You will gain a vastly different experience within the field of economics depending on where you choose to intern abroad. In the spirit of the discipline, let us break the choice down by levels of economic development rather than physical geography.

First there are the advanced economies of the developed world. Most of Western Europe falls into this category, as do countries such as the U.S., Canada, Chile, and Argentina in the Western Hemisphere and Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and Singapore in the East. By interning abroad in economics in a more economically developed country you will be exposed to a very high level of economic activity and planning, whether in a domestic or international context.

Next are the quickly emerging economies that have not quite reached the level of infrastructural development at which they are considered “developed.” These include major countries such as China, Brazil, Mexico, and much of Eastern Europe. If you are interested in economic development, then these can be very fruitful places to gain internship experience abroad because of their unique situations as globally interconnected countries that are still working to bring their economies up to par.

Last is the so called “third world”, where many cities and rural areas remain underdeveloped as countries struggle to find stable economic footing in the new world order. Many countries in Central America, Southeast Asia, and Africa fall into this category. Economics internships abroad in the developing world can prove to be a truly extraordinary experience as you strip the field of economics down to its bare essentials and focus on real human challenges in a de-industrialized context.