The MITx MicroMasters program in Data, Economics, and Development Policy is an online program designed by MIT’s Department of Economics and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) to equip learners with the practical skills and theoretical knowledge to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing developing countries and the world’s poor.
The program consists of a number of courses administered via the MITx Online learning platform. To successfully complete the program and earn the MicroMasters Program Credential, learners must complete five DEDP courses chosen from available courses according to the following rules:
Learners must complete all three core courses:
- 14.100x Microeconomics
- JPAL 102x Designing and Running Randomized Evaluations
- 14.310x Data Analysis for Social Scientists
Learners must also complete two elective courses, including at least one Advanced Elective. A maximum of one Introductory Elective will count towards the Program Credential:
Introductory
- 14.009x Good Economics for Hard Times
- 14.73x The Challenges of Global Poverty
Advanced
In addition to the online coursework—which consists of lectures, short quizzes, homework assignments, and exams—learners must also pass a Proctored Exam for each of their five courses. Proctored Exams are administered shortly after the end of each online course via the MITx Online platform.
How to Enroll
There is no formal application or admission process for the DEDP MicroMasters Program. Instead, learners are encouraged to enroll in each individual course as their schedule permits. MicroMasters courses are offered on the MITx Online platform—To set up your accounts and get enrolled in the DEDP Program, please refer to this FAQ article. (Existing DEDP learners should use this FAQ article instead)
In addition to an MITx Online account, you must set up a MicroMasters Portal account in order to calculate your Personal Price and submit payment. The guides linked above will guide you through creating both accounts. Additionally, you will gain access to the MicroMasters Portal Community Open Discussion Forum and we will be able to provide support in regards to basic account information, such as enrollments. The MicroMasters Portal Community Open Discussion Forum is hosted on open.mit.edu and allows paid, Verified learners across the program to discuss course strategies, study resources, and other topics. The DEDP MicroMasters team will also post updates and interesting resources.
Course Pricing
The Data, Economics, and Development Policy MicroMasters program offers personalized pricing. The price of each course is determined for each learner based on the learner's ability to pay. When you create your MicroMasters portal account you will be prompted to enter your financial information to receive your personalized course price.
If you have already created an account but did not yet enter your financial information, please let us know and we will reset your financial calculator. Please see below for a breakdown of course pricing, learn more about course pricing and how to pay for DEDP courses in our helpful FAQ.
You are also welcome to start by auditing courses for free and upgrade to paid, Verified status at a later point! If you plan to sit for a course’s Proctored Exam at the end of a semester, you must submit payment for that course before the semester’s Payment Deadline, but if you complete a course on the Audit track, you can submit payment for the course later to take the Proctored Exam in a future semester.
Course Availability and Schedule Planning
The MITx MicroMasters program in Data, Economics, and Development Policy offers courses during three semesters per year: Spring semester—starting in February; Summer semester—in June; and Fall semester—in September.
Each course is offered between one and three times per year. The Proctored Exam for each course is available only at the end of the semesters during which that course was offered. For more details, please refer to this helpful FAQ article or the Upcoming Dates page of the DEDP site.
Course Order and Pre-Requisites
The DEDP MicroMasters courses may be taken in any order, but in general, the DEDP team recommends that learners new to the field begin with the required core courses 14.100x Microeconomics and 14.310x Data Analysis for Social Scientists, as they will form a helpful foundation for the other DEDP courses.
There is no required order, though, and depending on your background, schedule, and goals, you may take the courses in whatever order or combinations work for you. For more information about recommended course order, please refer to the FAQ article Do you recommend specific DEDP courses to get started?
As the program’s courses are graduate-level, the DEDP team recommends that learners be prepared in several important topic areas for each course, which include single- and multi-variable calculus, linear algebra, and probability and statistics. The program team has also prepared a Course Preview for most courses, to help you discover if you are prepared. For more information please refer to this helpful FAQ article.
For more information relating to the program, please review the DEDP section of our helpful FAQ site. After review, please contact us again if you have any further questions - we're here to help!
MicroMasters Program Credential Benefits
Learners who successfully complete all required online courses and their respective Proctored Exams will earn a MicroMasters Program Credential in Data, Economics, and Development Policy, and may become affiliate members of the MIT Alumni Association.
Please note that MITx MicroMasters programs are not degree-granting programs and MicroMasters courses do not carry academic credit on their own. A number of universities across the globe have partnered with MITx MicroMasters to offer pathways to a graduate degree, as described in the next section. These pathways allow learners who have earned a MicroMasters Program Credential to achieve a full graduate degree more quickly than usual by granting credit for the MicroMasters courses completed or waiving some requirements of the graduate program.
Pathways to a Master's Degree
Learners who receive the MicroMasters program credential may also pursue several pathways to a graduate degree at MIT and other institutions. At MIT, learners are eligible to apply to the MIT Economics Blended Master’s program in Data, Economics, and Development Policy. If accepted, students will be able to pursue an accelerated on-campus Master’s degree at MIT, earning MIT credit for their MicroMasters program courses.