At a Glance
Delivery Style
Live Online
Duration
3 weeks
Hours of Study
10-12/week
Fee
$995
Oct 2
Next Start Date
Nov 10
Gain insight into how the new discipline of Behavioural Insights uses behaviourally-informed, evidence-based strategies to improve programs, policies, and products in ways that encourage positive changes in consumers, citizens, and employees.
This course provides an overview of how Behavioural Insights draws on the Behavioural and Decision Sciences (including Psychology and Economics) to:
- understand the ways in which people make decisions and behave;
- design behaviourally-informed programs, policies, and products to encourage positive changes; and
- rigorously evaluate the impact of these programs, policies, and products to learn what works and for whom.
This course can be taken as a standalone, open enrolment course. It is also a required prerequisite for the Advanced Professional Certificate in Behavioural Insights. For those who successfully complete the course and are accepted into the certificate program, the $995 fee will be reduced from the total program cost.
Learning Outcomes
- Define Behavioural Insights (BI) and distinguish BI from other innovation approaches.
- Articulate the value of BI for understanding and changing behaviour.
- Explain core BI concepts, such as nudging for good, freedom of choice, and choice architecture.
- Describe how rigorous research methods can be used to diagnose and solve problems.
- Describe how an applied BI project would flow from start to finish.
- Apply an ethical framework to evaluate how BI is being used in different contexts
Earn a digital badge that highlights your competencies acquired in this course.
Learn more
Applies to the following Certificate(s)
Financial Support
This program is eligible for Financial Support, including the BIG Difference BC Scholarship: Fundamentals of Behavioural Insights.
Registration Details
Nov 10 - 30, 2025 | Live Online | $995
Nov 10, 2025
Mandatory Live Online Sessions
- Thu, Nov 13, 5 pm – 7 pm (PT)
- Thu, Nov 20, 5 pm - 7 pm (PT)
- Thu, Nov 27, 5 pm - 7 pm (PT)
Blended
A blend of in-person instructor-led sessions and live online class activities, combined with self-paced learning.
A blend of in-person instructor-led sessions and live online class activities, combined with self-paced learning.
Live Online
Real-time instructor-led interactions through scheduled live online sessions, combined with self-paced learning.
Real-time instructor-led interactions through scheduled live online sessions, combined with self-paced learning.
Online
Self-paced learning following a pre-scheduled assessment timeline including opportunities to collaborate with instructors and classmates in real-time.
Self-paced learning following a pre-scheduled assessment timeline including opportunities to collaborate with instructors and classmates in real-time.
Alumni
Brent Novikoff
Graduates of UBC’s Advanced Professional Certificate in Behavioural Insights (BI) will obtain knowledge in each step of the core BI research process, while at the same time conducting a BI project that runs in tandem with the certificate’s curriculum. This blending of theoretical education and real-world practical application, ensures graduates leave the program with the skills of a BI practitioner. The program is extremely well designed, led by passionate instructors and smoothly delivered virtually. The Fundamentals of Behavioural Insights prerequisite course is great standalone introduction to BI and serves as an ideal way to discover for yourself if the full certificate program is right for you. I would highly recommend this program.
Martina Valkovicova
I would recommend the Fundamentals of Behavioural Insights course to anybody interested in human behaviour and decision making. Kirstin Appelt was a great instructor, the participants were from very diverse backgrounds which made the peer learning fantastic, and the discussion and readings provided so many useful insights and food for thought. The course only reinforced my interest to apply to the Advanced Professional Certificate in Behavioural Insights. I could immediately think of multiple projects we could test in our line of work (providing career support to business students).
Profile
Trish Kelly (she/her)
Fundamentals of Behavioural Insights was a great introduction to a new lens I’ll take into my work as a consultant and change practitioner. Anyone whose work centres on encouraging people to make better decisions for themselves, their communities, or the planet, needs to add the Behavioural Insights lens to their toolbox. Kirstin Appelt was a generous and knowledgeable instructor. I appreciated the sample readings and group discussions. I left each class inspired and wanting to learn more. I look forward to continuing to deepen my knowledge of behavioural science and hope I can take the certificate program in the near future.