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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

    • Y

      Yale University

      The Worldview of Thomas Berry: The Flourishing of the Earth Community

      Skills you'll gain: Environmental Science, Environment, Environment and Resource Management, Social Studies, Liberal Arts, Cultural Diversity, Systems Thinking, World History, Storytelling, Education and Training

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      137 reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      D

      Duke University

      Cloud Data Engineering

      Skills you'll gain: Cloud-Native Computing, Software Engineering, Distributed Computing, Cloud Storage, Extract, Transform, Load, Google Cloud Platform, Big Data, Cloud Computing, Serverless Computing, Cloud Technologies, Data Pipelines, Amazon Web Services, Command-Line Interface, Data Processing, Continuous Integration, Python Programming, Data Governance, Rust (Programming Language), Unix Commands

      4.1
      Rating, 4.1 out of 5 stars
      ·
      82 reviews

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • T

      Tecnológico de Monterrey

      Fundamentos de la Industria de Hidrocarburos

      Skills you'll gain: Market Dynamics, Energy and Utilities, Chemical Engineering, Economics, Supply And Demand, Environmental Social And Corporate Governance (ESG), Socioeconomics, Production Process, Natural Resource Management, Environment and Resource Management, Recruitment

      4.3
      Rating, 4.3 out of 5 stars
      ·
      9 reviews

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      J

      Johns Hopkins University

      Practical Neuromarketing Research

      Skills you'll gain: Research, Research Design, Consumer Behaviour, Influencing, Research Methodologies, Persuasive Communication, Ethical Standards And Conduct, Marketing Psychology, Behavioral Economics, Experimentation, Neurology, Qualitative Research, Data Collection, Market Research, Marketing, Data Analysis, Statistical Analysis, Cultural Sensitivity

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • P

      Peking University

      人群与网络

      Skills you'll gain: Graph Theory, Network Analysis, Game Theory, Market Dynamics, Computational Thinking, Social Sciences, Online Advertising, Economics, Policy, and Social Studies, Sociology, Web Analytics and SEO, Information Technology, Probability Distribution

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      114 reviews

      Mixed · Course · 3 - 6 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      E

      EDHEC Business School

      The Finance of Climate Change

      Skills you'll gain: Project Finance, Finance, Financial Market, Securities (Finance), Environmental Social And Corporate Governance (ESG), Corporate Finance, Corporate Sustainability, Financial Modeling, Financial Regulation, Investment Management, Financial Analysis, Risk Analysis, Risk Management, Cash Flows

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      111 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • U

      Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

      Unión Europea: Historia, Instituciones y Políticas

      Skills you'll gain: European History, Public Policies, International Relations, Policy Analysis, Law, Regulation, and Compliance, Political Sciences, Environmental Policy, Economics, Policy, and Social Studies, Economics, Security Strategy, Governance

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      128 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • O

      O.P. Jindal Global University

      Microeconomics: Foundations and Insights

      Skills you'll gain: Economics, Game Theory, Economic Development, Market Dynamics, Socioeconomics, Behavioral Economics, Business Economics, Policy Analysis, Public Policies, Decision Making, Market Analysis, Consumer Behaviour, Supply And Demand, Analysis, Cost Benefit Analysis, Strategic Decision-Making, Competitive Analysis, Production Planning, Resource Allocation, Innovation

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      I

      IESE Business School

      Persuasive Communication

      Skills you'll gain: Persuasive Communication, Public Speaking, Verbal Communication Skills, Communication, Storytelling, Influencing, Business Communication, Leadership, Trustworthiness, Emotional Intelligence, Organizational Skills

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      51 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • U

      Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

      Introducción al estudio de los bienes comunes

      Skills you'll gain: Community Development, Natural Resource Management, Environment and Resource Management, Social Sciences, Land Management, Water Resources, Governance, Sociology, Systems Thinking, Economics, Policy Analysis

      4.9
      Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
      ·
      128 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free
      Free
      S

      Sciences Po

      Cities are back in town : sociología urbana para un mundo globalizado

      Skills you'll gain: Sociology, Governance, Social Sciences, Socioeconomics, Public Policies, Economic Development, Political Sciences, World History, Demography, Cultural Diversity, Social Justice, Environmental Issue, International Relations, Systems Thinking, Economics, Qualitative Research

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      77 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • S

      Stanford University

      Teaching LGBTQ+ Health

      Skills you'll gain: Patient Education And Counseling, Health Disparities, Teaching, Instructional Strategies, Health Equity, Instructing, Education and Training, Health Care, Health Assessment, Primary Care, Mental and Behavioral Health, Community Health, Diversity Awareness, Behavioral Health, Healthcare Industry Knowledge, Cultural Responsiveness, Medical Terminology, Diversity Equity and Inclusion Initiatives

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      23 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    Behavioral Economics learners also search

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    1…484950…73

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

    • The Worldview of Thomas Berry: The Flourishing of the Earth Community: Yale University
    • Cloud Data Engineering: Duke University
    • Fundamentos de la Industria de Hidrocarburos: Tecnológico de Monterrey
    • Practical Neuromarketing Research: Johns Hopkins University
    • 人群与网络 : Peking University
    • The Finance of Climate Change: EDHEC Business School
    • Unión Europea: Historia, Instituciones y Políticas: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
    • Microeconomics: Foundations and Insights: O.P. Jindal Global University
    • Persuasive Communication: IESE Business School
    • Introducción al estudio de los bienes comunes: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

    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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