Curriculum
The Master of International Development Policy (MIDP) is a two-year, STEM-designated program composed of twelve core courses, including the two-semester client-capstone project, four elective courses, and a professional placement during the summer after the first year.
The distinctive MIDP curriculum provides students with advanced skills centered around applied economics and quantitative analytical methods and combines a rigorous classroom education with highly valuable real-world professional experience.
Skill-based learning
Hands-on experience is vital in preparing for the policy world. The MIDP program deepens your expertise in economics and builds the rigorous analytical and technical skills needed to tackle complex challenges in developing and emerging economies. Beyond the classroom, you’ll work alongside passionate development practitioners, gaining valuable professional experience and the chance to apply and grow your skills in real-world settings.
Skills you’ll gain
Applied economics / Quantitative analytical methods / Policy design
Course sequence
The MIDP program curriculum follows this course sequence. Please note that after the first year, all MIDP students spend at least six weeks in a program-relevant professional placement. The average duration is more than 10 weeks and almost all of these experiences take place in developing countries.
| Semester | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | McCourt Foundations | 0 |
| – | PPOL 5100 — Statistical Methods for Development Policy | 3 |
| – | PPOL 5103 — Intermediate Microeconomics for Development | 3 |
| – | PPOL 5105 — Social and Economic Development Policy | 3 |
| – | Elective | 3 |
| Spring | PPOL 5101 — Regression Methods for Development Policy | 3 |
| – | PPOL 5104 — Public Finance in Developing Countries | 3 |
| – | PPOL 5108 — Management and Leadership in Developing Countries | 3 |
| – | Elective | 3 |
| Summer | Professional Placement | N/A |
| Semester | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | PPOL 5102 — Impact Evaluation for Development | 3 |
| – | PPOL 5107 — Political Economy in Developing Countries | 3 |
| – | PPOL 5110 — MIDP Client-Capstone Project I | 3 |
| – | Elective | 3 |
| Spring | PPOL 5106 — Sustainable Development | 3 |
| – | PPOL 5109 — Ethical Issues in Development | 3 |
| – | PPOL 5111 — MIDP Client-Capstone Project II | 3 |
| – | Elective | 3 |
Required courses
Core courses
The core curriculum emphasizes the analytical skills required for designing and managing sound development policies and programs.
Economics & Development Policy (12 credits)
- PPOL 5103: Intermediate Microeconomics for Development (3 credits)
- PPOL 5104: Public Finance in Developing Countries (3 credits)
- PPOL 5105: Social and Economic Development Policy (3 credits)
- PPOL 5106: Sustainable Development (3 credits)
Quantitative Methods (9 credits)
- PPOL 5100: Statistical Methods for Development Policy (3 credits)
- PPOL 5101: Regression Methods for Development Policy (3 credits)
- PPOL 5102: Impact Evaluation for Development (3 credits)
Management and Institutions (9 credits)
- PPOL 5108: Management and Leadership in Developing Countries (3 credits)
- PPOL 5109: Ethical Issues in Development (3 credits)
- PPOL 5107: Political Economy in Developing Countries (3 credits)
Client-capstone project (6 credits)
- PPOL 5110 — MIDP Client-Capstone Project I (3 credits)
- PPOL 5111 — MIDP Client-Capstone Project II (3 credits)
McCourt Foundations
McCourt Foundations is a mandatory course for all MIDP students that occurs prior to the start of their first fall semester. The course facilitates the transition to graduate school for incoming students by developing core leadership and communication skills and fostering equity-centered policy work.
Summer experience
All MIDP students are required to spend at least half of the summer after the first year in a program-relevant professional placement (the average duration is >10 weeks). Most students secure positions with leading development institutions that involve the generation and use of rigorous evidence of impact in developing countries The program covers travel costs and provides a stipend for living expenses so students can complete placements that best fit their interests.
Past summer employers include:
- The African Gender Innovation Lab (World Bank, in Nigeria)
- Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL, in Chile, Egypt, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, and South Africa)
- Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA, in Kenya, Peru, Ghana, the Philippines, Sierra Leone, Uganda)
- IDinsight (in the Philippines, Zambia)
- Center for Economic Research in Pakistan (CERP)
- Development Impact Evaluation (DIME World Bank, in Rwanda, Ghana)
- Causal Design (in Cambodia)
Client-capstone project
The required capstone project is a client-based group project where students apply skills learned in the classroom to real-world, real-time policy questions posed by clients from leading international development institutions.
Past clients include:
- The World Bank
- The International Food Policy Research Institute
- The Millennium Challenge Corporation
- Mercy Corps
- Econometria Consultores
- NewGlobe
- UNICEF
Electives
MIDP students supplement core skills with 12 credits of elective courses. MIDP students use their electives to focus on areas of personal interest such as labor policy, health policy, and environmental policy or to conduct additional research and practice data science skills. Electives in areas of development policy, international economic policy, and methods are likely to be of particular interest to MIDP students.
Please note that this is just a sample of recent elective offerings. This list is not exhaustive and availability of courses varies.
McCourt’s foundational skill set
McCourt’s Curriculum Innovation Committee has developed a set of core competencies based on extensive research and outreach for all of our degree programs. By integrating these core competencies across our academic offerings, all McCourt students graduate with these foundational skills:
- Collaboration
- Critical Thinking
- Economic Analysis
- Engaging with Bias
- Ethical Leadership and Management
- Evaluation
- Policy Analysis
- Political Analysis
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Strategic Communication
Request more information
We know you have a passion for development work; you know that is not enough.
The MIDP Program is different from most other development studies programs. It is a professional program with a skills-based curriculum in economics and quantitative methods that are essential for any development practitioner, and it delivers valuable opportunities for experiential learning, as well.
Thank you for your interest in our program. Please complete this form and we‘ll contact you with more information.