“Ministers strees the important role played by the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) in facilitating student mobility and international curriculum development. They note that ECTS is increasingly becoming a generalised basis ort he national credit systems. They encourage further progress with the goal that the ECTS becomes not only a transfer but also an accumulation system, to be applied consistently as it develops within the emerging European Higher Education Area.”From the Berlin Communiqué of Ministers responsible for Higher Education, September 2003 (Bologna Process).

A credit system is a systematic way of describing an educational programme by attaching credits to its components. The definition of credits in higher education systems may be based on different parameters, such as student workload, learning outcomes and contact hours.

The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System is a student-centred system based on the student workload required to achieve the objectives of a programme, objectives preferably specified in terms of the learning outcomes and competences to be acquired.

ECTS was introduced in 1989, within the framework of Erasmus, now part of the Socrates programme. ECTS is the only credit system which has been successfully tested and used across Europe. ECTS was set up initially for credit transfer. The system facilitated the recognition of periods of study abroad and thus enhanced the quality and volume of student mobility in Europe. Recently ECTS is developing into an accumulation system to be implemented at institutional, regional, national and European level. This is one of the key objectives of the Bologna Declaration of June 1999.

ECTS makes study programmes easy to read and compare for all students, local and foreign. ECTS facilitates mobility and academic recognition. ECTS helps universities to organise and revise their study programmes. ECTS can be used across a variety of programmes and modes of delivery. ECTS makes European higher education more attractive for students from abroad.

• ECTS is based on the principle that 60 credits measure the workload of a full-time student during one academic year. The student workload of a full-time study programme in Europe amounts in most cases to around 1500-1800 hours per year and in those cases one credit stands for around 25 to 30 working hours.
• Credits in ECTS can only be obtained after successful completion of the work required and appropriate assessment of the learning outcomes achieved. Learning outcomes are sets of competences, expressing what the student will know, understand or be able to do after completion of a process of learning, long or short.
• Student workload in ECTS consists of the time required to complete all planned learning activities such as attending lectures, seminars, independent and private study, preparation of projects and examinations.
• Credits are allocated to all educational components of a study programme (such as modules, courses, placements, dissertation work, etc.) and reflect the quantity of work each component requires to achieve its specific objectives or learning outcomes in relation to the total quantity of work necessary to complete a full year of study successfully.
• The performance of the student is documented by a local/national grade. It is good practice to add an ECTS grade, in particular in case of credit transfer. The ECTS grading scale ranks the students on a statistical basis. Therefore, statistical data on student performance is a prerequisite for applying the ECTS grading system. Grades are assigned among students with a pass grade as follows:

A distinction is made between the grades FX and F that are used for unsuccessful students. FX means: “fail- some more work required to pass” and F means: “fail – considerable further work required”. The inclusion of failure rates in the Transcript of Records is optional.

• The regular Information Package/Course Catalogue of the institution to be published in the local/national language and in English (or only in English for programmes taught in English) on the Web and/or in hard copy in one or more booklets. The Information Package/Course Catalogue must contain the items of the checklist including information for host students from abroad.
• The Learning Agreement contains the list of courses to be taken with the ECTS credits which will be awarded for each course. This list must be agreed by the student and the responsible academic body of the institution concerned. In the case of credit transfer, the Learning Agreement has to be agreed by the student and the two institutions concerned before the student’s departure and updated immediately when changes occur.
• The Transcript of Records documents the performance of a student by showing the list of courses taken, the ECTS credits gained, local or national credits, if any, local grades and possibly ECTS grades awarded. In the case of credit transfer, the Transcript of Records has to be issued by the home institution for outgoing students before departure and by the host institution for incoming students at the end of their period of study. 

“They [Ministers] set the objective that every student graduating as from 2005 should receive the Diploma Supplement automatically and free of charge. It should be issued in a widely spoken European language. They appeal to institutions and employers to make full use of the Diploma Supplement, so as to take advantage of the improved transparency and flexibility of the higher education degree systems, for fostering employability and facilitating academic recognition for further studies.” From the Berlin Communiqué of Ministers responsible for Higher Education, September 2003 (Bologna Process).
The Diploma Supplement is a document attached to a higher education diploma providing a standardised description of the nature, level, context, content and status of the studies that were successfully completed by the graduate. The Diploma Supplement provides transparency and facilitates academic and professional recognition of qualifications (diplomas, degrees, certificates). For more information on the DS please see the following web-site:
http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/rec_qual/recognition/diploma_en.html

The Diploma Supplement (DS) ) is a document attached to a higher education diploma aiming at improving international ‘transparency’ and at facilitating the academic and professional recognition of qualifications (diplomas, degrees, certificates etc.). It is designed to provide a description of the nature, level, context, content and status of the studies that were successfully completed by the individual named on the original qualification to which this supplement is appended. It should be free from any value-judgements, equivalence statements or suggestions about recognition. It is a flexible non-prescriptive tool which is designed to save time, money and workload. It is capable of adaptation to local needs.
The DS is produced by national institutions according to a template that has been developed by a Joint European Commission - Council of Europe - UNESCO working party that tested and refined it.
The DS is composed of eight sections (information identifying the holder of the qualification, information identifying the qualification, information on the level of the qualification, information on the contents and results gained, information on the function of the qualification, additional information, certification of the Supplement, information on the national higher education system). Information in all eight sections should be provided. Where information is not provided, an explanation should give the reason why.
A description of the national higher education system within which the individual named on the original qualification graduated has to be attached to the DS. This description is provided by the National Academic Recognition Information Centres (NARICs) and is available on the website: www.enic-naric.net

New qualifications proliferate worldwide and countries are constantly changing their qualification systems and educational structures under the impact of rapid economic, political and technological change. An increasing number of mobile citizens are seeking the fair recognition of their qualifications. The non-recognition and poor-evaluation of qualifications is now a global problem. Since original credentials alone do not provide sufficient information, it is very difficult to gauge the level and function of a qualification without detailed appropriate explanation.
The Diploma Supplement is a response to these challenges since:
• It promotes transparency in higher education.
• It accommodates rapid changes in qualifications.
• It aids mobility, access and lifelong learning.
• It promotes fair and informed judgements about qualifications.

• An ECTS label can be awarded to institutions which apply ECTS correctly in all first and second cycle degree programmes. The label will raise the profile of the institution as an attractive, reliable and transparent partner in European and international cooperation.
• The criteria for the ECTS label are: an Information Package/Course Catalogue in the local/national language and English (online or hard copy in one or more booklets) compliant with the checklist for Information Package/Course Catalogues, correct use of ECTS and use of ECTS in Erasmus mobility (including samples of Learning Agreements, Transcripts of Records and proof of full academic recognition for Erasmus students).
• The next application deadline is 1 March . Once awarded, the label is valid for three academic years.

• A DS label can be awarded to institutions which issue a Diploma Supplement to all graduates in all first and second cycle degree programmes. The label will raise the profile of the institution as an attractive, reliable and transparent and partner in European and international cooperation.
• The criteria for the DS label are: issuing of the Diploma Supplement to all graduates in all first and second cycle degree programmes, free of charge and in a widely spoken European language. Use of the standard DS model developed by the European Commission, Council of Europe and Unesco. Samples of certified copies of Diploma Supplements issued to students. Public information (online and/or study guide/booklet/brochure) about the DS.
• The next application deadline is 1 March . Once awarded, the label is valid for three academic years.

Financial support is available for higher education institutions (which are holders of the Erasmus University Charter) for implementing and developing ECTS/DS:

Institutions which receive a grant for Organisation of Mobility (OM) as part of their participation in Erasmus mobility may use that grant for activities related to the implementation of ECTS.

A special grant may be awarded to Institutions that are absolute beginners in ECTS and have previously not received an ECTS grant. The grant is awarded annually, for a maximum of two years.

Institutions may apply to receive a visit by two ECTS/DS Counsellors. The visiting Counsellors, who normally come from abroad, help the institution to evaluate their use of ECTS/DS and offer advice. To be eligible for a Counsellor’s visit Institutions should be well advanced with implementing ECTS and may not have received a Counsellors visit before.

A special grant may be awarded to Institutions that have obtained the ECTS Label. The grant shall be used to introduce credit accumulation for lifelong learning involving formal, informal and non-formal learning. The grant is awarded annually, for up to three years maximum.
All the above grants are managed by the Erasmus National Agencies (NAs). For further information please contact the National Agency in your home country.