what is ects

The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is a standard means for comparing academic credits across the European Union and other collaborating European countries. ECTS is a tool of the European Higher Education Area for making studies and courses more transparent, and it helps students to move between countries and to have their academic qualifications and study periods abroad recognized. ECTS credits represent learning based on defined learning outcomes and their associated workload, and 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 allows credits taken at one higher education institution to be counted towards a qualification studied for at another, which enhances the flexibility of study programs for students and supports the planning, delivery, and evaluation of higher education programs. ECTS is a central tool in the Bologna Process, which aims to make national education systems more comparable internationally.