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Study Abroad for Economics Majors

Can I study abroad as an Economics major?

YES! Many Economics majors can and do study abroad during their time at Northwestern. Summer and fall are the most popular, but many students go other terms and for the full academic year.

Faculty Perspective

Mark Witte, Department of Economics Professor of Instruction; Director of Undergraduate Studies

“You can learn a lot in study abroad economics classes, and also a lot when you’re outside of class as well."

When can I study abroad as an Economics major?

Sophomore & Junior Year: There are no restrictions on going abroad during this time.

Senior Year: It is possible to study abroad during your final year at NU and even graduate abroad. However, students should be aware that it can take 2-4 months to receive a transcript from study abroad. If you are studying abroad during your final quarter at Northwestern, this will likely delay your actual date of graduation.

Summer: There are a handful of Northwestern programs designed with Economics majors in mind. In addition, there are options for students to study abroad on affiliated summer programs like LSE Summer, or unaffiliated programs, for academic credit.

What classes can I take abroad?

There are many study abroad programs around the world that NU is affiliated with to offer NU Economics majors the opportunity to take coursework for their major abroad. However, NU can only accept Economics credit from study abroad courses that match closely with NU’s core requirements or which have prerequisites that match closely with NU’s core requirements. For example, a Money & Banking class taken abroad would need to have Intermediate Macroeconomics as a prerequisite.

Your GLO adviser may be able to help you locate a syllabus or required pre-requisites for Economics courses you intend to take abroad. Your NU Economics adviser can help you determine if the courses you wish to take meet the transfer eligibility requirements.

Students can also take courses outside Economics to help fulfill other degree requirements, learn or improve on a language, or just to take advantage of the opportunity to learn something new. You can read more about academic planning and choosing courses abroad on the GLO website.

What type of credit can I get from study abroad?

Economics majors will find there are many programs that host Economics courses eligible for credit towards their degree requirements. Economics majors can typically transfer two Economics units towards their major requirements per study abroad term.
Your Economics adviser can help you identify what distribution requirements or major credit could be best taken abroad and your GLO adviser can help you identify programs that offer these types of credit.

Suggested Programs for Economics Majors

Programs with Pre-Approved Economics Course Equivalencies

Interested in other programs or non-major credit? Search for more study abroad options.

Next Steps

Unsure where to start? Check out the Get Started page for some helpful next steps. We also encourage you to meet with your Economics major adviser to discuss your academic course plan and with a GLO adviser to learn more about the programs you're considering.