ECTS Information
General Information
The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is a student-centered system for the accumulation and transfer of academic credits.
ECTS is one of the key features of the Bologna Process and serves to ensure the mutual recognition, transfer, and accumulation of academic credits within the European Higher Education Area and to guarantee the international recognition of degrees. As a result, ECTS regulates both student mobility and admission to advanced studies.
The system is based on the transparency of learning outcomes and learning processes. The acquisition of competencies is made visible through the description of learning outcomes at the Degree program, module, and course levels, which contributes significantly to quality assurance.
ECTS Credits
ECTS credits are calculated based on the amount of work typically required of students to achieve a positive learning outcome.
The learning outcomes describe what students should know, understand, and be able to do upon successful completion of a learning process. The workload indicates the time students typically must spend on all learning activities (such as lectures, seminars, projects, lab exercises, self-study, and exams) to achieve the expected learning outcomes.
In the European Higher Education Area, one semester is valued at 30 ECTS credits, and one academic year at 60 ECTS credits. The workload for an academic year ranges between 1,500 and 1,800 hours. In Austria, one ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 25 actual hours.
Key ECTS Documents
The Learning Agreement (agreement regarding the courses to be taken abroad) includes a list of all course units/modules or other learning units that students will take at an institution during their semester abroad. The document also lists the course codes and the assigned ECTS credits. If an ECTS credit transfer is to take place, the Learning Agreement must be signed and approved in advance by three parties: the student, the host institution, and the sending institution. It is possible to amend the Learning Agreement up to four weeks after the start of the semester abroad.
The “Confirmation of Stay” document confirms the student’s actual stay at the host university and is typically issued by the International Relations Office. This document can be requested from the relevant International Relations Office no earlier than two weeks before departure. This document is mandatory for Erasmus+ students.
The Transcript of Records provides an overview of academic achievements (courses or modules completed, grades, and the number of ECTS credits earned). For student mobility, the Transcript of Records serves as proof of academic achievements (before the study abroad period, as information for the host institution; after the study abroad period, as the basis for the home university’s recognition of academic achievements earned abroad).
The Diploma Supplement contains a standardized description of a completed Degree program. The Diploma Supplement is intended to improve international transparency and facilitate the recognition of academic and professional qualifications.