Among the measures aimed at the construction of the European Higher Education Area is the establishment of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) in official degree and postgraduate degrees. This system has become widespread on the basis of the Socrates-Erasmus student mobility programmes, facilitating the equivalence and recognition of studies carried out in other countries. Its implementation has also been recommended in the successive declarations of Bologna (1999) and Prague (2001).

The European credit system is already implemented in a large majority of the Member States and associated with the European Union and is a basic reference point for the transparency and harmonisation of its teaching. The adoption of this system constitutes a conceptual reformulation of the organization of the curriculum of higher education through its adaptation to the new models of training centered on the student's work. This measure of academic achievement involves a new educational model that should guide the programming and teaching methodologies by focusing on the learning of students, not exclusively in the teaching hours.

The European credit transfer and accumulation system also provides the tools needed to easily understand and compare different education systems, to facilitate the recognition of qualifications (a) vocational training and national and international mobility, with full recognition of studies, increasing collaboration between universities and the convergence of educational structures and, finally, encouraging learning in all time of life and in any country of the European Union.

The Organic Law 6/2001 of 21 December, of Universities, in Articles 87 and 88, entrusts the Government, in the field of its competences, the adoption of the necessary measures for the full integration of the Spanish system into the European Space for Higher Education. Among these measures is, first, to determine the rules necessary for the European credit to be the unit of measure of the academic year corresponding to the improvement of each of the subjects that make up the plans of study of the various lessons to be learned in the field of formal qualifications and validity throughout the national territory. The application of the European credit system is, moreover, a prerequisite and necessary for establishing the new qualifications to be set up as a result of the forecasts contained in Article 88 (2). of the aforementioned organic law.

This objective of promoting transparency between the education systems of the various Member States can not only be adequately achieved by the implementation of the European Supplement to the Title, but also with the establishment of qualifications systems for students who are easily comparable and allow the calculation of the percentages of students ' success in each subject.

The rating system in force in Spanish universities differs significantly from those advocated for the construction of the European Higher Education Area, and it is therefore appropriate to amend it. The rating system should be quantitatively formulated to facilitate its comparison with the system of grades of ratings of the European credit system and the establishment of an internal distribution of the ratings granted.

This royal decree has been reported by the University Coordination Council.

In its virtue, on the proposal of the Minister of Education, Culture and Sport, in agreement with the Council of State and after deliberation of the Council of Ministers at its meeting on 5 September 2003,

DISPONGO:

Article 1. Object.

This royal decree aims to establish the European credit as the unit of measure of the academic having in the university teaching of official character, as well as the system of qualification of the academic results obtained by the students in these teachings.

Article 2. Scope.

The concept of credit and the method of allocation laid down in this rule shall apply to the general guidelines of the official university degrees of official character approved by the Government from the date of entry into force. in force of this royal decree, as well as to the plans of studies to be submitted for the obtaining and approval of those titles.

Article 3. Concept of credit.

The European credit is the unit of measure of the academic that represents the amount of work of the student in order to fulfill the objectives of the program of studies and that is obtained by the overcoming of each of the subjects that integrate the curricula of the various teaching courses leading to the acquisition of university degrees of official character and validity throughout the national territory. In this unit of measurement, the theoretical and practical teachings are integrated, as well as other directed academic activities, including the hours of study and work that the student must carry out in order to achieve his own training objectives. of each of the subjects in the relevant curriculum.

Article 4. Allocation of credits.

1. The total number of credits established in the curricula for each academic year will be 60.

2. The number of credits for each qualification shall be distributed among the whole of the materials integrated in the curriculum to be completed by the student, depending on the total number of hours he or she carries out for the student. one of them.

3. In the allocation of credits to each of the subjects that the curriculum sets out, the number of hours of work required for the students ' acquisition of the corresponding knowledge, skills and skills will be computed. In this allocation, the hours corresponding to the classes, theoretical or practical, the hours of study, those devoted to the conduct of seminars, works, practices or projects, and those required for the preparation must be included. and conduct of the examinations and evaluation tests.

4. This appropriation, and the estimate of its corresponding number of hours, shall be understood as referring to a student dedicated to full-time cursing university studies for a minimum of 36 and a maximum of 40 weeks per course academic.

5. The minimum number of hours, by credit, will be 25, and the maximum number, 30.

6. The Government, after a report of the University Coordination Council, shall fix the minimum number of appropriations to be allocated to a given subject in the course of study of teaching courses leading to the achievement of official university degrees. with validity throughout the national territory.

Article 5. Ratings system.

1. The collection of the appropriations for a subject shall mean that the relevant assessment tests or tests have been completed.

2. The level of learning achieved by students will be expressed with numerical qualifications which will be reflected in their academic record together with the percentage of distribution of these qualifications on the total number of students who have completed the studies of qualifications in each academic year.

3. The average of each student's academic record will be the result of the application of the following formula: sum of the credits earned by the student multiplied by the value of the corresponding qualifications, divided by the number of total credits earned by the student.

4. The results obtained by the student in each of the subjects in the curriculum shall be classified according to the following numerical scale from 0 to 10, with the expression of one decimal place, to which the corresponding qualification may be added qualitative:

0-4.9: Susthought (SS).

5.0-6.9: Approved (AP).

7.0-8.9: Notable (NT).

9.0-10: Outstanding (SB).

5. Credits earned for recognition of credits for training activities not integrated in the curriculum shall not be numerically qualified or computed for the purposes of calculating the average of the academic record.

6. The mention of "Honor Matriculation" may be awarded to students who have obtained a qualification equal to or greater than 9.0. Their number may not exceed five per cent of pupils enrolled in a subject in the relevant academic year, unless the number of pupils enrolled is less than 20, in which case a single "Matriculation" may be granted. Honor. "

Single transient arrangement. Adaptation to the system.

The current university teaching courses leading to the achievement of an official university degree which are currently in place must, in any case, be adapted to the credit system established in this royal decree with before 1 October 2010.

Single repeal provision. Regulatory repeal.

For the purposes of Article 2 of this royal decree, Article 2 (7) and paragraphs 1 (4) and 5 (5), first subparagraph, of Annex 1 to Royal Decree 1497/1987 of 27 November 1987, for which the Commission is to be lay down the common general guidelines for the curricula of university degrees of official character and validity throughout the national territory, in the wording which, respectively, have given those paragraphs the Royal Decree 779/1998, of 30 April, and Royal Decree 1267/1994 of 10 June 1994, as well as the provisions of the same or lower range object to the provisions of this standard.

Final disposition first. Competence title.

This royal decree is issued under the provisions of Article 149.1.30. of the Spanish Constitution and in accordance with the provisions of Article 87, Article 88.1 and Article 3 and the final provision of the Organic Law. 6/2001, of 21 December.

Final disposition second. Enabling regulatory development.

It is up to the Minister of Education, Culture and Sport to dictate, in the field of their powers, the provisions necessary for the application of the provisions of this royal decree.

Final disposition third. Entry into force.

This royal decree will enter into force on the day following its publication in the "Official State Gazette".

Given in Madrid, 5 September 2003.

JOHN CARLOS R.

The Minister of Education, Culture and Sport,

CASTLE PILLAR VERA