ECTS/Credit Points

Source: https://www.tu.berlin/en/studying/organizing-your-studies/topics-a-z/credit-points Parent: https://www.tu.berlin/en/studying/organizing-your-studies/topics-a-z

Most European universities use credit points (LP, CP) or ECTS to indicate the workload required to successfully complete a course or module.

This workload includes the total time and effort required, including not only class time but also preparation and follow-up time. It also includes exams, exam preparation, final papers, projects and sometimes internships. ECTS are not grades but are awarded in addition to grades.

The ECTS system makes it easy to compare courses at different European universities, thus making it possible to more easily credit academic performance in case of change of university within Europe. This unified system makes students’ coursework and exams more transparent.

One credit point is equal to a 25 to 30-hour workload. Full time students can earn an average of 30 credit points per semester. German universities have used the credit point system since transferring to the bachelor-master model.

Applied to a whole degree program, students acquire 180 to 240 credit points during a standard period of study of 3 or 4 years in a bachelor's degree program and 60 to 120 credit points in a consecutive master's degree program lasting one to two years.