--- title: Data, Economics, and Design of Policy - Public Policy description: Learn to evaluate the effectiveness of policies that tackle issues facing the US and other high-income economies. Access Nobel Prize winning research from Esther Duflo & Abhijit Banerjee --- [![MIcroMasters\_sub-brand\_lockup\_one-line\_rgb\_black](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/MIcroMasters_sub-brand_lockup_one-line_rgb_black.png?width=2000&name=MIcroMasters_sub-brand_lockup_one-line_rgb_black.png)](https://micromasters.mit.edu/) - [About](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/micromasters-dedp-public-policy#about) - [Courses](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/micromasters-dedp-public-policy#courses) - [Faculty](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/micromasters-dedp-public-policy#faculty) - [Outcomes](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/micromasters-dedp-public-policy#outcomes) - [Program](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/micromasters-dedp-public-policy#program) - [Who Should Enroll](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/micromasters-dedp-public-policy#who-should-enroll) - [Testimonials](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/micromasters-dedp-public-policy#testimonials) - [FAQ](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/micromasters-dedp-public-policy#faq) #### Public Policy # MicroMasters® Program in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy Learn to evaluate the effectiveness of policies that tackle issues facing the US and other high-income economies. This program covers local issues such as minimum wage and employment, food stamps and consumer welfare, and economics of risk and safety regulation, as well as global issues such as trade, climate change, and immigration that are at the forefront of public policy debates.  ## Online courses for evidence based problem-solvers Take five Data, Economics, and Design of Policy (DEDP) courses and their corresponding proctored exams in any sequence to complete the Public Policy MicroMasters Program Credential in DEDP.  - Learn from Nobel-prize winning faculty from MIT Economics Department, ranked #1 in the world - Access content for free or pay a fee to take the proctored exam and earn a course certificate - Each course costs between $250 USD - $1,000 USD, depending on your income and ability to pay - Take one course, or complete the entire program to earn a MicroMasters credential that counts as credit toward an in-person [MIT Master’s degree](https://economics.mit.edu/academic-programs/masters-programs/masters-data-economics-and-design-policy-dedp) (upon acceptance) - Consider choosing the [International Development Track](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/micromasters-dedp-international-development?hsLang=en) and learn to evaluate the effectiveness of policies that tackle the most pressing problems facing low to middle income countries across the globe. [Check out our FAQ on pricing to explore tiered pricing structure and the personalized course price request process.](https://mitxonline.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/sections/4409903319323-About-Personalized-Pricing) Required CORE Course ### Microeconomics Use economic models to learn how prices and markets benefit society in the face of scarcity. - **START DATES:**May 12, 2026 - **DURATION:**Approx. 14 weeks - **FORMAT:**Online - **PRICE:**$250-1000 USD dependent on household income  [Need financial assistance?](https://mitxonline.mit.edu/programs/program-v1:MITx+DEDP/dedp-micromasters-program-financial-assistance-form/) [![ENROLL](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/20596155/59da09f8-53a6-4cdb-b652-43139fc48825.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/20596155/59da09f8-53a6-4cdb-b652-43139fc48825) Required CORE Course ### Designing and Running Randomized Evaluations Gain the practical skills for running evaluations in the field, learn the foundations of randomizations and research design, and get practical insights on how to collect high quality, reliable data in the field. - **START DATES:**May 12, 2026 - **DURATION:**Approx. 14 weeks - **FORMAT:**Online - **PRICE:**$250-1000 USD dependent on household income  [Need financial assistance?](https://mitxonline.mit.edu/programs/program-v1:MITx+DEDP/dedp-micromasters-program-financial-assistance-form/) [![ENROLL](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/20596155/3d2d11be-00fe-482d-9fd5-b288bf7b663f.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/20596155/3d2d11be-00fe-482d-9fd5-b288bf7b663f) Required CORE Course ### Data Analysis for Social Scientists Learn methods for harnessing and analyzing data to answer questions of cultural, social, economic, and policy interest. - **START DATES:**May 12, 2026 - **DURATION:**Approx. 14 weeks - **FORMAT:**Online - **PRICE:**$250-1000 USD dependent on household income  [Need financial assistance?](https://mitxonline.mit.edu/programs/program-v1:MITx+DEDP/dedp-micromasters-program-financial-assistance-form/) [![ENROLL](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/20596155/3e9c8c81-74d7-49da-8a3d-00769f0d6beb.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/20596155/3e9c8c81-74d7-49da-8a3d-00769f0d6beb) ELECTIVE Course (2 Required) ### Good Economics for Hard Times (Intro) Learn how current applied economics uses data to tackle some of the most pressing issues in the United States and other advanced economies. Taught by Nobel-prize winning MIT professors Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo. - **START DATES:**May 12, 2026 - **DURATION:** 14 weeks - **FORMAT:**Online - **PRICE:**$250-1000 USD dependent on household income  [Need financial assistance?](https://mitxonline.mit.edu/programs/program-v1:MITx+DEDP/dedp-micromasters-program-financial-assistance-form/) [![ENROLL](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/20596155/6809b7ac-b720-41d6-8943-f75393fd5f22.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/20596155/6809b7ac-b720-41d6-8943-f75393fd5f22) ELECTIVE Course (2 Required) ### Frontiers of Applied Economics (Advanced) Develop a strong foundation in economic theories and cutting-edge methods essential for understanding a wide range of policy issues, from digital transformation to persistent economic inequality. - **START DATES:**May 12, 2026 - **DURATION:** 14 weeks - **FORMAT:**Online - **PRICE:**$250-1000 USD dependent on household income  [Need financial assistance?](https://mitxonline.mit.edu/programs/program-v1:MITx+DEDP/dedp-micromasters-program-financial-assistance-form/) [![ENROLL](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/20596155/72dbe317-1b98-44cf-a12c-59956c9809df.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/20596155/72dbe317-1b98-44cf-a12c-59956c9809df) ELECTIVE Course (2 Required) ### Microeconomic Theory and Public Policy (Advanced) Understand microeconomic research at every level, from theory to empirical testing. Then, apply this understanding to the public policies that affect the US and other similar industrialized nations. - **START DATES:**September 8, 2026 - **DURATION:**14 weeks - **FORMAT:**Online - **PRICE:**$250-1000 USD dependent on household income  [Need financial assistance?](https://mitxonline.mit.edu/programs/program-v1:MITx+DEDP/dedp-micromasters-program-financial-assistance-form/) [![ENROLL](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/20596155/5bbef800-7c94-4117-a8e1-fec68a3ec67d.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/20596155/5bbef800-7c94-4117-a8e1-fec68a3ec67d) ELECTIVE Course (2 Required) ### Energy Economics and Policy Learn the economics of real-world energy markets and how various policies can address the impact of rising global energy demand on the environment and climate. - **START DATES:**January 19, 2027 - **DURATION:**14 weeks - **FORMAT:**Online - **PRICE:**$250-1000 USD Dependent on Household Income  [Need financial assistance?](https://mitxonline.mit.edu/programs/program-v1:MITx+DEDP/dedp-micromasters-program-financial-assistance-form/) [![ENROLL](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/20596155/b33f89c7-33e0-4c1f-a8ca-93457b243f56.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/20596155/b33f89c7-33e0-4c1f-a8ca-93457b243f56) ## Faculty Instructors ![Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/banerjee.original.jpg?width=1000&height=770&name=banerjee.original.jpg) #### Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee Abhijit Banerjee is the winner of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. He was educated at the University of Calcutta, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Harvard University.  [Read More](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/micromasters-dedp-public-policy#popup-1) ![Esther Duflo](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/duflo.original.jpg?width=1000&height=770&name=duflo.original.jpg) #### Esther Duflo Esther Duflo is the winner of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. She is also the Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics in the Department of Economics at MIT. [Read More](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/micromasters-dedp-public-policy#popup-2) ![Sara Fisher Ellison](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/photo_ellison-large.jpg?width=1000&height=770&name=photo_ellison-large.jpg) #### Sara Fisher Ellison Sara Fisher Ellison is a Senior Lecturer in the MIT Economics Department. She was an undergraduate at Purdue University and received graduate degrees from both Cambridge University and MIT.  [Read More](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/micromasters-dedp-public-policy#popup-3) ![Benjamin Olken](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/olken.original.jpg?width=1000&height=770&name=olken.original.jpg) #### Benjamin Olken Benjamin Olken is a Professor of Economics at MIT. His research focuses on political economy and public sector issues in developing countries, with a particular interest in corruption. [Read More](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/micromasters-dedp-public-policy#popup-4) ![Jonathan Gruber](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/gruber.original-1.jpg?width=1000&height=770&name=gruber.original-1.jpg) #### Jonathan Gruber Dr. Jonathan Gruber is the Ford Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he has taught since 1992.  [Read More](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/micromasters-dedp-public-policy#popup-5) ![Rachel Glennerster](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/rachel-glennerster.jpg?width=465&height=310&name=rachel-glennerster.jpg) #### Rachel Glennerster Rachel Glennerster is an associate professor of economics in the Division of Social Science at the University of Chicago. She is also an affiliated professor and former Executive Director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL).  [Read More](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/micromasters-dedp-public-policy#popup-6) × Abhijit Banerjee is the winner of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. He was educated at the University of Calcutta, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Harvard University. He is currently the Ford Foundation International Professor of Economics at MIT. Banerjee is a past president of the Bureau for Research in the Economic Analysis of Development, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Econometric Society, and has been a Guggenheim Fellow and an Alfred P. Sloan Fellow. He is the recipient of many awards, including the inaugural Infosys Prize in 2009, and has been an honorary advisor to many organizations including the World Bank and the government of India. × Esther Duflo is the winner of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. She is also the Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics in the Department of Economics at MIT. She was educated at the Ecole Normale Supérieure, in Paris, and at MIT. She has received numerous honors and prizes including a John Bates Clark Medal for the best American economist under 40 in 2010, a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship in 2009. She was recognized as one of the best eight young economists by The Economist magazine, one of the 100 most influential thinkers by Foreign Policy since the list exists, and one of the “Forty under 40” most influential business leaders under forty by Fortune magazine in 2010. × Sara Fisher Ellison is a Senior Lecturer in the MIT Economics Department. She was an undergraduate at Purdue University and received graduate degrees from both Cambridge University and MIT. She has been a fellow at both the Institute for Advanced Study and the Hoover Institute. Her recent research has investigated a number of questions in industrial organization, with a focus on the pharmaceutical industry and ecommerce. She serves on a number of editorial boards. She has taught at the undergraduate, MBA, and Ph.D. levels, and has received awards for both outstanding teaching and pedagogical innovation. × Benjamin Olken is a Professor of Economics at MIT. His research focuses on political economy and public sector issues in developing countries, with a particular interest in corruption. He is a faculty Director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab at MIT, Co-Scientific Director of the Lab’s Southeast Asia office in Jakarta, and Co-Chair of the Lab’s Governance Initiative. Olken received his BA \_summa cum laude \_as a double-major in Mathematics and Ethics, Politics, and Economics from Yale University in 1997, and his Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University in 2004. In 1997-1998 he was a Henry Luce Scholar, living in Jakarta, Indonesia. He joined the MIT faculty as a tenured faculty member in 2008, directly after a three-year term as a Junior Fellow of the Harvard Society of Fellows and a one-year post-doctoral fellowship at the NBER. × Dr. Jonathan Gruber is the Ford Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he has taught since 1992. He is also the Director of the Health Care Program at the National Bureau of Economic Research, where he is a Research Associate, and President of the American Society of Health Economists. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the National Academy of Social Insurance. He has published more than 150 research articles, has edited six research volumes, and is the author of Public Finance and Public Policy, a leading undergraduate text, and Health Care Reform, a graphic novel. In 2006 he received the American Society of Health Economists Inaugural Medal for the best health economist in the nation aged 40 and under.   × Rachel Glennerster is an associate professor of economics in the Division of Social Science at the University of Chicago. She is also an affiliated professor and former Executive Director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL). She uses randomized trials to study democracy and accountability, health, education, microfinance, and women’s empowerment mainly in West Africa and South Asia. She has also written on strategies to stimulate innovation, promoting more equitable access to vaccines, and the response to Ebola and COVID-19 pandemics. ## After These Courses, You Will Be Able to ![Icon 1](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/hubfs/LP%20Assets/Icon%201.svg) Understand the fundamentals of microeconomics, development economics, probability, and statistics ![icon 2](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/hubfs/LP%20Assets/icon%202.svg) Identify and analyze the root causes of underdevelopment using principles of economics ![icon 3](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/hubfs/LP%20Assets/icon%203.svg) Consider the unique constraints and trade-offs the poor face when making decisions ![icon 4](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/hubfs/LP%20Assets/icon%204.svg) Interpret the findings of empirical research that evaluates the effectiveness of anti-poverty strategies, policies, and interventions ![icon 5](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/hubfs/LP%20Assets/icon%205.svg) Design and implement rigorous randomized evaluations and other econometric methods of evaluating policies and programs ![icon 6](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/hubfs/LP%20Assets/icon%206.svg) Conduct comparative cost-effectiveness analysis for informed policy-making ![icon 7](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/hubfs/LP%20Assets/icon%207.svg) Hands-on skills in data analysis using the R programming language ![icon 8](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/hubfs/LP%20Assets/icon%208.svg) Apply for a [Master’s Degree at MIT](https://economics.mit.edu/academic-programs/masters-programs/masters-data-economics-and-design-policy-dedp) or [other institutions](https://micromasters.mit.edu/dedp/pathways-masters/) ![icon 9](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/hubfs/LP%20Assets/icon%209.svg) Pursue a career in Public Policy/Economics ## How the MicroMasters Program Works Earning a MicroMasters program credential makes you eligible to apply to [MIT’s Master's program in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy](https://economics.mit.edu/academic-programs/masters-programs/masters-data-economics-and-design-policy-dedp) or other [participating global pathway programs.](https://micromasters.mit.edu/dedp/pathways-masters/) If accepted, students will earn MIT credit for the MicroMasters program courses, and will be able to pursue an accelerated on-campus Master’s degree at MIT. ![2023 DEDP Program and Track Graphics - MIT Masters](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/2023%20DEDP%20Program%20and%20Track%20Graphics%20-%20MIT%20Masters.jpg?width=1200&height=675&name=2023%20DEDP%20Program%20and%20Track%20Graphics%20-%20MIT%20Masters.jpg) Whether you choose the Public Policy Track or the [International Development Track](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/micromasters-dedp-international-development?hsLang=en), your five DEDP courses can be taken in any sequence. Earning a MicroMasters Program credential in DEDP also makes you eligible for a number of [exclusive benefits, including affiliate MIT Alumni Association membership.](https://micromasters.mit.edu/dedp/benefits/) ## These courses are for you if - You want to learn about a range of key issues in public policy, with many examples drawn from the US and other high-income economies - You are a policymaker or practitioner from a government, NGO, international aid agency, foundation, or other entity in the development sector - You are an academic or evaluator looking to re-tool and apply data-driven perspectives to social and development programs - You are a student interested in pursuing admissions to graduate programs in development economics, public policy, political science, or related fields - You are a social entrepreneur, manager or researcher in the development sector - If you are interested in problems facing low to middle income countries across the globe, consider pursuing the [International Development Track](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/micromasters-dedp-international-development?hsLang=en) ## What learners are saying ![Xu - DEDP Learner Testimonial](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/photoWenXu%5B99%5D-2.jpg?width=1000&height=978&name=photoWenXu%5B99%5D-2.jpg) ##### Xu, Business Manager (China) "The knowledge I gained from this program made me realize the importance of delving into the reasons behind a country’s policies. We all need to think independently to make better political decisions. And this program provided me the fundamental knowledge on how to do that." ![Pallavi DEDP Learner Testimonial](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/Pallavi_DEDP.png?width=582&height=806&name=Pallavi_DEDP.png) ##### Pallavi, Ministry of Rural Development (India) "Overall, MicroMasters is enabling me in achieving my dream of contributing to the development economics and public policy." ![Leena DEDP Learner Testimonial](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/Leena%20(MENA).jpg?width=1917&height=1918&name=Leena%20(MENA).jpg) ##### Leena, Teach for Qatar (Sudan) "The DEDP program is the perfect opportunity to grow further in the skills necessary to work better with data and to understand the role that good data plays in driving decisions at a policy level."  ![Kundan DEDP Learner Testimonial](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/K.Singh.jpg?width=1676&height=1783&name=K.Singh.jpg) ##### Kundan, Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (India) "What motivated me to join the MicroMasters program was the way the course curriculum is designed and that the courses were being presented by some of the most esteemed personalities of the development sector."  ![Elie](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/Ngerageze-1.jpg?width=1000&height=667&name=Ngerageze-1.jpg) ##### Elie, Student at Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Burundi) "In this MicroMasters, improving the lives of the poor remains at the centre of learning, and this is at the centre of my purpose." ![Diana DEDP Learner Testimonial](https://learn-mitxonline.mit.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/diana_testimonial_DEDP_2022-1.jpeg?width=287&height=400&name=diana_testimonial_DEDP_2022-1.jpeg) ##### Diana, Consultant (Romania) "The knowledge gained \[in this program\] should help me make a more active contribution to the field of evidence based policies and programs here in Romania, a field which has not yet been explored." ### Have questions about the courses? 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