ECTS User’s Guide -2015

ECTS key features

ECTS is a learner-centred system for credit accumulation and transfer, based on the principle of transparency of the learning, teaching and assessment pro­ cesses. Its objective is to facilitate the planning, delivery and evaluation of study programmes and student mobility by recognising learning achievements and qualifications and periods of learning.

ECTS credits express the volume of learning based on the defined learning out­ comes and their associated workload. 60 ECTS credits are allocated to the learn­ ing outcomes and associated workload of a full-time academic year or its equivalent, which normally comprises a number of educational components to which credits (on the basis of the learning outcomes and workload) are allocated. ECTS credits are generally expressed in whole numbers.

Learning outcomes are statements of what the individual knows, understands and is able to do on completion of a learning process. The achievement of learning out­ comes has to be assessed through procedures based on clear and transparent criteria. Learning outcomes are attributed to individual educational components and to programmes at a whole. They are also used in European and national qualifications frameworks to describe the level of the individual qualification.

Workload is an estimation of the time the individual typically needs to complete all learning activities such as lectures, seminars, projects, practical work, work place­ ments1 and individual study required to achieve the defined learning outcomes in formal learning environments. The correspondence of the full-time workload of an academic year to 60 credits is often formalised by national legal provisions. In most cases, workload ranges from 1,500 to 1,800 hours for an academic year, which means that one credit corresponds to 25 to 30 hours of work. It should be recognised that this represents the typical workload and that for individual students the actual time to achieve the learning outcomes will vary.

Allocation of credits in ECTS is the process of assigning a number of credits to qualifications, degree programmes or single educational components. Credits are allocated to entire qualifications or programmes according to national legislation or practice, where appropriate, and with reference to national and/or European qualifications frameworks. They are allocated to educational components, such as course units, dissertations, work-based learning and work placements, taking as a basis the allocation of 60 credits per full-time academic year, according to the estimated workload required to achieve the defined learning outcomes for each component.

Awarding credits in ECTS is the act of formally granting students and other learners the credits that are assigned to the qualification and/or its components if they achieve the defined learning outcomes. National authorities should indicate which institutions have the right to award ECTS credits. Credits are awarded to individual students after they have completed the required learning activities and achieved the defined learning outcomes, as evidenced by appropriate assessment. If students and other learners have achieved learning outcomes in other formal, non-formal, or informal learning contexts or timeframes, credits may be awarded through assess­ ment and recognition of these learning outcomes.

Accumulation of credits in ECTS is the process of collecting credits awarded for achieving the learning outcomes of educational components in formal contexts and for other learning activities carried out in informal and non-formal contexts. A student can accumulate credits in order to:

— obtain qualifications, as required by the degreeawarding institution;

— document personal achievements for lifelong learning purposes.

Transfer of credits is the process of having credits awarded in one context (pro­ gramme, institution) recognised in another formal context for the purpose of obtaining a qualification. Credits awarded to students in one programme may be transferred from an institution to be accumulated in another programme offered by the same or another institution. Credit transfer is the key to successful study mobility. Institutions, faculties, departments may make agreements which guarantee automatic recognition and transfer of credits.

ECTS documentation: The use of ECTS credits is facilitated and quality enhanced by the supporting documents (Course Catalogue, Learning Agreement, Transcript of Records, and Work Placement Certificate). ECTS also contributes to transparency in other documents such as the Diploma Supplement.

ECTS for mobility and credit recognition

This section deals with credit transfer and recognition in general, which takes place both in degree mobility and credit mobility.

Successful learning mobility requires academic recognition and transfer of cred- its. Recognition of credits is the process through which an institution certifies that learning outcomes achieved and assessed in another institution satisfy the requirements of one of the programmes they offer.

Given the diversity of programmes and HEIs, it is unlikely that the credits and learning outcomes of a single educational component in two different programmes will be identical. This is even more the case in recognising learning from other learning contexts (for example vocational education and training). An open and flexible approach to the recognition of credits obtained in another context, including learning mobility, is therefore recommended, based on compatibility of learning out­ comes rather than equivalence of course contents. In practice, recognition means that the number of credits gained for compatible learning outcomes achieved in another context will replace the number of credits that are allocated for compatible learning outcomes at the awarding institution.

Institutions should make their recognition policies known and easily accessible.

4.1 Degree mobility

Degree programmes can vary in the number of ECTS credits they include (see Nota Bene box in Section 3.1). For the purposes of recognition of qualifications for further studies, the difference in the number of ECTS credits gained after successful completion of a qualification are not a consideration. The programme learning outcomes should be the main factor to be taken into account. This means, for example, that a comparable Bachelor degree should be recognised for the purpose of consideration for admission to a Master’s programme, independently of whether it is based on 180 or 240 ECTS credits.

Acknowledgements

This Guide has drawn on the considerable amount of work that has been done in recent years within the Bologna Process and in individual countries. It would be impossible to give credit to all the organisations and individuals who have carried this out.

In particular, the European Commission wishes to thank the members of the Ad-hoc Working Group, nominated by countries of the European Higher Education Area and participating organisations on the revision of the ECTS Users’ Guide for their support and commitment:

Ivan Babyn (Ukraine)

Tim Birtwistle (United Kingdom)

Regine Bolter (Austria)

Howard Davies (European University Association – EUA)

Béatrice Delpouve (France) Roza Dumbraveanu (Moldova) Luc François (Belgium)

Volker Gehmlich (Germany) Nerses Gevorgyan (Armenia) Judit Hidasi (Hungary)

Maria Kelo (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education – ENQA)

Eliane Kotler (France)

Sandra Kraze (European Association of Institutions in Higher Education – EURASHE)

Janerik Lundquist (Sweden)

Raimonda Markeviciene (Lithuania)

Lene Oftedal (Norway)

John Reilly (United Kingdom)

Maria Sticchi Damiani (Italy)

Anthony Vickers (United Kingdom)

Nevena Vuksanovic (European Students Union – ESU)

Robert Wagenaar (The Netherlands)

 

Source —

ECTS User’s Guide -2015     http://ec.europa.eu/education/library/publications/2015/ects-users-guide_en.pdf