Courses master Economic Geography track: Sustainable Rural Futures

Do you want to know how agricultural transitions, socio-cultural discontent, and climate change impact European rural areas? Come satisfy your curiosity in the master Sustainable Rural Futures!

> Master Economic Geography

> Master track Economic Geography: Regional Competitiveness and Trade

> Master track Economic Geography: Sustainable Rural Futures

The programme of the master track Economic Geography: Sustainable Rural Futures consists of the following courses. Click on the course title to go to the full course description, information about lecturers, literature and time period.

Economic Geography: theory and pracatice (5 EC)

The course is set against the backdrop of ongoing economic globalization and its implications for local and regional economic development. The course will examine analytical concepts and theories, as well as empirical approaches to investigating economic geography. In this context, the course will introduce important current themes in economic geography, both from an academic point of view and from a societal stance.

Related SDG: 3 good health and wellbeing, 10 reduced inequalities, 11 sustainable cities and communities

Nature, Landscape and Heritage (5 EC)

Natural, heritage and landscape values of the rural and urban environment are studied to understand the different appreciations and valuations of places and areas in society. During lectures, attention will be paid to the birth and evolution of the idea of the preservation of the past and its paradigmatic transformation into heritage, with a specific focus on cultural, natural and geoheritage.

Rural Communities in Transition (5 EC)

Social Impacts Assesment (5 EC)

Urban and Regional Economics (5 EC)

The aim of the course is to develop students’ analytical understanding of the impacts of economics on geographical behaviour and the impacts of geography on economic behaviour. The course will be taught from the perspective of theories and analytical frameworks, which will then be extended to real-world examples and cases.

Related SDG: 3 good health and wellbeing

Advanced Qualitative Research Methods (5 EC)

The purpose of this course is to prepare Master students in the knowledge, skills and techniques necessary to undertake independent research in spatial sciences, using advanced qualitative research methods. The course covers issues related to qualitative research design and practice, addressing issues of power, ethics, rigour and culture.

Regional Labour Market Dynamics (5 EC)

The labour market is by definition a regional market because of the limitation of the daily commuting distance. In the Regional Labour Market Analysis module, attention will be paid to regional differences in the functioning of the labour market with regard to unemployment, employment, wages, labour market participation, labour productivity and education.

Related SDG: 10 reduced inequalities

Transport Geography (5 EC)

Participants of this course will acquire a thorough understanding of the relationships between transport mobility (i.e., the demand for travel), the development of infrastructure (supply side) and the wider economic development of places and regions. They will be able to apply this understanding to specific examples of transport infrastructure development.

Related SDG: 9 industry, innovation and infrastructure, 10 reduced inequalities

Master Thesis (20 EC)

The individual Master thesis concludes the Master degree programme and is worth 20 EC, i.e. one third of the study time. During the Master thesis, students will gain experience in scientific research as well as translate theoretical knowledge into concrete skills that are useful in conducting research.