Students majoring in the Department of Economics have the opportunity to take classes abroad, at a community college, or at another four-year university. In some instances, courses taken at UCLA can be petitioned for one of our majors.
If you are a student who wishes to study overseas, the first thing you should do is contact a staff member in the UCLA International Education Office.
Restrictions to Transferring Course Credit
Business Economics and Economics majors may take an unlimited number of lower division pre-major courses at another domestic institution, community college, or abroad to satisfy their pre-major requirements. Our students may take a maximum of three upper division courses at another four-year institution to satisfy their major requirements. Only Economics-related courses with sufficient prerequisites will be considered for upper division major credit; Business-related courses will not be considered. Students may not take these courses at the same time that they are enrolled as a full-time student at UCLA during the academic year (Fall, Winter, Spring).
Before taking particular courses at another institution, students are encouraged to speak with a Department of Economics undergraduate counselor or send a message via the MyUCLA Message Center to see if the courses might have been approved in the past.
Be aware that there are College restrictions on transfer credit, so students should consult with a counselor in their respective general College counseling unit to ensure that they will earn units and will not violate any College or University rules.
Petition Instructions
Petition requests must be sent online via the MyUCLA Message Center. If you are petitioning multiple courses, please submit them all in one message, under the same case number. In your message, please include the University name, course number and title, and the term in which you took/plan to take the course. Please attach the course syllabus as well as any additional course materials you would like to include in your petition. Please be sure to put the following as the title for the message submitted: “Petition for Non-UCLA Courses.”
Please write out the following information in the body of your Message Center message when submitting a course petition for review:
- Subject area, course number, and course title
- Course description, as listed in the university’s catalog
- Course prerequisite(s)
- What UCLA Econ course(s) (if any) you think is most comparable
Please also attach a copy of the syllabus for each course you are taking. The course syllabus must clearly state the following:
- Course prerequisite(s)
- Textbooks used
- Weekly course topics
- Course requirements (such as exams, research papers, homework assignments, etc.)
- The number of weeks the course meets and number of hours per week
- Instructor information
** If this information is not stated on the syllabus, it must be stated in writing elsewhere. If this option is unavailable, you can also provide supplemental materials such as course notes, exams, and copies of pages from the textbooks used.
Finally, please indicate if the university is on the quarter or on the semester system.
Important Considerations:
If you are petitioning for upper division major credit, the course should have similar prerequisites to those of UCLA’s upper division Economics courses. All courses should have, at minimum, micro or macroeconomic theory as a prerequisite to be considered. The only exception is for a regional elective, which is an Economics course which focuses on the economy of the region in which you are studying. Please note that you can only earn major credit for one regional elective course.
The Department of Economics reviews courses for content only. If you wish for the course to count as four upper division units, it is your responsibility to ensure that the course(s) that you are enrolling in will transfer back to UCLA as four upper division units.
If you participated in a Non-UCEAP program, you must submit an official transcript directly to the Department of Economics, as well as to UCLA Undergraduate Admission, before a course can be applied to your major on the UCLA Degree Audit. A course cannot be applied to your major until it has officially transferred back to UCLA and shows up on your Degree Audit.
Courses taken abroad or at another four-year university will be reviewed for official approval only upon presentation of the syllabus from the actual term the course is taken, not based on a previous term’s syllabus. Thus, the best time to submit the syllabus is when you are physically attending the university in question.
AFTER YOUR PETITION HAS BEEN APPROVED and you have completed the approved course(s), please do the following:
Send us ONE follow-up message letting us know so that we can update your DAR. Please do not contact us until the course(s) from the other institution are posted on your Degree Audit Report. Please be sure to reference the Case Number in which the Department approved your original request in your message. You MUST be declared as an Economics or Business Economics major for the staff in the Econ Undergrad Office to update your DAR. Please send us a Message on MyUCLA Message Center. The title of the message should be: “Request to Update DAR.”
Students wishing to take a class at a community college in the summer should also review https://www.transferology.com/index.htm
Transferology shows how courses you have taken or plan to take transfer to another college or university for credit.
If you intend to take a GE at a community college, you should consult with your general College Counselor.
Frequently Asked Questions
I am interested in studying abroad for the summer. How should I proceed?
The first thing we would suggest that you do is to speak with the staff in the UCLA International Education Office. You can also contact the staff at IEO by calling 310-825-4995 or by sending an e-mail to info@ieo.ucla.edu. Most EAP application deadlines are 6 – 9 months in advance of departure. Students are encouraged to meet with an EAP counselor early in their college career to plan and prepare for a summer, semester, or year abroad.
Students majoring in Economics or Business Economics are also encouraged to speak with a counselor in the Economics Department before studying abroad.
If I study abroad or take courses at another university, how many Economics courses can I take?
Business Economics and Economics majors may take an unlimited number of lower division pre-major courses at another domestic institution or abroad to satisfy their pre-major requirements. Our majors may take a maximum of three upper division courses at another four-year institution to satisfy their major requirements. Students cannot take these courses at the same time that they are enrolled as regular students at UCLA during a regular quarter (Fall, Winter, or Spring).
To ensure that the classes taken elsewhere will count toward the major, students must submit course syllabi from the actual term that they are taking the course(s) to the Economics undergraduate counselors for approval by the faculty committee. The syllabi should be submitted via the MyUCLA Message Center. Note that the Department approves courses for content only. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that each course transfers back to UCLA as a minimum of four units.
Can I speak with an Economics Undergraduate Counselor to see which (if any) courses at another university have been approved by the Department in the past?
Yes. To reach a counselor in Economics, please click here. Please note that our office is busiest during the first two weeks of every quarter, and during enrollment times.
How do I find out if a lower division course that I want to enroll in at a community college counts for the major?
If you want to take a lower division pre-major course at a California community college in the summer, you should use the website called Transferology for articulation agreements. If you want to take a course at a community college outside of California or at a four-year university other than UCLA, please check the course with a Department of Economics undergraduate counselor. Ultimately, to be accepted into the major, you will need to make sure that the course in question is posted on your UCLA Degree Audit. The counselor will verify that your grade in the class is acceptable for you to be accepted into the major (C or higher). Taking a pre-major course that is equivalent to one of our courses at a community college or another university will be calculated into your pre-major GPA and will count as a repeat if you receive a grade of C- or below.
I took a prerequisite course (e.g. Econ 11, 41, 101, or 102) at another university. Will I need help enrolling into future major courses?
Yes. Economics courses completed at other universities come in as title credit, which means they are not considered to be directly equivalent to UCLA courses. Even if the Department approves a course from another university to fulfill a specific pre-major or major requirement, the UCLA enrollment system will not recognize the approval. The only exception to this is for courses deemed equivalent to Econ 1 and Econ 2.
To request enrollment assistance, please submit your request via the MyUCLA Message Center or contact our counseling office during your enrollment time.
