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ECTS

Graduate Admission Assessment

On this page we will tell you a little about the principal behind the ECTS-system, and how you can convert from one type of point/credit system to ECTS.
ECTS-points
ECTS stands for European Credit Transfer System.
ECTS-points are a numerical indication of the total workload for the completion of a specific course or education programme. ECTS-points do not measure the subject level or degree of difficulty, but only the workload. The point system indicates the workload-measured in time-that it takes to complete a specific course.
Educational institutions can use these standards to assign points for the individual course duration, through a calculation and evaluation of the workload. The points do not indicate anything about the level of the individual course, rather it only indicates the workload.
Calculation of Points
In Denmark the ECTS-system replaced the old "STAA" system. In the old system, "STAA" was equal to the completion of one year of full-time study. The ECTS-system equates 60 ECTS-points for one year of full-time study. According to the Danish Ministry of Education and Science, 60 ECTS-points are equivalent to 1,650 hours of work.
"STAA", one complete year of full-time study or 60 ECTS-points, includes students’ efforts and time for course preparation, class attendance, writing assignments, and taking exams, and it may possibly include internships. 1 ECTS-point in Denmark is equivalent to an average student workload of approximately 27-28 hours.
Conversion to ECTS-Points
A full bachelor’s degree in Denmark equals 180 ECTS-points and consists of six semesters each of 30 ECTS-points. When converting other point systems to the ECTS-system, for instance, credits, cats, total hours or similar, it requires that you identify how many units of each type are necessary to complete a full programme of study. Furthermore, you must know the prescribed length of time for completion of a bachelor’s degree in your respective educational point system.
Below you can see examples of converting other point systems to ECTS-points. In many countries, there is not necessarily a system where the workload of a bachelor’s degree is summarised, and you cannot take it for granted that all bachelor’s degrees in the specific country are converted as described below. CBS Admissions Office always evaluates each individual applicant on a case-by-case basis when deciding how to convert to ECTS-points.
Examples of Conversion
Country
Bachelor’s Degree
Yearly Workload
Conversion
Norway
180 studiepoeng
60 studiepoeng
1 studiepoeng = 1 ECTS-point
Sweden
120 points / 180 Högskolepoäng
40 point / 60 Högskolepoäng
1 point = 1,5 ECTS
1 Högskolepoäng = 1 ECTS-point
England
360 CAT points
120 CAT points
1 CAT point = 0,5 ECTS-points

Last updated by CBS Admissions Office 21/01/2011