Credit Transfer from Study Abroad

'Credit' is a method of measuring the student's courseload. 'Marks' (grades) are a diagnostic tool designed to indicate to the student's level of mastery of the course and its objective. All undergraduate transcripts will contain both the Polish system marks and the ECTS credits awarded for each class.

The Polish Grading System

All instructors are obliged to explain their expectations and grading system at the start of the semester. The following grading system is used at Polish universities:

Grades are given from 2 to 5.

2.0 = unsatisfactory (fail) = "2" or "ndst"
3.0 = satisfactory = "3" or "dst"
3.5 = satisfactory = "+3" or "dst+"
4.0 = Good = "4" or "db"
4.5 = good plus = "+4" or "db+"
5.0 = very good = "5" or "bdb"

The ECTS Credit System

The European Credit Transfer System is a Europe-wide system for counting and transferring the academic credit that a student has earned. The system was first launched in 1989 by the European Commission and is now the standard system for all higher education in Poland, as well as in 45 other countries that participate in the Bologna Process. ECTS makes credit earned at a Polish university more transparent and more easily transferable to other institutions.

The system assumes that the standard workload adds up to 60 ECTS per academic year (30 ECTS per semester). 'Courseload' takes into account homework and study time, as well as classroom time. A student may assume that each point of ECTS is earned by a total courseload of 25 to 30 hours of work.

Transfering Grades and Credits from Study Abroad

When transferring credit from the Jagiellonian University to another institution, grades will be issued on the Polish scale alone and credit points for each course will be given as ECTS points. Explanations of the Polish grading system and ECTS are included on transcripts.

Ultimately, it is the student's home institution that decides how the credits and grades earned at the Jagiellonian University will be entered into their home institution's records. Many US colleges, for example, consider 2 ECTS points to be 1 US 'credit hour'.

Some North American institutions use the following equivalences for grades:

2.0 = F
3.0 = C
3.5 = C+
4.0 = B
4.5 = B+
5.0 = A

Please consult your home institution before assuming that they will follow any specific system of interpretation or equivalence.