Study Credits
On this page you can find information about the study credits used in the study abroad programs represented by AE, and how they can be converted into the ECTS-credits used in Europe.
The practices of transferring credits vary from institution to institution, and students are advised to make a study plan and discuss the credit transfer in advance with a lecturer or exchange coordinator at their possible home institution, because the home institution makes the final decisions about transferring credits and adding the studies completed abroad into a student’s degree.
What is a Credit System?
Credit systems are used to assess students’ progress in their studies. Students are required to earn a certain number of credits i.e. pass a certain number of courses with a passing grade in order to be entitled to full-time student status.
Each course is worth a certain number of credits determined by different criteria including student workload, learning outcome and contact hours. The more work and effort a student is required to put into a course, the more credits that course is worth.
What is ECTS?
The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System or ECTS is a common European credit system for higher education. Institutions use it either as their principle grading system or as a secondary grading system for exchange students. ECTS-credits are based on the amount of work that students are required to complete in order to achieve the goals set in a certain course or study program. The credits are based on the learning outcomes of students as well as their workloads.
The learning outcome refers to what students are expected to have learned and be able to do and the workload refers to the amount of time it takes an average student to achieve the required learning outcome. The workload also includes lectures, seminars, independent study, preparing for exams, taking exams, excursions etc.
The ECTS was first used in 1989. The ECTS is the only study credit system, which has been successfully tested and used all over Europe. Originally the ECTS was formed to make it easier to transfer credits completed abroad, and thus promote student exchange in Europe. The ECTS has then been developed into a study credit accumulation system in accordance with the main goals of the Bologna declaration in June 1999.
The ECTS is based on an agreement in which one academic year of full-time studying equals 1,600 hours, which amounts to 60 ECTS-credits. In Europe, a full-time student’s workload is most often 36 – 40 weeks each year, which means that one study credit represents 24 – 30 hours of work.
Credit Transfer in Other Parts of the World
The credit transfer and accumulation systems vary outside Europe. In some countries there is no consensus for credit transfer and accumulation and the systems may vary greatly among the institutions of a single country.
Converting Thai Credits into ECTS Study Credits
At Thai universities, completed studies and grades are measured in credits. The courses held at AE’s partner universities are worth 3 credits, with one credit equaling 15 hours of lectures. Students should remember to make a note of independent studies, exercises, group works, business visits, preparing for quizzes and exams and the quizzes and exams themselves, because all the work that goes into earning a credit makes the overall workload greater. One completed course in Thailand most often converts to 5 ECTS-credits.
Converting Chinese Credits into ECTS Study Credits
At Chinese universities, the completed courses and achieved grades are measured in credits. At Guangzhou University, one credit equals 18 hours of lectures. Students should remember to make a note of independent studies, exercises, group works, business visits, preparing for quizzes and exams and the quizzes and exams themselves, because all the work that goes into earning a credit makes the overall workload greater. One credit completed at Guangzhou University most often converts to 1.5 ECTS-credits.
Converting Indonesian Credits into ECTS Study Credits
At Indonesian universities, completed studies and grades are measured in credits. At Udayana University in Indonesia, the courses are worth 3 credits and one credit equals 12 hours of lectures. Students should remember to make a note of independent studies, exercises, group works, business visits, preparing for quizzes and exams and the quizzes and exams themselves, because all the work that goes into earning a credit makes the overall workload greater. One completed course most often converts to 5 ECTS-credits.
Transferring Credits
After completing your studies at your host university, be sure to receive all the necessary documents, such as syllabuses and transcripts of records. We will send you the transcript after the end of the study program to the address you have given us. You can apply for credit transfer for the courses you have completed abroad from your own home institution with the help of the information on this page and the before-mentioned documents. The credit transfer is based on your own study plan and your own account of the overall workload and completed coursework, as well as your own institution’s assessments and decisions.
Three Important Steps Regarding Credit Transfer
1. Make a study plan and have your courses pre-approved by your home institution’s exchange coordinator, academic advisor or a professor; whoever is in charge of credit transfer at your home institution. Remember to use the course catalogs and syllabuses on the AE website when making your study plan. You will also most likely be required to show the syllabuses to the person in charge of credit transfer, so they can determine how many credits you will receive for your studies abroad.
2. Pass your courses. You are responsible for attending classes and receiving grades for the courses included in the study program. It goes without saying that if you don’t attend classes and pass the courses, you won’t earn any credits that your home institution can transfer to your degree. Remember that class attendance is required and that the business visits and workshops are also a part of the course.
Remember to keep all your notes, course catalogs, group works and exams so that you have something to show for your time abroad in case of any misunderstanding between you and your home institution about the amount of credits you are entitled to for your studies abroad.
3. Transcript of Records are awarded by the host institution and the host institution alone. The host institution will send the official transcripts to AE, who in turn will send them to the students. This is done to reduce the chances of the transcripts being lost in the mail. It usually takes a month or two after the end of the study program for the transcripts of records to be sent by the host institution. We realize that you wish to complete your credit transfer as soon as possible, but please be patient. There is a certain procedure that the host institutions must follow regarding transcripts.
Don’t be discouraged if you are denied credit transfer for some courses after completing your studies. Each supervisor has their own opinions and the credit transfer practices vary from faculty to faculty. If you don’t see eye to eye with your supervisor, don’t be afraid to go talk to someone else higher up. Remember to tell your supervisor that you will receive the official transcript of records within a couple months at the latest.
