Study Abroad Student Instructions
Students who plan on studying abroad and transferring courses back to PSU for Economics credits should first see if the course has already been approved through Penn State Global. The best way to check is by reviewing the program’s Historical Course List on an approved program’s Program Brochure.
If a student is looking to take a course that is not pre-approved, students may set up a consultation meeting with the Economics Department study abroad liaison, Dr. Austin Boyle (alb43@psu.edu), before the study abroad trip to get a general idea of what the department considers when evaluating a course for the level of credit that will transfer back to PSU. This meeting is a resource for students exploring Economics courses abroad but is not required. Please note that students will ultimately need to go through the Education Abroad Office’s course equivalency process in order to receive approval on how credits will transfer back to Penn State.
It is highly recommended to get a course approved before you take it abroad so you can be sure how it will transfer back.
Students are strongly recommended to NOT take ECON core major courses during study abroad. These courses include
- ECON302 (Intermediate Microeconomic Analysis)
- ECON304 (Intermediate Macroeconomic Analysis)
- ECON306 (Introduction to Econometrics)
The department strongly recommends that any ECON student take these courses directly from Penn State.
When searching for economics courses to take while abroad, it is preferred to enroll in elective courses instead. Many elective courses still will transfer back to Penn State and count toward the major or minor.
Setting up the Meeting
Email Dr. Boyle to schedule an appointment with him. Come to your meeting prepared – you should have ideas of which courses you are interested in taking. Dr. Boyle will not pick courses for you but will give an overview of an evaluation. You also need to provide a syllabus for the course. If the Education Abroad Office says the syllabus is not available, the student should contact the University they will be attending abroad.
Important Notes
The Economics Department has the final say in how Economics courses are transferred back for Economics credit. We may not agree with course evaluations provided by Smeal or the Office of Global Programs.
A maximum of 6 ECON credits can be transferred to PSU from study abroad. Of these 6 credits, a maximum of 3 credits can be used at the 400 level.
It is also recommended to meet with an Economics Department advisor before your journey abroad. See the Advising Schedule page for information.