Course credit counts toward completion of the general course requirements for graduation from Brown. Concentration credit counts toward completion of the concentration requirements in Economics, and the standards are higher. To receive concentration credit, a course completed outside of Brown must be the equivalent of one of our courses, or else an advanced course that has an intermediate theory course as a prerequisite. Courses that are more elementary can receive course credit, but not concentration credit.  Courses in business or management are not eligible for transfer credit. Economics is a distinct discipline, and courses not taught by economists using the analytical framework of economics do not count toward the concentration. The department’s Transfer Credit Advisor alone determines whether a given course may receive concentration credit. For questions about course credit, contact Dean Julie Lee or Dean Maitrayee Bhattacharyya.

When you transfer from another university to Brown, there is no limit to the number of economics courses for which you can receive transfer credit in the concentration. The department’s Transfer Credit Advisor will make a determination as to whether a given course taken at your previous institution is:

• equivalent to a particular economics course at Brown, in which case it will be assigned that course number and receive concentration credit. (Note that to receive concentration credit for ECON 0110 Principles of Economics, you must have taken both Introductory Microeconomics and Introductory Macroeconomics at your previous institution).
• not equivalent to a particular economics course at Brown, but is sufficiently advanced to receive concentration credit as an “unassigned” economics course.
• not equivalent to a course at Brown and will not receive concentration credit.

Apply to receive transfer credit for courses taken at your previous institution.

• Summer economics courses offered at Brown are fully equivalent to the identically numbered course offered during the regular academic year, and there is no limit on the number that can be taken and used for concentration credit. These courses will automatically appear on your transcript, and you do not need to do anything further.
• Summer economics courses taken at another university are subject to Brown’s rules concerning the kinds of summer courses that can be used for credit toward graduation. Only one course per summer can ordinarily be used to fulfill concentration requirements, and this course must be approved by the department’s Transfer Credit Advisor.

Apply to receive credit for summer courses taken at another institution

Concentration credit for courses taken abroad is granted on a case-by-case basis by the department’s Transfer Credit Advisor. The number of credits from study abroad is ordinarily limited to one per semester or three per year for economic concentrators, up to three in total for cs-econ concentrators, and two per semester for other combined concentrators (apma-econ, math-econ).

Apply to receive credit for courses taken away from Brown, including study abroad

Under certain circumstances, you can use your test scores on the AP, IB, or A-Level exams to place out of MATH0090 Introductory Calculus I, Math 0100 Introductory Calculus II, or ECON0110 Principles of Economics.

Online economics courses are not eligible for transfer credit.

Please email Professor Susanne Schennach at econtransfercredit@brown.edu.