Frequently Asked Admission Questions

Yes, all applicants must complete and pass all five courses within their preferred track of the DEDP MicroMasters program to earn their credential before they can apply to the master's program. Learners who complete the credential by taking courses in the fall MicroMasters term will receive their exam scores before the master’s application deadline. 

Applicants apply to the program, not a specific track. 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 DEDP MicroMasters credential does not expire. DEDP MicroMasters credential holders can apply to the DEDP master's program in any application cycle after completing their credential.

There is no grade cut-off for acceptance to the DEDP master's program. Please keep in mind that DEDP MicroMasters grades are the most important factor in admissions decisions. Applicants are encouraged to earn the highest scores they can to make their application as competitive as possible. 

Applicants will be asked to report their proctored exam and final score for all DEDP MicroMasters courses that they have taken, including retakes of each course and proctored exam. 

On MITx Online, the proctored exam scores are available in the progress tab of each course. The final course scores can be found in the 'Course Progress' tab or in the program record. The “highest grade earned” in the program record refers to the final course grade. 

If an applicant took exams prior to October 2021, their proctored exam scores can be found on the MicroMasters Portal Dashboard (please note this dashboard is not being updated, but scores from before October 2021 are saved there). Applicants can access these grades by logging into the MicroMasters Portal Dashboard. 

 If you have any questions, please contact the admissions team.

The admissions committee places the greatest weight on performance in the MicroMasters exams. While the highest score will be considered and retakes are encouraged as a means to demonstrate growth, retakes should be approached thoughtfully and with adequate preparation. Consistent improvement across a limited number of attempts is viewed more favorably than frequent retakes with uneven results. A brief explanation of any retakes may be provided in the application to the master's program.

Because this program aims to bring in learners from different backgrounds, the program seeks to give students as much time as possible to prepare to come to MIT's campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This will allow individuals to secure funding, acquire visas, and make all necessary preparations.

The DEDP master's is a rigorous and competitive program. However, because the program is only open to students who have earned the MicroMasters credential, there are significantly fewer applicants than typically expected for a master's program. With this in mind, the admissions committee relies heavily on MicroMasters course scores to inform acceptance decisions. Although the admissions rate varies from year to year, the program typically receives around 100 applications from MicroMasters credential-holders and targets a cohort of 20 students.

No, learners from all backgrounds have an equal chance and opportunity to succeed through the DEDP master's program. Applicants do not need to have earned a bachelor's degree to apply. 

The admissions committee relies heavily on the scores from the DEDP MicroMasters courses as a way to level the playing field for students coming from different educational backgrounds beyond the DEDP classes. All DEDP MicroMasters credential-holders are encouraged to apply to the DEDP master's program, regardless of educational background. 

No, GRE scores are not accepted.

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.

Yes, students are permitted to defer their admissions by one year.

Applicants apply to the DEDP master's program, not a particular track. The application will ask which DEDP MicroMasters track(s) the applicant has completed. Applicants are welcome to apply with either or both credentials, 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. Admitted students are only able to complete one track on campus.

Students arrive on campus in mid-January for a two-week orientation. The spring semester begins in early February and ends in May. Shortly after this time, students begin their capstone (placements may be on or off campus). The summer capstone will run until late August.

Students may choose to live off-campus or apply for on-campus housing. Applications for on-campus housing will open in late October and close in November the fall prior to the on-campus spring semester. Students will typically hear back regarding housing decisions by the end of November/early December.

Students admitted to the program who complete the residential semester and summer capstone project will graduate from MIT with a Master of Applied Science in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy.

To learn more about the current cohort, please the visit the current students page.

More information on the subject requirements and credit units for the DEDP program is available in MIT's Course Catalog. Please note that the specific offerings may vary slightly from year to year, depending on the courses available during the spring semester.

Capstones vary quite a bit from student to student. They may be on or off campus, located within the US or abroad (subject to visa requirements). Capstone placements may be coordinated with their academic advisor or students may coordinate their own capstone with final approval from their academic advisor.

The capstones may be paid or unpaid, depending on the placement.

The MIT Graduate Admissions website provides information on the cost of living (see specifically the "expenses" page). This will give a rough estimate of the cost of living for students and will be helpful for those who are bringing a partner or dependents. Applicants can also view the MIT Medical website to get an idea of costs for student and partner health insurance.

A detailed breakdown of the estimated tuition costs and fees for the DEDP master's program can be found on the tuition and funding page.

Students can certainly choose to submit their confirmation by the enrollment decision deadline without their funding finalized. Finalized funding sources will only be required when completing the visa application.

Yes, it is possible for students to pay their tuition bill in installments. The spring semester bill is due in early January and will be available for viewing in mid December. The Student Financial Services website provides various resources on payment as well as contact information.

Research Assistant (RA) and Teaching Assistant (TA) positions for DEDP master’s students are very limited. The DEDP academic advisor will share any open positions for the spring semester with incoming students. Students can also pursue projects with MIT faculty for their capstone during the summer semester, but these are not considered RA positions. They will be unpaid, as students are not permitted to be paid and receive course credit for the project.

As the program does not guarantee funding, it is the expectation that some admitted students may have to utilize their own funds or loans, should they decide to enroll. The admissions committee is happy to provide any additional information that might be helpful to make an admissions decision and look into various funding sources.

Students can find further information on opportunities for financial support on the tuition and funding page. For more information on the costs of attendance, prospective students should visit the Registrar’s Office website. The Student Financial Services website can also provide additional resources on funding a master's degree. Finally, the program recommends exploring the resources provided through the Office of Graduate Education website.

Qualifying applicants must submit official language test 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). Scores need to be included in the application and submitted to MIT for review. Some applicants may be eligible for an exemption. For more information about the requirement, please refer to the English Language Proficiency Test section under Application Requirements on the admissions page. 

The admissions committee will reach out to admitted students the summer before they arrive on campus to provide additional information on the visa process and contact information for the International Students Office (ISO). Students can also review the ISO website, which includes information on the visa process.

Unfortunately due to the short duration of the program, students are not eligible for OPT enrollment or a STEM extension.

Unfortunately, only graduate students who are U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible for all US federal and private loan programs. International students may borrow from private sources, but not from U.S. federal programs.