Please check the start date and application deadline on the online courses' main page
About this course
A course instructing the methodologies required to conduct a rigorous impact evaluation of a development policy, programme, or intervention. The course aims to enable participants to understand how to quantify the causal effect of interventions by carefully understanding attribution and the practical applications of methodologies. Participants will be introduced to the quantitative techniques of impact evaluation and learn about their weaknesses and strengths and appropriateness to a real-life scenario.
The course will offer online lectures, online discussion boards, assignments, weekly tutorial meetings to discuss readings and assignments, and an oral exam at the end of the course.
The course is well-designed to give students and researchers a strong background on impact evaluation methodologies and their practical applications. [...] The course has been quite beneficial to me as a researcher.
Learning Goals
Having knowledge of:
- The pathways of change underlying the causal relationship (linking the intervention to the outcomes).
- Randomised designs and quasi-experimental designs.
- Software code that can be applied in analysis.
Understanding:
- How to formulate evaluation questions.
- How to choose a good comparison group that approximates the counterfactual given real-life scenarios.
- The strengths and weaknesses of each methodology and when to choose each methodology.
Key Concepts
- Theory of Change.
- Understanding the Counterfactual.
- Choosing an impact evaluation design and how to execute.
Prerequisites
A Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in Social Sciences.
The course instructions and all readings are given in English. Fluency in English, both reading and writing, is essential in both technical and common language.
Cost
600 EUR
Estimated Workload
- The course exists in 4 units.
- Each unit has a workload of about 10-15 hours.
- The course includes an assignment with oral exam, estimated to take 10-15 hours.
Duration: 10 weeks
- 1 week to access the platform and become familiar with the material
- 4 weeks of coursework
- 1 week to submit the final assignment and
- 2 weeks for potential resits.
Certification
Participants that complete the course obtain an online educational certificate indicating the course has a 2 ECTS equivalence workload.
Application Process
You can apply for each course by using the online application form.
During the application process, you will need to upload the following documents:
- Curriculum Vitae (PDF)
- A copy of your (valid) passport (PDF or JPEG)
After completing the application, you will receive a confirmation email along with the payment information. Once we receive the payment, we will register you as a participant for the course, and the Online Courses Administration Team will contact you. The administrative process typically takes an average of 5-10 working days.
If you have any questions regarding the application documents or the application process or if there are any clarifications you need before applying, please feel free to reach out to the Capacity Development Office at the email address: onlinecourses@merit.unu.edu.
Payment
By credit card: https://www.aanmelder.nl/173049/subscribe.
In case you cannot pay by online transfer, please send an email to onlinecourses@merit.unu.edu including your name, your preferred course and starting date. We will send you bank transfer information, and we will only register you upon receiving a bank transfer. This process will take longer to complete.
Please note that we are unfortunately not able to provide scholarships or tuition fee waivers for the online courses.
Refund Policy for Course Withdrawal
Full refund before registration deadline: Participants who withdraw before the registration deadline and before official registration in the university system are eligible for a full refund of fees paid. Administration costs are not refunded (15 EUR).
Partial refund after registration, until one week before the course start date: If a participant withdraws after the registration deadline but before one week of the course start, 50% of the tuition will be refunded. Administration costs are not refunded (15 EUR).
No refunds once course has begun: No refunds will be issued in case withdrawal happens one week before the course starts.
If a participant completes the registration and payment but is deemed not eligible for the course, the full tuition fee minus the administration costs (15 EUR) will be refunded. If you have doubts about your eligibility, please email us at onlinecourses@merit.unu.edu