Spatial, Transport and Environmental Economics

Check if you meet the programme requirements and sign up

• I have a School of Business and Economics Degree from VU 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

  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, 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.

• I have a Dutch university level (WO) bachelor's degree (VU bachelor's degree, VU pre-master or bachelor's degree at another university)

  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, Transport and Environmental Economics is open to students with a university Bachelor's degree that provides sufficient knowledge of microeconomics or 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. Any additional admission requirements can be found on the Curriculum page of this website.

  Please note: this information is only meant as an indication of your admissibility. No rights can be derived from this table. This document is based on the obligatory courses and does not take electives into account. Students are recommended to 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 but contains enough relevant courses, please feel free to apply.

• I have a Dutch higher vocational education (HBO) bachelor’s degree

  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, Transport and Environmental 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 with a Dutch degree

  Application procedure

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

  Step 1:

  Apply for the programme MSc Spatial, Transport and Environmental 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.

• I have an international degree

  Admission requirements

  In order to gain admission to our Master’s programme, you need to have at least a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited research university including at least three full years of academic study amounting to a minimum of 180 EC or equivalent. We do not require a GRE or GMAT test score. The programme is open to students with a university Bachelor's degree that provides sufficient knowledge of microeconomics or 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, consisting of (or equivalents of): 

  • 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).

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

  • Urban & Regional Economics - McCann, P. (2001) Urban and Regional Economics Oxford University Press, Oxford
  • Transport Economics - Boyer, K.D. Principles of Transportation Economics Addison Wesley, Reading
  • 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 (2010) - Urban Economics and Real Estate: Theory and Policy, 2nd Edition

  English language requirements

  The admission board wants to stress the intensity of the programme: reading scientific articles and writing papers will be a key part, all in 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.
  
  If you are applying for one of our English-taught Master's degree programmes you will have to demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency by submitting English test results.  

  Although complete applications are preferred, you can begin your application before you have completed the test and then submit your passing score once you have been conditionally admitted. 

  You can find an overview of all accepted tests and scores that can be used to demonstrate your English language proficiency on the language requirement page.

• Application procedure with an international degree

  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.

• FAQ for students with a Dutch degree

  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, Transport and Environmental 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.

• Piet Rietveld Scholarship

  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, Transport and Environmental 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.