M.Sc. in Spatial, Transport and Environmental Economics (STREEM)
Amsterdam, Netherlands
MSc
DURATION
1 year
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
EUR 2,209 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* non-EU/EEA students: April 1 | EU/EAA students: June 1
** EU students: €2,209 per year | non-EU students: €16,830 per year
Key Summary
The Master's in Spatial, Transport, and Environmental Economics deals with urban and regional, transport, environmental, or real estate economics.
Our Master's program allows you to specialize in one of these four fields, but also offers the opportunity to combine courses from all these fields. The program offers you the theoretical knowledge and practical skills to tackle complex problems at a high level of abstraction, keeping in mind the need to translate theoretical solutions into clear-cut policy advice. The contents are firmly rooted in economics, but shed light on the multi-disciplinary nature of many real-world policy questions.
Why Spatial, Transport, and Environmental Economics?
- A unique master's program: the only one in the world that offers an integrated view of urban/regional issues, transport, real estate, and the environment from an economic perspective.
- Excellent career prospects. Most graduates find jobs within 3 months as policy economists with (inter)national government agencies or consultancy firms, or at organizations such as airlines or railway operators – and are better paid than graduates from other economic programs. Some pursue a career in economic research.
- The teaching staff includes internationally renowned professors such as Erik Verhoef, Hans Koster, Jos van Ommeren and Henri de Groot. They are often consulted by the government and actively participate in policy debates in the media.
- The master's program offers a scholarship (Piet Rietveld Scholarship) for one excellent student originating from Indonesia.
- Research of the School of Business and Economics is number 1 in the Netherlands when it comes to quality, societal relevance, and viability.
You apply for the one-year master's in Spatial, Transport, and Environmental Economics. Later that year you may specialize in one or a combination of the following fields:
Urban and Regional Economics
This specialization is about the good (e.g. high wages) and the bad (e.g. high crime) of cities and regions. For example, why are some cities thriving, while others struggle? What types of firms and people cluster in space, and why? What does economic theory teach us about policy challenges that metropolitan areas face, such as crime, social segregation, housing affordability, traffic congestion, and environmental pollution? How can you use and further develop techniques, methods, and tools in this field?
Transport Economics
What are the causes and consequences of a growing demand for mobility from a microeconomic perspective? How can we address problems such as congestion, reliability, safety, and environmental externalities? For example, what are the implications of market power in network markets such as aviation and public transport, and how should we address these in transport policy? How should cars be optimally taxed? Is there a way to stimulate drivers to avoid peak hours, in order to take the pressure off the roads? Does Uber increase or decrease the use of public transport?
Environmental Economics
What are the economic aspects of environmental problems and policy? How can you combine scientific and policy expertise? How can you address the need to integrate economics with insights from other disciplines, notably the environmental sciences? For example, to what extent are environmental taxes too low, and why? Why would countries want to join the Kyoto Protocol or the Sofia Protocol? What role could trade sanctions play herein?
Real Estate Economics and Finance
How do real estate markets function? More specifically, how does price determination work in these markets, and how are portfolios managed? What is the impact of land use regulation, transport infrastructure, and public policy on real estate price dynamics? What is the relationship between real estate and its location?
What does the year look like?
First semester
This time period provides you with a thorough knowledge of the fundamentals of economic theory and research methods. After 6 weeks, you select at least four core and/or optional courses, two of which are to be followed in the first semester. The program offers you the possibility to specialize in various combinations of urban and regional, transport, environmental, and real estate economics. The first semester is concluded with a research project, during which you write a literature review of a coherent set of academic papers.
Second semester
In the second semester, you continue taking core and/or optional courses. The lion’s share of the second semester is devoted to writing a Master’s thesis. You write your thesis individually while participating in a thesis seminar, in which students present and discuss their research findings. Although an internship is not obligatory, you may combine your thesis with an internship. Our teaching staff can help you find a suitable place.
Career prospects of graduates in Spatial, Transport, and Environmental Economics are excellent.
Most graduates find jobs within 3 months as policy economists with (inter)national government agencies or consultancy firms, or at organizations such as airlines or railway operators – and are better paid than graduates from other economic programs. Some opt for a career in economic research.
Professional perspectives
The Master of Spatial, Transport and Environmental Economics is a highly relevant master with excellent career prospects. Many organizations are keen on hiring students that have completed this master's, as employees or as interns. Below several companies explain why they are particularly interested in students that have completed the Master Spatial, Transport, and Environmental Economics. These companies take part in the Advisory Board of the Master's program.
- SEO Economisch Onderzoek is interested in students and graduates because they are good at analyzing economic issues and performing econometric analyses.
- Cushman & Wakefield is keen on hiring students who understand the real estate market.
- CPB is performing quantitative analyses of policies and is therefore interested in students or graduates who can perform economic analyses in the fields of spatial, transport, and environmental economics.
- KiM thinks that students or graduates who can perform economic analyses in the field of transport economics are very useful.
- ING Global Sector Research is particularly interested in analytic students who are good at finding, processing, interpreting, and visualizing data.
- Decisio is looking for students and interns with an interest in the field of mobility and spatial development and a good command of the Dutch language.
For more information about our (upcoming) open days and webinars please visit us