What Else I Do
DEDP MicroMasters and Masters
In 2021, I took over as faculty lead of a remarkable and innovative pair of programs in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy. They were launched a few years earlier by the MIT Department of Economics and JPAL. The MicroMasters is an entirely online credential that students can earn by passing five MIT-designed online courses in economics and data analysis with proctored exams. There is a companion Masters program, where students who have earned the online credential can apply to come to MIT, take a semester's worth of additional classes, complete a capstone project, and earn an MIT degree. We have welcomed four cohorts of students so far, and they have been a diverse mix from all over the world, ranging in age from 18 to 45, bringing a remarkable set of skills, experiences, and perspectives. I am enormously proud to be heading this program, along with my fellow faculty directors Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo, and Ben Olken.