Guide to Awarding ECTS Credits at the Language Center

Legal basis
The award of ECTS credits
Assessment
Grades
Make-ups and retakes
Recognition and acceptance of language course credits at the University of Zurich
Recognition and acceptance of language course credits at the ETH Zurich
Requirements for Certificates of Attendance

Legal basis

UZH: Guidelines for structuring course programs at different levels with ECTS (ECTS Guidelines) of the  University of Zurich, revised version of 22 June 2005
ETH Zürich: Guidelines for the credit system (ECTS) of 17 December 2003

The award of ECTS credits

Our courses are systematically designed and taught in line with ECTS principles.  All language courses include formal assessment to evaluate learning. 

ECTS credits are only awarded on the basis of assessed student performance.

As a rule, a language course that meets for 2 hours a week entails a total workload of approximately 60 hours for the semester (of which 21/28 hours are spent in class and about 39 hours in self study or homework). Since 1 ECTS credit is awarded for a workload of 30 hours, students who successfully complete a one-semester language course typically obtain 2 ECTS credits.

In most courses language learning is the result of interactive learning processes occurring in class; therefore the award of credits also depends on attendance and active participation in classroom activities.

Requirements for the award of ECTS credits:

• learning achievement assessed and documented as successful
• no more than 3 absences in 2-hour weekly courses or 20 % of other course types
  (In certain well-founded cases exceptions to this rule may be allowed by the Director of the Language Center in consultation with the instructor(s) concerned. Students must apply for such an exemption in writing by the end of the next-to-last week of the semester.)
  Other types of courses, such as lectures and large groups with over 40 participants, are exempt from the attendance rule.

Assessment (Evaluation of learning)

Assessment is based on the language competences and learning targets set for the course. The course description provides information about the forms of assessment and other requirements. In addition, our instructors will inform you about how and when evaluation will take place at the beginning of the course.

Grades

Grades are an appraisal of the quality of your learning achievement. We give grades according to the 1-to-6 scale used in the Swiss education system,  in which 6 is the highest and 1 the lowest mark. Grades lower than 4 reflect unsatisfactory performance for which no ECTS credits are awarded. Quarter grades are possible.

Make-ups and retakes

An alternate date for a final test or other form of course assessment (make-up test) will only be set under certain conditions and after consultation.

Tests and other forms of course assessment cannot be retaken for the purpose of improving a satisfactory grade. In the case of unsatisfactory grades, students may only retake a test after attending the course a second time.

Recognition and acceptance of language course credits at the University of Zurich

At the University of Zurich all successfully completed courses in modern languages are listed on the Transcripts of Records.

Upon graduation, all satisfactorily completed language courses are listed in the graduate's Academic Record, where they are designated as either counting toward the degree or not.

In some of the  Bachelor and Master programs of the University of Zurich the ECTS credits from successfully completed language courses can be counted either as electives or as compulsory courses. The documented credits are validated by the different faculties on the basis of their regulations and study programs to determine whether they can be counted toward the target degree.

An overview of the recognition and acceptance of language course credits at the University of Zurich may be found here (in German):

Principles of the Governing Board ()

Faculty of Medicine ()
Faculty of Natural Sciences ()
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences ()
Law Faculty ()
Theological Faculty ()
Economics Faculty ()

Recognition and acceptance of language course credits at the ETH Zurich

At the ETH Zurich all successfully completed courses in modern languages, either in the compulsory area D-GESS or in otherwise accepted categories, are listed on the current transcript (Leistungsüberblick) and the Academic Record. In addition, several study programs permit students to have further language learning  achievements listed  as a mobility subject on the Diploma Supplement.

An overview of the recognition and acceptance of language course credits at the ETH Zurich may be found here (in German):

Graduate Programs - Rector's Directives on Admission and Planning (Point 4 is important)
Excerpt from Rector's Directive on D-GESS Electives
Weisung der Rektorin zur Unterrichtssprache
Regeln für die Aufnahme von Veranstaltungen ins Pflichwahlfach GESS

D-AGRL ()
D-ARCH ()
D-BAUG ()
D-BSSE ()
D-BIOL ()
D-CHAB()
D-ERDW()
D-GESS ()
D-INFK ()
D-ITET ()
D-MATH ()
D-MATH_RW ()
D-MATL ()
D-MAVT ()
D-MTEC ()
D-PHYS ()
D-UWIS ()

Requirements for Certificates of Attendance

Participants must attend 2/3 of the course.
- In 26-28 period courses this is 18 weekly teaching periods.
- In 52-56 period courses this is 36 weekly teaching periods.