Click here to listen to the Certificate Program announcement from The Brainy Business!
✔️Want to understand your customers better?
✔️Looking to increase the effectiveness in your marketing, pricing, eCommerce, and brand?
✔️Are you ready for that edge that will help you stand out from the crowd?
If you answered, “Yes” to any of those questions, the Certificate in Applied Behavioral Economics from the Texas A&M University Human Behavior Laboratory is for you.
Why Behavioral Economics
Business as we know it is changing rapidly. Constant innovations and discoveries in behavioral science are making the way we used to market, communicate, design products, and research obsolete. “Behavioral Scientist” was named by Bloomberg News as the top job for this decade – without the proper training businesses find it harder and harder to compete.
Unlike other behavioral science programs, which are catered to researchers and academics, the Texas A&M University Human Behavior Lab developed a curriculum for working professionals looking to get that edge in business.
About the Certificate
The Certificate in Applied Behavioral Economics will provide you with the tools to help you understand your customers better, increase customer satisfaction, and increase your profits. This unique program makes the latest research accessible, relatable, and understandable for any industry and role, from the C-suite to the entrepreneur.
Our program runs on a university semester model. We have three semesters per year that start: Fall (mid-September), Spring (mid-January) and Summer (early June). Enrollment begins a few weeks before the semester starts. Each semester runs for 10 weeks. We also sometimes offer between semester condensed courses called mini-mesters. Enrollment for mini-mesters begin in early November and early May.
Each course in the program is taught by an expert in their field (including Dr. Marco Palma, Melina Palmer, host of The Brainy Business Podcast, and Will Leach, author of Marketing to Mindstates). You will interact online with your classmates and have weekly virtual office hours with your instructors to ensure you are mastering the course material. The curriculum is designed to engage and challenge while balancing a busy lifestyle.
Courses and Fees
As a new program in a fast-evolving field, we will regularly create and launch new courses (some inspired by student request!). To earn the certificate, students must complete 6 courses (3 required + any 3 electives or 2 electives and 2 condensed “mini-mester” courses). For the core course, you have your choice of taking either Experimental Design for Business or Advanced Concepts of Behavioral Economics. The required and elective courses cost approximately $750 per course while the condensed mini-mester courses cost $400 per class. There are no application, registration, or any other fees associated with this program. Courses in the certificate program include:
CORE (required)
- Foundations of Behavioral Economics
- Advanced Concepts of Behavioral Economics (BEGINS JAN. 10)
- Internal Communication & Change Management (BEGINS JAN. 10)
Electives
- Behavioral Economics for Business
- Behavioral Marketing (ENROLL NOW)
- Pricing Strategy & Product Development
- Advanced Concepts of Behavioral Economics
Condensed Courses (You may replace 1 Elective with 2 of the below)
- E-commerce
- Setting Brainy Goals (BEGINS NOV. 29 – Dec. 22)
- Creating BEtter Presentations
Ready To Get Started?
Enrollment for the fall semester opens the last week of August and courses will begin mid-September.
You may take up to 2 courses per semester.
For more information, contact the program manager at HBL@TAMU.EDU
➡️ FAQs ⬅️
How many courses do you need to finish to receive the certificate?
To earn the certificate, students must complete 6 courses – 3 required courses and any 3 electives or 2 electives and 2 condensed courses.
Do you have to complete the program or can I just take individual courses?
There is no requirement to complete the entire program. Students can choose to take any course that interests them.
How are the courses taught?
This program is entirely online so students from around the world can participate. One aspect that makes this course unique is that it is the lecture is prerecorded so you can listen whenever you wish. Students can choose to attend the virtual office hours and interact with fellow students and the instructor or they can watch the recorded discussion later. The course is pass/fail with the majority of graded material being posted discussions with your class cohorts.
Do you have to take the courses in any particular order?
No, there is no set schedule but it is highly recommended to complete the Foundations of Behavioral Economics as soon as possible because a lot of that material runs throughout the program.
How many courses can I take at a time?
We want to ensure that students take time and learn the material deeply so we limit students to taking up to two-courses per semester. There are opportunities to take shorter condensed courses in between semesters.
How long do you have to complete the certificate program?
Most students can complete the program in one year if they take two courses per semester. However, this is a self-paced program and we do not have a set time period although we suggest faster completion to ensure the course material remains at the forefront of your mind.
Are the course credits transferable to either a Bachelor’s or Master’s program?
No. Courses offered through CPED.tamu.edu are non-credit bearing courses. These are offered as opportunities to learn new skills and enhance job performance and to assist numerous professional licensing and accrediting bodies that require continuing education as a provision for the preservation of good standing in their industry.
How long are the courses?
Typically, the Required and Elective course are 10-weeks long, while the condensed course is 4-weeks long.
Can you drop a course once it has started?
Yes, you can drop any required or elective course before the second week of class for a full refund. You will receive a 50% refund between weeks two and five.
What is Human Behavior Laboratory?
The Human Behavior Laboratory at Texas A&M University is one of the largest biometrics lab in the academic world, bringing together a transdisciplinary team of leading researchers and advanced technology to deliver insights never before produced at this scale and speed. From marketing and education to nutrition and economics, biometric research applies to a wide range of disciplines. When you understand how people make decisions, you can be better prepared to help them make better ones. Individuals can make better life choices about their health, finances, relationships, what they buy, and how they manage risk. Businesses can increase product recognition and sales if they know what customers really want and how to reach them. Health providers can increase patient compliance and success by understanding how to motivate patients to develop self-control and adopt healthy behaviors.
Questions? Contact the program manager at HBL@TAMU.EDU
Ready to Enroll? Select a course above–we look forward to seeing you in class soon!