Sustainability in Finance

Investors, finance professionals, and Dutch society are becoming increasingly concerned about climate change and the transition to technologies that produce lower greenhouse gas emissions. The success of this 'green transition' depends critically on the finance industry, which plays a central role in allocating resources from investors to companies. Through this role, the finance industry affects the cost of investment into renewable energy, the availability of funding for green innovation, or the supply of critical materials for batteries.

Sustainability extends beyond climate change, and also integrates topics such as employee compensation and rights, the distribution of wealth across society, and the stability of the financial system. The finance industry influences each of these topics as well. For example, it determines how a firm’s value is split between workers and investors, or how information about firms’ performance spreads across the economy.

About the programme

The programme requires completion of several extra courses, which challenge students with an intense examination of specialised topics in sustainable finance.

• All students must enrol in 2 extra required courses: Sustainable Finance in Period 5, and Honours Course in Impact Investing in Period 6.
• Students must further complete 1 extra elective course in either Corporate Governance, Advanced Investments, or Financial Regulation.

The total study load is 73 ECs. All regular coursework and the 2 extra required courses must be finished during the 1^st study year. However, the programme offers sufficient time for students to complete the requirements while focusing on their academic performance. Students have until February of the 2^nd study year to complete the extra elective and their master’s thesis. 

How to apply

Once registration for semester 2 is open (typically in December), you can enrol in the courses Sustainable Finance and Honours Course in Impact Investing. If demand for these courses is very high, a selection procedure may be implemented in January. Selection would be based on a variety of factors, including academic performance in period 1 courses.