Overview

About the programme

Governance has become a key concept in policy research, where it denotes the departure from old-style government to new forms of horizontal and vertical steering. This generally includes a transition from bureaucratic, centralized top-down policies to new forms of decision-making that are more inclusive, more decentralized, more flexible, less hierarchical, and more complex.

Within this context, Environmental Policy Analysis at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam investigates several overarching questions: for example, how effective are modern systems of environmental governance in achieving the transition to sustainability? Which theories can best explain variation in the effectiveness of different forms of governance?

How can we scrutinize unintended effects? How does a multitude of institutions that co-exist with an issue area interlink, overlap, and interact? How do unsustainable practices change into sustainable ones? And finally, how can we stimulate innovation in terms of governance approaches?

Programme Structure

The EPA department runs PhD research projects linked to their three research themes:

Governing under Complexity
Governance Innovation and Institutional Change
Governance Evaluation

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

You can apply for and start this programme anytime.

More details

PhD studies may commence any month of the year; students are advised to apply early (as early as 9 months in advance for those with non-EU degrees).

Language

English

Credits

30 ECTS

Delivered

On Campus

Disciplines

Environmental Economics & Policy View 4 other PhDs in Environmental Economics & Policy in Netherlands

Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

We are not aware of any English requirements for this programme.

Student insurance

Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items, so make sure your student insurance ticks all the following:

Additional medical costs (i.e. dental)
Repatriation, if something happens to you or your family
Liability
Home contents and baggage
Accidents
Legal aid

We partnered with Aon to provide you with the best affordable student insurance, for a carefree experience away from home.

Get your student insurance now

Starting from €0.53/day, free cancellation any time.

Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and/or in Netherlands, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

Other requirements

General requirements

In order to apply for a PhD programme at VU Amsterdam you will need:

Master's degree certificate or equivalent qualification
Curriculum vitae
Preliminary research proposal (up to 800 words to indicate fields of interest)
Letters of recommendation
Copy of ID/passport
Language requirements/scores from TOEFL

Tuition Fee

To always see correct tuition fees

International

10000 EUR/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 10000 EUR per year during 48 months.
EU/EEA

10000 EUR/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 10000 EUR per year during 48 months.

€10,000 for the first year and €6,000 for subsequent years

Living costs for Amsterdam

1000 - 1500 EUR /month

Living costs

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.