Program Overview

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Introduction to the Master's Program in Economic Geography

The Master's program in Economic Geography at the University of Groningen is a full-time, 12-month program that focuses on understanding regional differences in economic structure and performance, as well as socio-economic outcomes. The program develops students' academic research and professional skills, enabling them to analyze regional developments and formulate policy avenues to govern these processes locally, nationally, and internationally.

Program Description

The program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the actions of three main economic actors: Firms, People, and the Government. Understanding their behavior is an important pillar of the program, which aims to equip students with the skills to analyze regional developments and formulate policy solutions.

Tracks and Specializations

The program offers two tracks:

• Regional Competitiveness and Trade: This track prepares students for a career in regional economic strategies and research in regional science, focusing on regional and global competitiveness related to trade and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
• Resilient Rural Regions: This track explores the rural-specific socio-spatial impacts of global transformations and how rural regions and communities deal with such transformations in socially and environmentally sustainable and place-specific ways. Additionally, the program offers a Double Degree Master International Programme in Economic Geography, a 2-year program in collaboration with the University of Hannover in Germany, and the option to integrate the Master in Economic Geography with the 2-year Research Master in Spatial Sciences.

Curriculum

The program consists of various courses, including:

• Economic Geography: Theory and Practice
• Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Regional Development
• Global Transformations Local Impacts
• Master's Thesis Economic Geography
• Advanced Statistical Analysis OR Advanced Qualitative Research Methods
• Regional Labour Market Dynamics
• Transport Geography

Admission Requirements

To be eligible for the program, students must have:

• A Bachelor's degree related to the field of regional economic development
• 10 ECTS in Statistics
• English language proficiency (VWO level or equivalent)

Tuition Fees

The tuition fees for the program are:

• € 2601 for EU/EEA students
• € 21400 for non-EU/EEA students

Career Prospects

Graduates of the program can expect to find employment in various fields, including:

• Governmental organizations at all geographical levels
• Consultancies in economic development
• Research and teaching
• Entrepreneurship

Research

The program focuses on research areas such as:

• Regional labour market analysis
• Demography of firms
• Geography of Innovation and Sustainability Transition
• Well-being

Study Associations

The program is associated with the Ibn Battuta Faculty Association of Spatial Sciences, which offers various activities and events for students.

Conclusion

The Master's program in Economic Geography at the University of Groningen provides students with a comprehensive understanding of regional economic development and the skills to analyze and formulate policy solutions. With its various tracks and specializations, the program offers a unique and interdisciplinary approach to the field of economic geography.