What is ECTS?
ECTS, the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System*, is a system prepared by the European Commission with a view to enabling and facilitating inter-university exchange of students, as well as determining the principles of recognition of courses of study completed in other countries or at a different domestic institution of higher education. ECTS scoring defines student workload needed for the student to be awarded a credit for a particular course of study. Under the Ordinance of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of 3 October 2006 on Students’ Achievements Transfer Terms and Procedure, ECTS has now also become a system for accumulating individual credits.

* Until 2004 the system was known as the European Credit Transfer System, hence the acronym ECTS. Despite a change in the system name, the decision was made to keep the original abbreviation.

ECTS credits
ECTS credits are allocated to individual subjects and describe an absolute student workload (lectures, workshops, laboratory classes, etc., home or library work) in terms of time employed to complete a course or course unit. The workload required to complete a semester corresponds to 30 credits. A subject is allocated a number of credits corresponding to student workload needed to complete a given course, on the assumption that 1 credit is equivalent to a TOTAL workload of 25-30 hours. The accumulation by a student of an appropriate number of credits forms a basis for a successful completion of a semester (year) of study. The credit system does not eliminate the existing grading system; grades are still used to assess the student’s knowledge.

Transfer of learning outcomes
As part of the Erasmus programme, students study at the host university under an earlier Learning Agreement. The Agreement should specify the period of stay and the courses to be attended by the student while abroad whose learning outcomes will be recognised by the appropriate Dean as corresponding to those which should have been achieved in accordance with the curriculum of the original university. For each successfully completed course the student receives a grade and an appropriate number of credits. After their return, the students’ learning outcomes achieved by completing specific courses abroad are officially recognised and entered in their register/record.
Students may participate in the exchange system if they satisfy the requirements agreed by the two universities. They retain the rights held by students of their own university, including the right to grants and scholarships. Erasmus scholarship holders may not be charged for studying at the host institution.The length of stay at the host university should be between three months and one academic year.
The exchange system is open to students who have successfully completed the first year of study of a 1st cycle programme.