Systematic way of describing a higher education programme by attaching credits to its components (modules, courses, placements, dissertation work, etc.), to:
- make study programmes easy to read and compare for all students, local and foreign;
- encourage mobility of students and validation of learning outcomes;
- help universities organise and revise their study programmes.
Comment
- ECTS is based on the student workload required to achieve a programme’s objectives, specified in terms of learning outcomes to be acquired;
- 60 ECTS credits are the equivalent of a full year of study or work. In a standard academic year, these credits are usually broken down into several smaller modules:
- a typical 'short cycle qualification' typically includes 90-120 ECTS credits;
- a ‘first cycle’ (or bachelor's) degree consists of either 180 or 240 ECTS credits;
- usually a ‘second cycle’ (or master's) degree equates to 90 or 120 ECTS credits;
- the use of the ECTS at the ‘third cycle’, or Ph.D. level, varies;
- ECTS also makes it possible to blend different learning styles, such as university and work-based learning, within the same programme of study or through lifelong learning;
- individuals who can demonstrate similar learning outcomes acquired in other learning settings may obtain recognition and credits (waivers) from degree awarding bodies.
Source
Based on European Commission, 2004; European Commission, 2022.