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Study Abroad and Transfer Credits

Studying economics abroad is an enriching academic, personal, and professional experience that complements your Colby education. 

Guidelines & Procedures for Studying Abroad and Transfer Credits

Study Abroad During the Academic Year

Students planning to study abroad during the academic year need departmental and college approval for the academic institution and proposed courses.

Step 1: Explore the Off-Campus Study website, where you will find information about Colby-approved programs and the College’s study-abroad application process. Make an advising appointment with the Off-Campus Study office located in DavisConnects if you have additional questions. It is best to begin this process early in the fall semester of your sophomore year.

Step 2: Submit the appropriate applications following the Off-Campus Study timeline. You must submit the “Statement of Intent” by November 15 and the internal “Colby Approval to Study Off Campus” application by February 20 of the academic year before your proposed abroad experience. Study abroad applications are reviewed by OCS on a rolling basis; the sooner you submit, the sooner you can start your application to the program, many of which are competitive. Note that each program has its own application deadline, some of which are before February 20. 

The internal Colby application to study off campus (due Feb. 20) includes the Colby College Off-Campus Study Academic Advisor Program Approval Form which requires your academic advisor’s signature. Before signing off, the economics advising faculty also require that you complete a draft version of the Colby College Registrar Course Approval Form for Off-Campus Study. As you weigh alternative study abroad programs, we expect you to simultaneously consider how specific courses from your intended program will transfer back to our department. We strongly suggest initiating a conversation with your advisor about your study abroad plans well before the February deadline.

Step 3: Before you go abroad, finalize your Colby College Registrar Course Approval Form for Off-Campus Study and submit it to the Registrar at [email protected]. On this form, you will list the courses you plan to take abroad and receive pre-approval for their transfer to Colby. General-credit courses toward the 128 credits required for graduation can be approved by your academic advisor. Economics courses must be approved by your Economics academic advisor. Courses that you wish to count toward other majors or minors or toward distribution requirements must be approved by the OCS faculty liaison in the appropriate department. Courses must be approved by faculty before you commit to the course, then conveyed to the registrar via the approval form.

Students must receive pre-approval for Economics credit using the Colby College Registrar Course Approval Form for Off-Campus Study. If you don’t get approval before enrolling in a course, there is no guarantee that the Department will accept it for credit. Economics majors should present this form to their Economics academic advisor. Economics minors should present the form to the Economics Department Associate Chair. Course catalog descriptions, a list of prerequisites, and a course syllabus (if available) are required to pre-approve a course.

It is normal for students’ plans to change between submitting the application for approval and enrolling at the study abroad institution. If this happens, contact your academic advisor, who can help you determine if your new courses will count for economics credit. 

Step 4: After you return from abroad, request an official transcript be sent from the institution where you took the course to the Colby Registrar at [email protected]. It is your responsibility to confirm that the Registrar’s office has processed it and that Economics course equivalence is noted on your Colby transcript.

Studying at a US Institution or Studying Abroad During JanPlan and Summer

Students planning to transfer academic credits from other U.S. institutions or from summer or JanPlan courses at foreign institutions must request pre-approval using the Application for Transfer of Credit form. Approval must be obtained before taking course(s) and requires course catalog descriptions, a list of prerequisites, and a course syllabus (if available). 

If you are considering taking a course somewhere other than Colby, your first step is to contact your academic advisor, who will review the course content before signing off. 

Steps before taking a non-Colby course:

Step 1: For any course(s) you are considering, obtain the course catalog description and a syllabus (if available) directly from the institution. The description must include course prerequisites. 

Step 2: Contact your academic advisor to share with them the institution and course you are considering. They will determine whether your proposed course(s) will count and the Colby equivalent.

Step 3: Fill out the Application for Transfer of Credit form and have your advisor sign it. Once your advisor signs off, send the form to the Economics Associate Chair for final approval and signature.

Step 4: Turn in the completed Application for Transfer of Credit Form to the Registrar.

Steps after you have completed a non-Colby course:

Step 5: Request an official transcript be sent from the institution where you took the course to the Colby Registrar. It is your responsibility to confirm that the Registrar’s office has processed it and that Economics course equivalence is noted on your Colby transcript.

Note: If you don’t get approval before enrolling in a course, there is no guarantee that the Department will accept it for credit. 

Guidance on Getting Credit Toward the Economics Major or Minor

Students may receive credit toward the Economics or Economics-Financial Markets majors or the Economics minor for up to three courses taken off campus. For majors, one of the four upper-level core courses (EC223, EC224, EC225, and EC325) may be completed elsewhere. Students studying abroad for a full year at the London School of Economics may receive credit for up to four economics courses, two of which can be from the upper-level core courses. Senior seminars need to be taken at Colby. EC210, EC133, and EC134 may also be taken elsewhere and do not count toward the three-course transfer limit. Online or hybrid courses may receive credit if they meet department standards.

It is most common for students to receive elective credit at the 200 or 300 level for abroad courses. This is an excellent opportunity to broaden your exposure to topics not offered in our curriculum. 

To receive credit for a 200-level elective, a course must require at least one introductory economics course – the equivalent of EC133 or EC134 – as a prerequisite. To receive credit for a 300-level elective, the course must require at least one intermediate economics course as a prerequisite – the equivalent of EC223, EC224, or EC225 – and demonstrate a sufficiently high level of rigor. 

To receive credit for EC223 or EC224, the course must require calculus and introductory economics courses as prerequisites. To receive credit for EC225, the course must require calculus or a rigorous mathematical methods course as a prerequisite. 

The same standards apply to economics courses taught in a language other than English.

Credit will be earned only for fully completed courses, including final exams. For example, in British universities where both “class grades” and “exam grades” are given, no credits will be given for a course in which an exam grade is not received.

Not all courses with the word “economics” in the title can transfer to fulfill a major or minor requirement. Courses taught outside an institution’s Economics department in business, marketing, or management disciplines often do not have sufficient economics content to warrant credit.

For a list of courses that have counted toward the economics major or minor, see Economic Courses Taken at Common Study Abroad Programs and Institutions.

The Registrar’s office will process Economics equivalence credit after courses are completed and the College has received transcripts from the host institution. It is your responsibility to:

  1. Submit the relevant course approval form to the Registrar before taking a course.
    1. For academic year study abroad: Colby College Registrar Course Approval Form for Off-Campus Study.
    2. For summer or JanPlan study abroad or US institutions: Application for Transfer of Credit.
  2. Have an official transcript sent to the Registrar after taking a course.
  3. Confirm that the Registrar’s office has processed the above, and that Economics course equivalence is noted on your Colby transcript.

Questions?

For further information contact the Economics Department Associate Chair:

Professor Jim Siodla
Diamond 359
[email protected]