Academy of professional studies South Serbia organizes and conducts teaching at accredited study programs – undergraduate and graduate professional study programs. Undergraduate professional studies last 3 years and a graduate student acquires 180 ECTS. Students who finish undergraduate professional studies acquire a professional title with a clear indication (in its name) of the first level of professional (applied) studies in a particular field. Specialised professional studies (I level studies), lasting one year and granting, upon their completion 60 ECTS points, with a clear indication (in its name) of the first level of specialist professional (applied) studies in a particular field. Graduate master professional studies, lasting two years and granting, upon their completion, 120 ECTS points. A student who completes these second-degree professional studies acquires the title of Master (appl.) with a clear indication of the second level of professional (applied) studies in a particular field.
European credit transfer and accumulation system (ECTS) according to the Law on higher education of the Republic of Serbia represents an efficient instrument for creating transparent study programs which, furthermore, stimulates student mobility, enables easier recognition and comparison of study programs as well as recognition of higher education qualifications. ECTS results in comparable study programs at different HEIs which significantly contributes to student mobility within the European higher education area.
ECTS is based on the workload of a student in mastering particular study units. Academy of professional studies South Serbia, in line with the national law on Higher education, awards 60 ECTS for one study year (30 ECST per semester). Due to the fact that one semester at the majority of HEIs in Serbia lasts 22,5 weeks (15 weeks of teaching + exams and holidays) and assuming an 8-hour student “working” time 5 days in a week, the total “working time” of a student per semester is: 22,5 x 5 x 8 = 900 hours. Since one semester is worth 30 ECTS, the calculated value of one ECST (in hours) is: 1 ECTS = 900/30=30 hours. This means that for 30 working hours, a student earns 1 ECTS. Student workload is a time sum of all activities an average student must complete to pass an exam.