Information About ECTS

ECTS, the European Union Course Credit Transfer System, was developed by the Commission of the European Union 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 ECTS department will describe the courses it offers not only in terms of content but also adding credits to each course.

ECTS Credits

ECTS credits are a value allocated to course units to describe the student workload required to complete them. They reflect the quantity of work each course requires in relation to the total quantity of work required to complete a full year of academic study at the institution, that is, lectures, practical work, seminars, private work -- in the laboratory, library or at home -- and examinations or other assessment activities.

In ECTS, 60 credits represent one year of study (in terms of workload); normally 30 credits are given for six months (a semester) and 20 credits for a term (a trimester).

ECTS credits are also allocated to practical placements and to thesis preparation when these activities form part of the regular programme of study at both the home and host institutions.

ECTS credits are allocated to courses and are awarded to students who successfully complete those courses by passing the examinations or other assessments.

ECTS Grading Scheme

Examination and assessment results are usually expressed in grades. There are many different grading systems in Europe. To help institutions translate the grades awarded by host institutions to ECTS students, the ECTS grading scale has been developed. This provides additional information on the student's performance to that provided by the institution's grade, but does not replace the local grade. Higher education institutions make their own decisions on how to apply the ECTS grading scale to their own system.

ECTS Grade Conversions
The table below will be used to convert COMU grades to ECTS grades:

The below table will be used to convert ECTS grades to COMU grades:

Student  Affairs

The students participating in ECTS will receive full credit for all academic work successfully carried out at any of the ECTS partner institutions and they will be able to transfer these academic credits from one participating institution to another as long as there is prior agreement between the institutions involved.

Most students participating in the ECTS scheme will go to one single host institution in one single EU Member State, study there for a limited period and then return to their home institution. Some may decide to stay at the host institution and finish their degree there. Some may also decide to proceed to a third institution to continue their studies. In each of these three cases, students will be required to comply with the legal and institutional requirements of the country and institution where they take their degree.

When the student returns and has successfully completed the study programme previously agreed upon between the home and the host institutions, credit transfer will then take place, and the student will continue the study course at the home institution without any loss of time or credit. If, on the other hand, the student decides to stay at the host institution and to take his/her degree there, he/she may have to adapt his/her study course to the legal, institutional and departmental rules in the host country, institution and department.

Fees

Students shall not be required to pay tuition fees at the host institution. The student may, however, be required to continue to pay his/her normal tuition fees to the home institution during the study period abroad.

The national grant/loan to which a student may be entitled for study at his/her institution may not be discontinued, interrupted or reduced while that student is studying in another Member State and is receiving an ERASMUS grant.

Grants

The Commission of the European Union provides mobility grants every year for each participating department in accordance with the Erasmus University Charter (EUC) of the institution. The selection of students who will receive these grants will be carried out by each institution. Students may only be awarded grants if they fulfill the general conditions of eligibility for the ERASMUS grant. These are:

Students must be citizens of one of the EU Member States or citizens of one of the other countries participating in the Socrates/Erasmus Programme (or must be recognised by one Member State or one of the other participating countries as having an official status of refugee or stateless person or permanent resident).

As to EFTA nationals, students will be eligible provided they are moving within the framework of ERASMUS from the respective EFTA home country to an EU Member State. EFTA nationals registered as students in ECTS participating institutions in other EFTA countries or in EU Member States are only eligible for participation in ECTS if they have established a right of permanent residence. One study period abroad must not last less than three months or more than one year. Students in the first year of their studies are not eligible for receiving ERASMUS grants.

Planning the programme of study abroad:

Students who wish to study abroad contact their home departmental coordinator and study the information packages of other institutions to choose their destination and plan their programme of study abroad. The package helps the student to select courses which are appropriate in their content and academic level, for recognition by the home institution as part of the student's final degree.

Using the ECTS credits helps students to organise a study programme which is realistic in terms of overall workload. The ECTS credit rating demonstrates the relative weight of each course in the proposed programme of study.

Ensuring full academic recognition:

An ECTS study programme must be approved by both the home and the host institutions before the student leaves for the study period abroad. If the programme of study described in the learning agreement is completed satisfactorily by the student, it is fully recognised by the home institution.

The transfer of ECTS credits:

Home and host institutions prepare and exchange transcripts of records for each student participating in ECTS before and after the period of study abroad. A copy of these transcripts is given to the student for his/her personal file.

Further information is available on the official web pages of European Union.

Further Information :