• For Individuals
  • For Businesses
  • For Universities
  • For Governments
Coursera
  • Online Degrees
  • Careers
  • Log In
  • Join for Free
    Coursera
    • Browse
    • Behavioral Economics

    Behavioral Economics Courses Online

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

    Skip to search results

    Filter by

    Subject
    Required
     *

    Language
    Required
     *

    The language used throughout the course, in both instruction and assessments.

    Learning Product
    Required
     *

    Build job-relevant skills in under 2 hours with hands-on tutorials.
    Learn from top instructors with graded assignments, videos, and discussion forums.
    Get in-depth knowledge of a subject by completing a series of courses and projects.
    Earn career credentials from industry leaders that demonstrate your expertise.
    Earn your Bachelor’s or Master’s degree online for a fraction of the cost of in-person learning.
    Complete graduate-level learning without committing to a full degree program.
    Earn a university-issued career credential in a flexible, interactive format.
    Graduate level learning within reach.

    Level
    Required
     *

    Duration
    Required
     *

    Skills
    Required
     *

    Subtitles
    Required
     *

    Educator
    Required
     *

    Explore the Behavioral Economics Course Catalog

    • T

      The University of Melbourne

      Contemporary India

      Skills you'll gain: Art History, International Relations, Political Sciences, Culture, Ancient History, World History, Social Sciences, Economic Development, Anthropology, Cultural Diversity, Sociology, Economics, Policy Analysis, Business Economics

      4.2
      Rating, 4.2 out of 5 stars
      ·
      33 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • C

      Columbia University

      HI-FIVE: Health Informatics For Innovation, Value & Enrichment (Social/Peer Perspective)

      Skills you'll gain: Care Coordination, Patient Coordination, Health Informatics, Case Management, Health Technology, Health Care, Health Systems, Risk Management, Patient Education and Support, Health Information Management, Electronic Medical Record, Health Policy, Interoperability, Community Health, Data Sharing, Community and Social Work, Quality Assurance

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      29 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • É

      École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

      Villes africaines: Mobilités et transports urbains

      Skills you'll gain: Transportation Operations, Demography, Public Policies, Social Sciences, Policy Analysis, Economics, Policy, and Social Studies, Spatial Analysis, Socioeconomics, Sociology, Governance, Analysis

      4.5
      Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
      ·
      19 reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free
      Free
      I

      IE Business School

      فهم صنع السياسات الاقتصادية

      Skills you'll gain: Financial Policy, Economics, Economics, Policy, and Social Studies, Tax, Policy Analysis, International Finance, Business Economics, Fiscal Management, Supply And Demand, Financial Market, Growth Strategies

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      36 reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of Colorado Boulder

      Caring for Others

      Skills you'll gain: Caregiving, Sociology, Long Term Care, Health Care, Surveys, Social Sciences, Personal Care, Socioeconomics, Social Justice, Culture, Care Management, Supply And Demand, Cultural Diversity, Nursing Homes, Healthcare Industry Knowledge, Economics, Policy, and Social Studies, Healthcare Ethics, Media and Communications, Community and Social Work, Disabilities

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      29 reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      F

      Fundação Instituto de Administração

      Desembaraço Aduaneiro

      Skills you'll gain: International Finance, Competitive Analysis, Payment Systems, Risk Management, Export Control, Strategic Partnership, Strategic Decision-Making, Market Dynamics, Business Strategies, Shipping and Receiving, Negotiation, Verification And Validation

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      30 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free
      Free
      S

      Sciences Po

      Searching for the Grand Paris

      Skills you'll gain: Transportation Operations, Social Studies, Demography, Social Sciences, Public Safety and National Security, Community Development, Environmental Issue, Public Policies, Education and Training, Sociology, Cultural Diversity, Culture, Economics

      4.3
      Rating, 4.3 out of 5 stars
      ·
      27 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      I

      IESE Business School

      The Role of the Media

      Skills you'll gain: Media Relations, Oral Expression, Journalism, Public Speaking, Strategic Communication, Communication, Interviewing Skills, Non-Verbal Communication, Persuasive Communication, Storytelling

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      16 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      A

      American Psychological Association

      Less Stress, Better Health

      Skills you'll gain: Stress Management, Resilience, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Psychology, Emotional Intelligence, Behavioral Health, Scientific Methods, Social Skills, Problem Solving, Biology, Cardiology

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      6 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of Colorado Boulder

      Specialty Topics: Biology Across Disciplines

      Skills you'll gain: Human Development, Biology, Child Development, Music, Decision Making, Liberal Arts, Life Sciences, Education and Training, Psychology, Science and Research, Business Economics, Clinical Trials

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      27 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • E

      ESSEC Business School

      Nouveaux modèles économiques des associations

      Skills you'll gain: Business Transformation, Business Modeling, Socioeconomics, Strategic Partnership, Fundraising and Crowdsourcing, Resource Management, Innovation, Economics, Stakeholder Engagement, Human Resources

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      21 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • U

      Universidad de Palermo

      Historia de las Relaciones Internacionales

      Skills you'll gain: Diplomacy, International Relations, World History, European History, Political Sciences, Economics, Security Strategy

      5
      Rating, 5 out of 5 stars
      ·
      7 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    Behavioral Economics learners also search

    Economics
    Public Economics
    Managerial Economics
    Business Analysis
    Market Research
    Economic Policy
    Marketing Analytics
    Business Statistics
    1…575859…74

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

    • Contemporary India : The University of Melbourne
    • HI-FIVE: Health Informatics For Innovation, Value & Enrichment (Social/Peer Perspective): Columbia University
    • Villes africaines: Mobilités et transports urbains: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
    • فهم صنع السياسات الاقتصادية: IE Business School
    • Caring for Others: University of Colorado Boulder
    • Desembaraço Aduaneiro: Fundação Instituto de Administração
    • Searching for the Grand Paris: Sciences Po
    • The Role of the Media : IESE Business School
    • Less Stress, Better Health: American Psychological Association
    • Specialty Topics: Biology Across Disciplines: University of Colorado Boulder

    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.

    Other topics to explore

    Arts and Humanities
    338 courses
    Business
    1095 courses
    Computer Science
    668 courses
    Data Science
    425 courses
    Information Technology
    145 courses
    Health
    471 courses
    Math and Logic
    70 courses
    Personal Development
    137 courses
    Physical Science and Engineering
    413 courses
    Social Sciences
    401 courses
    Language Learning
    150 courses

    Coursera Footer

    Technical Skills

    • ChatGPT
    • Coding
    • Computer Science
    • Cybersecurity
    • DevOps
    • Ethical Hacking
    • Generative AI
    • Java Programming
    • Python
    • Web Development

    Analytical Skills

    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Big Data
    • Business Analysis
    • Data Analytics
    • Data Science
    • Financial Modeling
    • Machine Learning
    • Microsoft Excel
    • Microsoft Power BI
    • SQL

    Business Skills

    • Accounting
    • Digital Marketing
    • E-commerce
    • Finance
    • Google
    • Graphic Design
    • IBM
    • Marketing
    • Project Management
    • Social Media Marketing

    Career Resources

    • Essential IT Certifications
    • High-Income Skills to Learn
    • How to Get a PMP Certification
    • How to Learn Artificial Intelligence
    • Popular Cybersecurity Certifications
    • Popular Data Analytics Certifications
    • What Does a Data Analyst Do?
    • Career Development Resources
    • Career Aptitude Test
    • Share your Coursera Learning Story

    Coursera

    • About
    • What We Offer
    • Leadership
    • Careers
    • Catalog
    • Coursera Plus
    • Professional Certificates
    • MasterTrack® Certificates
    • Degrees
    • For Enterprise
    • For Government
    • For Campus
    • Become a Partner
    • Social Impact
    • Free Courses
    • ECTS Credit Recommendations

    Community

    • Learners
    • Partners
    • Beta Testers
    • Blog
    • The Coursera Podcast
    • Tech Blog
    • Teaching Center

    More

    • Press
    • Investors
    • Terms
    • Privacy
    • Help
    • Accessibility
    • Contact
    • Articles
    • Directory
    • Affiliates
    • Modern Slavery Statement
    • Manage Cookie Preferences
    Learn Anywhere
    Download on the App Store
    Get it on Google Play
    Logo of Certified B Corporation
    © 2025 Coursera Inc. All rights reserved.
    • Coursera Facebook
    • Coursera Linkedin
    • Coursera Twitter
    • Coursera YouTube
    • Coursera Instagram
    • Coursera TikTok