Course Description
This graduate-level course introduces students to the core principles of behavioral economics and the cognitive biases that shape business decisions. Students will examine how heuristics, emotions, and environmental factors influence individual and organizational judgment, often producing predictable errors, and will learn to identify biases such as anchoring, confirmation bias, and loss aversion in real business scenarios. Through applied activities, students will practice decision-making frameworks and debiasing strategies, weigh the ethical and social implications of behavioral influence, and communicate evidence-based recommendations to stakeholders. The course is designed for online, asynchronous delivery and reflects the focused scope of a 1-credit MBA learning experience.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Identify and explain core behavioral economics principles and cognitive biases that impact individual and organizational business decisions.
- Analyze real-world business scenarios to detect the influence of cognitive biases and behavioral factors on decision outcomes.
- Apply practical decision-making frameworks and debiasing strategies to improve the quality of professional decisions.
- Evaluate the ethical and social implications of business decisions influenced by behavioral factors, proposing responsible solutions.
- Communicate behavioral insights and recommendations effectively to influence stakeholders and drive positive change in diverse business contexts.
Outcome Proficiency Groups
MBA 502 helps you grow in three of the five MyMBA program outcomes:
Analytics & Critical Thinking
Spot cognitive biases at work in real business scenarios and judge how they shape outcomes.
Communication & Influence
Present behavioral insights and evidence-based recommendations that move stakeholders to act.
Ethical Leadership & Social Responsibility
Weigh the ethics of behavioral influence and propose responsible ways to use it.
Where This Course Leads
The skills you build here carry forward to the MBA Capstone, where you bring all five outcome proficiency groups together to tackle a contemporary business challenge.
