Economics is a popular program around the world, and hundreds of current Michigan Econ students have studied abroad or are doing so right now!
Economics can be a part of many study abroad experiences.Studying Economics abroad can be a great way to gain unique global economic perspectives that go beyond what courses are offered at U-M!
Process for Pre-Approval:
Please connect with the Econ Undergraduate Program Coordinators (Olga Mustata & Kelsi Archibald) by:
Emailing econundergradoffice@umich.edu
Attending Virtual Office Hours Mondays, Tuesdays, & Thursdays from 2-3pm or Wednesdays 10-11am via Zoom
Scheduling an advising appointment
If you have already narrowed your study abroad search down to a specific program, you can email the advising team to inquire about lists of pre-approved courses from that particular program. An advising appointment with the Econ Undergrad Coordinators is not required—an email conversation will suffice for basic course questions.
If you are interested in a course from a particular study abroad program that is not on the pre-approved list, you will have to make an appointment with a faculty advisor to evaluate the course. If possible, you should provide a copy of that course’s syllabus that clearly states (a) the prerequisites for enrollment, and (b) the material covered by the course. A detailed course guide description may also work as a substitute. If we cannot verify prerequisites, we generally will not approve a course for use in the major.
Considering Courses Abroad for the Econ Major:
In general, it can be difficult to transfer in 400-level Economics elective courses for use in the Economics Major due to the variations in prerequisites required across schools, programs, and countries. This is because our department requires 400-level elective courses abroad to have Econ 401 or Econ 402 as prerequisites, and the relevant prerequisite must be taken at U-M before taking the elective course abroad. Econ majors should almost always take Econ 401 (Intermediate Microeconomic Theory) before studying abroad.
On the other hand, 300-level Economics elective courses are typically easier to transfer in for use in the Economics Major. Up to 6 credits of 300-level Economics electives are productive in the Economics Major, so students may want to plan their studies so as to save room in their program for some of these credits to be fulfilled by those transferred in from their studies abroad.
Non-economics courses, including Business, never may be used as an elective in the Econ major. It is not necessary to take courses that have direct analogues at U-M. In fact, studying abroad is an excellent opportunity to take courses that we don’t offer in Ann Arbor!
Additional Economics Department guidance on studying abroad can be found here.
Next Steps: Attend a First Step session (optional), where you will learn general information about studying abroad through CGIS. For detailed information, visit our CGIS Advising page where you can get access to First Step and information on how to meet with peer advisors and program advisors. Our team will be able to help you through the application process and can address any of your questions or concerns in relation to curriculum, navigating your identity, navigating through a specific country, and so much more!
Check out the following regions below for an incomplete list of programs particularly well-suited for Econ, which many major or minor students have participated in:
