What are ECTS credits?

ECTS, the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System, is the standard way European universities measure study workload. One ECTS credit equals roughly 25 to 30 hours of learning, and a full year of full-time study is 60 credits. At Tomorrow University, a Bachelor's is 180 ECTS and a Master's is 90 or 120 ECTS.

How are ECTS credits calculated?

ECTS measures the time you actually invest, not just hours in a classroom. One credit reflects about 25 to 30 hours of total work, including live sessions, self-paced learning, projects, and assessment. A full-time year is 60 ECTS, which is why a three-year Bachelor's adds up to 180. Because it counts real workload, ECTS travels across borders and makes your effort comparable anywhere in the European Higher Education Area. (Source: European Commission, ECTS Users' Guide)

How many ECTS do you need for a degree?

It depends on the program. At Tomorrow University:

• Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science: 180 ECTS (three years)
• Master of Arts in Applied Psychology: 90 or 120 ECTS
• Master of Science: 90 or 120 ECTS
• Impact MBA: 60, 90, or 120 ECTS, depending on your starting point
• Global Impact Executive MBA: 90 ECTS
• Tomorrow Academy: 20 to 35 ECTS, which you can stack toward a full degree later

One note on the MBA: you graduate at 300 ECTS in total, counting the credits from your previous Bachelor's.

ECTS vs US credit hours

If you studied in the United States, you are used to credit hours, which count classroom time. ECTS counts total workload instead, so the two do not map one to one. As a rough guide, 2 ECTS is often treated as about 1 US semester credit hour, though the real conversion depends on the institution recognizing your credits.

Can you transfer ECTS to Tomorrow University?

Often, yes. You can apply to have credits from previous studies recognized, up to half of your program's total ECTS. Recognition applies to studies you have not yet completed, not to a finished degree, and every transferred credit also lowers your tuition by 30 EUR. For the Impact MBA, relevant professional experience can count too.