Master's Programme in Critical Perspectives on the Economy: Environment, Inequality and Crises

About this programme

Understand the forces shaping today’s world – and learn how to analyse them critically. This one‑year fully online master’s programme equips students with advanced analytical tools to understand how economies evolve, why inequalities persist, and how environmental and financial crises emerge. Drawing on economic history and integrating perspectives from cultural geography, historical demography and gender studies, the programme offers a powerful interdisciplinary framework for analysing the long‑term dynamics of economic and social change. Students learn to connect historical transformations with contemporary global challenges such as climate change, uneven development, financial instability and demographic transitions. By combining methodological training with theoretical depth, the programme prepares students to investigate complex societal problems and to critically evaluate established economic explanations and policy solutions. Key Questions Explored in the Programme • Why are economic opportunities and living standards distributed so unevenly across regions and social groups? • How have colonialism, industrialisation and globalisation shaped contemporary patterns of inequality? • Why do financial crises occur – and why do they affect societies and social groups differently? • How have economic systems contributed to climate change and environmental degradation? • What historical experiences exist of energy transitions and environmental policy? • How have demographic change, welfare institutions and gender relations influenced economic development?