The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is a student centred system based on the
student workload required to achieve the objectives of a programme, objectives preferably specified in
terms of the learning outcomes and competences to be acquired. ECTS is based on the principle that 60
credits measure the workload of a full-time student during one academic year. The student workload of a
full-time study programme in Europe amounts in most cases to around 1500- 1800 hours per year and in
those cases one credit stands for around 25 to 30 working hours. This work shows the experience of
adaptating the subject «Marine geology» for European Higher Education Area on ECTS. In this paper the
teaching strategies, the competences, the learning activities, the student workload (shown in number of
hours), the assessment and the learning outcomes for the subject «Marine geology» in the Geology degree
(University of the Basque Country) are described