Studying abroad provides an opportunity to expand students' academic and cultural experiences while staying on track to complete the Economics major. Economics programs are widely available in universities worldwide and we encourage students to explore the many great opportunities. For information about study abroad options, please visit Berkeley Study Abroad.
Students who wish to have transfer courses from study abroad programs considered for Economics major/course credit will take one of the following actions, depending on whether the course is taken through UCEAP or a non-UCEAP independent program. Students are strongly encouraged to follow these procedures prior to their study abroad experience.
NOTE: Effective Fall 2022, upper division core courses are not eligible to be satisfied with study abroad courses. Core courses include intermediate economic theory (ECON 100A, ECON 100B, ECON 101A, ECON 101B) and econometrics (ECON 140, ECON 141). Study abroad courses are only eligible to satisfy upper-division electives. University of California courses are eligible to satisfy upper-division core requirements but must be approved through a course equivalency review. Students who plan to take courses abroad and seek credit toward major requirements are encouraged to consult with an Economics Undergraduate Advisor before their program begins. Students may count no more than TWO upper division courses fom outside the department, including study abroad courses, towards the Economics Major Requirements.
If the course(s) is taken through the UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP)...
- Review the Economics Course Equivalency Database for pre-approved UCEAP courses.
- If a course carries a current valid approval, no other actions are needed prior to studying abroad.
- If a course equivalency is no longer valid and/or does not appear in the database, submit a Course Equivalency Request to determine if the course will count towards major requirements only after the course is completed and appears on your CalCentral.
- For DECLARED MAJORS ONLY:
- If a course is approved, notify the Economics Undergraduate Advising Office after the abroad grades are posted to the UCB transcript.
- Send email to ugrad@econ.berkeley.edu (please include student ID number) and request to apply approved credit to the Academic Progress Report (APR).
If the course(s) is taken through a non-UCEAP independent study abroad program...
- Submit a Course Equivalency Request to determine if the course will count towards major requirements only after the course is completed and appears on your Transfer Credit Report.
- For DECLARED MAJORS ONLY:
- If a course is approved, send an email to ugrad@econ.berkeley.edu (please include student ID number) and request to apply approved credit to the Academic Progress Report (APR).
- To transfer credit from a non-UCEAP independent study abroad program to UC Berkeley, an official transcript must be sent to the Office of the Registrar. Instructions found here.
*A note about studying abroad and graduation requirements:
All students planning to study abroad during their time at UC Berkeley, especially during their senior year, should consult with the College of Letters and Science Advising Office for more information on the university residency requirement. Recognizing the special value of study abroad experiences, the faculty have approved certain exceptions to the usual residency requirement for students who participate in UCEAP. It is the responsibility of the student to consult with an L&S advisor early in the abroad planning process for specific information on satisfying this requirement.
CLICK to learn more about important academic policies related to taking courses outside the Economics department.
Are you a student intending to major in Economics? Be sure to review our Prospective Student page.