COURSE EQUIVALENCY REQUESTS

A course equivalency request is used to determine if/how a course(s) taken outside of the Economics department* will count for the Economics major. For students not in the Economics major, this request can be used to determine if an external course is equivalent to a UC Berkeley Economics course. A student will need to submit a course equivalency request for the following:

Course Equivalency Requests that will be accepted for review:

  • **Courses submitted must be already completed and shown on the student’s CalCentral profile or Transfer Credit Report** 
  • Courses taken at a 4-year institution
  • Courses taken at a non-California community college; see assist.org for California community college course equivalency
  • Courses listed in the Economics Course Equivalency Database with an expired "Valid Thru" date
  • Courses that do not exist in the Economics Course Equivalency Database
  • Courses taken through a UCEAP program or non-UCEAP independent study abroad program

​Course Equivalency Requests that will not be accepted for review:

  • Courses that are not yet completed
  • Courses that are not yet shown on the student’s CalCentral profile or Transfer Credit Report
  • Courses offered at UC Berkeley; see Major Requirements for accepted courses outside of the Economics department
  • Courses with little to no Economics content
  • Courses converted to less than 2.7 semester units
*See TRANSFER CREDIT for courses taken through community college and 4-year institutions. See STUDY ABROAD for courses taken through UCEAP and independent study abroad programs.
 
Instructions on how to submit a Course Equivalency Request
1. Obtain a copy of the full syllabus for the course (PDF format only). Course descriptions are not reviewed. If insufficient information is provided, further information may be requested.
2. Submit a Course Equivalency Request form (one course per request).
3. Requests are reviewed by a faculty committee and students are notified via email once an equivalency is determined.
4. Allow 4-6 weeks for full processing.
 
***All course evaluation decisions are final.***
 
**NOTE FOR NON-ECONOMICS PREREQUISITE COURSES: The Economics department does not determine course equivalencies for math or statistics courses. Students are responsible for obtaining course equivalencies for non-Economics prerequisite courses. Once obtained, the equivalency information should be emailed to ugrad@econ.berkeley.edu. Please include student ID number.
See appropriate websites for more information:

Important things to keep in mind when submitting Course Equivalency Requests:

  • Courses must transfer back to UC Berkeley as 2.7 units minimum to count for the Economics major, and it is the responsibility of the student to verify the units. To convert quarter units to semester, divide by 1.5.
  • UCEAP courses must be taken for a letter grade.
  • Effective Fall 2022, core upper-division requirements taken abroad will no longer be approved through the course equivalency review process.
  • Courses in accounting, management, and marketing are not considered equivalent to Economics courses and will not be approved.
  • Business, history, political science courses, etc. will not be approved, even if they are equivalent to courses on the approved electives list.
  • To be considered for credit for the major, courses must be taught within or cross-listed with an Economics department at the external/abroad institution.
  • A maximum of two approved upper division courses (including Intermediate Macroeconomics and Intermediate Microeconomics theory courses) may be taken outside the Economics department towards upper division major requirements. This includes:
    • Courses offered at UC Berkeley through other departments (business, history, legal studies, etc.)
    • Courses transferred to UC Berkeley
    • Courses through UCEAP or an independent study abroad program

 

CLICK to learn more about important academic policies related to taking courses outside the Economics department.