ECTS and the German Grading System
ECTS stands for European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System. The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System is an instrument for improving the academic recognition of academic achievements from abroad. The system makes it possible to measure and compare learning achievements and to transfer them from one higher education institution to another.
Important information on ECTS credit points and the German grading system
ECTS - Credit Points
ECTS points are a value assigned to course units to describe the amount of work required to complete a course Degree. ECTS points reflect the amount of work each course requires in relation to the total workload for a full academic year at the university, i.e. lectures, practical work, seminars, independent work (in the library or at home) and examinations or other assessment methods.
ECTS points are a relative value. In the ECTS system, 60 credit points correspond to the workload of one academic year; 30 credit points are allocated to one semester.
At the University of Regensburg, ECTS points have been introduced across the board in almost all subject areas and disciplines.
State examination degree programmes such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and law do not use the Bachelor's/Master's system and have therefore not introduced ECTS points for their students. However, exchange students still receive ECTS points for academic achievements in these subjects.
Where can You find the ECTS Credits for a Particular Course?
The ECTS points for individual courses can be found in the course catalogues under the "Credits" tab. In some cases, the credits are only listed for a complete module and not for a course. If you cannot find the number of credits for an individual course, please contact the International Office for help.
Further information on ECTS credits can be found in our information sheet.
How Many ECTS credits do You Need?
The minimum period of study for exchange students coming to Regensburg is one semester. As a rule, exchange students must acquire approx. 30 ECTS credits. However, the exact number depends on your home university. It is therefore essential that you enquire with the responsible coordinator at your home university as to how many ECTS credits you need to obtain in Regensburg.
The average workload for 30 ECTS credits is approx. 12 - 16 contact hours per semester, depending on the type of course. A mixture of different courses (lectures, seminars, tutorials, etc.) is recommended. Exchange students should decide together with the coordinator at their home university which types of courses (proseminar, advanced seminar, lecture) they would like to take in which area. Previous knowledge and the study programme at the home university should be taken into account.
Always discuss your choice of course and any subsequent changes with your home university. This is the only way to ensure that the courses you choose will be recognised at your home university.
ECTS - Grades
At the University of Regensburg, ECTS grades are not awarded to students without a degree (exchange and visiting students) and are therefore not indicated on the transcript of records.
The achievements of exchange students are graded on the basis of the German grading system.
The German Grading System
The German grading system is based on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the best grade. The pass grade is 4, and grades can be differentiated by either 0.3 or 0.7 for better differentiation.
In addition, courses can be graded according to the "pass/fail" principle.
| Regensburg grade in words | Regensburg grade in numbers | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1 = very good | 1,0; 1,3 | excellent: outstanding performance with minimal errors |
| 2 = good | 1,7; 2,0; 2,3 | very good: above-average performance with some errors |
| 3 = satisfactory | 2,7; 3,0; 3,3 | good: good performance, but with some major errors |
| 4 = sufficient | 3,7 | sufficient: average performance with some major errors |
| 4 = sufficient | 4,0 | sufficient: the present performance fulfils the minimum criteria |
| 5 = unsatisfactory | 4,3 | unsatisfactory: the performance did not fulfil the Minimum requirements |
| 5 = unsatisfactory | 4,7; 5,0 | unsatisfactory: the performance did not fulfil the minimum requirements by far |
Grading System of the Faculty of Law
The Faculty of Law uses a different grading system in which students' performance is graded on a scale of 0 to 18 points.
| Legal points | Regensburg grades in numbers | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 16 - 18 (very good) | 1.0 (very good) | Outstanding performance |
| 13 - 15 (good) | 1.0 (very good) | Outstanding performance |
| 12 (fully satisfactory) | 1.3 (very good) | Well above average performance |
| 11 (fully satisfactory) | 1.7 (good) | Above-average performance |
| 10 (fully satisfactory) | 2.0 (good) | Above-average performance |
| 9 (satisfactory) | 2.3 (good) | Above-average performance |
| 8 (satisfactory) | 2.7 (satisfactory) | Average performance |
| 7 (satisfactory) | 3.0 (satisfactory) | Average performance |
| 6 (sufficient) | 3.3 (satisfactory) | Average performance |
| 5 (sufficient) | 3.7 (sufficient) | Performance fulfils the (minimum) requirements |
| 4 (sufficient) | 4.0 (sufficient) | Performance fulfils the (minimum) requirements |
| 1 - 3 (inadequate) | 4.3 - 5.0 (insufficient) | Poor performance / performance does not fulfil the minimum requirements |
| 0 (unsatisfactory) | 5.0 (unsatisfactory) | Poor performance with very large deficits far below the minimum requirements |