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What is ECTS for ?
The ECTS allows schools to describe the organization of their respective methods of teaching in a common and comparable language. It consequently facilitates the mutual understanding of the various state education systems and therefore guarantees some openness. Besides, this very common language facilitates close collaboration at the same time between European schools and with schools which are not located in Europe . As far as mobile students are concerned, the ECTS allows them to understand - better - and compare the offer of courses available in universities where they would like to do an exchange. It gives them the tools to allow and guarantee the recognition of studies done abroad. This very openness eventually favours the recognition of diplomas and therefore makes hiring throughout an European career.
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Les notes ECTS |
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A |
EXCELLENT |
Outstanding result, with only a few minor inadequacies |
| B |
VERY GOOD |
Result above average, in spite of a certain number of inadequacies |
| C |
GOOD |
Usually good work, in spite of a certain number of notable inadequacies |
| D |
SATISFACTORY |
Fair results, in spite of big gaps |
| E |
FAIR |
The results satisfies minimum criteria |
| FX |
POOR |
More work is necessary to grant credit |
| F |
POOR ++ |
More significant work is absolutely necessary |
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Credits
In the ECTS, every course (or module or group of courses) represents a certain number of credits according to the quantity of work it implies for the student in relation with the global volume of work necessary to pass a total year of studies. The quantity of work includes all the activities (course and seminars, practical work, preparatory work done at the library and at home, work experience and practical activities, including - for example - languages classes leading to mobility).
To get credits linked to a course/module/group of courses, the student must prove (thanks to an exam or any other kind of assessment) that he has assimilated the core of the course. Within the context of the ECTS system, 60 credits represent the volume of work of one academic year (between 1500 and 1800 work hours or thereabouts). Universities applying the ECTS system grant credits to their courses, and determine the methods to obtain and recognize the credits (particularly the credits obtained in another university). Credits are only granted to the students who comply with the methods of assessment of the courses. Schools still keep the power to make decisions concerning their training organizations and their assessment methods : it is not a matter of modifying them within the ECTS programme context, but a question of making it possible to understand and "translate" them.
Marks
Credits give information about the quantity of work accomplished, but not about the quality of this work, assessed through marks.
So, for each course, module, group of courses, as the student will get a certain number of credits if he has complied with the minimum criteria it requires. At the same time, he will get a mark corresponding to the system in force in the school where he is. To facilitate the analysis and the transfer of his results, he will also get an ECTS mark.
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