B.Sc. in Economics and Business Economics

Discover what drives people, organisations, and governments

Sustainability. The labour market. Competition. Income inequality. Ethics. Entrepreneurship. Risk management. Big data. E-business. Innovation. Consumer behaviour. Investment. Economics is so incredibly diverse!

The Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Business Economics is a broad and relatively small-scale study programme. All courses are in English. You benefit from direct and personal contact with your teachers and from interactive lectures. At all times, you are challenged to get the best out of yourself.

You learn to identify the mechanisms underlying various economic phenomena in a country, region, or organisation. You also investigate the steps needed to bring about different economic objectives. With this knowledge, you are well-placed to advise consumers, companies and government agencies in their decision-making processes.

After the first year you select one of four specialisations: Economics, Marketing, Finance, or Accounting. Because human behaviour is influenced by many different factors, in the third year you can choose from a wide range of minors: psychology, sociology, technology and more. You can follow your minor at a different faculty or at a university abroad. Alternatively, you may choose to do an internship.

Did you know that economics education in the Netherlands is highly regarded internationally? With our widespread prosperity, the ‘polder model’ of consensus decision making and the unique balance between public and private organisations, the Netherlands brings a special dimension to economics compared to other countries. At VU Amsterdam, we work to uphold this philosophy. You don’t just study ‘economics’. Instead, you connect the field of economics with the people in a given economy and the pursuit of broad prosperity.

The start date of this programme is September 1st.