Development Economics and Globalisation (Spatial and Applied Economics)

If you have a School of Business and Economics degree from VU Amsterdam

We welcome motivated students interested in economics applied to real estate, housing, regional development, urban issues, environmental policy, transport, and public economics. You will need a solid academic foundation in economics, or strong technical expertise such as engineering or finance. Students from other fields need at least a minor in economics.

With a Bachelor’s degree in (International) Business Administration, Economics and Business Economics, Econometrics and Operations Research or Econometrics and Data Science from VU Amsterdam, you are admissible to all specializations, provided you meet the specific requirements outlined here.

BSc Bedrijfskunde,
BSc International Business Administration

• Microeconomics II (E_EBE2_MICEC, P4)
• Quantitative Research Methods III -  Economics and Finance (E_EBE3_QRMEF, P4)

                                            OR

• VU Minor in Economics (30 EC, P1+2+3) with GPA 7.0

                                            OR

• VU Minor Applied Econometrics: A Big Data Experience for All (30 EC, P1+P2+P3)
• Microeconomics II (E_EBE2_MICEC, P4)

Not a strict requirement but recommended:

Environment and Transport Economics (E_EBE2_ETE; P5)

BSc Economics and Business Economics

• VU Minor Applied Econometrics: A Big Data Experience For All (30 EC, P1+2+3)

                             OR

• Microeconomics II (E_EBE2_MICEC, P4)
• Quantitative Research Methods III -  Economics and Finance (E_EBE3_QRMEF, P4)"

Not a strict requirement but recommended:

Environment and Transport Economics (E_EBE2_ETE; P5)

BSc Econometrics and Data Science,
BSc Econometrics and Operations Research

• No additional requirements

Not a strict requirement but recommended:

• Microeconomics II (E_EBE2_MICEC, P4
• Environment and Transport Economics (E_EBE2_ETE; P5)

Note: Completion of the SBE online course Econometrics (0 EC) and the SBE online course Microeconomics (0 EC) replaces the required courses Quantitative Research Methods III - Economics and Finance (E_EBE3_QRMEF, P4) and Microeconomics II (E_EBE2_MICEC, P4)

Contact the Central Admission’s Support Team if you are an international SBE student and need advice about extending your residence permit.

If you have a WO bachelor’s degree from another Dutch university (or a different VU faculty)

You must have:

• Sufficient knowledge of microeconomics
• A solid background in mathematics and statistics for economics

You are expected to have studied material equivalent to:

• Microeconomics – Snyder & Nicholson, Microeconomic Theory: Basic Principles and Extensions (Ch. 2–5, 9–13)
• Mathematics – Sydsaeter & Hammond, Essential Mathematics for Economic Analysis
• Econometrics – Stock & Watson, Introduction to Econometrics (Ch. 2–9)

Students from (International) Business Administration; Engineering, Environmental Science; (Economic) Geography; Science, Business & Innovation; Transport Science; University College; Urban Planning; or any other BSc with some quantitative focus can gain access to the master by completing two 3EC Online Courses in Micro-Economics and Econometrics. Tailored advice will be provided by the admission committee upon application.

Other applicants may be required to complete preparatory courses before admission.

Application steps

1. Apply via Studielink by 1 June.
2. Complete your application in your VU Dashboard (upload transcript incl. GPA).
3. The Admission Board will review your application and notify you by email.

Can I be admitted into an SBE Master with my Dutch university degree?

The admission board can make a decision regarding your admissibility based on several documents. Apply for the Master via Studielink and complete your application on your VU Dashboard by uploading the required documents. Some Master programmes require additional documents such as an English CV and motivation letter, as well as your transcript of records. You will receive an admission decision within a couple of weeks after completing your application. Registration for the Master via Studielink is without obligation and does not commit you to anything yet.

I do not want to start with a master in the next academic year, but the year after. How do I know if I am eligible?

You can still apply for the Master that starts in the next academic year via Studielink. Registration for the Master is without obligation and does not commit you to anything yet. If you need to complete additional courses in order to be admissible, you can do so during the next academic year. Because the admission decisions are valid for one year, make sure to check in advance if the admission requirements have not changed.

I am already completing a Master at a Dutch university. Can I be directly admitted into one of the SBE Masters?

You cannot be automatically admitted into one of the SBE Masters. First, your application needs to be reviewed by the admission board of the Master in the same way as all Bachelor students. Please apply for the Master via Studielink and upload all required documents. You can use an online PDF merger to upload both your Bachelor grades and (preliminary) Master grades.

If you have an HBO bachelor’s degree, you must first complete a transfer programme to bridge the gap to WO level. This programme consists of:

1. Minimum GRE score (VR 151, QR 154, AW 3.5)
2. Quantitative Research Methods II (E_EBE2_QRM2) period 1
3. Microeconomics I (E_EBE1_MICEC) period 2
4. Quantitative Research Methods III – Economics and Finance (E_EBE3_QRMEF, 6 EC) period 4
5. Microeconomics II (E_EBE2_MICEC) period 4

Application steps

1. Apply for the MSc Spatial and Applied Economics via Studielink by 1 June.
2. Complete your application in your VU Dashboard:
   • Select your track
   • Upload your official HBO transcript ( your application cannot be processed without it)
3. The Admission Board will review your file and inform you of the decision by email.

I have a higher vocational (HBO) degree. Do I need to complete the pre-master before I can start with an SBE Master?

Yes, we require all students with an HBO higher vocational Bachelor degree to complete the corresponding pre-master before they can start with the Master. More information on the pre-master can be found here.

I have a higher vocational (HBO) degree and wish to start with an SBE Master that does not have a specific pre-master (MSc Econometrics & Operations Research, MSc Economics, MSc Spatial and Applied Economics). How do I apply?

Please send your transcript of records directly to admissions.sbe@vu.nl/ toelating.sbe@vu.nl. Make sure the name of your education and institution are visible.

I do not want to start with a master in the next academic year, but the year after. How do I know if I am eligible?

You can still apply for the Master that starts in the next academic year via Studielink. Registration for the Master is without obligation and does not commit you to anything yet. If you need to complete additional courses in order to be admissible, you can do so during the next academic year. Because the admission decisions are valid for one year, make sure to check in advance if the admission requirements have not changed.

I am already completing a Master at a Dutch university. Can I be directly admitted into one of the SBE Masters?

You cannot be automatically admitted into one of the SBE Masters. First, your application needs to be reviewed by the admission board of the Master in the same way as all Bachelor students. Please apply for the Master via Studielink and upload all required documents. You can use an online PDF merger to upload both your Bachelor grades and (preliminary) Master grades.

Students must meet the following admission requirements:

Academic requirements

Your previous education needs to be deemed equivalent to at least a Dutch academic Bachelor’s degree (wetenschappelijk onderwijs, WO) obtained at a research university (nominal duration 3 years). Please find more information about your admissibility with a non-Dutch degree here.

Programme specific requirements

We expect you to have successfully completed courses based on the following literature, or equivalent:

• 3 ECTS in Mathematics - Sydsaeter, Knut and Hammond, Essential Mathematics for Economic Analysis, Prentice Hall, recent edition
• 8 ECTS in Microeconomics - Snyder C.M. and W. Nicholson, Microeconomic Theory: Basic Principles and Extensions, Mason, OH: South-Western, Cengage Learning, 11th edition (Chapters 2-5, 9-13). Particularly chapter 2 (except dynamic optimisation) is essential.
• 8 ECTS in Econometrics - Stock, J.H. and M.W. Watson, Introduction to Econometrics, 4th edition Addison Wesley, New York (Chapters 2-9).

If you do not fully meet all criteria, the Admission Board  might offer you the opportunity to follow online courses in Math, Microeconomics, and Econometrics to help you fulfill the admission requirements.

Applicants may consider reading the following books to become familiar with the topics that will be taught per specialisation:

• Urban & Regional Economics - McCann, P., Urban and Regional Economics Oxford University Press, Oxford, recent edition
• Transport Economics - Boyer, K.D. Principles of Transportation Economics Addison Wesley, Reading, recent edition
• Environmental Economics - Kahn, J.R. (1998) The Economic Approach to Environmental and Natural Resources (2nd edition). The Dryden Press, Forth Worth. Parts I, II and III
• Real Estate Economics and Finance: McDonald & McMillen, Urban Economics and Real Estate: Theory and Policy, recent edition

How to demonstrate that you meet the above requirements

You are required to indicate in the course description section of the Application Form how you meet the programme specific admission requirements.

Whether you meet the admission requirements, is determined by the Admission Board based on your complete application.

English-language proficiency requirements

You will have to demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency. You can find an overview of relevant information to demonstrate your English language proficiency on the language requirement page. 

Application documents

To apply you are required to provide the following documents:

• Scan of your passport or national ID card (ID for EEA students only) valid at the start date of the programme
• Master Application File please download the correct file from this page. In this file you can see which documents are required to apply for your programme.
• Proof of English language proficiency (if already obtained): upload your proof of English language proficiency or English language test results. Please find the English language requirements here.

After having prepared the required documents, please follow the online application procedure. 

Application fee & deadlines

All students seeking admission to an international Master’s programme with an international degree are required to pay a non-refundable €100 application fee. Only after you have paid this fee will we be able to start the evaluation of your application file. If you are applying for more than one programme, you will only need to pay the application fee once. Your application fee payment is valid for two years.

Information on how to apply with an international university degree and deadlines can be found here. 

Grants and scholarships

As an international student planning to study at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, you can apply for a variety of grants and bursaries. Detailed information about scholarships and deadlines can be found on www.vu.nl/scholarships or www.grantfinder.nl.

International Student and Alumni Ambassadors 

Our International Student and Alumni Ambassadors are happy to tell you all about their experiences with studying at VU Amsterdam and living in Amsterdam.

• Our Student Ambassadors are current students at VU Amsterdam that represent a wide variety of programmes and countries.
• Our International Alumni Ambassadors are VU Amsterdam graduates who are currently either working in the Netherlands or abroad, or doing a PhD or (second) Master's.

You will find the full overview of our Ambassadors here: vu.nl/ambassadors. There you can chat with them directly.

The Piet Rietveld Scholarship was established by the School of Business and Economics and the Department of Spatial Economics in memory of the late Professor Piet Rietveld (1952-2013), Head of the Department of Spatial Economics in the years 2002-2013. The master's programme offers a yearly single scholarship for an excellent student in the programme originating from Indonesia. 

• Value 

The scholarship covers the yearly tuition fee, and provides an allowance of € 3000 towards living costs. 

• Deadline 

1 April (each year) 

• Fields of study 

Eligible candidates should be admitted to the Spatial and Applied Economics master’s degree programme at VU Amsterdam. 

Note that successful applicants for the scholarship must have a minimum level of English in order to obtain a visa. 

• How to apply 

Send a CV, a Grade List, and a Letter of Motivation to the following e-mail address: h.koster@vu.nl.

Please apply simultaneously for admittance to the master's programme, insofar as you have not done so already.