Abstract
One reason Russian diplomas are difficult to compare internationally may be the lack of transparency in Russia’s grading system. A German official, for example, may find it difficult to understand what level of knowledge is represented by the term “pass” or what specific knowledge and skills a student acquired when the diploma supplement states: “Sociology—40 hours—final grade: excellent,” because European universities measure student achievement in credit points. The experience of German institutions in applying academic credits can be useful to Russian universities introducing point-rating systems into the educational process.