The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is a standard means for comparing academic credits, i.e., the "volume of learning based on the defined learning outcomes and their associated workload" for higher education across the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). ECTS credits are awarded for successfully completed studies, with the basic definition being that one full time academic year corresponds to a total of 60 ECTS credits; typically this corresponds to an annual workload of 1,500 to 1,800 hours, although this can vary as defined by national regulations. It results in a corresponding equivalence of one ECTS credit for each 25 to 30 hours of work. However, it is the correspondence to the academic year, rather than the hours worked, that is defining.