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    • Behavioral Economics

    Behavioral Economics Courses Online

    Explore behavioral economics to understand how psychological factors influence economic decisions. Learn about biases, heuristics, and consumer behavior.

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    Explore the Behavioral Economics Course Catalog

    • C

      Corporate Finance Institute

      Economics for Capital Markets

      Skills you'll gain: Financial Trading, Financial Market, Market Data, Economics, Capital Markets, Market Dynamics, Financial Policy, Market Trend, Banking, Investment Management, Forecasting

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      12 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free
      Free
      U

      University of Glasgow

      MBA Essentials

      Skills you'll gain: Business Administration, Leadership Studies, Digital Transformation, Supply Chain Management, Marketing, Financial Data, Innovation, Corporate Sustainability, Accounting, Business Modeling, Change Management, Business Economics, Project Management, Business Strategies, Global Marketing, Digital Marketing, B2B Sales

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      190 reviews

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • I

      Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

      Transgender Medicine for General Medical Providers

      Skills you'll gain: Behavioral Health, Primary Care, Patient Education And Counseling, Surgery, Patient Treatment, Treatment Planning, Pharmacotherapy, General Medicine, Medical Prescription, Gynecology, Urology, Mental Health

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      263 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • U

      University of Pennsylvania

      Global Trends for Business and Society

      Skills you'll gain: Demography, Market Trend, Trend Analysis, International Relations, Socioeconomics, Social Sciences, Systems Thinking, Cultural Diversity, Financial Systems, World History, Economics, Business Economics, Governance

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      919 reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • U

      University of Michigan

      Using Public Policy for Social Change

      Skills you'll gain: Policy Analysis, Policy Development, Social Justice, Advocacy, Public Policies, Political Sciences, Health Policy, Economics, Policy, and Social Studies, Community and Social Work, Program Evaluation, Diversity Equity and Inclusion Initiatives, Research

      4.9
      Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
      ·
      132 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • I

      Illinois Tech

      Managerial Economics: Buyer and Seller Behavior

      Skills you'll gain: Market Dynamics, Supply And Demand, Game Theory, Economics, Market Trend, Business Economics, Market Analysis, Operating Cost, Business Strategy, Revenue Forecasting, Competitive Analysis, Cost Management, Strategic Decision-Making, Decision Making

      Build toward a degree

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      45 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • I

      Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica

      Princípios de Desenvolvimento Ágil de Software

      Skills you'll gain: User Story, Agile Software Development, Backlogs, Agile Methodology, Scrum (Software Development), Sprint Retrospectives, Test Driven Development (TDD), Requirements Analysis, Sprint Planning, Unified Modeling Language, Software Development Methodologies, Software Engineering, Software Development

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      219 reviews

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free
      Free
      É

      École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

      Management of Urban Infrastructures – part 1

      Skills you'll gain: Energy and Utilities, Public Works, Transportation Management, Facility Management, Land Management, Operations Management, Asset Management, Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Stakeholder Management, Process Analysis, Public Administration, Operational Efficiency, Environmental Issue, Economics, Peer Review, Socioeconomics

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      791 reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • T

      Technical University of Denmark (DTU)

      Photovoltaic Systems

      Skills you'll gain: Power Electronics, Plant Operations and Management, Electric Power Systems, Energy and Utilities, Semiconductors, Environmental Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronic Components, Physics, Engineering Calculations, Manufacturing Processes, Mathematical Modeling, Product Testing

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      153 reviews

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • J

      Johns Hopkins University

      Principles of fMRI 2

      Skills you'll gain: Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Data Analysis, Analysis, Image Analysis, Statistical Analysis, Experimentation, Network Analysis, Research Design, Regression Analysis, Psychology, Time Series Analysis and Forecasting, Matlab, Mental and Behavioral Health, Neurology, Statistical Modeling, Statistical Methods, Research

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      245 reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • E

      Emory University

      Understanding Violence

      Skills you'll gain: Public Health, Conflict Management, Public Safety and National Security, International Relations, Social Justice, Mental Health, Sociology, Mental and Behavioral Health, Social Sciences, Economics, Policy, and Social Studies, Media and Communications, Trauma Care, Biology

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      277 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free
      Free
      U

      University of California, Santa Cruz

      Children Acquiring Literacy Naturally

      Skills you'll gain: Literacy, Demography, Child Development, Human Learning, Working With Children, Language Learning, Childhood Education and Development, Learning Theory, Education Software and Technology, Liberal Arts, Vocabulary, Research

      4.5
      Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
      ·
      183 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    Behavioral Economics learners also search

    Economics
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    Managerial Economics
    Business Analysis
    Market Research
    Economic Policy
    Marketing Analytics
    Business Statistics
    1…222324…73

    In summary, here are 10 of our most popular behavioral economics courses

    • Economics for Capital Markets: Corporate Finance Institute
    • MBA Essentials: University of Glasgow
    • Transgender Medicine for General Medical Providers: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
    • Global Trends for Business and Society: University of Pennsylvania
    • Using Public Policy for Social Change: University of Michigan
    • Managerial Economics: Buyer and Seller Behavior: Illinois Tech
    • Princípios de Desenvolvimento Ágil de Software: Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica
    • Management of Urban Infrastructures – part 1: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
    • Photovoltaic Systems: Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
    • Principles of fMRI 2: Johns Hopkins University

    Skills you can learn in Finance

    Investment (23)
    Market (economics) (20)
    Stock (18)
    Financial Statement (14)
    Financial Accounting (13)
    Modeling (13)
    Corporate Finance (11)
    Financial Analysis (11)
    Trading (11)
    Evaluation (10)
    Financial Markets (10)
    Pricing (10)

    Frequently Asked Questions about Behavioral Economics

    Richard Thaler, the Nobel Prize-winning economist who is considered the founder of this influential field, defined behavioral economics as “the combination of psychology and economics that investigates what happens in markets in which some of the agents display human limitations and complications.” Whereas traditional economics (known as the “standard economic model”) assumes that people are rational actors whose decision-making in the market is based purely on calculations of costs and benefits in pursuing one’s preferences, behavioral economics identifies important ways that this theory is challenged in reality by cognitive biases.

    For example, individuals often lack the willpower to make choices in their long-run interest, even if they rationally understand the costs. People also often make altruistic sacrifices to help others, in contrast to purely rational actors that pursue only self-interest. These types of insights from psychology have been deepened in recent years by bringing in advances in our understanding of how the biology of the brain works, creating the closely related subfield of neuroeconomics.

    These insights may seem like common sense, but they have important implications for business. Behavioral finance has helped explain how the stock market is influenced by biases such as “loss aversion,” which leads investors to fear losing money more than they value gains. Consumer neuroscience has yielded marketing insights on how memorable branding builds associations in the brain that impact purchasing decisions.

    Behavioral economics and related fields can seem to some like an effort to “hack” the human mind for financial gain, particularly when used in marketing. However, leading theorists in this field such as Thaler have demonstrated that this experimental, science-based approach to economics can also help policymakers come up with policy interventions to “nudge” people towards making better long-term decisions such as eating healthier food and saving more of their money.‎

    A background in behavioral economics can give you an edge in many types of business and marketing careers, as it helps deepen your understanding of the biases that influence the choices of other investors and consumers - as well as your own economic decision-making. This field is also useful for public policy careers, as accounting for the real-world insights of behavioral economics in policymaking can help make legislation and regulation more effective in achieving its goals.

    If you want to dive deeper into this influential field and contribute to its fast-growing body of research, you can become an economist yourself. This career path typically requires an advanced degree such as a masters or even a PhD, but it can lead to work that is high paying as well as intellectually rewarding. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, economists earned a median wage of $105,020 per year in 2019, and these jobs are expected to grow faster than the average of the overall economy.‎

    Absolutely, Coursera offers courses in behavioral economics, behavioral finance, neuroeconomics, and related fields in business as well as psychology. By learning online, you can learn about behavioral economics topics remotely from great schools like Duke University and Copenhagen Business School at a significantly lower price than on-campus students.

    And, while your cognitive biases may predispose you to think that a lower price means lower quality, learners on Coursera get the same course materials and credits as on-campus counterparts, along with video lectures and live virtual office hours and collaborative projects. That means you don’t have to sacrifice the quality of your education to learn online, making this a very economically rational choice indeed.‎

    The skills and experience you might need to have before starting to learn about behavioral economics include an understanding of taxation, finance theory, and behavioral science. Work experience in product management or client management may be useful. Other skills include data analysis skills, such as interpreting data and statistical analysis. Some additional coursework in psychology can be helpful, especially classes about cognitive psychology or neuropsychology. Courses that include experimental design, statistical analysis, and programming languages like SQL can be advantageous. You also may find it beneficial to learn about brain function and the parts that play a role in the decision-making process.‎

    The people best suited for roles in behavioral economics are individuals who are passionate about understanding why people make economic decisions. They typically like to observe what others do, note trends in behavior, and develop hypotheses about why it’s happening. Behavior economists often enjoy applying their knowledge of experimental design to measure consumer behavior that organizations can use to inform decision making. For example, a company might want to know which features of a product are most important to its customers or why one particular model of a product does not sell as well as others.‎

    Learning behavioral economics might be right for you if you're interested in applied psychology and topics like game theory, ostrich effect, and anchoring bias. You may find that you like learning behavioral economics if you enjoy setting up experiments to identify why people make economic decisions and sharing your insights with companies and other groups like marketers and product managers who want to put their products in the hands of as many consumers as possible. Working as a behavioral economist may interest you if you enjoy working with data and applying your insights to develop policies and strategies that align with an organization’s mission, values, and financial goals.‎

    Online Behavioral Economics courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your existing knowledge or learn new Behavioral Economics skills. With a wide range of Behavioral Economics classes, you can conveniently learn at your own pace to advance your Behavioral Economics career skills.‎

    When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Behavioral Economics, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here.‎

    This FAQ content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

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