ECTS Credits from A to Z: What They Are and How to Count Them

convert ECTS credits into the student’s real working hours?

Universities do not award ECTS credits randomly. When compiling a syllabus for the academic year 2026/2027, each subject teacher must accurately estimate the time that an average student will spend on mastering the material.

If a course in the syllabus has 4 ECTS credits assigned to it, it means that it requires you to work from 100 to 120 hours per semester.

This time includes:

• Contact hours: direct participation in lectures, exercises, laboratories or seminars at the university (e.g. 30 hours per semester).
• Own work: preparing for classes, reading literature, writing papers, performing programming projects or technical drawings (e.g. 50 hours).
• Preparation for the pass/exam: studying for the colloquia and the final exam in a session (e.g. 30 hours).

Table: Example of ECTS to working hours in a semester

Juggling class schedules, credits, and credits in several courses at once can be overwhelming, especially when you combine studying with a casual job and living in a big city. If you want to easily control your expenses at the dormitory, keep an eye on your schedule and settle your meters, check out how the best application for students Student360 works – there you will find an automatic ECTS credit calculator, a built-in calendar with a timetable, a 5 GB disk for student notes and a module for work and earnings management.

ECTS deficit – how does it work, how much is it and how does it differ from a “condition”?

The ECTS deficit (also called credit debt) is the maximum number of ECTS credits that a student may NOT earn in a given settlement period, and still receive the Dean’s consent to continue studies in a higher semester.

If you curl up on an exam in a winter or summer session and fail a subject for 4 ECTS, your deficit is exactly 4 points.

How does conditional registration (the so-called condition) work?

• You do not pass the course on the first term or in the retake session.
• Your total credit deficit is within the limits set by your university’s Study Regulations.
• You submit an application in the USOS system (or on paper to the Dean’s Office) for conditional registration for the next semester.
• You are enrolled in a higher semester, but you are obliged to “work off” the failed course (repeat it and pass it) in the next academic year.
• You pay a fee for repeating the course converted directly from ECTS credits.

ECTS deficit limit at Warsaw universities in the academic year 2026/2027

Each HEI (and often even individual faculties within the same HEI) independently sets the threshold limit of the ECTS deficit. It depends on the level of study and the specific semester. In the first semesters, the thresholds can be very strict to quickly verify the involvement of students.

Comparison of limits and costs of ECTS at universities in Warsaw:

1. University of Warsaw (UW)

• Acceptable deficit: Usually between 10 and 12 ECTS (e.g. in the Faculty of Law and Administration or the Faculty of Psychology), but in some faculties of science (MIMUW) the limit after the 1st semester may be as low as 6 ECTS.

• Cost of 1 ECTS in 2026/2027: On average, PLN 120 – PLN 180 per point (e.g. repeating a course for 5 ECTS costs approx. PLN 600–900).

• Specificity: The so-called no deficit at the end of studies is very important – in order to be admitted to defend your bachelor’s/master’s thesis, you must have exactly 0 ECTS deficit.

2. Warsaw University of Technology (WUT)

• Acceptable deficit: Depends on the so-called allowable debt at a given faculty (e.g. Faculty of Electrical Engineering, WEiTI or MEiL). Most often it ranges from 8 to 15 ECTS.

• Cost of 1 ECTS in 2026/2027: From PLN 110 to even PLN 220 per point in foreign-language and highly specialized fields of study (e.g. Architecture).

• Specificity: The University of Technology rigorously enforces the so-called introductory subjects (sequences). Failure to pass “Mathematics 1” in the first semester blocks registration for “Mathematics 2” in the second, which automatically creates a jam in the schedule.

3. Warsaw School of Economics (SGH)

• Acceptable deficit: The e-SGH system is very flexible, but the annual deficit limit should not exceed 12 ECTS.

• Cost of 1 ECTS in 2026/2027: Approx. PLN 150 – PLN 200 per point.

• Specificity: At SGH, you make your own schedule from the grid. If you fail a subject, you need to buy it and put it in the plan for the next semester.

4. Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW) & Medical University of Warsaw (WUM)

• SGGW (Ursynów): Deficit at the level of 10–12 ECTS. Cost of the point: approx. 90 – 140 PLN.

• WUM (Banacha/Medical): Very strict regulations. In the field of medicine and medical-dental science, the ECTS deficit is minimized – often the failure to pass at least one key module (e.g. Correct Anatomy for 12 ECTS) makes the condition impossible and forces you to repeat the whole year.

How many ECTS credits can you lose before you are removed from the student list?

Deletion from the list of students (administrative decision of the Dean) takes place in two main situations related to ECTS credits:

• Exceeding the maximum ECTS deficit: If your deficit limit for a given semester is 10 ECTS, and you accumulate 11 ECTS debt after the retake session – the Dean ex officio initiates the deletion procedure.
• Failing a Repeated Subject: If you fail the “conditional” Year 1 Mathematics in Year 2 (on the second attempt), you usually exhaust your chances limit.

What to do if you exceed the ECTS deficit? (Step-by-step instructions)

If, after the results of the correction session on USOSweb are announced, you see that your point debt exceeds the acceptable norm, do not panic. You have exactly 14 days from the delivery of the decision to take corrective steps.

Step 1: Carefully check the balance of points in the USOS/Dean’s Office

Make sure that all lecturers have entered their grades and that ECTS credits have been calculated correctly. Sometimes the lack of a grade in the system is a technical error, not a failure to pass.

Step 2: Apply for semester/year recurrence

If you are not eligible for conditional enrollment (because the deficit is too large), you apply for a semester repetition.

• During the semester repetition, you attend only those subjects that you have not passed.

• Subjects that you have previously passed and received ECTS credits for are rewritten (you do not have to take them again).

• The fee is calculated on the basis of the sum of the ECTS courses not passed.

Step 3: Use Random Argumentation

It is worth supporting the application to the Dean with a real justification. If random events (illness, difficult life situation, the need to take up a job to support yourself in Warsaw) contributed to the deficit exceeding, attach appropriate certificates (e.g. medical certificates). Deans often play into the hands of students who show a willingness to improve and present a reasonable plan for paying off the points debt.

ECTS credits and scholarships, dormitory and student budget

ECTS credits have a direct impact on your finances and everyday life in Warsaw:

• Rector’s scholarship for the best students: In order to be able to apply for a scholarship at all (which at Warsaw universities in 2026/2027 ranges from PLN 800 to even PLN 1500 per month), you must have a zero ECTS deficit and full credit for the previous year in the first term.

• Student Dormitory: Obtaining a place in a dormitory (e.g. DS Riviera at WUT, Kamionek at UW or DS Limba at SGGW) often requires having the status of a full-fledged student with a completed year. A student repeating a semester with a large deficit ends up at the end of the waiting list.

• Renting an apartment/room: Academic losses cost money. When you have to pay PLN 1500 for a condition, your monthly budget for living in Warsaw is drastically reduced.

To avoid being surprised by hidden study costs, lack of credits or bill fees in the rented premises, install the versatile Student360 application for your phone and computer. It will help you control your grades, plan the time of study for the session, calculate the current ECTS deficit, as well as manage your household budget and settlements with your roommates at the boarding house.

The most common point traps at universities (OGUNs, PE, Languages)

Many 1st year students fall into the traps of not knowing the rules of ECTS allocation. Here are the three most common places where points are lost:

• All-University subjects (e.g. OGUN at the University of Warsaw): Each student must collect a certain number of points in subjects outside their main field of study (e.g. 9 ECTS during their bachelor’s studies). If you forget to register for OGUN in the token registration system, you will run out of points at the end of the 3rd year to be admitted to the defense!
• Language courses and Language Certification: Foreign languages are scored, but often passing the language course for the grade is not everything – you have to pass a certification exam (e.g. at B2 or C1 level). The lack of a passed language exam blocks the possibility of settling the entire stage of studies.
• Physical Education (PE): Although PE often has 0 ECTS credits, its absence means that there are deficiencies in the compulsory study plan. Failure to pass PE makes it impossible to settle the semester in the same way as ordering an exam in a subject for 6 ECTS!

Transcription of ECTS credits – how to transfer achievements to another field of study or university?

Changing your field of study or transferring from another university (e.g. from Gdańsk University of Technology to Warsaw University of Technology or from a private university to the University of Warsaw) does not mean that you have to study everything from scratch. The key to recovering courses that have already been passed is the recognition of ECTS credits.

However, this process does not take place automatically on the basis of “rewriting the name of the object”. The Dean for Student Affairs compares the so-called learning outcomes (defined in the course syllabus) and the number of ECTS credits assigned to them.

Important nuances when transcribing ECTS:

• Difference in the number of points: If at the old university the subject “Mathematics 1” had 6 ECTS, and at the new university the same subject has 4 ECTS in the grid – rewriting is simple. The problem arises the other way: when the old subject had 3 ECTS, and the new one requires 6 ECTS. Then the Dean will order you to complete the curriculum difference (e.g. pass a supplementary exam) or to attend classes again.

• The 5-year rule: Most Warsaw universities (UW, WUT, SGH) easily honour ECTS credits for courses passed in the last 5 years. If the break in studies was longer, the Dean may refuse to rewrite due to outdated knowledge (especially in computer science, law and medicine).

Statute of limitations on ECTS credits – do the credits earned ever expire?

Many myths have grown around the lifespan of ECTS credits. The most popular of them states that “after 5 years from being removed from the list of students, all ECTS credits are deleted to zero”. This is not true.

In accordance with the Act of 20 July 2018 – Law on Higher Education and Science, the ECTS credits earned and the confirmed learning outcomes are assigned to your educational achievements indefinitely.

However, in academic practice, the concept of reactivation of studies / renewal of student rights applies:

• Resumption at the same university after a short period of time (1-3 years): If you have interrupted your studies (e.g. due to a cancellation for ECTS deficit or failure to submit a thesis), you return to the university by applying for resumption. The dean credits you with all the ECTS you have previously obtained, determines any individual curriculum differences (if the study network has changed in the meantime) and allows you to complete your studies.
• Resumption after a long time (more than 5 years): ECTS credits still exist in your course of study, but the Dean has the right to consider that the learning outcomes have become obsolete. In such a case, the university may order retaking exams in key subjects or refuse to retake them in the last year, ordering the retake, for example, of the last two semesters.

ECTS in the Erasmus+ programme and foreign mobility

Going on a scholarship abroad under the Erasmus+ program requires obtaining exactly the same number of ECTS credits at the partner university as your home semester in Poland would require (usually 30 ECTS per semester or 60 ECTS per year).

The key legal document here is the Learning Agreement (LA) – an agreement on the curriculum signed before departure by you, your home university (e.g. the Faculty Coordinator of the University of Warsaw/WUT) and the host university (e.g. TU Munich or Universidad de Barcelona).

Pitfalls of ECTS on Erasmus:

• Failing a course abroad: If you earn only 22 ECTS out of the required 30 ECTS at a foreign university, you will return with an 8 ECTS deficit when you return to Polish.

• Differences in credit variants: Often subjects at universities in Spain or Italy have a different ECTS weight (e.g. 4 ECTS) than their counterparts in Poland (e.g. 6 ECTS). You must then complete the missing 2 ECTS with an additional subject under the so-called Changes to Learning Agreement (introduced within the first 30 days of the beginning of the semester).

• Scholarship reimbursement: If your Erasmus credits fall below a certain threshold (often below 15 ECTS per semester), the Erasmus+ National Agency may request a partial or full refund of the financial scholarship awarded!

Individual Organization of Studies (IOS) and missing ECTS credits

Combining full-time studies with a full-time job in a Warsaw corporation (e.g. in a business center in Wola or Służewiec) can be difficult due to the overlap of lecture and exercise hours. The solution is the Individual Study Organization (IOS) or the Individual Study Program (IPS).

However, IOS status does not exempt you from the requirement to earn the full number of 60 ECTS credits in an academic year!

How does IOS help you manage ECTS credits?

• It allows you to flexibly credit courses for the same ECTS credits – e.g. instead of attending morning exercises, you make an appointment with the professor for an individual date for submitting projects or submitting the material in batches.

• It allows you to “shift” ECTS credits – with the Dean’s permission, you can transfer the credit of a course with high ECTS weight from the winter semester to the summer semester.

• Formal requirement: In order to receive approval for IOS due to work or scientific activity, most universities (e.g. SGH, WUM) require a high weighted average ECTS from the previous semester (often min. 4.0 or 4.2).

Legal aspects of deletion for ECTS deficit – how to write an effective appeal?

The Dean’s decision to remove students from the list due to exceeding the permissible ECTS deficit is an administrative decision. It is subject to the rigors of the Code of Administrative Procedure (KPA) and the Law on Higher Education and Science (Article 208).

This means that from the moment you receive the letter (in person at the Dean’s Office or by registered mail/via ePUAP), you have exactly 14 calendar days to file an appeal to the Rector through the Dean.

The most common formal errors of the university that allow you to win an appeal:

• No instruction: The Dean’s decision did not contain information about the deadline and procedure for filing an appeal (14 days).

• Entering grades after the deadline: The lecturer delayed entering the revision grade in USOS, which is why the Dean decided to delete it on the basis of incomplete data.

• Incorrect calculation of the limit: The Dean’s Office incorrectly summed up ECTS credits from elective courses or did not take into account previously obtained dean’s exemptions.

In case of legal problems related to the deletion procedure, it is worth contacting the Student Rights Ombudsman operating at the Student Government of your university. Their help is free of charge, and the intervention of the Ombudsman often prompts the university authorities to positively consider the application for conditional registration.

Summary of the ECTS Credit Management Strategy

Effective management of ECTS credits is the foundation of stress-free study. Treat your credit balance like a personal academic budget:

• Monitor USOS on an ongoing basis: Don’t wait for the end of the retake session. After each colloquium and exam, verify whether the grades and ECTS credits have been correctly settled in the system.
• Respect large subjects: Subjects for 6-8 ECTS determine your weighted average and pose the greatest risk of deficit. Devote 80% of your time to learning to them.
• Be pre-emptive: If you know you’ll fail the exam on the second date, start preparing your conditional registration application before the Dean initiates the deletion procedure.
• Stay in touch with the Dean’s Office: Remember that the ladies in the Dean’s Office and the Dean for Student Affairs are also people – a polite conversation, presenting a sensible plan for repaying the ECTS debt and timely submission of applications in 90% of cases save the student from expulsion from the university.

Frequently asked questions about ECTS credits

1. Is it possible to graduate with a non-zero ECTS deficit?

No. Before taking the diploma exam (defense of a bachelor’s, engineer’s or master’s thesis), you must have earned all the ECTS credits required by the program (e.g. exactly 180 ECTS for a bachelor’s degree). The deficit must be eliminated (repaid by passing overdue courses) at the latest in the last semester.

2. Do ECTS credits “reset” after the transition to the next year?

No. ECTS credits accumulate on your course of study account. If you earned 56 ECTS in the first year (4 ECTS deficit) and in the second year you pass everything 100% (60 ECTS) AND make up for the outstanding subject from the 1st year (4 ECTS), your balance at the end of the second year will be an ideal 120 ECTS, and the deficit will drop to zero.

3. What happens if I earn MORE than 60 ECTS in a year?

Additional ECTS credits (e.g. from extra courses or additional language courses) are transferred to your account and increase your overall balance. However, they do not reduce the requirements for compulsory subjects – you must pass all the courses inscribed in the rigid canon of your major.

4. How much does 1 ECTS credit cost in the case of a condition in Warsaw?

In the academic year 2026/2027, the rate at public universities in Warsaw ranges from PLN 90 to approx. PLN 220 per ECTS credit. The final amount depends on the faculty and subject (laboratory and specialist subjects are more expensive to repeat than regular lectures).

5. Are ECTS credits recognized at private universities (e.g. Kozminski, SWPS, PJATK)?

Yes. The ECTS system is a statutory standard applicable to all higher education institutions in Poland (both public and non-public) and in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).

6. How to check your current ECTS credits?

You can check your points balance directly after logging in to your account in the university’s ICT system (e.g. USOSweb in the MY USOS -> Summary, MySGH or MyPG tab). Each item you pass automatically adds the points assigned to it to your final achievement.

Summary and next steps

ECTS credits are a simple and transparent mechanism, provided that you keep your finger on the pulse from the first week of the semester. Please note:

• Aim to earn 30 ECTS each semester.

• If your leg curls, do not exceed the permissible deficit limit specified in the Study Regulations of your faculty.

• Always submit conditional applications within 14 days of the final grades being issued in the retake session.

What to do now? Log in to your USOSweb system, go to the stage settlement tab and check your current points balance for 2026/2027. Write down the dates of retake exams and the dates of submission of dean’s applications in the calendar to avoid unnecessary stress and fees for conditions!