Social and Decision Sciences
Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Economics
The interdisciplinary field of Behavioral Economics integrates perspectives from Economics and Psychology to understand and predict human behavior in economic contexts.
There has been an explosion of interest from government agencies to incorporate the insights from behavioral economics into the design of public policy and all types of organizations are increasingly relying on behavioral economics to improve their organizational effectiveness and profitability.
The Department of Social and Decision Sciences’ (SDS) exceptional faculty in Behavioral Economics is at the forefront of research and teaching in this field and regularly consult with government and business on topics such as the impact of predatory lending practices on public welfare, how to design institutional practices to reduce the biases of stock traders, the design of interventions to motivate employees, how the government can increase participation in social service programs, interventions to increase patients’ compliance with medication, and how businesses can reduce inequality in the workplace. Faculty bring this expertise and experience into the classroom to train students how to solve problems important to government and organizations.
Students in BE—the first and only major of its kind—will be uniquely trained in the integration of Economics and Psychology and will have a solid grounding in quantitative methods. The core includes courses in economics, psychology, behavioral economics, and quantitative methods. SDS offers the largest selection of behavioral economics courses anywhere in the world. Applied projects in courses will teach students how to collect original data, design field and laboratory experiments, analyze data, and develop interventions to improve economic outcomes and decisions. Students will be well equipped to enter a wide range of professions and graduate degree programs.
For specific curriculum requirements, please see the .
Learning outcomes for Behavioral Economics
- Use formal theories of decision-making from economics and psychology to understand and predict human behavior
- Apply an interdisciplinary understanding of behavior to analyze the design of public policies and business strategies
- Apply cutting-edge empirical methodology to test theories of decision-making and to evaluate behavioral interventions
- Identify and implement strategies and policies that can affect change in organizations and in society at large
- Display effective written and spoken communication about decision science ideas, theories, and phenomena