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ECTS: Understanding credits in the European higher education system
ECTS credits measure students’ workload and academic progression within the European higher education system. Used across universities and business schools in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), they help validate semesters, bachelor’s and master’s degrees while facilitating international study and Erasmus exchanges.
ECTS: A simple definition
What does ECTS stand for?
ECTS stands for European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System. It is the standard academic credit system used across the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).
The system was created to harmonise higher education across Europe, facilitate student mobility and improve the recognition of qualifications and study periods completed abroad. Today, ECTS is one of the main academic tools used within the EHEA framework.
What is the purpose of the ECTS system in higher education?
The ECTS system applies to higher education programmes throughout the EHEA. It allows universities and business schools to assign a common academic value to courses, modules and degree programmes using ECTS credits.
Within the EHEA, ECTS provides a shared academic language between institutions and countries. This makes it easier to:
- track student progression
- compare programmes between institutions
- recognise academic qualifications internationally
- support international study and Erasmus exchanges
- facilitate academic mobility across EHEA countries.
What is the value of ECTS credits?
How many hours does 1 ECTS represent?
One ECTS credit corresponds to approximately 25 to 30 hours of work. This workload includes lectures, tutorials, independent study, projects, research, examinations and assessments.
ECTS credits therefore measure not only the number of classroom hours, but the total amount of work required to achieve the expected learning outcomes and academic objectives.
How many credits are required to validate a semester or academic year?
A full-time academic year corresponds to 60 ECTS credits, which means:
- 30 ECTS credits per semester
- approximately 1,500 to 1,800 hours of work per year.
Credits are allocated to each module according to its workload and expected learning outcomes. These standards are shared across most EHEA member countries.
How many credits are required for a bachelor’s or master’s degree?
Here are the main reference points used within the EHEA:
| Study level | ECTS credits |
| 1 semester | 30 ECTS |
| 1 academic year | 60 ECTS |
| 2-year higher education qualification | 120 ECTS |
| 3-year higher education - Bachelor’s degree | 180 ECTS |
| 4-year higher education - Bachelor | 240 ECTS |
| Master’s degree | 300 ECTS in total |
This structure allows qualifications to be recognised more easily across EHEA institutions.
How many ECTS credits are awarded in SKEMA Business School programmes?
As a member of the European higher education ecosystem, SKEMA Business School structures its programmes according to ECTS and EHEA standards to ensure international academic recognition.
| SKEMA’s programme | Academic level | ECTS credits awarded |
| Global BBA | 4-year undergraduate degree | 240 ECTS |
| ESDHEM | 2 or 3-year programme | 120 ECTS for 2 years 180 ECTS for 3 years |
| Bachelor in Management and Engineering Sciences | 4-year undergraduate degree | 240 ECTS |
| Programme Grande Ecole | Master’s level | 120 ECTS |
| Master of Science (MSc) | Master’s level | 60 ECTS (One-year MSc) 120 ECTS (Two-year MSc) |
Post-master specialised qualification | 75 ECTS |
How does the ECTS system work?
How are ECTS credits awarded?
ECTS credits are awarded based on:
- the knowledge students are expected to acquire
- the skills and competencies to be achieved
- the workload required to complete the course or programme.
Each module is therefore assigned a specific number of credits by the institution in accordance with EHEA academic principles.
Why is there a common European framework?
The ECTS system was introduced as part of the Bologna Process, launched to harmonise higher education systems across Europe and establish the European Higher Aducation Area (EHEA).
The aim is to allow students to:
- move more easily between institutions
- study abroad more easily
- have their academic achievements recognised in different countries
- benefit from a more transparent higher education system
Today, the ECTS framework is used across the 49 member countries of the EHEA.
How do students earn ECTS credits?
When are ECTS credits awarded?
Students earn ECTS credits once they successfully complete the required assessments organised by their institution, including:
- exams
- continuous assessment
- projects
- presentations
- internships
Simply attending classes is not enough: ECTS credits confirm that the expected learning outcomes have been achieved according to EHEA academic standards.
What happens in case of failure or repeating a year?
If some modules are not validated:
- credits already obtained remain valid
- students only need to retake the modules they failed
This system also makes it easier to change programmes or institutions within the EHEA without losing previously earned credits.
ECTS and Erasmus: how does it work?
The role of ECTS in studying abroad
The Erasmus programme relies directly on ECTS credits to ensure that students can study at a partner university without losing academic progress.
Credits earned abroad can then be transferred and recognised by the home institution. Erasmus exchanges are built around the academic recognition principles established within the EHEA.
What is a learning agreement?
Before going abroad, students sign a learning agreement with their institution. This document specifies:
- the courses taken abroad;
- the number of ECTS credits awarded;
- how these credits match the home degree programme.
The learning agreement helps guarantee academic recognition between EHEA institutions.
Accumulation, transfer and recognition: what is the difference?
ECTS credits accumulate progressively throughout a student’s academic journey until the required number is reached for graduation.
Credits may also be transferred from one university to another during:
- an Erasmus exchange;
- a change of programme;
- a transfer to another institution.
Recognition means that an institution officially accepts credits earned elsewhere and integrates them into the student’s degree pathway.
One of the main objectives of the EHEA is to facilitate this recognition process between higher education institutions.
Where can students find their ECTS credits?
ECTS credits usually appear on:
- academic transcripts
- student online portals
- the Diploma Supplement
- official academic documents
Each module indicates the number of ECTS credits awarded and whether they have been validated according to the institution’s academic rules and EHEA standards.
ECTS, degrees and professional certifications: what is the difference?
An ECTS credit is not a degree: it is a unit used to measure workload and academic achievement within the EHEA higher education framework. Students must reach the required number of credits and meet all graduation requirements to obtain a degree.
| Term | Definition | Link with ECTS |
| ECTS credits | Unit measuring workload and learning outcomes | |
| Degree | Qualification awarded after completing a full programme | Requires a defined number of ECTS credits |
| RNCP qualification | French state-recognised professional certification | May include ECTS credits |
| Competency blocks | Units of skills within a professional certification | Not directly equivalent to ECTS |
| Certifications | Proof of specific skills or competencies | Rarely expressed in ECTS |
Frequently Asked Questions about ECTS
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1 ECTS credit corresponds to approximately 25 to 30 hours of student work, including classes, independent study and assessments.
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A full academic year corresponds to 60 ECTS credits, or 30 credits per semester within the EHEA higher education framework.
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Yes. ECTS credits are recognised across the 49 countries of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), including all European Union countries. Credits earned at one institution can usually be transferred and recognised by another institution, subject to academic agreements such as Erasmus learning agreements.
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In most cases, ECTS credits do not expire. However, some institutions within the EHEA may apply specific rules when students return to higher education after several years.
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Students must retake the modules that were not validated, either through resit examinations or during the following academic year. Previously earned credits remain valid.
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Yes. Apprenticeship and work-study programmes in higher education can also award ECTS credits when they are officially recognised and integrated into the EHEA higher education framework. Students therefore earn credits in the same way as those following traditional full-time academic programmes.
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In general, once ECTS credits have been validated, they remain permanently acquired. Students therefore do not lose their credits if they repeat a year, change programme or transfer to another institution within the EHEA.
However, some institutions may apply specific rules when students return to education after a long break or enter a new programme.
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ECTS is mainly used within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), where credits are widely recognised, particularly for Erasmus exchanges and international double degrees.
Outside Europe, recognition depends on agreements between institutions and the education system of the country concerned. However, many universities worldwide are familiar with the ECTS and EHEA frameworks and can establish credit equivalencies for international students.
