Spatial and Applied Economics

The Master in Spatial and Applied Economics is designed for the economist who wants to apply rigorous economic analysis to some of the most pressing societal challenges of our time — from climate change and housing affordability to urban inequality, congestion, ageing populations, healthcare, and global development. The programme allows you to specialise in one of seven closely related fields: Development Economics and Globalisation, Environmental Economics, Health Economics and Management, Public Economics and Policy, Real Estate and Housing Economics, Regional and Urban Economics, or Transport and Network Economics. While each specialisation has its own focus, the programme is built on a shared core and offers ample room to combine courses across fields.

The programme provides the theoretical knowledge and practical skills to tackle complex problems at a high level of abstraction, while keeping in mind the need to translate theoretical insights and empirical evidence into clear-cut policy advice. It is firmly rooted in economics and at the same time encourages a multidisciplinary orientation, with strong emphasis on applied work, (spatial) data analysis and policy evaluation. This multidisciplinary character is reinforced by a diverse student intake: our students come from a wide range of countries and academic backgrounds, with more than half entering the programme without a BSc in Economics. This mix of perspectives makes for lively classroom discussions in which different disciplinary lenses, methods and experiences enrich one another. The programme addresses highly relevant and closely interrelated policy issues in today's society — regional development (such as the advantages of agglomerations), real estate (such as housing affordability), urban problems (such as segregation and inequality), transport policies (such as congestion management and public transport provision), environmental concerns (such as climate change and CO₂ emissions), public policy (such as taxation and the welfare state), health (such as the organisation and financing of healthcare), and global development (such as inclusive growth across countries). As such, it is concerned with virtually every aspect of society in which space, location, distance, networks, and policy are key interacting issues.