Spatial and Applied Economics: Health Economics and Policy

We welcome and look for motivated students who are interested in the economics of the real estate market. In order to be successful in this programme you will need a solid academic basis in, for instance, economics, but bachelor students with sufficient technical expertise, e.g. engineering, or finance, are also very welcome. Other bachelor students need at least a minor in economics.

Admission requirements

With a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Business Economics, Econometrics and Operations Research, (International) Business Administration from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam you are admissible to all specializations provided you successfully meet the requirements in this document. 

Services for international (EBE, EDS, EOR, IBA) students / Residence permit:

If you are planning to continue your studies at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam after your SBE Bachelor, please contact the Central Admission’s Support Team of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam for further information and specific questions about the offered services for international students like extending your residence permit. You will need to apply for an extension of your residence permit if you continue your studies at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

We welcome and look for motivated students who are interested in the economics of the real estate market. In order to be successful in this programme you will need a solid academic basis in, for instance, economics, but bachelor students with sufficient technical expertise, e.g. engineering, or finance, are also very welcome. Other bachelor students need at least a minor in economics.

Admission requirements

Spatial and Applied Economics is open to students with a university Bachelor's degree that provides sufficient knowledge of microeconomics and a solid background in mathematics and statistics for economics. You need to have successfully completed courses and studied literature related to the core of this programme, as listed below (or equivalents):

• 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.
• Mathematics
  Sydsaeter, Knut and Hammond, Essential Mathematics for Economic Analysis, Prentice Hall, 3rd ed., 2008.
• Econometrics
  Stock, J.H. and M.W. Watson's Introduction to Econometrics, fourth edition Addison Wesley, New York (Chapters 2-9).

Approval is in general given to students who hold a:

• Bachelor’s degree in Earth and Economics (VU bachelors Earth and Economics have direct admission)
• Bachelor’s degree in Econometrics, Environmental Sciences, Transport Science, Engineering, but also Geography (with sufficient background in economics and statistics)

Other applicants (e.g. with a polytechnic degree) may be required to complete preparatory courses before they can be admitted to the programme.

With a Bachelor's degree in (International) Business Administration, Economics or Econometrics and Operations Research from Dutch Universities you can review this document.

Please note: this information is only meant as an indication of your admissibility. No rights can be derived from this table. In order to obtain a personalized, official admission decision, students should apply for the master via Studielink (without obligation) to find out if additional courses need to be completed. Every application will be reviewed individually by the Admission Board. The final admission decision may differ from the indication in this table. If your programme is not listed, feel free to apply.

In order to be successful in this programme you will need a solid academic basis in, for instance, economics, but bachelor students with sufficient technical expertise, e.g. Engineering or Environmental Science, are also very welcome.

If you have a Dutch higher vocational (HBO) degree you need to enrol in a transfer programme, which is specifically designed to bridge the gap between higher vocational education and university-level education. The transfer programme consists of 5 courses in Mathematics and Economics and a GRE test.

How to apply

Step 1:
Apply for the programme MSc Spatial and Applied Economics via Studielink before 1 June. You can apply for the specialization in your VU Dashboard (see step 2)

Step 2:
After application in Studielink you will receive a VUnet-ID and password. Please complete your application in your VU Dashboard by answering additional questions, like which track you want to do, and uploading a formal transcript of your HBO bachelor grades (please note: we can only process your application when your transcript has been uploaded).

Step 3:
The admission committee will assess your application and decide whether you are admissible. You will be informed about this decision via email.

For the full description of the registration procedure see the VU website.

Application procedure

To enrol in the programme submit your enrolment application via Studielink.

Step 1:

Apply for the programme MSc Spatial and Applied Economics via Studielink before 1 June.

Step 2:

After application in Studielink, you will receive a VUnet-ID and password via email. Please complete your application in VUnet by answering additional questions and uploading the following document: a formal transcript of your bachelor grades. Your transcript must include an average score (GPA). Please note: we can only process your application when your transcript is uploaded.

Step 3:

The admission committee will assess if you meet the admission criteria and will inform you about the decision via email.

For the full description of the registration procedure see the VU website.

Students must meet the following admission requirements: 

1.  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. 

2. 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. 

3. 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.

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 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.

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.

We welcome and look for motivated students who are interested in the economics of the real estate market. In order to be successful in this programme you will need a solid academic basis in, for instance, economics, but bachelor students with sufficient technical expertise, e.g. Engineering or Environmental Science, are also very welcome.

If you have a Dutch higher vocational (HBO) degree you need to enrol in a transfer programme, which is specifically designed to bridge the gap between higher vocational education and university-level education. The transfer programme consists of 5 courses in Mathematics and Economics and a GRE test.

To apply for admission you should send a request to the admissions board with a transcript of your grades. The admission board then will decide whether admission is possible through a specific transfer programme. You can send your request to toelating.sbe@vu.nl.

• 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.
• Mathematics
  Sydsaeter, Knut and Hammond, Essential Mathematics for Economic Analysis, Prentice Hall, 3rd ed., 2008.
• Econometrics
  Stock, J.H. and M.W. Watson's Introduction to Econometrics, fourth edition Addison Wesley, New York (Chapters 2-9).

The admission board wants to stress the intensity of the programme: reading scientific articles and writing papers will be a key part, all at a very high pace. Your English language skills, both oral and written, are extremely important in this programme. As you will have to communicate frequently with your fellow students and you will be working with and for international companies.

VU Amsterdam requires all applicants to take an English test. You can already apply online without having the test results. We do advise you to plan a test date as soon as possible. Below you will find the minimum English test scores for the programme:

IELTS (academic)

• Minimum general score 6.5
• Minimum writing score 6.0

TOEFL

• Internet-based test 92

Cambridge English

• Cambridge Proficiency Exam A, B, C
• Cambridge Advanced Exam A, B, C

TOEFL ITP

The Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers the TOEFL ITP English-language proficiency test. The test is offered by the VU Taalloket. You can find more information and register for this test at www.taalloket.nl.

See our language requirement page for the general requirements regarding the English language test.

If you have read the admission requirements and feel you are eligible for admission, please take the following steps to submit your application. Note that the initial application procedure is fully online and that scans of your relevant documents are required. You can already apply online without having completed your Bachelor’s degree. After admission, you will have until 31 August to send a proof of graduation by postal mail.

Step 1: Prepare documents and apply online

Please prepare the following documents and arrange the payment of the non-refundable €100 application fee. You can find a more detailed explanation of each document on the application page. All documents should be provided in English, and preferably in PDF format.

• Copy of your valid passport or ID (only for EU citizens)
• Curriculum Vitae
• Motivation letter
• Transcript of records
• A description of the relevant courses you have taken during your previous higher education, with the main literature used for those courses. You can use this format.
• Thesis (or another sample of academic writing). If your thesis was not written in English, please submit the original with an added summary of about 3 pages in English.

After having prepared the required documents, please follow the online application procedure. After you have completed the application, our international student advisors will contact you via e-mail. Please refer to the application page to see which application deadline applies to you.

Step 2: Await decision on admission

After submitting your complete application, the Admission Board will review all your documents to assess your eligibility. In general, we can inform students of the admission decision within 4 weeks. Around deadlines, this can take a bit longer, so we always recommend to apply as soon as possible. If you are admitted, you will receive your letter of conditional admission by email. After that, you can start planning your move to Amsterdam!

Step 3: Finalize your enrolment and move to Amsterdam!

Make sure to finalize your enrolment as a student before the start of the programme. Here on our website, you will find an explanation of all things to arrange after admission. When all enrolment requirements have been met you will be ready to start your programme at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam!

Further information about:

Accommodation

Visa

Tuition fees