Credit transfer during the study programme

Credit transfer during the study programme

Courses must be ‘passed' to be transferred to the programme.

For BEng programmes, transferred courses must be at the BEng level minimum, i.e. from an engineering college, a university college, or a university.

For BSc programmes, transferred courses must be at the university level. However, BSc students may have as many as 10 ECTS credits at the BEng level as part of the Elective Courses in their BSc programme (valid from 1 September 2020).

For MSc programmes, transferred courses must be at the MSc level. However, MSc students may have as many as 10 ECTS credits at the BSc level as part of the Elective Courses in their MSc programme.

Students cannot get pre-approved to transfer credit above the prescribed total ECTS credits for the study programme and must always try to plan their study according to the prescribed total ECTS credits for the programme. Also, see DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/Teaching'/'Course registration'/'Rules for choice of courses'.

Students cannot have pre-approved or credit-transferred courses that are to replace one or more courses the student is bound by. The head of studies cannot grant the student an exemption from this rule. See the rules on binding courses under Study rules/Teaching/Binding courses. 

As a minimum, BEng and BSc students must pass courses and projects at DTU corresponding to 90 ECTS credits (BEng Arctic Technology and Fisheries Technology minimum105 ECTS credits and BEng Global Business Engineering minimum 120 ECTS credits) to receive a diploma for a full-time study programme at DTU. This rule does not apply to pre-commencement credit transfers.

MSc students must pass courses and projects at DTU corresponding to 60 ECTS credits at minimum to receive a diploma for a full-time study programme at DTU. This rule does not apply to pre-commencement credit transfers.

Choice of courses
Regarding credit transfer to BSc and MSc programmes, a distinction is made between specific engineering courses and general engineering courses. Courses that do not have technical-scientific content but fall within the learning objectives of the study programme are categorized as general engineering courses. These courses are considered part of the elective courses. Students may earn the following number of ECTS credits within the general engineering course category:

  • 15 ECTS credits on the BSc programme
  • 10 ECTS credits on the MSc programme 

Language and culture courses
Language and culture courses cannot be transferred to the programme. neither in connection with pre-commencement credit transfer. 

Final projects
A final project from another Danish or foreign educational institution cannot be transferred to a study programme at DTU. Further rules regarding final projects (BEng project, BSc project, and Master's thesis), including the possibility of preparing the project abroad, are stated in the programme specifications for the said programme. 

MSc students passed MSc courses at their bachelor's programme
On DTU Inside, under 'Study rules'/'Teaching'/'Course registration', you can read about the situation where a master's student on his/her BSc or BEng programme has passed a course that is a general competence course or a technological specialization course in his/her master's programme, and which course the student should choose instead.

Courses taken as single subjects
The student should be aware that courses taken as single subjects while enrolled in a regular full-time programme at DTU cannot be credited toward this full-time programme at a later time.

Pre-approval of credit transfer
Before taking a course or going abroad, students are obliged to apply for pre-approval of credit transfer for planned programme elements from another university or institution of higher education in Denmark or abroad.

The student is responsible for ensuring that the desired courses can be included in the programme's maximum allowed ECTS credits. If the student plans with odd credits in relation to DTU's credit structure of 2½, 5, and 10 ECTS, the student must make sure to plan with other courses so that the plan works. This can be done, for example, by using EuroTeQ courses or project courses.

If the pre-approved courses that the student is taking at the host university change during the semester, the student must submit a new application for a pre-approval of credit transfer. Each application must include a complete list of courses taken at the host university. A new decision for the same period and the same host university will replace former decisions.

By applying, students consent to DTU requesting the necessary information from the host institution regarding the application if the students cannot procure the documentation themselves.

The pre-approval of credit transfer is registered in the study administration system but will not appear in the Study Planner until the student has passed the courses and applied for final credit. 

It is impossible to pre-approve more ECTS credits than there is room for in the student's study programme/framework.

Final credit transfer
The student must apply for final credit for all passed courses and ECTS credits. It is a requirement that all passed ECTS credits must be credited. The student can, therefore, not choose to only apply for credit transfer for some of the passed courses or ECTS points. Once a course has been passed, final credit must be sought, and the credit is binding to the student and cannot be withdrawn. However, according to DTU's specific assessment, fewer ECTS may be transferred if this is necessary for the study plan to fit the limit of ECTS credits in the study programme.

Programme elements that have been credit transferred will be recorded on the student's DTU diploma with the grade 'Passed'. That applies to pre-commencement credit transfers and credit transfers during the study programme. However, if a programme element from another Danish educational institution assessed on the 7-point grading scale is credited as equivalent to a specific DTU course, the grade from that institution will be recorded.

With their application, the student consents that DTU can obtain necessary information for the application, which the student cannot obtain at the host university.

Submission of applications
Applications for pre-approval of credit transfer and final credit transfer are submitted electronically via www.merit.dtu.dk. Other inquiries regarding credit transfer are sent to merit@adm.dtu.dk via the student email.

Applications must include the following:

  • Course description
  • Documentation of level
  • Documentation of workload (ECTS/credits)
  • For final credit transfer, documentation of passed and failed courses and an official description of the grading scale according to which the course is assessed.

Decision-making authority
The Board of Exemptions for the BSc and MSc programmes (CMDU) and the Board of Exemptions for the BEng programmes (DMDU) have authorized the heads of studies and the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs (AUS) to make decisions in cases related to credit transfer. A decision on credit transfer is not valid until the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs (AUS) issues a written decision to the student via email or www.merit.dtu.dk.

The overall processing time for credit transfer applications is approximately 8 weeks from the date the application is received. The processing time may be longer if there is incomplete information or documentation.

Appeal against decision
If the student does not get their application granted, they can appeal the decision via email to merit@adm.dtu.dk.

If the complaint concerns the academic assessment of final credit transfer for Danish educational elements (including pre-commencement credit transfer) or pre-approval of credit transfer for Danish and foreign educational elements, it is processed by a credit transfer appeals board. That only applies if the decision concerns a BSc or MSc student. The deadline for lodging this type of complaint is two weeks from the day the decision letter is sent to the complainant.

Complaints regarding legal matters can be submitted to the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science. Legal matters concern compliance with applicable law in handling a case, including whether the educational regulations for the programme have been followed and whether other laws (e.g., the Public Administration Act) and general administrative legal principles have been adhered to. The complaint must be submitted to the Offivce for Study Programmes and Student Affairs via email to merit@adm.dtu.dk no later than two weeks after the decision has been communicated to the student by email or via www.merit.dtu.dk.