ECTS provides an instrument to create transparency, to facilitate communication between institutions and to widen the choices available to students. ECTS makes it easier for institutions to recognise the learning achievements of students through the use of commonly understood measurements - credits and grades - and it also provides a means of interpreting national systems of higher education. The ECTS system is based on four elements:

1. Information on study programmes through an information package - on study achievement through a transcript of records
2. Mutual agreement between the home and partner institutions and the student through a learning agreement
3. Use of ECTS credits to indicate student workload in agreed definition of "ECTS"
4. Use of ECTS grades to measure quality of achievement in "common currency" grades*

* Steyr Campus uses exclusively the Austrian grade system.

ECTS is a credit system based on student workload. Student workload involves lectures, tutorials and self-study. It includes all work needed to prepare for an examination. The credits express a relative value rather than an absolute measure of student workload. 60 ECTS credits represent the full workload for an academic year, 30 ECTS credits are given for a full term and 20 ECTS credits for a trimester/term.  

Credits are awarded only when the course has been completed and all required examinations have been successfully taken. In other words, students do not get ECTS credits simply for attending classes or spending time abroad. They must fulfill the assessment requirements at the host institution to demonstrate that they satisfy the stated learning objectives for the course unit. The examination procedure may take various forms: written or oral examinations, course work, a combination of the two or other means such as presentations at seminars, etc. 

This document describes the programme of study abroad and its existence facilitates academic recognition. The prior agreement, which is an agreement between Steyr Campus, the partner institution and the individual student, covers the intended study programme to be undertaken as well as the ECTS credits awarded.

In order to earn credits, each visiting student must be registered in the course(s) included in his/her study programme. Changes of courses are normally not allowed. Steyr Campus registers all visiting students and maintains a record of each visiting student´s academic status. No restrictions are placed on the visiting student´s choice of study programme provided it does not exceed 30 ECTS credits per term and provided prerequisite subject and language requirements are met. The study programme should be acceptable to the student´s home institution.

Upon completion of his/her individual study programme, the university will issue a transcript of record, listing all courses in which the student has been registered, credits earned, and course grades obtained. Normally, the transcript will be forwarded to the visiting student´s exchange coordinator at his/her home institution. A copy of the transcript may, if requested, be issued to the student.

Students participating in ECTS receive full credit for all academic work successfully carried out at any of the ECTS partner institutions and they will be able to transfer these academic credits from one participating institution to another as long as there is prior agreement between the institutions involved.

Most students participating in ECTS will go to a single host institution in one EU Member State, study there for a limited period and then return to their home institution. Students will be required to comply with the legal and institutional requirements of the country and institution where they take their degree.

When the student returns and has successfully completed the study programme previously agreed between the home and the host institutions, credit transfer will take place. The student will continue his or her studies at the home institution without any loss of time or credit if all required examinations at the host institution have been successfully taken so that the student has been awarded 20 to 60 ECTS credits, depending on the time he/she has spent abroad.

Students selected by each institution to participate in ECTS may only be awarded a student mobility grant if they fulfill the general conditions of eligibility for the ERASMUS grant.

Students must be citizens of one of the EU Member States or a citizen of one of the EFTA countries.

Students are not to be required to pay tuition fees at the host institution. Student may, however, be required to continue to pay their normal tuition fees to their home institution during the period of study abroad.

The national grant/loan to which a student may be entitled for study at his/her institution may not be discontinued, interrupted or reduced while that student is studying in another Member State and is receiving an ERASMUS grant.

The study period abroad should not last less than three months or more than one year.

Students in their first year of study are not eligible to receive ERASMUS grants.

If there is no co-operation agreement between our institutions students may still be able to study with us under the Socrates Erasmus Free Mover Programme. There are certain requirements and deadlines involved so again you would need to contact your international co-ordinator.