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

TOEFL^® IBT

92

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Credits

30 ECTS

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Disciplines

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

Join for free or log in to access our complete career info list.

Academic requirements

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

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

92

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

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 Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

10000 EUR / year

≈ 10000 EUR / year
EU/EEA Applies to you

Applies to you

EU/EEA Nationals

10000 EUR / year

≈ 10000 EUR / year

Additional Details

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

Living costs

Amsterdam

Netherlands

1000 - 1500 EUR / month

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