COR 4660 Saving Billions: Can Microfinance Reduce Poverty?
Worldwide, 1.8 billion people live on less than $3.65 a day, including 650 million who live in extreme poverty at less than $2 a day. While numerous poverty-fighting programs have been created, one has attracted outsized attention. For decades, microfinance (i.e., banking services to the poor) has been hailed for its potential to lift millions out of the grip of poverty. However, critics question whether microfinance lives up to its hype. In this course you will learn (1) the challenges facing families living in extreme poverty and how the lack of access to credit and savings contributes to the cycle of poverty; (2) how microfinance programs are designed to address this problem; (3) the extent to which academic research supports the efficacy of microfinance; and (4) possible ways to redesign programs to maximize impact. Using the rigorous, interdisciplinary methods learned throughout this course, you will conduct research using authentic data to assess the impact of one popular microfinance program. Open to students in the third or fourth year of study. This course is writing intensive.
Prerequisite
COR 1100 or COR 0011. Open to students in the third or fourth year of study.
Course Types
Core Integrative Seminar