Study Away and Transfer Credit

I’m an economics major considering study abroad. What do I have to do?
After deciding on your plans, you must submit a petition on Terra Dotta (requesting permission to study away) by the March 1 deadline. As an economics major, the economics study abroad coordinator is the person with whom you should discuss your plans for completing your major, including whether there are classes you plan to take abroad for which you would like to get major credit. The study abroad coordinator is also the person who gives department approval for the study away petition on Terra Dotta. If there are courses for which you would like to receive major credit, you must provide information (detailed course description and/or syllabus) on the courses you are considering to the study abroad coordinator.

Who is the study abroad/transfer credit coordinator?
For 2024-2025 the Department’s Coordinator for Transfer/Study Abroad Credit is Prof. Peter Pedroni.

Can I get credit towards the major for elective courses taken abroad?
Yes. The department typically grants lower-level credit for any course that has introductory economics (the equivalent of ECON 110 or 120) as a prerequisite. Upper-level elective (ECON 350-399) credit is granted for courses that have an intermediate-level economics course (the equivalent of ECON 251, 252, or 255) as a prerequisite. Note that you cannot receive credit for a course that substantially duplicates a course that you take at Williams.  Also note that the required 400-level elective must be taken at Williams.

Can I take ECON 251, 252, or 255 abroad?
It is possible, but generally not recommended. In order to ensure that a course you are planning to take will be acceptable to the department in lieu of a core course, your course must be approved by the department’s study abroad coordinator before you go. To satisfy the department’s requirements, an intermediate theory course must have introductory economics as a prerequisite and must cover essentially the same material covered in the course here at Williams. Bring a course description or syllabus to your meeting with the department’s study abroad coordinator to have the course you are considering approved.  Note that it is particularly difficult to find courses abroad that are equivalent to ECON 255.

I am planning to study abroad for the whole year and will be taking a year-long course. Does the economics department grant two course credits toward the major, or one?
The economics department grants only one credit per course, even if it is a year-long course.

I am considering the Williams in Oxford program. Is it possible to take the equivalent of ECON 251, 252, or 255 through WIOX?
Yes.  See the question above.

Does the economics department’s study abroad coordinator have specific information about study abroad programs or about specific courses that can be used to satisfy the department’s requirements?
Not really. The Study Abroad office is the best place to find resources about study abroad programs. However, it is likely you will be able to find a course that would gain you upper-level credit through almost any program that offers access to regular university courses. If you have a question about whether a particular course would be granted credit, email the department’s study abroad coordinator a copy of the course description or syllabus and he or she can make that determination.

I was away last semester/year. How is credit granted for the courses I took?
After you return, the Registrar forwards the transcript from your study abroad program to the economics study abroad coordinator. (You are responsible for ensuring that the Registar receives your study abroad transcript.) The economics study abroad coordinator makes the determination about whether the course meets the department’s guidelines based on the information about the course you provided at the time of your initial meeting.

I took different courses than the ones I discussed with the study abroad coordinator. How do I get credit for these courses?
If your plans change after your initial discussion with the study abroad coordinator and you end up taking an alternative course that you would like to have considered for credit, you must provide the study abroad coordinator with information (course description and/or syllabus) that allows him or her to make the determination about the appropriate credit. In order to avoid delays in awarding credit and to avoid difficulties obtaining course information from your study abroad professors after you return, it is best to send this information to the economics department study abroad coordinator while you are still abroad.

I took an economics course at a domestic college/university. How do I get major credit for this course?
The process for domestic transfer credits is essentially the same as the process for study abroad credits. Note that in order to receive major credit, courses must count towards the student’s Williams degree.