What is the Credit System?

A credit system describes an educational programme by attaching credits to its different components.
 
According to the ECTS users guide: "The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System is a student centred system based on the student workload required to achieve the objectives of a programme of study. These objectives should preferably specified in terms of learning outcomes and competences to be acquired".
 
ECTS is based on the principle of 60 credits for a full-time academic year. This means that a credit represents 25 to 30 working hours for a full time student (1500 to 1800 working hours a year).
 
Student workload is a key concept in ECTS; it means the time required by a learner to complete planned learning activities such as lectures, seminars, independent and private study, projects, examinations, presentations.
 
Credits are allocated to all educational components of a study programme and to all types of programmes, irrespective of their length, composition and nature, including private study and work done by the student outside the ‘classroom'.
 
The performance of the student is documented by a local or national grade. It is good practice to add an ECTS grade to facilitate credit transfer.