Fuldtidsstudieår

Fuldtidsstudieår is a term used in Denmark and in many European educational contexts to describe an academic year completed by a student studying full-time. It is defined by workload rather than the calendar year, and is commonly linked to a standard amount of credits, typically 60 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits per year. The 60 ECTS represent the total expected workload for that year, including lectures, seminars, assignments and exam preparation, and roughly equate to about 1,500 to 1,800 hours of student effort.

The concept serves as a common reference point for curriculum design, progress assessment and, in many countries, eligibility for student support schemes. Degree programs are structured around fuldtidsstudieår, and the number of full-time years needed to complete a degree is used to classify the program’s length. For example, a standard bachelor’s degree of 180–240 ECTS typically corresponds to about three to four fuldtidsstudieår, while a master’s degree commonly adds 60–120 ECTS over one to two fuldtidsstudieår.

There are variations and exceptions. Some programs include internships, mandatory mobility periods or year-abroad components; these may be scheduled within a full-time year or spread across multiple years while still awarding the appropriate number of ECTS credits. Part-time study paths exist as well, in which fewer credits are earned per year, resulting in a slower accumulation of fuldtidsstudieår.

Overall, fuldtidsstudieår provides a standardized measure of academic workload and year-level progression across higher education, facilitating credit transfer, degree planning and, in some systems, access to student funding.