About ECTS

ECTS, the European Credit Transfer System, was developed by the Commission of the European Communities in order to provide common procedures to guarantee academic recognition of studies abroad. It provides a way of measuring and comparing learning achievements, and transferring them from one institution to another. The ECTS system is based on the principle of mutual trust and confidence between the participating higher education institutions. The few rules of ECTS, concerning information on courses available, agreement between the home and host institutions, and the use of credit points to indicate student workload are set out to reinforce this mutual trust and confidence. Each department describes the courses it offers, not only in terms of content but also allocating credits to each course.

60 ECTS credits represent the workload of a year of study, so 30 credits are given for a semester. It is up to the participating institutions to subdivide the credits for the different courses. Only practical projects and optional courses that form an integral part of the course of study also receive academic credits. Non-credit courses may, however, be mentioned in the transcript of records.

Credits are awarded only when the course has been completed and all required examinations have been successfully taken.

The diploma of Engineer is delivered after 5 years in higher education with 300 ECTS (after the “baccalauréat”).