Within ATAFOM University International, the graded study structure of the European student – oriented system for the transfer and accumulation of study achievements based on the transparency of learning outcomes and learning processes “European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System” (ECTS) is used.
ECTS is a credit system for higher education that is used throughout the European Higher Education Area and also increasingly by institutions in other continents.
With its location in the Central African Republic, ATAFOM University International is making a decisive contribution to expanding the scope of the Bologna Process on the African continent. As a world university, ATAFOM University International offers education without borders for as large a group of people as possible, regardless of their origin, skin color, class, gender and religious denomination. Our goal is to bring children from all over the world together, to train them according to the best educational system and thereby to make a major contribution to world integration and to create “Our Same World” for humanity.
The name of the university itself arose from the idea of uniting a fusion of all cultures across the borders of all continents in a place of education, meeting and integration and placing an emphasis on the continent which it deserves in a special way. Therefore, ATAFOM stands as an abbreviation for Atlantic African Oriental Multicultural.
An integrative education – “Education for integration” – understanding other cultures through learning – has the highest priority for us. It is an education that integrates instead of marginalize and in which only the young person’s intellectual abilities are decisive, regardless of their origin, skin color, culture or religion. With ECTS as an instrument for the design, description and implementation of programs as well as for awarding university degrees, we have developed sustainable, multicultural, cross-denominational and cross-gender, integrative educational concepts. For all types of programs – regardless of the learning context (study or further education) and the status of the students (full-time or part-time) – ECTS is used at ATAFOM.
ATAFOM University International is the first and so far, the only university in Africa that is oriented on the ECTS system and thus places high demands on the modern, dynamic and holistic concept of education for the lifelong development process of every student.
In accordance with ECTS principles, we focus on expanding intellectual, cultural and practical life as well as personal and social skills. By using ECTS in conjunction with results – oriented qualification frameworks, our programs and qualifications are more transparent and the recognition of qualifications is simplified. In this spirit, we as pioneers actively contribute to successful integration and equal opportunities for people from all over the world.
The following ranges of ECTS credits apply to the first two Bologna cycles:
Each academic year comprises 45 weeks, divided equally between the winter semester and the summer semester, namely 22.5 weeks each. The student working time (time in hours) is then divided into 22.5 weeks per semester.
1 credit corresponds to a minimum of 25 and a maximum of 30 real hours of 60 minutes each of the student’s actual workload. In each year, the total number of credits is 60. This corresponds to an actual workload of at least 1,500 (45 weeks for 33.33 hours per week or 25 hours per credit) or a maximum of 1,800 hours (45 weeks for 40 hours per week or 30 hours per credit). The total number of 60 credits per academic year is spread over two semesters, so that as a rule 30 credits must be acquired per semester. In this case, the actual workload per semester is at least 750 hours (22.5 weeks for 33.33 hours per week or 25 hours per credit) or a maximum of 900 hours (22.5 weeks for 40 hours per week or 30 hours per credit).
In every bachelor and master degree course, one credit point per lecture per week and one credit point per week for two or partial tutorials for laboratory or internship are assigned. The curriculum of each semester should generally contain a mixture of theory and practice.
The credits are calculated from the estimated time and the estimated workload that is required on average to complete individual courses. The workload is made up of all learning activities that belong to a degree and are measured using a performance evaluation. In addition to participating in courses such as lectures, exercises and seminars, self-study (library work or term paper), exam preparation, final theses and final exams also contribute to the acquisition of credits. Credits are only awarded if the course has been completed and all study and examination achievements have been passed in accordance with the examination regulations.
At least 180 and a maximum of 240 credits must be acquired in order to be awarded a bachelor degree at ATAFOM University International.
Module (M) are learning units, typically consisting of two to three courses in different forms (e.g., lecture (L) and exercise (E) or seminar (S)), the content of which is designed in such a way that it goes together. A module can also consist partly of an internship (PC – practical course) or entirely of a thesis (B – Bachelor thesis).
For each module, a certain number of hours per week per semester – called semester hours per week or weekly semester hours (WHS) as a unit of measurement for the attendance time – must be completed and a certain number of credits. The WHS can be converted into ECTS as follows:
1 WHS corresponds to approx. 1.5 ECTS credits.
The lecture period is 16 weeks in the winter semester and 14 weeks in the summer semester.
1 hour of lectures (1 WHS) last 45 minutes. 2 SWS last 90 minutes.
For 16 lecture weeks, this means 16 lectures with 2 WHS, i.e., a total of 32 WHS and therefore earns 3 ECTS credits within the framework of the respective module.