DEDP MicroMasters Program
J-PAL and MIT Open Learning created the MicroMasters program in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy (DEDP) to equip learners with the knowledge and skills to generate and use data in program evaluation and policymaking through flexible, online, and affordable graduate-level courses.
What is the DEDP MicroMasters Program
Taught by esteemed MIT Economics faculty—including DEDP faculty directors Esther Duflo, Abhijit Banerjee, Sara Fisher Ellison, and Benjamin Olken— and J-PAL affiliated researchers, the program is unique in its focus on designing and running randomized evaluations to assess the effectiveness of social programs. Learners who complete the DEDP MicroMasters credential become eligible to apply to the accelerated eight-month DEDP master’s program at MIT.
Since 2017, the DEDP MicroMasters program has engaged over 350,000 learners across 214 countries and territories. The expansive and growing network underscores the program’s global reach and the meaningful opportunities it creates for learners from non-traditional backgrounds.
How the Program Works
- Courses can be taken individually or as part of a five-course set (three core courses and two elective courses) to pursue a DEDP MicroMasters credential. Learners can complete courses in whatever order works best for their schedules and current skill levels, keeping in mind that certain courses build on others.
- The program offers elective courses in two tracks:
- The International Development Track focuses on issues prevalent in low- and middle-income countries facing persistent poverty
- The Public Policy Track addresses a range of policy challenges, from local governance to global issues in the US and other high-income countries
- Courses are free to audit, with the option to pay an income-based fee to take each course’s proctored exam in pursuit of course certificate(s) and a program credential
- Those who earn a DEDP MicroMasters program credential are eligible to apply to MIT’s DEDP master’s program. If accepted, students can receive credit for the DEDP MicroMasters courses and pursue an accelerated master’s degree at MIT. Credential holders can also earn graduate credit at different pathway universities around the world.
Why Enroll in the Program
“Students who earn the MicroMasters credential and master’s degree in DEDP will come out ready to be leaders in their field and to change the world. They’ll acquire the tools to be creative, analytical thinkers who will reinvent antipoverty policy. And they’ll gain the courage and skills to put all their ideas to the test, and fail, and try again until they succeed.”
Esther Duflo, J-PAL Co-Founder and Director
Who Should Enroll
- Policymakers and practitioners from governments, NGOs, international aid agencies, foundations, and other entities in the development sector
- Academics and evaluators looking to re-tool and apply data-driven perspectives to social and development programs
- Students interested in pursuing admission to graduate programs in development economics, public policy, political science, or related fields
- Social entrepreneurs, managers, and researchers in the development sector
"I’ve worked in government and international agencies, and know how important a thorough grounding in economics and data analysis is to good policymaking. Our aim with this MicroMasters is to give people—wherever they are in the world—the skills they need to bring the best analytical tools and empirical evidence to bear to help solve the world’s most pressing problems."
Rachel Glennerster, former J-PAL Executive Director
What You Will Learn
- To identify and analyze the root causes of underdevelopment using principles of economics
- To interpret the findings of empirical research that evaluates the effectiveness of anti-poverty strategies, policies, and interventions
- Practical knowledge on how to design and implement rigorous randomized evaluations and other econometric methods for evaluating policies and programs
- Tools of comparative cost-effectiveness analysis for informed policy-making
- Fundamentals of microeconomics, development economics, probability, and statistics
- Hands-on skills in data analysis using the R programming language
"The world of development policy has become increasingly evidence-based. Development practitioners need to understand not just development issues, but how to analyze them in rigorous ways using data."
Benjamin Olken, J-PAL Director
What Courses Are Offered
| Core Courses | |
| Microeconomics | Jonathan Gruber |
| Designing and Running Randomized Evaluations | Rachel Glennerster Marc Shotland 12 J-PAL affiliates |
| Data Analysis for Social Scientists | Esther Duflo Sara Fisher Ellison |
| International Development Track Electives | |
| The Challenges of Global Poverty (Introductory) | Abhijit Banerjee Esther Duflo |
| Foundations of Development Policy: Advanced Development Economics (Advanced) | Abhijit Banerjee Esther Duflo Ben Olken |
| Political Economy and Economic Development (Advanced) | Abhijit Banerjee Ben Olken |
| Public Policy Track Electives | |
| Good Economics for Hard Times (Introductory) | Abhijit Banerjee Esther Duflo |
| Microeconomics and Public Policy (Advanced) | David Autor |
Questions? Contact [email protected].