European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System explained

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.^[1] 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.^[2]

Current systems

List of credits given in one year in European countries^[3]

Country	Credit points per year	Hours per credit point	Credit point name	Status
European Union (EU)	60	25-30^[4]	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	25-30^[5]	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)^[6] ^[7]	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, eceteesy	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	créditos (ECTS)	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	25-30^[8]	studiepoeng	EFTA member state
Switzerland	60	25-30^[9]	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.^[10] ^[11]	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 point)	Non-EU, Non-EFTA member state
Serbia	60	30	ЕСПБ бодови / ESPB bodovi	Non-EU, Non-EFTA member state
Turkey	60	25-30	AKTS - kredi^[13]	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

Notes and References

1. Web site: ECTS Users' Guide . Publications Office of the European Union . 10 . 2015 .
2. Web site: European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) - Education and training - European Commission. Education and training.
3. Web site: ECTS User's guide. Publications Office of the European Union. 2015.
4. typical values which can vary between national systems, "academic year" is normative
5. Web site: 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. 2014-01-22. Légifrance. fr. 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.
6. Web site: Credit point system. 27 November 2015.
7. Web site: Law of Higher education (in Latvian). 1 January 1995. 27 November 2015.
8. Web site: Norway's education system . studyinnorway.no . Study in Norway . en.
9. Web site: Richtlinien des Hochschulrates für die koordinierte Erneuerung der Lehre an den universitären Hochschulen der Schweiz im Rahmen des Bologna-Prozesses. 12 November 2018.
10. Web site: Erasmus Mundus credits . University of Salford . 20 May 2012 . 13 June 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070613043009/http://www.aqs.salford.ac.uk/erasmus_mundus/Erasmus_Mundus_credits.pdf . dead .
11. Web site: Higher education credit framework for England: guidance on academic credit arrangements in higher education in England. Quality Assurance Agency. 1 May 2019. 10 February 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190210044350/https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/quality-code/academic-credit-framework.pdf. dead.
12. Web site: SCQF Credit Points . Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework . 3 . 5 December 2018.
13. Web site: ECTS and Course Load - Yükseköğretim Kurulu. www.yok.gov.tr. 4 November 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20180313154242/http://www.yok.gov.tr/en/web/uluslararasi-iliskiler/tyyc-akts-ve-ders-yuku. 13 March 2018. dead.