BSc minor Economics of Sustainable Development (WUESD)

The main objective of the BSc minor Economics of Sustainable Development is to provide a profound introduction to the economics of sustainable development, in particular for students from the environmental sciences.

Continue to an overview of the courses in this minor

Profile

The BSc minor focuses on issues such as: How do firms and households make decisions according to economic theory? What are the main drivers of economic growth? How do businesses make decisions (including sustainability performance)? How can we analyse key issues in economic development, such as economic growth, poverty and income distribution, population and migration, trade and globalisation, domestic policies, and aid and institutional development? How can (long-term) environmental problems and their solutions be analysed?

This BSc minor is a programme minor.

Learning Outcomes

After successful completion of this minor students are expected to be able to:

- understand and apply the basic principles of microeconomic theory (firm and household behaviour) and macroeconomic theory (national income, unemployment, economic growth) of a closed economy;
- apply accounting & finance techniques, and interpret relevant finance literature;
- explain the main issues of economic development in developing countries, including the necessary basic economic concepts, and analyse economic aspects of agricultural and rural development;
- explain key concepts, strengths and limitations of environmental economic analysis (e.g. sustainability, efficiency, Pareto optimality, market failure, externalities); analyse important environmental problems (e.g. pollution) from an economic point of view; and explain key economic instruments and policy measures for solving environmental problems (e.g. taxes, subsidies, tradable permits, regulatory interventions) on an international scale.

Target group

This minor is interesting for WUR-students of the BSc programmes:

  • BBN-B Forest and Nature Conservation- major Ecology and Conservation
  • BBW Soil, Water, Atmosphere
  • BDW Animal Sciences
  • BIL International Land and Water Management
  • BMW-B Environmental Sciences- major Environmental Quality and Systems Analysis
  • BMW-C Environmental Sciences- major Environmental Technology
  • BPW Plant Sciences

Overlapping courses or content with

BBN-A Forest and Nature Conservation- major Policy and Society BEB Economics and Governance BGM Health and Society BIN International Development Studies

BMW-A Environmental Sciences- major Environmental Policy and Economics

Language

Dutch(DEC-10306 Economics) and/or English (all other courses)

Semester

First semester (period 1, 2 and 3)

Programme or thematic

Programme minor