Grades & Transcripts
The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is a standardized framework used across European higher education institutions to facilitate the recognition and transfer of academic credits between universities. It enhances student mobility and ensures transparency in learning outcomes and workloads within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).
ECTS recognises not just study exchange experiences but also regular Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate (PhD) degrees. Like the American grading scale, the ECTS is based on the class percentile. The grade shows how a student performed compared to those in the same class.
What are ECTS credits?
The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is a tool designed to make it easier for students to move between countries and recognise their academic qualifications and previous studies. It enhances study programmes’ flexibility, comparability and transparency for students from different countries. Switzerland, among many other countries in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), has adopted ECTS as their national credit system. However, depending on the country, one ECTS credit may equal, on average, 25 and 30 actual study hours.
Dunster Business School’s standard academic year refers to 60 ECTS credits of full-time study or work. Usually, these 60 ECTS credits are broken down into several smaller modules or courses. For example, one course can vary from 2 ECTS credits to 10 ECTS credits depending on the workload of the course. To get the ECTS credits, you must complete the required workload and pass the course with an approved grade.
1 ECTS credit = 26 hours of work → 60 ECTS credits = 1560 hours of work
The workload of 26 hours can include lectures, assignments, or self-study, depending on the teaching methods of the course. The course examples below show what that could mean in practice. The examples are based on official course information at Dunster Business School.
Example 1:
A course with 6 ECTS credits = 160 hours of work
– Lectures (16 hours)
– Preparation for lectures (4 hours)
– Case study workshop (2 hours)
– Term paper presentation seminar (4 hours)
– Writing of term papers, preparations for case studies and term paper presentations (65 hours)
– Written exam and preparation for exam (65 hours)
Example 2:
A course with 3 ECTS credits = 78 hours of work
– Lectures and tutorials (28 hours)
– Independent weekly exercises (28 hours)
– Project work (22 hours)
DBS Grades
| Grade | Grade Scale | Grade Points | Definition | Remarks | Percentage of students normally achieving the Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
A
|
90-100 |
4 |
Outstanding |
Above average standards, with minor errors |
Best 10% |
|
B |
80-89 |
3.56 |
Very Good |
Generally sound work, with some errors |
Best 25% |
|
C |
70-79 |
3.11 |
Good |
Fair, but with significant |
Best 30% |
|
D |
60-69 |
2.67 |
Satisfactory |
Performance meets minimum criteria |
Best 25% |
|
E |
50-59 |
2 |
Sufficient |
Extra work is required before credit can be awarded |
Best 10% |
|
FX |
40-49 |
00 |
Fail |
Extra work is required before credit can be awarded |
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