The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is a standard means for comparing academic credits, i.e., the "volume of learning based on the defined learning outcomes and their associated workload" for higher education across the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). ECTS credits are awarded for successfully completed studies, with the basic definition being that one full academic year corresponds to 60 ECTS credits; in most cases this corresponds to a typical workload of 1,500 to 1,800 hours, although this can vary as defined by national regulations, giving a correspondence of one credit for each 25 to 30 hours of work. It is the correspondence to the academic year, rather than the hours worked, that is defining. ECTS credits originated within the European Union's Erasmus programme in 1989 as a method of transferring credit earned during study abroad back to students' home institutions; since 2015 it has been part of the EHEA.ECTS originally included a standard ECTS grading scale, intended to be shown in addition to local (i.e., national) standard grades, but this was dropped in 2009 in favour of institutions instead providing a grade distribution table showing the statistical distribution of grades in their national or institutional system. ECTS credits describe the volume of learning, with the level of learning being defined by institutional systems that are referenced to national qualifications frameworks and international frameworks such as the EHEA's Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area and the EU's European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning.
ECTS credits in the context of Master of Business Administration
A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular area but an MBA is normally intended to be a general program. It originated in the United States in the early 20th century when the country industrialized and companies sought scientific management.
MBA programs in the United States typically require completing about forty to sixty semester credit hours,much higher than the thirty semester credit hours typically required for other US master's degrees that cover some of the same material. The UK-based Association of MBAs accreditation requires "the equivalent of at least 1,800 hours of learning effort", equivalent to 45 US semester credit hours or 90 European ECTS credits, the same as a standard UK master's degree. Accreditation bodies for business schools and MBA programs ensure consistency and quality of education. Business schools in many countries offer programs tailored to full-time, part-time, executive (abridged coursework typically occurring on nights or weekends) and distance learning students, many with specialized concentrations.
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