Affiliate Students

For Junior Year Abroad, Erasmus+ and exchange students.

Undergraduate Affiliate Programme

Affiliate students in the Department of Economics can apply to study here for the Fall Term, Spring & Summer Terms or the full year while remaining registered to your home insititution. You'll join classes alongside our BSc students and be taught through a mixture of lectures, demonstration lectures and tutorial classes. A significant amount of independent study is also expected, up to 40 hours per week.

You'll be academically motivated and comfortable with quantitative methods of analysis.

Entry Requirements 

You may be offered admission to UCL Economics under one of the following three categories. The links provided correspond to equivalent courses at UCL explaining the material you should have covered. Please upload a transcript as a part of your online application in order to show us these equivalences. 

For a Category 1 offer, we expect evidence of equivalence to: 

• Intermediate Microeconomics (ECON0013) i.e. calculus-based intermediate micro 

• Intermediate Macroeconomics (ECON0016) i.e. calculus-based intermediate macro 

• Intermediate Econometrics (ECON0019) i.e. calculus-based intermediate econometrics that covers multiple linear regression, heteroscedasticity, instrumental variables, Probit, Logit, Censoring and Tobit and truncation, time-series regression and forecasting.  

Students with a Cat 1 offer may take Year 3 /Final modules from our module list.

For a Category 2 offer, we expect evidence of equivalence to: 

• Introductory Economics (ECON0002) i.e. a modern introduction to Economics, including introductory micro- and macroeconomics. 

• Intermediate Calculus (ECON0010) i.e. multivariable calculus including constrained optimization, as well as linear algebra, including eigenvalue problems, and a basic knowledge of differential or difference equations. 

• Introductory Statistics & Econometrics (ECON0005 & ECON0004) i.e. calculus-based statistics, including the central limit theorem, conditional probabilities, discrete and continuous probability distributions, hypothesis-testing and OLS / OR Intermediate Econometrics. 

Students with a Cat 2 offer may only take modules from this reduced module list unless upon arrival at UCL they can present an updated transcript showing required modules for Cat 1 completed after application.

For a Category 3 offer, we expect evidence of equivalence to: 

• Calculus of a single variable, including differentiation, integration, basic algebra and optimization and curve-discussion, familiarity with functions such as exponential functions, roots, logarithms, natural logarithms, polynomials in a single variable, and basic notions of probability. 

Students with a Cat 3 offer will have an even more limited set of modules to choose from which the department will convey on a case-by-case basis and such students would be expected to discuss these very carefully with their home university in respect of their degree requirements, before accepting their offer.

Student with specific study needs

Please note that any students who have very specific study needs based on their home institution's requirements are asked to outline these in their personal statement. The department will review the details provided and may contact the student's home institution for further information.

Independent (non-reciprocal) students

Please note that independent (non-reciprocal exchange) students should be enrolled at a degree programme in Economics or have your Economics major declared at least a year prior to applying to UCL. 

Application process

The Department prioritises students who meet the conditions above and apply through reciprocal exchanges. Applicants will be ranked in the following order of preference: Full-year, Term 2 & 3, Term 1. 

All applications will be reviewed following the admissions deadline. Please allow 4-6 weeks for a decision to come through.  

If you need further advice, feel free to reach out to economics.affiliates@ucl.ac.uk.

Application Deadline:

• Term 1/Full Year applications: end of March
• Term 2 & 3 applications: end of September 

Teaching and Assessment

Written coursework can take the form of exercises, problem sets, essays or projects and presentations – the amount required will differ between modules. Coursework may be discussed, reviewed in tutorial classes and graded to guide to your progress. Submission of coursework and attendance at tutorial classes is mandatory.

Final grades are based largely on examination performance, but for some modules there is an assessed project or group work component and other modules may include or be wholly assessed by other forms of assessment such as mid-terms, quizzes, and take-home exams.

If you are attending for the Fall Term only you will be assessed for credit in your Economics modules at the end of each module, typically by the last week of term, although some coursework assessments may run into January. If you are attending for the Full Year or the Spring & Summer Terms you will take final examinations in the main examination period, April – June. You will be expected to be present at UCL for any in-person examinations required and remain on campus until your exams are over. Alternative arrangements are not permitted under any circumstances. 

Further information

You can find more information about applying and studing abroad at UCL: find out more advice and guidance, and apply.