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Credits and grading system

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Learn how credits and grading work at Lund University, including ECTS credit values, study cycles, credits per degree and the grading scales used.

Credits

Each course or programme is measured in credits. 1 credit is equal to 1 ECTS credit (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System).

  • 60 ECTS credits are equal to the workload of a full-time student over one academic year (i.e. two semesters of study over 40 weeks).
  • 30 ECTS credits are equal to the workload of a full-time student over half an academic year (i.e. one semester of study over 20 weeks).
  • One credit is the equivalent of approximately 25–30 hours of study.

ECTS is a student-centred system for describing an educational programme or course. ECTS is being adopted throughout Europe, as part of the Bologna Process and enables studies to be easily compared for all students. The aim is to further student mobility and make recognition of achievements easier.

About ECTS on the European Commission's website

Credits per degree

The higher education system in Sweden is divided into three cycles. Learn how many credits each degree entails:

First cycle degrees

  • Higher education diploma: 120 ECTS credits
  • Bachelor's degree: 180 ECTS credits
  • Professional degree (the number of credits varies)

Second cycle degrees

  • Master's degree (1 year): 60 ECTS credits
  • Master's degree (2 years): 120 ECTS credits
  • Professional degree (the number of credits varies)

Third cycle degrees

  • Licentiate degree: 120 ECTS credits
  • Doctoral degree: 240 ECTS credits

Grading system

At Lund University, there are five different grading scales. The relevant faculty board decides which grading scale is to be used for which course. This means that one degree or transcript might include courses with different grading scales.

Grading systems used at Lund University

Learn more

[Higher education in Sweden – Swedish Higher Education Authority website]

[Swedish Higher Education Authority website]

[The Swedish Council for Higher Education website]

[Study levels at Lund University]

Last updated: 29 Sep 2025