Study Abroad

Exploring the option of study abroad

There are many opportunities for students to take elective courses at the many varied institutions partnered with BC. We encourage students to take advantage of global engagement and education and we will work with you to help make it happen.

The Office of Global Education (OGE), located in Hovey House, coordinates  study abroad opportunities and can provide detailed information about specific programs. OGE helps plan and coordinate your study abroad semester or year from beginning to end: from offering advice about various programs; applying to and planning your course of study at whatever program you may choose; and transferring credits and grades back to BC when you return after having successfully completed your studies abroad. 

The first step in the process of studying abroad is to do some research on the OGE website.

Course Requirements Prior to Studying Abroad

To ensure that students are able to complete the requirements for the MCAS Economics major or minor in time for graduation, all students must have completed Statistics and either Micro or Macro Theory before studying abroad. We strongly recommend that both Theory courses and Econometric Methods are completed before studying abroad as well, as those courses must be taken no later than the junior year.

Requirements for receiving credit towards the Economics major, minor, or concentration for courses taken abroad.

The following requirements must be met for a course to transfer back credits towards the major or minor:

  1. MCAS Economics majors and minors, and CSOM Economics concentrators must earn at least a B- in at least one of the Intermediate Theory courses before going abroad.

  2. Micro Theory, Macro Theory, Statistics and  Econometric Methods cannot be taken abroad.

  3. Classes to be taken abroad must be approved for content. The Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) for Economics will determine if the course counts as a lower-level (2000 level) or upper-level (3000 level) elective. As a general rule of thumb, lower-level courses require Principles (ECON1101) as a prerequisite. Upper-level electives require Micro and/or Macro Theory, at a minimum, as prerequisites. Please send a detailed and complete course syllabus to the (DUS) to have the course(s) reviewed and approved. Note: while syllabi from past semesters may serve as useful guides, ultimately the DUS will need to approve the syllabus for the semester in which the student will be abroad. Please do NOT send the DUS all syllabi from an institution to review; instead decide upon the classes that interest you, see if you can determine the level of the course, and then email it to the DUS for official approval. Also remember that the courses from abroad that count towards your MCAS Economics major or minor, must be similar to what you could take at BC in the Economics Department and not in CSOM.

    Students seeking credit for the BC Core will need to consult with the BC academic department responsible for the relevant areas of the core. More information can be found here.

  4. The course must have the appropriate number of credit hours. OGE determines the course credit hours. If you have questions about the number of credit hours a course has, please check with the Academic Operations Administrator

  5. The student must receive a C- or above in the course (if taken in an external program) to receive transfer credit at BC.

  6. You cannot have exceeded the limit of courses that can be taken “outside of the department.” General department policy is that students may apply up to three external credits (e.g., AP exams, WCAS, study abroad) Students can take one introductory course (e.g., ECON1101) and two electives outside of the BC Economics Department.  Students studying abroad for an entire year are allowed an extra elective, however. All intermediate courses (i.e. Theories, Statistics, and Econometrics) must be taken through the BC Economics department. Exceptions are made for transfer students. In general for single semester abroad programs, students may take a maximum of two courses abroad; for full-year programs, students may take a maximum of three courses abroad. Students who have previously taken summer courses, those with advanced placement should discuss their individual situations with the DUS. (You can see more details on these limits on the FAQ page.). Please note that it is not always possible to take more than one elective abroad so careful planning is required.

  7. A course must generally be a 3 credit course to qualify but you may combine two 2-credit-hour courses to count for one elective, or three 2-credit-hour courses to count for two electives. The Department collects a list of classes it has approved and will share it with students. Student Services also has a copy of this list. Therefore, if a course you take is on the list, it will automatically be placed on your degree audit when Student Services receives the grade from the host university, assuming you have met all of the other requirements listed above.

Plan your study abroad semester(s) with the Office of Global Education (OGE)

Economics majors and minors must contact OGE to apply for study abroad and to plan their semester or year abroad. Those planning to participate in the Honors Program are strongly advised to identify a thesis topic and a faculty supervisor before going abroad, especially if the student will be abroad during the spring semester of their junior year. Very tight deadlines during the fall semester of senior year make this advance planning essential. Students who are considering doing Ph.D. work in economics or related disciplines should plan their programs abroad with particular care.