The DEDP MicroMasters Program offers flexible course order, so you don't need to take the courses in any particular order. Instead, you can take the DEDP MicroMasters courses in whatever order works best for you, according to your background, schedule, and goals. The best course for you to start the program with is likely to vary, based on your pre-existing knowledge and skills and your areas of interest—but the DEDP MicroMasters Team has a few general recommendations.
If you're new to the field of economics or you don't have prior academic preparation, we recommend that you begin the program with one of the Introductory Elective Courses, either 14.73x Challenges of Global Poverty, 14.009x Good Economics for Hard Times, or 14.444x Energy Economics and Policy—depending on which Program Track you're interested in. We also generally recommend taking the Core Courses 14.100x Microeconomics and 14.310x Data Analysis for Social Scientists early in your course order, as they form a helpful foundation for the other, more advanced DEDP courses.
You're welcome to continue taking Introductory and Intermediate courses—including the Core Courses—before Advanced courses afterward, or in whatever other order you feel comfortable with. The DEDP MicroMasters program is designed to provide you with the flexibility to choose a course order that works for you.
If you're unsure whether you're prepared to take any of the Advanced Electives, see this FAQ article for more information and recommendations. Especially helpful are the Course Readiness Checks available for the non-Introductory courses.
However, when planning your DEDP MicroMasters course order, ensure you remain aware of the Program Completion Requirements. To complete the program, you must take all three Core Courses, you must take two Elective Courses from the same Program Track, and at least one must be an Advanced Elective.
Additionally, be aware that not all courses are offered in every DEDP term. While some courses run three times each year, others may be available less. The most up-to-date information about the DEDP MicroMasters Schedule of Course Availability is always available on the DEDP News & Course Dates page.
Below is a list of the assessed challenge levels for all DEDP MicroMasters courses:
Core Courses
- 14.100x Microeconomics (Intermediate)
- JPAL102x Designing and Running Randomized Evaluations (Introductory)
- 14.310x Data Analysis for Social Scientists (Intermediate)
Elective Courses
Learners will choose two electives in their chosen track. One elective must be Advanced.
International Development Track (choose 2; one must be Advanced)
- 14.73x The Challenges of Global Poverty (Introductory)
- 14.740x Foundations of Development Policy (Advanced)
- 14.750x Political Economy and Economic Development (Advanced)
Public Policy Track (choose 2; one must be Advanced)
- 14.009x Good Economics for Hard Times (Introductory)
- 14.444x Energy Economics and Policy (Introductory)
- 14.003x Microeconomic Theory and Public Policy (Advanced)
- 14.194x Frontiers of Applied Economics (Advanced)