In this course you will learn about modern macroeconomic models. You will learn how to use these models to explain and evaluate recent events and policy interventions. For example, the effect of uncertainty on savings, welfare and investment, the causes and nature of unemployment and inflation and the role of monetary and fiscal authorities.

In this course you will learn to understand the workings and limitations of the market. You will learn how to analyse consumer and producer behaviour and how to use basic game theory. The central question is: what can markets do and when do they fail? What determines the outcome, and how does that depend on market structure?

In this course you will learn about regression analysis. In applied economics this is a powerful tool to analyse empirical relationships. You will learn how to interpret estimation and testing results and build a satisfactory empirical model. You will follow lectures and take part in lab sessions to acquire practical econometric skills by making computer exercises.

This course introduces you to the 2 main challenges of environmental economics: how to determine the right pollution targets to set, and how to achieve these targets. Special attention will be given to the choice of policy instruments, and to the challenges related to their implementation, such as coordination problems, distributional effects, public support, or the role of lobbies in decision-making.

In this course you will discuss topics related to public decision-making processes and policies with a focus on inequality and redistribution. How do individual preferences translate into collective decisions? Also, you will investigate redistributive policies, with a central role for the trade-off between efficiency and equality. Throughout the course, you will discuss the latest scientific results and current debates on hot topics such as a universal basic income.

You will learn how economic tools can be used to measure the impact of climate change and determine the best policies to combat it. Lectures will cover a wide range of topics, including the link between the economic and climate systems, methods used to discount the future, the risk of disasters and irreversibility, and many more.

You can choose one of the following electives: Competition Policy, Economic Growth or Public Finance and Fiscal Policy.

In this course, you will use economic theory and mathematical modelling tools to think about the management of natural resources. You will reflect on many key challenges, such as the optimal extraction of a non-renewable resource, the effect of market power on resource depletion, the timing of actions to save an endangered species, as well as problems related to open access to renewable resources and solutions for managing the “commons”.

The academic programme culminates in a thesis, which allows you to engage with state-of-the-art data analysis and statistical techniques. The Master’s thesis is the final requirement for your graduation. It is your chance to dive deep into a topic in your field of choice (track) that you are enthusiastic about, and allows you to do an independent research project. A professor of your track will supervise and support you in writing your thesis.