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Study Hours Calculator

A credit (EC or ECTS) officially represents a fixed amount of study time, including lectures, self-study and exams. With that figure you can calculate how many hours per week a course realistically demands.

hours

Result

42 uur

Study hours per week

Total study load
840 uur
How this was calculated
  1. 1Total load: credits ร— hours per credit30 ร— 28 = 840 uur
  2. 2Spread across the weeks840 รท 20 = 42 uur/week

Formula

Study hours/week = (credits ร— hours per credit) รท number of weeks

The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) assumes 25 to 30 study hours per credit; in the Netherlands 28 hours per EC is commonly used. Multiply your credits by this figure for the total study load, then divide by the number of weeks for the weekly load.

Worked examples

30 EC over 20 weeks, 28 hours per credit

โ†’ 840 hours total, 42 hours per week.

Common mistakes

  • Only counting lecture time and forgetting self-study, while the credit covers the entire study load.

When to use it

  • Planning your study week at the start of a semester.

Frequently asked questions

How many hours is one credit exactly?

The EU guideline states 25 to 30 hours; Dutch institutions typically use 28 hours per EC.

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