Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS) is used by many universities in the United Kingdom to monitor, record and reward passage through a modular degree course and to facilitate movement between courses and institutions.
[1] One UK credit is equivalent to the learning outcomes of 10 notional hours of study,[2] thus a university course of 150 notional study hours is worth 15 credits, and a university course of 300 notional study hours is worth 30 credits.
[5] Typically, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a bachelor's degree with honours requires 360 credits, with at least 90 at level 6 of the FHEQ; an ordinary bachelor's degree requires 300 credits with 60 at level 6; a foundation degree requires 240 credits with 90 at level 5; an integrated master's degree requires 480 credits with 120 at level 7; a postgraduate taught master's degree requires 180 credits with 150 at level 7; and a professional doctorate requires 540 credits with 360 at level 8.
[7] "Fast track" two-year bachelor's degrees at the University of Buckingham make use of the full calendar year to fit a 360 credit course into two years.
[8] UK Credits are the same at a nominal 10 hours of learning per credit unit across CATS, the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (covering higher and further education, vocational education and school qualifications in Scotland), the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (ditto for Wales) and the Regulated Qualifications Framework (further education and vocational education in England and Northern Ireland and school qualifications in England).