 180 or 240 credits, whereas a typical Master’s (or “second cycle”) Degree would consist of 90 or 120 credits, with at least 60 credits at the second-cycle level.

The use of ECTS at the Ph.D. level (or “third cycle”) varies. ECTS has been adopted by most of the countries in the European Higher Education Area(EHEA) and is increasingly used elsewhere.

What are the ECTS Credits Used For?

The ECTS Users’ Guide pdf describes the ECTS credit system, and how to use it. ECTS is also used in other documents that help to organize students’ learning mobility, including; The Course Catalogue, The Learning Agreement, and The Transcript of Records

The ECTS Labels are honorary distinctions and are awarded to higher education institutions that demonstrate the correct implementation of ECTS principles and requirements.

In addition, ECTS helps higher education institutions to enhance their cooperation with other institutions by; improving access to information on foreign curricula and providing common procedures for academic recognition.

Here are other uses of ECTS:

ECTS can be used within one institution or between institutions within one country and also guarantees academic recognition of studies abroad.
ECTS enables access to regular courses alongside local students, with the benefit of full participation in the academic life of the host institution, distinguishing it from many other student mobility programs.
Also, ECTS enables further studies abroad; an, ie student may prefer not to return to the home institution after the study period abroad, possibly to gain a degree or move to a third institution.

The institutions decide whether or not this is acceptable and what conditions the student must fulfill in order to get a diploma or transfer registration. Examination and assessment results are usually expressed in grades.

How Does ECTS Work?

The main tools used to make ECTS work and facilitate academic recognition are:

Information Package
ECTS credits
Grading and qualification system
Tools used for students while studying abroad
Diploma supplement

Emphasis will laid on four out of the five as the ECTS credits has been explained.

#1 The Information Package

Institutions that want to use ECTS produce an information package to be updated annually, in which they describe the courses available at the institution.

It provides general information about the institution, its location, student accommodation, administrative procedures necessary to register, and the academic calendar.

Good course information is essential to prepare serious study abroad and descriptions covering the content, prerequisites, mode of assessment, time unit, type, of course, teaching and learning methods employed and ECTS credits allocated are all included in the information package, along with a description of the department offering the course.

Details of examination and assessment procedures, the institution’s grading scale, and the structure of the curriculum of the degree are also included.

The information package is produced in both the national language and in a second community language, and are circulated to partner institutions for students and professors to consult and use in planning study abroad programs.

#2 Grading and Qualification System

There are many different grading systems in Europe, and the ECTS grading scale has been developed to help institutions translate the grades awarded by host institutions to ECTS students.

This provides additional information on the student’s performance to that given by the institution’s grade, without replacing the local grade.

#3 Tools used for Students While Studying Abroad

There are two majorly two tools used for students studying abroad namely: the learning agreement and the transcript of records.

The learning agreement is drawn up by the individual student and institutions involved before the student goes abroad to describes the program of study abroad.

On the other hand, the transcript of records shows the learning achievements of the student prior to and after the period of study abroad.

The transcript of records shows for every course taken by the student not only the ECTS credits, including the grade awarded according to the local grading scale and the ECTS grading scale.

These tools are used by the institutional and departmental coordinators, appointed by each institution to deal with the administrative and academic aspects of ECTS. It is their role to advise and counsel students who wish to participate in ECTS.

By using ECTS, transparency of curricula and students’ learning achievements is created, which in turn facilitates academic recognition. Institutions prepare and exchange transcripts of records for each student participating in ECTS.

A copy of the transcript is given to the student and exchanged between the home and the host institutions before and after the period of study abroad.

This is possible as long as the institutions involved agree and the student accepts the conditions to be fulfilled to get a diploma or to transfer registration.

By providing a history of the student’s academic achievements, the transcript of records is a particularly useful means of helping institutions to make these decisions further opening up Europe to student mobility.

#4 Diploma Supplement

The diploma supplement is a document that gives a precise description of the student’s academic career and the competencies acquired during the study period.

It aims at improving transparency, facilitating mobility, and employability, thus promoting academic and professional recognition.

In Conclusion

Higher education institutions are encouraged to introduce ECTS within the framework of their institutional contract with the Commission.

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