Testimonials

The small cohort size fostered a close-knit community

"In the first year of the research master's at Utrecht University School of Economics (U.S.E.), the focus was on building a strong foundation in microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics. These are alls kills essential for a research-based career. The second year offered specialisation through electives like development, environmental, spatial and behavioral economics, allowing me to apply foundational skills to specific sub-disciplines. For me this was what made the programme multidisciplinary.

The challenging coursework, as expected from a research master, was made more manageable by the small cohort size (just 8 students in my year), which fostered a close-knit community. Our lecturers and tutors were highly accessible, providing personalised support that made the experience both motivating and supportive. Alongside my studies, I worked as a research assistant for Prof. dr. Joost de Laat and Dr. Karlijn Morsink. This complemented my coursework, particularly in proposal writing, my Master's thesis, and provided valuable practical experience.

After completing my Master’s, I continued at U.S.E. as a PhD candidate, focusing on development economics, specifically education and gender. My dissertation explores two main areas: the impact of intra-household conflict and decision-making on household outcomes, and the development of soft/non-cognitive skills in boys and girls to improve educational outcomes. The rigorous training and research experience from this Master's programme prepared me well for this transition. I plan to continue in academic research, starting as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Oxford, researching scalable policy to improve learning outcomes in low-coming countries at the What Works Hub for Global Education. The foundation and experiences I gained at U.S.E. have been instrumental in shaping my academic journey and future career path."

Alumnus Anaya Dam (India)

The multidisciplinary approach helps solving problems more effectively and is fun for the curious mind!

“One of the first courses in the research Master’s programme was crucial to me. The course placed economics and economic growth in a historical perspective. Why and how did people begin to migrate? How did economic activity develop? How do demographics influence economic prosperity? This course was the starting point for linking theory to the ‘real world’. Actually, a lot of the projects in the programme are of a practical nature. Many teachers conduct research for companies. Personally, I strive to find a sweet spot in my future career too: applying my academic research skills in a dynamic international organization that deals with many stakeholders. In my first year, I was able to get a taste of this by doing a data analysis project at a consultancy firm. And now I have found a PhD position that would help estimate the real damages of climate change through economic modelling. This proves that the programme has plenty of room to explore the real world.

The multidisciplinarity of the master is twofold. On the one hand, you explore the various subdisciplines of economics: macroeconomics, microeconomics, experimental economics, and so on. On the other hand, you look outside the field of economics. For example, there is this course together with research Master’s students of law, history and public administration. Under the guidance of lecturers from each field, we did assignments applying views from the various disciplines. I am glad that I have learned to always take a step back from my own perspective and look at economics from a broader view. In fact, the multidisciplinary approach helps me to solve problems more effectively. Above all, it is fun for the curious mind!

Many fellow bachelor students subsequently chose a Master’s programme in another city. I also looked around, but for me it soon became clear that Utrecht would be a perfect continuation of my Bachelor's programme. I was already familiar with the multidisciplinary approach and I really liked it. Also, it is easy to have personal contact with the lecturers at the Utrecht School of Economics. Everyone is open to talking to you and helping you. This programme has given me so much. I now notice that when I am reading or studying, I no longer do it for the grades. Thanks to the research Master’s programme, I really started to enjoy learning. It has changed my view on education forever.”

Alumnus Pedja Ignjacevic (Serbia)