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, 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.

• 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 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. 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 (pre-master)

  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.

• 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 (in Dutch).

• 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

  Additional requirements per specialisation

  • Urban and Regional Economics / Transport Economics: We welcome and look for motivated students who are interested in Urban and Regional Economics. 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 are also very welcome. 
  • Environmental Economics: We welcome and look for motivated students who are interested in Environmental Economics 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. 
  • Real Estate Economics and Finance: 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's students with sufficient technical expertise, e.g. Engineering, or finance, are also very welcome. Other Bachelor's students need at least a minor in Economics. 

  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.
  
  VU Amsterdam requires all applicants to take an English test. You can, however, begin your application without having the test results. Exceptions are made for students who have completed a bachelor or master in Canada, USA, UK, Ireland, New Zealand or Australia.
  
  The minimum English language proficiency requirements for admission to this Master's programme are:

  • IELTS (academic): 
  - Minimum general score 6.5 
  - Minimum writing score 6.0 
  • TOEFL Internet-based test: 92 overall
  • Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE): A, B, C
  • Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE): A, B, C

  Please note that students who need a study visa must submit their English test results before 1 July. All other students have to submit the test certificate before 31 August (preferably sooner).

  TOEFL and IELTS tests must have been completed no more than two years before 1 September of the year in which your course starts. Note that TOEFL MyBestScore is not accepted. Our institution code is 7947.

  A PDF copy of your English test result can be sent to the following email (for non-Dutch degree holders): masters.sbe@vu.nl
  The general requirements regarding language proficiency are found here.

• Application procedure with an international degree

  Applying with an international degree

  If you have read the admission criteria 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 original documents are required.

  Step 1: Review the admission criteria

  Step 2: Prepare your documents and apply online  
  Please prepare the required documents and arrange the payment of the application fee, a non-refundable €100 application fee applies. You can find an explanation of each document on the application page. All documents should be provided in English.
  
  Required format and required documents
  Please note: you will need to upload all required documents in one PDF file, using this template.

  Step 3: Await the decision on admission
  The admission board will review your application as soon as it is complete. Normally this takes about four weeks, but it might take longer in busy periods so be sure to apply as soon as possible. If you are admitted to the programme, you will receive a letter of conditional admission by email. 

  Step 4: Finalise your registration!
  Make sure to finalise your registration as a student before the start of the programme. Here you will find an explanation on what to do after you are admitted. When all of the conditions are met, you will be ready to start your programme at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam! 

  Application fee & deadlines

  All students seeking admission to an international Bachelor’s or 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.
  For more information, international students may also contact the International Student Advisor: masters.sbe@vu.nl.

  Grants and scholarships

  International students can apply to several scholarships. For all VU scholarships, please see www.vu.nl/scholarships. Any available external grant or scholarship can be found through 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 the 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 have a higher vocational (HBO) degree and wish to start the pre-master. Can a high GPA grant me exemption from the GMAT?

  No, the admission board does not take your GPA into account in the admission process for the pre-master. All students who wish to start the pre-master are required to complete the GMAT first. No exceptions can be made.

  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.