ECTS is the European Union’s Credit Transfer and Accumulation System, which was introduced to set up common procedures that guarantee academic recognition of studies undertaken abroad. To this end, it provides a study assessment and comparison system, as well as a transfer system from one institution
to another.
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 workload of a full year of academic study at the institution; that is, lectures, practical work, seminars, private work –in the library or at home– and examinations or other assessment activities. In ECTS, 60 credits represent the workload of a year of study; normally 30 credits are given for a semester and 20 credits for a term.
One ECTS credit is equivalent to 25 working hours.
At the UC, the student work distribution for undergraduate degree programs is typically based on 6 ECTS courses, which means 150 working hours, approximately distributed as follows:
Classroom hours | 40% | 60 hours |
---|
Tutorials | 4% | 6 hours |
---|
Work in Groups/Practical Work | 17% | 25.5 hours |
---|
Self-study (at home/library) | 32% | 48 hours |
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Assessment (Test, Written exams, etc) | 7% | 10.5 hours |
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International Student's Guide