ECTS Credits

[VirtualSkull]

Most engineering degrees in Finland at the Bachelor's level require 240 ECTS credits. If you look at some of the curriculums at some of the UAS, you're expected to take 60 ECTS credits per semester and that seems a lot if you consider that most full-time students in US colleges take around 12-15 credits/semester or maybe 18 at the most and that's pushing it. Are the courses less intensive/rigorous or time-consuming than the ones in the US or what gives? On top of that, you're expected to do a Bachelor's thesis. Any insight anyone?

[Pursuivant]

how much goes to a credit?

Using an hour rate of 45 hours for 1 US College credit, the 240 ECTS of the Bachelor of Arts programme of EUNC is equivalent to 133-160 US College credits.

[Rabs]

may not directly tell your story but still ......
viewtopic.php?f=25&t=3414&p=281341&hili ... ic#p281341

[Pursuivant]

Students from the United States should note that the credit weightings assigned to modules at UCC are not equivalent to the credits awarded by an American institution. In general, a 5 credit UCC module will be awarded 2.5 credits in the American academic system. However, some US colleges award 3 credits per UCC 5 credit module.

As a broad rule of thumb, a student coming to the university for a full academic year with full assessment of courses taken may expect to take modules to the value of 60 UCC credits; this amount should be halved for semester programmes.

Normally 30 U.S. credits will be awarded for a satisfactorily completed year course load; the semester equivalent is usually 15 U.S. credits. However, it is the sending university or agency which ultimately decides on the number of credits to be awarded and not the receiving university, University College Cork, in this case.

[VirtualSkull]

Students from the United States should note that the credit weightings assigned to modules at UCC are not equivalent to the credits awarded by an American institution. In general, a 5 credit UCC module will be awarded 2.5 credits in the American academic system. However, some US colleges award 3 credits per UCC 5 credit module.

As a broad rule of thumb, a student coming to the university for a full academic year with full assessment of courses taken may expect to take modules to the value of 60 UCC credits; this amount should be halved for semester programmes.

Normally 30 U.S. credits will be awarded for a satisfactorily completed year course load; the semester equivalent is usually 15 U.S. credits. However, it is the sending university or agency which ultimately decides on the number of credits to be awarded and not the receiving university, University College Cork, in this case.

Well, that could explain it but can't help but notice that most of the UCS courses in Finland are worth 3 ECTS like in US colleges except for projects and your bachelor thesis which are worth from 6-12 ECTS. I may be wrong but maybe these courses in Finland are briefer and that allows students to squeeze more of them in a semester. Can anyone who has gone to a UCS in Finland and majored in something as technical as Engineering corroborate this?

[mrshourula]

I've noticed a couple of things Finnish universities do that differ from most US universities and allow a student to take more than the traditional 12-15 units.

1. Book Exams. I don't completely understand this system but it seems that one can read a book (or books or reading list) and then sign up to take a written exam without ever attending a lecture. From what I understand, it is common to take more than one book exam during a semester (or period in a semester).

2. Although there is a fall and spring semester, each is divided into two periods. Some courses run the full length of the semester and some courses only last one period so it is possible to take more courses in a semester than you could in the traditional U.S. semester.

Those more knowledgeable about these things may fill in the gaps for you.

[Pursuivant]

usually the book tests are some basic crap that you need to know before getting on the advanced courses - so if you know the stuff its no use having you waste the time sitting in class... because the advanced course expects everybody to be at the same starting level, but say in the UAS you can have people with vocational school maths vs. advanced calculus in high school. we also had a system sometimes you had to pass three quizzes and do a project or chance all in the hellweek I mean exam week with a book...

[zam]

In ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) the extent of the courses are defined in credits which are based on student workload i.e. it does not necessarily have anything to do with the amount of contact teaching (although that is naturally included in credits). In ECTS an academic year of full time studies correspond to 60 credits. A couple of years ago the old Finnish credit system was renewed to comply with the ECTS. In the old Finnish system the credits were "study weeks" i.e. one credit was ca 40 hours of students work, now in the new system credits are "study points". Now the definition of study point is approximately "1600 hours of students study efforts which is required to complete studies of one academic year correspond to 60 credits".

So, these credits include all the work the student has to do to achieve the goals of the study units, contact teaching, independent work, laboratory assignments, reading literature, writing essays, revising for exams etc, so the whole concept of credits is different, not just the amount of courses one is allowed to take.