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:
- Courses taken at UC Berkeley that are not on the list of Approved UC Berkeley Economics electives
- Courses taken at a 4-year institution
- Courses taken at a non-California community college
- Courses listed in the UCEAP Economics database with an expired "Valid Thru" date
- Courses that do not exist in the UCEAP Economics database
- Courses taken through a non-UCEAP independent study abroad program
Please see below for instructions on how to submit a Course Equivalency Request.
*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.
Course Equivalency Review Process**
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). It is strongly encouraged to submit this request prior to enrolling/studying abroad.
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.
**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:
- Math course equivalencies: see "Course Equivalency"
- Statistics course equivalencies: see "Request for Evaluation of Non-UC Berkeley Course"
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.