What are ECTS credits ?

WHAT ARE ECTS CREDITS ?

What is an ECTS credit? How do they work? How to travel abroad with ECTS credits?

 

What is an ECTS credit?

Created in 1988 by the European Union, the European Credits Transfer System (ECTS) facilitates recognition of the knowledge and skills acquired by students during their studies, whether in France or abroad, such as with the ERASMUS program. ECTS credits are proportional to the amount of work undertaken by a student and are calculated at the end of each semester. They are only credited if the student passes their exams.

This ECTS credit system allows students of French nationality or any other European Member State nationality to transfer between countries or between institutions in the same country.

 

How do ECTS credits work?

Each semester is equivalent to 30 ECTS credits: one credit represents 25 to 30 hours of work. One year is equivalent to 60 credits. That’s between 1,500 and 1,800 hours of work.
Students who validate their first year of study receive 60 ECTS credits. To validate the ESC Amiens Bachelor, students must validate 180 ECTS credits which is equivalent to three years of study. 

The credit system is the same for Master’s programs. To be awarded the ESC Amiens Business Management & Operations program, students must validate 120 ECTS credits. Note that ECTS credits are only obtained after successful exams!

ECTS credits are also valid over time and can be used to change track. If you stop studying or wish to take a break, acquired ECTS credits are valid for moving from a Bachelor’s degree in economics or law to a Master’s degree in a business school, thanks to recognition between certified institutions, including as ESC Amiens.

 

Go abroad with your ECTS credits

The ECTS system fosters international mobility: students can study abroad with one of our 63 partner institutions. Semesters abroad have the same value as semesters completed at ESC Amiens. Cassandre, a former ESC Amiens Bachelor student, completed a semester in the Netherlands. She tells her story in this video.

 

ECTS credits and ESC Amiens

Our Bachelor's degree  and postgraduate programs are certified by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. Completed in three years, they validate a total of 180 ECTS credits.  Admission to second or final year is also possible via tertiary studies completed in other institutions (Admission sur Titre). They are asked to certify a total of ECTS credits which is a condition of eligibility. Finally, our STU’UP program, a one-year course starting in January for careers guidance after graduation from secondary school, also earns 60 ECTS credits.