DEDP Admissions

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The Data, Economics, and Design of Policy (DEDP) master’s program employs an innovative admissions model. The program is accelerated, on-campus, and builds on an online MicroMasters Program in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy (DEDP). Admissions are offered on an annual cycle, with one admission application deadline and one program start date per year in the spring. 

Prospective applicants are encouraged to review the following information to ensure they meet eligibility requirements and are prepared to submit their application during the application window. 

To be eligible to apply to the DEDP master’s program, all applicants must first complete the DEDP MicroMasters program credential. No other standardized tests (like the GRE or GMAT) are accepted and no prior degrees are required. 

The master’s application is open from approximately November to mid-January each year. Admissions decisions are released in mid-March, approximately two months after the application deadline. 

Admitted students come to campus the following year in January for a two-week orientation before the spring semester starts. This time between admission and enrollment allows incoming students to secure funding, acquire visas, and make all necessary preparations to move to Cambridge, MA. Admitted students can defer admission for up to one year.

Prior to each application cycle, the program team hosts a live admissions webinar with Professor Sara Ellison. The session provides prospective applicants with an overview of the application process, admissions criteria, program coursework, and the capstone. Registrants can attend the webinar live or watch the recorded session following the event.

The fall admissions webinar took place on October 22, 2025. If you missed the webinar, you can still watch the recording by completing this form. »

The application for the Spring 2027 cohort is available at https://apply.mit.edu/apply/. 

The application deadline is Thursday, January 15, 2026. Applicants are encouraged to begin early to ensure enough time to complete the application requirements.

The credential consists of five online master’s-level courses, including three core courses and two electives within a specific track (International Development or Public Policy). One of the electives must be advanced. Applicants may apply with one or both credentials (International Development or Public Policy), but their application will be reviewed the same in either case. If admitted, students can pursue either track in the master's program as long as they have completed the MicroMasters electives in that track before arriving on campus.

The online courses are free to audit, with an option to pay a fee in each course to take the proctored exam in pursuit of a certificate. Learners must take the proctored exams and earn course certificates to receive the program credential. 

Learners who excel in the DEDP MicroMasters courses and proctored exams demonstrate the skills needed to complete MIT’s graduate-level course work. For this reason, an applicant’s performance in the MicroMasters courses plays an important role in admissions decisions.

Those who complete the credential by taking courses in the fall MicroMasters term will receive their exam scores before the master’s application deadline. 

Prompt: Explain why you are a good candidate for the DEDP master's program. The statement should describe your relevant accomplishments, experiences, research interests, education or professional goals, and how the DEDP program will help you achieve those goals. Highlight specific achievements or challenges you have overcome that underscore your potential success in your area(s) of interest. If you’d prefer to complete the on-campus program in a track that differs from your credential, you can provide a rationale in your statement. The statement should be double spaced using a 12pt font and should not exceed two pages.

Prompt: Present a hypothetical research proposal for a topic in which you are interested. Outline the importance of this topic, formulate a clear research question, and describe your methodological approach and the data you would employ to investigate the question. Describe how your study could contribute to the field of development economics or public policy. The statement should be double spaced using a 12pt font and should not exceed two pages.

Applicants can also refer to this brief guide for more information.

Either a resume or curriculum vitae, whichever is most appropriate to the applicant’s background. There is no page limit.

Two letters of recommendation are required. These may come from either academic or professional references. Applicants who are currently enrolled in a degree program or who graduated within the past three years are encouraged to include at least one reference from a faculty member.

The admissions committee recognizes that applicants who have been out of school for more than three years may find it difficult to obtain an academic reference. In those cases, professional references are perfectly acceptable. Ideally, recommenders should be able to comment on your intellectual ability, professional accomplishments, and overall readiness for graduate study.

Most importantly, choose individuals who know your work well and can provide specific and thoughtful assessment of your qualifications.

Record a short (1–2 minute) video in response to a non-technical prompt provided in the application. This is an opportunity to share your personality and motivation with the admissions team--no need for a script or polished delivery.

No prior bachelor’s or master’s degree is required to apply. However, applicants will need to include transcripts for any institution of higher learning attended, whether or not a degree was obtained. Transcripts can be unofficial at the time of application.

Qualifying applicants must submit official scores from the International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic), the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT), or the Duolingo English Test (DET). Applicants can take the home edition of the TOEFL iBT, but the TOEFL IPT exam is not accepted. Scores need to be included in the application and submitted to MIT for review. Test scores are valid for two years. Scores that expire while an application is under review will be considered valid, but scores must be submitted before they expire.

The required minimum scores for each test are as follows: 100 on the TOEFL iBT, 7 on the IELTS, or a 135 on the DET. 

To submit your scores, please follow the test-specific instructions below:

  • IELTS: Send your scores to “MIT Graduate Admissions”. If this option is not available, you may email a digital copy of your IELTS score report along with your Test Report Form (TRF) number to gradadmissions@mit.edu.
  • TOEFL: Submit your scores to MIT using the institutional code 3514 and the Department of Economics code 84.
  • DET (Duolingo English Test): Send your scores to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Graduate Admissions.

Applicants whose primary language is English or attended an English-speaking university for 3-4 years and attained an undergraduate (or equivalent) degree from that university in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or the United States within the last 5 years are automatically exempt from providing English language test scores. 

Applicants may also request an exemption if they have spent four plus years studying in an accredited school or university where English is the primary language of instruction. The language test waiver is available in the application. 

Applicants must have an active, open application to request a fee waiver. The deadline to request a GradAdmissions (OGE) fee waiver is December 15, and eligibility criteria can be found on the GradAdmissions (OGE) website. Applicants who are ineligible for an OGE fee waiver, who miss the deadline, or who are rejected may request a DEDP program fee waiver, which is available to a limited number of applicants on a first-come, first-served basis. The fee waiver request forms can be found on the certification page of the application. If the forms are not displayed on that page of your application, please contact dedp_masters@povertyactionlab.org.