EUROPEAN CREDIT TRANSFER AND ACCUMULATION SYSTEM (ECTS)
WHAT IS ECTS
The European Union places great importance on inter-university cooperation to enhance the quality of education and develop higher education students. It supports these efforts through various educational programs, including the Erasmus program. The success of the Erasmus program has demonstrated that studying abroad is not only valuable for gaining knowledge about different languages and cultures but also plays a significant role in academic and professional development.
The requirement for the recognition of studies and diplomas ensures that students and teachers can move across Europe without any obstacles. For this reason, the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is used in the Erasmus program.
The abbreviation ECTS stands for the European Credit Accumulation and Transfer System, known in Turkish as AKTS (Avrupa Kredi Toplama ve Transfer Sistemi). The main goal of ECTS is to establish strong and transparent cooperation between higher education institutions in a Europe without national borders. Acting as a bridge between institutions, ECTS facilitates student mobility and offers them a wide range of options. By creating a common platform for academic achievement and learning levels, the system simplifies the evaluation of success by institutions, making it easier to interpret national higher education at an international level.
The European Credit Accumulation and Transfer System is a student-centered system defined according to the tasks and workload assigned to the student to achieve the goals set by the educational program. In the European system, the objectives of the educational program are primarily defined based on the achievements and skills to be gained at the end of the learning process. The European Credit Accumulation and Transfer System enables comparison and measurement between learning processes and ensures the transfer of the credit value assigned to learning from one institution to another.
ECTS credits are a numerical value that describes the amount of assignments, study, and responsibilities assigned to a student to complete a course. This number represents the workload of the course in relation to the total workload that should be completed in one year.
WHAT IS ECTS CREDIT?
ECTS credit is a numerical value (ranging from 1 to 60) that indicates the student workload required to complete course units. This value represents the workload required for each course within the annual academic work at an institution. This workload includes activities such as practical work, seminars, field studies, individual studies, and exams within the scope of a course in an academic year.
ECTS credits should be assigned to all course units, whether elective or compulsory. Additionally, activities such as projects, theses, and field studies within the program are also considered within this scope. ECTS credits do not only account for class hours; all activities related to the course, performed by students outside of class hours, are included in these credits. ECTS credits are not an absolute measure of student workload; rather, they are relative criteria. Credits indicate how much of the workload of a course is covered within that institution.
In ECTS, 60 credits correspond to the workload of one year, while 30 credits correspond to the workload of one semester. The program expects the workload of courses taken abroad to be compatible with both the student and the institution.
THE FEATURES OF ECTS SYSTEM
The ECTS is based on three main principles: the clear expression of the curriculum and the learning outcomes expected from students following the program; an agreement between the participating institutions and the student; and the ECTS credits assigned to courses, reflecting the student's responsibilities and workload. These three components are implemented through three key documents:
- Institutional Information Package
- Application form and learning agreement
- Transcript of records (course and grade sheet)
However, the key element that gives functionality to the ECTS is the students, teachers, and institutions who adopt studying abroad as an integral part of education and learning.
The Institutional Information Package is published in two formats: electronically on the web and in printed form. It is available in two languages: English and the language of the country. It provides students with written information about departments, faculties, organizational structure, staff, and course units.
The Learning Agreement contains a list of the courses the student has decided to take, as agreed upon by the student and the academic authority of the institution. If a credit transfer is to take place, the Learning Agreement must be completed by both institutions before the student leaves for studying abroad, and it should be updated if any changes occur.
The Transcript of Records lists the courses taken, the local grade received for each course, and, if applicable, the ECTS grade. In the case of credit transfer, the Transcript of Records must be issued by the student’s home institution before the student departs, and it must also be issued by the host institution at the end of the student’s stay.
ECTS allows the international student to actively participate in the academic life of the host university. The host institution, in turn, has the authority to make decisions regarding the academic performance of the guest student. Without making any changes to the existing course structure and assessment methods, the same courses, exams, and rules that apply to the home institution’s students are also applicable to the guest student.
Within itself, ECTS does not define the content, structure, or equivalency of curricula. These quality criteria are considered matters to be determined through self-assessments by institutions when entering into bilateral and multilateral agreements. ECTS merely provides tools that bring transparency and academic credibility to the actors involved in such agreements.
The use of ECTS is based on voluntary participation, rooted in mutual trust between institutions and the confidence each institution has in itself. Each institution selects the institutions with which it will enter into agreements.