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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

    • S

      Stanford University

      International Women's Health and Human Rights

      Skills you'll gain: Community Development, Maternal Health, Child Health, Health Equity, Social Justice, Socioeconomics, Human Services, Advocacy, Education and Training, International Relations, Cultural Diversity, Law, Regulation, and Compliance, Geriatrics, Economics, Health Policy

      4.9
      Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.7K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 3 - 6 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University at Buffalo

      Energy Production, Distribution & Safety

      Skills you'll gain: Electrical Substation, Electrical Power, Electric Power Systems, Electrical Systems, Environmental Regulations, Energy and Utilities, Basic Electrical Systems, Electrical Safety, Safety Training, Electrical Equipment, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Low Voltage, Hazard Communication (HazCom), Environment Health And Safety, Workforce Development, Economics, Construction, Project Design, Environment, Environmental Engineering

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      11K reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • E

      Emory University

      The Addicted Brain

      Skills you'll gain: Pharmacology, Mental and Behavioral Health, Human Learning, Neurology, Behavioral Health, Socioeconomics, Vulnerability, Health Policy, Laboratory Research, Public Health

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      2.2K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • C

      Columbia University

      Economics of Money and Banking

      Skills you'll gain: International Finance, Derivatives, Financial Systems, Balance Sheet, Financial Market, Payment Systems, Banking, Capital Markets, Economics, Market Liquidity, Financial Regulation, Finance, Market Dynamics

      4.9
      Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.7K reviews

      Mixed · Course · 3 - 6 Months

    • Y

      Yale University

      Essentials of Global Health

      Skills you'll gain: Health Disparities, Health Systems, Public Health, Epidemiology, Infectious Diseases, Chronic Diseases, Health Policy, Environment Health And Safety, Maternal Health, Injury Prevention, Nutrition and Diet, Child Health

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      2.2K reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of Virginia

      Digital Transformation

      Skills you'll gain: Digital Transformation, Business Transformation, Product Lifecycle Management, Technology Strategies, Corporate Strategy, Business Strategy, Business Economics, Business Technologies, Emerging Technologies, Market Dynamics, Process Development, Innovation

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      6.3K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of Colorado System

      School Health for Children and Adolescents

      Skills you'll gain: Autism Spectrum Disorders, Individualized Education Programs (IEP), Special Education, Nutrition Education, Community Health, School Psychology, Chronic Diseases, Student Support and Services, Nutrition and Diet, School Counseling, Public Health, Public Health and Disease Prevention, Mental and Behavioral Health Specialties, Care Management, Child Health, Patient Evaluation, Care Coordination, Disabilities, Medical Emergency, Social and Human Services

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      3.4K reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of Pennsylvania

      Effective Compliance Programs

      Skills you'll gain: Compliance Training, Compliance Management, Regulatory Compliance, Compliance Reporting, Compliance Auditing, Internal Communications, Procedure Development, Continuous Monitoring, Culture Transformation, Disciplinary Procedures, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Ethical Standards And Conduct, Psychology

      4.9
      Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
      ·
      799 reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of Geneva

      Understanding Financial Markets

      Skills you'll gain: Financial Market, Capital Markets, Portfolio Management, Investments, Market Dynamics, Equities, Financial Policy, Economics, Banking, Asset Management, Risk Management, Financial Analysis

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      5.8K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • J

      Johns Hopkins University

      Design and Interpretation of Clinical Trials

      Skills you'll gain: Clinical Trials, Scientific Methods, Medical Science and Research, Biostatistics, Data Collection, Ethical Standards And Conduct, Regulatory Compliance, Sample Size Determination, Statistical Methods, Statistical Analysis, Statistical Hypothesis Testing

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      4.3K reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • U

      Universidade de São Paulo

      Econometria Básica Aplicada

      Skills you'll gain: Econometrics, Regression Analysis, Statistical Inference, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Correlation Analysis, Statistical Analysis, Economics, Time Series Analysis and Forecasting, Probability & Statistics, Quantitative Research, Mathematical Modeling

      4.5
      Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
      ·
      168 reviews

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free Trial
      Free Trial
      U

      University of Amsterdam

      Basic Statistics

      Skills you'll gain: Descriptive Statistics, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Sampling (Statistics), Probability Distribution, Correlation Analysis, Probability, Statistical Inference, Regression Analysis, Sample Size Determination, Statistics, Scientific Methods

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      4.6K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

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    1…789…73

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

    • International Women's Health and Human Rights: Stanford University
    • Energy Production, Distribution & Safety: University at Buffalo
    • The Addicted Brain: Emory University
    • Economics of Money and Banking: Columbia University
    • Essentials of Global Health: Yale University
    • Digital Transformation: University of Virginia
    • School Health for Children and Adolescents: University of Colorado System
    • Effective Compliance Programs: University of Pennsylvania
    • Understanding Financial Markets: University of Geneva
    • Design and Interpretation of Clinical Trials: 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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