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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

    • Status: Free
      Free
      E

      Erasmus University Rotterdam

      Advanced Valuation and Strategy - M&A, Private Equity, and Venture Capital

      Skills you'll gain: Strategic Decision-Making, Business Valuation, Private Equity, Mergers & Acquisitions, Game Theory, Strategic Thinking, Financial Analysis, Business Strategy, Return On Investment, Investment Banking, Cash Flows, Corporate Finance, Competitive Analysis

      Build toward a degree

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.3K reviews

      Advanced · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • G

      Genentech

      Data Science in Health Technology Assessment

      Skills you'll gain: Health Policy, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Risk Modeling, Health Assessment, Health Technology, Health Care, Statistical Modeling, Clinical Research, Medical Terminology, Systems Of Measurement

      4.4
      Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
      ·
      16 reviews

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free
      Free
      U

      University of Amsterdam

      Logic for Economists

      Skills you'll gain: Computational Logic, Logical Reasoning, Mathematics and Mathematical Modeling, Deductive Reasoning, General Mathematics

      4.4
      Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
      ·
      293 reviews

      Advanced · 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

    • U

      University of Minnesota

      Creative Problem Solving

      Skills you'll gain: Creativity, Creative Thinking, Creative Problem-Solving, Brainstorming, Cognitive flexibility, Persistence, Curiosity, Resourcefulness, Innovation, Growth Mindedness, Adaptability, Motivational Skills

      4.4
      Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
      ·
      2.4K reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • R

      Rice University

      Principles of Economics: Microeconomics - Down to Business

      Skills you'll gain: Business Economics, Market Dynamics, Economics, Game Theory, Supply And Demand, Cost Accounting, Public Policies, Market Analysis, Consumer Behaviour, Budgeting, Decision Making

      4.9
      Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
      ·
      26 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • D

      Duke University

      Introductory C Programming

      Skills you'll gain: Debugging, Maintainability, Programming Principles, Algorithms, Software Testing, Program Development, C (Programming Language), Pseudocode, Computational Thinking, Software Engineering, Simulations, System Programming, Data Structures, Software Development, Computer Programming, Command-Line Interface, Operating Systems, Development Environment, User Interface (UI), Data Import/Export

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      7.3K reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • Status: Free
      Free
      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

    • I

      IBM

      IBM IT Scrum Master

      Skills you'll gain: Software Development Life Cycle, Software Architecture, Agile Software Development, User Story, Sprint Retrospectives, Agile Methodology, DevOps, Software Design, Kanban Principles, Scrum (Software Development), Information Technology, Software Engineering, Computer Hardware, Agile Project Management, Sprint Planning, Cloud Computing, Backlogs, Cloud-Native Computing, Software Development Methodologies, Network Troubleshooting

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      9.3K reviews

      Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

    • U

      University of Virginia

      Foundations of Business Strategy

      Skills you'll gain: Business Strategy, Strategic Thinking, Competitive Analysis, Organizational Strategy, Strategic Decision-Making, Market Analysis, Analysis, Business Economics, Value Propositions

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      3.2K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • J

      Johns Hopkins University

      Design and Interpretation of Clinical Trials

      Skills you'll gain: Clinical Trials, Scientific Methods, Biostatistics, Statistical Reporting, Data Collection, Ethical Standards And Conduct, Regulatory Compliance, Sample Size Determination, Statistical Methods, Statistical Analysis

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

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free
      Free
      T

      The University of Edinburgh

      Code Yourself! An Introduction to Programming

      Skills you'll gain: Software Engineering, Video Game Development, Software Testing, Software Development, Programming Principles, Software Design, Game Design, Computer Programming, Animation and Game Design, Debugging, Computational Thinking, Algorithms

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      3.6K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    Behavioral Economics learners also search

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    1…678…73

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

    • Advanced Valuation and Strategy - M&A, Private Equity, and Venture Capital: Erasmus University Rotterdam
    • Data Science in Health Technology Assessment: Genentech
    • Logic for Economists: University of Amsterdam
    • Economics of Money and Banking: Columbia University
    • Creative Problem Solving: University of Minnesota
    • Principles of Economics: Microeconomics - Down to Business: Rice University
    • Introductory C Programming: Duke University
    • Essentials of Global Health: Yale University
    • IBM IT Scrum Master: IBM
    • Foundations of Business Strategy: University of Virginia

    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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