Graduates of the 2nd cycle degree programme in Resource Economics and Sustainable Development (RESD) are highly qualified environmental economists who are able to hold positions of responsibility in (national and international) research centres as well as local, national and international organisations and private businesses.
The study programme delivers in-depth knowledge of applied economics and quantitative techniques, particularly for the analysis of environmental problems affecting natural resources and acritical understanding of the complex interaction between economic decisions, market forces, economic policies and the natural environment. Grafted onto a solid foundation of economic knowledge, this distinguishes RESD graduates for their ability to critically assess the qualitative and quantitative implications of environmental policies and their ability to autonomously produce research, forecasts and plans on the evolution of the natural resources markets and take part in the design, production and marketing of products which are compatible with the use of natural resources, with a view to sustainable development. The degree programme also includes a number of course units in individual natural resources, the use of resources, as well as the institutional framework of markets and competitive business strategies.
The core course units present the basic theoretical fundamentals of resource economics and the concept of sustainability and the main tools for empirical analysis. The elective courses allow students to tailor the programme to their own professional goals and the need for more fundamental or applied aspects, and to develop an interdisciplinary profile, as required by the multidisciplinary nature of the subject in hand.
The theoretical fundamentals of the core course units cover the relationship between the use of natural resources, business strategies and system sustainability. They also cover the main methodologies of empirical and econometric analysis and the main evaluation and decision making methods. RESD graduates are able to formulate conceptual and mathematical models, gather data and apply the appropriate evaluation methods, estimate parameters and assess qualitative and quantitative results. The interdisciplinary elements of the study programme allow RESD graduates to interact profitably with the main sector stakeholders, to acquire the information necessary for evaluation and decision making processes. These elements provide RESD graduates with the skills required for a successful career as experts in international business strategy, allowing them to define sustainable business strategies which can lead to competitive advantage. By integrating the theoretical and empirical knowledge with elective course unit stackling the problem of innovation and growth, measuring well-being and social sustainability as well as the issues of the effectiveness and efficiency of economic policy tools, graduates are increasingly able to act as economic and environmental consultants, steering economic policy in energy and environmental areas. The elective course units covering the problems of a) economic development, b) territorial development, planning and management, c) spatial interaction of individuals, orient graduates more towards the professional figures of local and regional economic development programming expert and territorial/environmental planning expert.
