Study Abroad

Studying abroad provides an opportunity to expand students' academic and cultural experiences while staying on track to complete the Economics major. The Department strongly encourages students to study abroad in order to enhance their knowledge of Economics while immersing themselves in another culture.

For more general information (GEs, housing, financial aid, etc) about studying abroad, please visit the UCSB EAP page.

For study abroad appointments, click here

Suggested Study Abroad Schedules

We always recommend that students plan to study abroad AFTER they are accepted into the Economics or Economics & Accounting major. If you plan to study abroad the quarter following Econ 10A and you are eligible for the extra exam, your window of eligibility will start once you return from your trip.

Students interested in studying abroad should consult with an Economics Undergraduate Advisor to determine the best time period for a study abroad experience.

How to Submit Courses for Review and Approval Toward Your Major

Courses taken while studying abroad must first be reviewed and approved by the Economics Undergraduate Advising Office before students can earn credit for any major requirements. 

The Economics Department maintains an extensive database of courses that have already been reviewed and approved for major credit. You can access the pre-approved course database here.  If an EAP course is listed as an “Econ Elective,” this means that it does not have a direct equivalent at UCSB but can still be used to fulfill an ECON Area D or ECACC Area E major elective requirement. Please note that courses listed as “NONE” are not approved for credit toward ECON or ECACC major requirements. Please utilize the pre-approved database when completing your Academic Planning Form (APF). The Economics Undergraduate Advisors are not able to give immediate review and approval of EAP syllabi.

Any courses or UCEAP programs that are not listed in the pre-approved course database must be reviewed for major credit. While courses can be submitted for review at any time, we strongly recommend doing so before registering for courses at your host university. Please note that the Economics Department cannot guarantee that all Economics courses taken abroad will be approved for major credit.

Below are the steps students must follow to have EAP courses reviewed for use toward an ECON or ECACC major requirement:

1.) Obtain a syllabus for each course you wish to have reviewed. Students are responsible for obtaining all necessary course syllabi from their host university. Many universities make syllabi available on their websites, but in some cases, students may need to contact their host university directly to request copies.

2.) Submit your syllabus through the EAP Syllabus Review Google Form. Once you have obtained the syllabi for the courses you wish to have reviewed, upload them using the form linked above. Please allow 3–4 weeks for the review process to be completed.

3.) Wait for a response from the Economics Undergraduate Advising Office.  Once the review process is complete, you will receive an email from the Economics Undergraduate Advising Office confirming whether each course you submitted has been approved or denied for major credit.

Study Abroad FAQs

Can I study abroad within my graduation timeline? 

Please reference the suggested plans of study in the section above. If the examples given do not fit your specific situation, you can book an appointment with an ECON study abroad advisor.

Where should I study abroad?

There are many programs to choose from. UCEAP has 173 programs available, and a number of them will have economics courses that you can take for major credit. In no particular order, the top 5 most popular programs for ECON and ECACC majors are:

1. Carlos III

2. Bocconi University

3. Yonsei University

4. London School of Economics

5. Sciences Po Paris

How do I get my Academic Planning Form signed? 

If you don't have any questions and just need your Academic Planning Form signed, please email it to ugrad@econ.ucsb.edu. An advisor will sign it and get back to you within 2 business days. If you have specific questions or concerns about your APF, please schedule an appointment. ECON advisors will only review steps 4 and 5 on the APF. Questions about other steps should be directed to the UCSB EAP office. 

APFs will not be signed in drop in advising sessions. You must either send it via email, or have a study abroad appointment. Please be aware of all EAP application deadlines and submit your APFs to our office in a timely manner.

Do I have to take economics courses while abroad?

No; if taking only GEs works with your time to graduation, you are not required to complete economics courses while abroad. Questions about EAP courses fulfilling GE requirements should be directed to the College of Letters and Science.

Can I take accounting courses abroad?

While you are not restricted from enrolling in accounting courses abroad, these courses cannot fulfill any major requirements. Accounting coursework is required to meet strict US GAAP requirements in order to be applied to your major. 

Can business, entrepreneurship, or marketing classes be taken abroad?

You can take any course available through the UCEAP catalog. However, business, entrepreneurship, or marketing classes cannot be applied to your major requirements. There are no exceptions.

I've returned from my trip, how do I apply my economics courses to my major progress check?

When you return from your trip, it may take 2-3 months for your grades to be transferred back and appear on your UCSB transcript. Once your study abroad grades have transferred to UCSB, you will be able to see them on GOLD. You can then request to have any pre-approved courses applied to your major by filling out this Google form. Please allow 1-2 weeks for your progress check to be updated. If your courses haven't been pre-approved, please reference the course approval section above.