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Inicio > Programas en extinción > Degree in informatics engineering > Academic policy > Free choice credit recognition policy

Free choice credit recognition policy

(approved by the Academic Policy Committee on 8 March 2006 and ratified by the Faculty Board on 31 March 2006)

Amended and passed again by the Academic Policy Committee on 9 October 2006

Preamble

Chapter 1 (Curriculum Organization), paragraph 10 of the Facultad de Informática's P96 Degree Programme, published in the Official Spanish Gazette (BOE) of 19 October 1996, states

"The student shall have to earn 9 credits in the first cycle and 30 in the second cycle".

Pursuant to the above, the annual teaching schedule passed by the School Board specifies all the procedures by means of which students can take subjects or complete activities to earn free choice credits. In these cases, as for all types of free choice subjects offered by the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, students take the course units or perform the activities after completing the respective administrative process of enrolment. Should students take course units or perform activities of the type that fit in with the general philosophy of free choice credits and are academically equivalent to higher education, but, being offered by other institutions or universities, do not entail a prior enrolment process, they shall have to apply afterwards for free choice credit recognition.

Annex 3 -General Curriculum Structure and Organization-,  chapter I, item 6 -General Curriculum Structure- sets out three types of credit equivalences:

7.1. Internships at public or private companies, institutions, etc.

Official Spanish Gazette (BOE) No. 253 of 19 October 1996

7.2. Studies undertaken as part of agreements signed by the university

Official Spanish Gazette (BOE) No. 253 of 19 October 1996

7.3. Other activities

Official Spanish Gazette (BOE) No. 218 of 12 September 2005

The UPM Admission and Enrolment Regulations, Annex 10, chapter 1, art. 3, state, regarding Curriculum Organization, the free choice subjects and activities recognized in the curriculum.

The purpose of these rules is to regulate the procedures and conditions for recognizing free choice credits earned by students taking courses or completing activities not directly offered by the Facultad de Informática or the UPM, as well as free choice credits classed as equivalent to activities or course units offered or recognized by the Facultad de Informática or the UPM for which there is no prior enrolment process and, if applicable, for activities performed at other institutions. These rules also stipulate the regulations on industrial placements.

Generalities

1. In all cases, students shall have to have completed the studies, courses or activities up for recognition during the period that they are attending this university, i.e. as of when they first enrol, save in the case of the courses set out in paragraphs 2 and 3.

2. Students applying for recognition for free choice credits shall have to provide documents in proof of the grounds of their application, stating key data like course duration (number of hours), dates, syllabus, if applicable, etc.

3. In no case shall it be possible to recognize under the headings provided in these regulations more than half of the free choice credits that  applicants are required to pass to earn their degree (for students to complete a degree at the Facultad de Informática subject to the applicable degree programme, half amounts to 19.5 credits).

4. In no case shall free choice credits be recognized a posteriori for subjects, course units or activities offered by the Facultad de Informática or by the UPM for which the student failed to enrol during the respective enrolment period before the start of the course unit or activity.

Credit recognition for higher education

In all cases, students shall have to have completed the studies referred to under this point while they are at this university.

1. Free choice credits shall only be recognized for course units that students have already passed if the subject concerned is not equivalent to the subject matter covered by the course units stipulated  in the applicable degree programme. The Facultad de Informática's Academic Policy Committee shall determine whether the subjects up for recognition and the degree course units are equivalent, applying, if in doubt, to the departments that teach the subject for a non-binding report.

2. Free choice credits shall be recognized for course units that applicants have taken (and passed), in compliance with paragraph 2.1, at higher education institutions, provided that they are:

Courses entitling students to admission to the Facultad de Informática's second-cycle degree courses are expressly excluded.

For this academic year it has been agreed to recognize credits for higher education studies that are not equivalent to degree programme credits taken by students at their sending or receiving universities in compliance with mobility agreements entered into by the UPM.

This agreement is extended for the 2006/07 academic year to foreign studies, providing for the recognition of up to a maximum of 9 credits under this point, where it shall be the Academic Policy Committee that shall decide in all cases when such recognition is applicable.

3. The application must include the official credential certifying that the students passed the courses and stating the number of credits (or total course hours).

4. For this type of studies, free choice credits shall be recognized at a rate of at most one credit per every ten course hours, up to the maximum established in paragraph 1.3.

Credit recognition for non-higher education

Agreement for the 2007/08 academic year on the recognition of free choice credits for non-higher education

The only two cases in which free choice credits shall be able to be recognized for non-higher education are:

1. Modern languages

Free choice credits shall be recognized for courses taken at Official Language Schools or teaching institutions other than Official Language Schools. The Academic Policy Committee shall decide the list of certificates and the credits to be awarded in each case at the start of each academic year.

2. Art studies (music, dance, drama, etc.).

Free choice credits shall be recognized for elementary, intermediate and advanced level courses taken at official institutions. The Academic Policy Committee shall decide the credits to be awarded in each case at the start of each academic year.

Credit recognition for accredited activities

Under this curriculum students can earn part of their credits by completing other activities that have been granted credit equivalence. Specifically, the P96 degree course contemplates the activities described below.

Internships at companies and other institutions

The document titled Rules on Free Choice Credit Recognition for Placements at Companies and other Institutions sets out the specific regulations for recognizing credits for internships at companies and other institutions.

Academic tutor

Recognition of other activities

Free choice credits shall be granted for student participation in seminars, courses and other training activities recognized as such by the Facultad de Informática through course equivalence. The maximum number of credits that can be awarded for each activity shall be published.

The Academic Policy Committee shall decide at the start of each academic year on a set of activities for which credits shall be awarded automatically, provided the specified conditions are met. Exceptionally, apart from the set activities specified on the list mentioned above, additional activities, approved by the institution's executive team, shall be able to be recognized throughout the academic year. This is in response to the unscheduled and not always foreseeable demand for the events and activities referred to here.

Agreement for the 2010/11 academic year on free choice credit recognition for accredited activities on offer

ATHENS courses

All ATHENS programme courses shall be recognized as free choice credits. The number of credits shall be established every academic year according to the course duration.

Agreement for the 2007/08 academic year on free choice credit recognition for attending Athens programme courses

BEST courses

Students must apply in advance before taking these courses.

It has been decided that as of this year BEST activities shall only be recognized if they have been vetted beforehand by the Academic Policy Committee and the Committee has decided  how many credits are to be recognized in each case.

Application period

The application period for free choice credit recognition shall be determined by the teaching schedule for each academic year. Generally, there are three periods a year that shall be published before the start of each academic year.

As a general rule, the Academic Policy Committee shall have a maximum of one academic month as of the ending date of each period to reply. Students shall be notified of the decision taken and the criteria applied and shall, if necessary, be asked to submit additional documentation.

Application forms