Suggested preparation: Basic economics and interest in development policy.
About this course
Explore economic approaches to poverty through education, credit and policy evaluation. MIT lectures connect concrete development questions with evidence about how interventions affect people's opportunities.
Topics and lesson examples
- 1. Introduction (14.73 The Challenge of World Poverty)
- 8. Health: Low Hanging Fruit?
- 13. How Do Families Decide?
- 19. The Promise and Perils of Microfinance
- 26. Five Thoughts in Place of a Sweeing Conclusion
Course at a glance
| Provider | MIT |
|---|---|
| Platform | YouTube · MIT OpenCourseWare |
| Access | Free Video |
| Level | Beginner — WikiFree study-level assessment |
| Language | English |
| Available lessons | 22 |
| Video duration | 25h 13m · self-paced |
| Details checked | 10 October 2026 |
Preparation and study approach
Suggested preparation: Basic economics and interest in development policy.
Follow the available videos in sequence, pausing to summarize the main argument or reconstruct a worked example. Keep a short list of assumptions, unfamiliar terms and questions to revisit. Additional reading, problem solving and practice will take time beyond the listed video duration.
Using this video classroom
Select a lesson from the list, or search for a topic. Previous and Next move through the sequence. You can mark lessons complete; progress is stored in this browser without a WikiFree account.
Free access and course scope
The public MIT OpenCourseWare videos in this classroom are free to watch. This listing provides the available playlist recordings, which may include selected lectures, recitations, demonstrations or supporting discussions rather than every component of the original campus course. Textbooks, equipment, software licenses, supervised labs, graded assignments and instructor feedback are not supplied by WikiFree. No purchase is required to watch the videos or use the note-based study approach above.
WikiFree independently organizes these resources for self-paced study. Watching does not award an MIT certificate, academic credit or admission to MIT.
Video provider and credit: MIT OpenCourseWare on YouTube. WikiFree titles, descriptions and cover artwork are independently prepared.
Related courses for your next step
- Explore a higher-level optionFree MIT Course: Development Economics and Evidence-Based Policy
Focus: Lecture 11: Demand for Health (Part 1) · Lecture 16: Land Markets (Part 1)
Professional - Explore a higher-level optionFree MIT Course: Macroeconomic Development and Economic Growth
Focus: 1. Finance, Growth, and Volatility · 3. Growth, TFP, and Inequality
Professional - Explore a higher-level optionFree MIT Course: Behavioral Economics and Decision-Making
Focus: Lecture 1: Introduction and Overview I (14.13 Psychology and Economics · Lecture 4: Time Preferences (Theory) II
Intermediate
Compare course focus, level and study time
| Course | Level | Focus | Study time |
|---|---|---|---|
| This course — Free MIT Course: Poverty, Development and Economic Policy | Beginner | 1. Introduction (14.73 The Challenge of World Poverty) · 8. Health: Low Hanging Fruit? · 13. How Do Families Decide? | 25h 13m of video; practice time is additional |
| Free MIT Course: Development Economics and Evidence-Based Policy | Professional | Lecture 11: Demand for Health (Part 1) · Lecture 16: Land Markets (Part 1) · Lecture 19: Public Finance (Part 2) | 33h 35m of video; practice time is additional |
| Free MIT Course: Macroeconomic Development and Economic Growth | Professional | 1. Finance, Growth, and Volatility · 3. Growth, TFP, and Inequality · 6. Insurance | 16h 4m of video; practice time is additional |
| Free MIT Course: Behavioral Economics and Decision-Making | Intermediate | Lecture 1: Introduction and Overview I (14.13 Psychology and Economics · Lecture 4: Time Preferences (Theory) II · Mid-Term Review | 28h 35m of video; practice time is additional |
Provider: MIT. Videos play from the MIT OpenCourseWare channel on YouTube.
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