In December 2022, the government of Côte d’Ivoire passed a new law mandating the evaluation of public policies. The Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development (MEPD), tasked with implementing the law, sought to build internal capacity on rigorous impact evaluation. J-PAL Europe and ENSEA, Côte d’Ivoire’s National School of Statistics and Applied Economics, seized this opportunity to launch an ambitious collaboration targeting students and civil servants. The partnership includes:
The partnership aims to foster evidence-informed policymaking and promote research collaborations aligned with government priorities. In October 2024, ENSEA was officially welcomed as a founding member of ADEPT.
We offer targeted support to ENSEA students in taking DEDP MicroMasters classes. To remove learning barriers, we translate subtitles into French, offer tutoring sessions and provide scholarships. Through this effort ENSEA and ADEPT aim to offer students a powerful academic and professional signaling tool in the development space, an opportunity for credit recognition at pathway universities that can accelerate their progress towards earning an in-person degree and exposure to graduate-level courses taught in English by MIT faculty and J-PAL affiliates and staff.
Every year ~60 civil servants from 10+ ministries are trained at ENSEA on impact evaluation, with a focus on RCT. The program combines three in-person events and an online semester-long DEDP course allowing civil servants to earn certification from ENSEA, J-PAL, and a course certificate from MITx. One event is an incubator where learners receive hands-on advice to workshop evaluation priorities from their ministries. This upgrades the skills of practitioners and contributes to the emergence of promising collaborations between researchers and policymakers. Training events are co-led by J-PAL and ENSEA faculty for mutual learning and eventual transfer of ownership.
ADEPT is supporting ENSEA in the development of a blended master’s program in impact evaluation. The program will leverage ENSEA’s existing courses and content from the DEDP MicroMasters and is currently being designed.
Launched in 2020, the Data, Economics, and Design of Policy (DEDP) master’s program at MIT is the pioneering example for ADEPT partnerships. As the first master’s degree offered by MIT’s Department of Economics and the Institute’s first program delivered exclusively in a blended format, the program combines rigorous online MicroMasters coursework with an intensive eight-month residential experience on campus. Each year, the program trains a diverse cohort of approximately 20 students from around the world.
The DEDP program uses an inverted admissions model: only learners who complete the DEDP MicroMasters credential are eligible to apply. Admissions decisions are based primarily on academic performance in the online courses, with no requirement for prior degrees or standardized tests such as the GRE or GMAT. This approach has created a new pathway to graduate education for learners from non-traditional backgrounds. To date, the program has graduated over 100 students from 44 countries—84% of whom are international students, and more than half from low- or middle-income countries.
Graduates go on to meaningful careers and further study. Around 75% work with NGOs, multilateral organizations, or government agencies, while 21% pursue PhDs or research roles. Alumni have continued their studies at institutions including MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, and Princeton.
As the flagship model for ADEPT, MIT’s DEDP program offers a compelling proof of concept: globally informed, scalable, and rooted in open-access learning. ADEPT builds on this foundation to expand access to high-quality education and equip more learners worldwide with the skills to advance evidence-informed policy and development.
A prestigious institution with a strong tradition of public service, Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) shares ADEPT’s commitment to attracting and training future changemakers who drive impact in their communities. Princeton SPIA also has a long-standing commitment to removing financial barriers to its programs, with all admitted graduate students—MPA, MPP, and PhD—receiving full funding for the duration of their program. No additional essay or separate application is required to receive the funding, which includes tuition, fees, and a generous living stipend.
Princeton SPIA graduate programs hence hold particular promise for DEDP learners from nontraditional or disadvantaged backgrounds, or from universities that may be less familiar to Princeton SPIA’s admissions committees. The university joined ADEPT as a founding member in 2025, and beginning with the fall 2025 application cycle, will consider the DEDP MicroMasters credential in the admissions process for its Master in Public Affairs and Master in Public Policy programs. While the credential is not required for admission, applicants who include it will have it recognized by the admissions committee as strong preparation for advanced quantitative study.
For admitted students, the DEDP MicroMasters coursework in economics, data analysis, and policy design provides a solid foundation for Princeton SPIA’s rigorous curriculum. While Princeton does not award credit for coursework at other institutions, advanced training—such as that offered through the DEDP MicroMasters program—may allow students to test into higher-level courses. This flexibility enables students to focus on electives and tailor their experience, while still fulfilling Princeton SPIA’s degree credit requirements.
The Paris School of Economics (PSE) is a leading academic institution in Europe, developing research and training in economics with a commitment to academic excellence and contributing to public understanding of economic issues. As the host of several research labs, including J-PAL Europe, PSE contributes to promoting evidence-informed policymaking which is at the core of ADEPT’s vision.
Within the ADEPT network, PSE acts as a “Pipeline University,” taking the Data, Economics, and Design of Policy (DEDP) MicroMasters credential into account in the admissions process for its Master’s in Public Policy and Development (PPD). The PPD program is a highly selective research-oriented program designed to prepare students for PhD studies. It features low tuition fees and offers scholarships, particularly for students from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Students from the DEDP program worldwide who are interested in pursuing a master’s degree at PSE may leverage their MicroMasters coursework: while not a requirement for admission to the PPD program, the admissions committee will consider DEDP coursework (both individual course certificates as well as the full credential, earned by completing three core courses and two electives) when submitted, recognizing the strong foundation the DEDP coursework provides in economics, data analysis, and policy design.
This partnership offers a powerful academic and professional signal for DEDP learners aiming to pursue graduate study at PSE, while also enriching PSE’s student community with diverse, globally trained candidates.
