Home › DzCademia practical guides

How many ECTS credits is a master’s degree? Understanding and converting credits

A European master’s degree is usually worth 120 ECTS credits, though some programmes carry 60 or 90. Credits measure workload, not grades. This guide explains how to read them, how to compare them across countries and why they matter for doctoral applications and mobility.

What an ECTS credit measures

ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) is the credit system of the European Higher Education Area, created through the Bologna Process. One year of full-time study is worth 60 credits, and one semester 30.

One credit corresponds to about 25 to 30 hours of student work, including classes, independent study, placements and exams. It measures workload, not performance.

How many credits for a master’s?

A master’s is worth between 60 and 120 credits depending on the country and programme; the most common in Europe is 120 credits over two years. A bachelor’s is worth 180 to 240 credits, so bachelor plus master often reaches 300 credits.

One-year (60 credits) and one-and-a-half-year (90 credits) programmes also exist, especially after a 240-credit bachelor’s.

In France and Algeria (LMD system)

In France, the licence (bachelor) is worth 180 credits and the master 120 (60 in M1, 60 in M2). Algeria’s LMD system follows the same logic: 30 credits per semester, 180 for the licence and 120 for the master.

Credits appear on transcripts and, in many European institutions, on the Diploma Supplement, which helps foreign universities understand your studies.

Converting UK or US credits

In the UK, 2 UK credits generally equal 1 ECTS credit. A one-year UK master’s worth 180 UK credits is therefore about 90 ECTS.

There is no official US conversion: credit hours are often converted at roughly 1.5 to 2 ECTS each, but the receiving university decides. Always attach the detailed transcript and course descriptions.

Why it matters for you

Universities often check total credits before admitting you to a master’s or doctorate. A 60- or 90-credit master’s may be considered insufficient by doctoral schools that expect 300 credits in total.

Before applying, check the credits required in the call and prepare a clear explanation if your studies follow another system.

Frequently asked questions

Useful pages

• Scholarships by discipline
• Calls for papers by discipline
• Conferences, seminars and study days by discipline
• Research internships and short research stays abroad

DzCademia practical guides

• How to get a host letter for an internship, a scholarship or a research stay
• Research internship abroad: find, fund and prepare your stay
• Answering a call for papers: abstract, proposal and selection
• Finding a scholarship and succeeding in your application (bachelor, master, PhD, postdoc)
• Taking part in a conference or a seminar: choose, prepare, present
• What is a PGCE? The UK teacher training qualification explained
• Graduate teaching assistant: teaching during your master’s or PhD