I completed a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Business at the UvA. The program that teaches English is quite good. particularly in contrast to the Dutch course. Remember that research, not instruction, mostly contributes to the UvA’s prestige. The UvA’s bureaucratic structure is, in my opinion, its main flaw. However, you will receive greater care as an international student than we Dutch citizens do. Additionally, be prepared for a large number of Chinese students who will doze off during lectures, don’t appear to speak English, and will stomp you in exams.

I think the instruction at UvA is of the highest caliber. None have been voiced. I couldn’t have a comprehensive understanding of economics course instruction in 6 months at ucd Dublin. In contrast to what I learned at UCD, in my opinion, the economics approach at UvA is more practical and mathematical. The reason I said this is because it is a requirement for our second-year economics courses at the University of Amsterdam. However, it is considered one of the first-level courses with code 1000 at UCD (with 2000 means second level). To a freshmen with a simple mentality, it seems as though UQ is saying, “Here is all about economics; recognize its importance; take a position right away.”

The program is good for people who want to get deep into economic theory and learn how it works even to a quantitative level. It is a difficult program to do well in part because of how quantitatively demanding it is (math1/econometrics will make you suffer), but also because in my opinion there is such little class/professor time that you will certainly find it difficult to prepare for your final exams – the profs are great for the most part but it feels like I only paid for their trial versions. Most exams in this course feel like you are never prepared for them, always throwing ridiculous questions way outside the scope of the material, it’s almost impossible to get an 8.5-10. About 1/3 of my class relied on outside sources (exam prep companies) to actually get decent grades in our course. If you tried to pass Econometrics just by going to all the lectures and tutorials, you can expect a 2-3/10 without the use of these companies. It’s expensive and a little silly from a top uni in my opinion. Also if you are from Italy, Greece, Portugal, or Spain get ready to be blamed for the financial crisis… so much explicit material is made out to slander these countries, especially in the IMF module. Also if you are an international student, don’t expect to make friends with the Dutch people in the course, they mostly stick to their own groups and hardly want to socialize in English in my experience. That said, the international body is great and very inviting, again just my exp. The course is cheap which is a plus but accommodation in Amsterdam is mega expensive, and so are the costs of living. Overall the course is thought-provoking and challenging which is fantastic but it just feels so held back by its poor structure, sparse teaching and ridiculous self-study expectations (you must remember every word of every lecture verbatim for a 8-9), and pretty poor international experience.

So far, I have enjoyed this program. However, I expected something better and thought that we would have more possibilities to meet new people. When it comes to studies alone, they are well structured and easy to understand. I cannot say that I would recommend this program because I feel like I haven’t experienced it enough. The campus is also in a prime location, with a canal crossing right through it and both metro and tram stations nearby.

The programme consists of a wide variety of courses which enable students to get a great overview of economics and business, but also to specialize in the fields of interest. Being part of an international student community in the beautiful city of Amsterdam is a life-changing experience. The degree offers broad research and career opportunities. It could be a bit challenging at the beginning, but in my opinion, it is really worth it. I highly recommend the programme to every person who would like to delve into the topic of economics!