Behavioural Science in Consumers and Markets

How can understanding human behavioural patterns can give your organisation a competitive edge?

How and why do we make certain decisions? Individual decision-making affects markets and organisations. Develop a toolkit that will enable you to have better personal decision-making, better design of products and services, and more effective workplaces.

In this Postgraduate Award, you'll develop an understanding of how individuals make general decisions, including how individuals within your organisation make decisions, and how you make decisions. You will be introduced to a range of theoretical perspectives around individual decision-making and evaluation. Through real-world case studies, you'll learn to apply these theories and concepts to better understand how people develop their preferences and to improve individuals’ decision-making. You'll explore how core theories apply to consumer purchasing decisions, shape large markets and how behavioural science insights can be used to shape consumer choice.

Start Date 5 March 2024
Duration 4 days
Location London - The Shard
Format Part-time
Fees £4,200 *

* See fees and funding for fees breakdown.

Duration

This Postgraduate Award will run across four days of face-to-face teaching at our London base in The Shard, with a six week window to complete your assignments.

Structure

Day one: Explore the fundamental frameworks for thinking about the human mind, how we perceive value, decide upon our actions and make our decisions.
Day two: You will explore how the limitations of our attention and information processing capabilities leads to biases in decision making an planning.
Day three: Using financial decision making as a lens, you'll examine how people respond to risk, reward, losses, and unpredictability.
Day four: Understand the way the human mind makes decisions through comparisons and judgements, and how that can impact the wider world.

During the course you will explore many case studies to apply theoretical thinking to real-life practice. To support and consolidate your knowledge, there are two assignments: a reflective essay and a case study.

"This Postgraduate Award will help you gain a better understanding of how people make decisions. In particular, how individuals judge and compare different products, services, investments, and even other people or employees. It looks at the types of biases that individuals exhibit and techniques that can be used as a result."

Tim Mullett Course Director

What will you learn?

You will be able to explain and critically evaluate core theories of human behaviour and decision-making
Develop your personal decision-making skills
Apply behavioural science insights and theory to your organisation, allowing you to predict the preferences of consumers and investors, shape consumer choices and develop product marketing that will appeal to consumers
Understand how behavioural insights can explain larger patterns within markets such as financial investments
Apply theories and concepts to your business practices, helping to develop a more effective work environment by reducing the impact of irrational biases of individuals within your organisation.

Benefits to you and your business

Applied learning - Each Postgraduate Award provides knowledge, tools and strategies to take straight back to the workplace. Assignments directly link what is learnt in the classroom to your organisation.
Flexible on time - This Postgraduate Award will run across four days of face-to-face teaching at our London base in The Shard, with a six week window to complete your assignments.
Flexible on finance - You can pay for each Postgraduate Award individually, allowing you to build up to higher awards gradually, when budget allows.

Start Date 5 March 2024
Duration 4 days
Location London - The Shard
Format Part-time
Fees £4,200 *

* See fees and funding for fees breakdown.

Qualifications Available

Postgraduate Award

Postgraduate Awards (PGAs) can be a great way back into higher education if you haven’t studied for a while.

Through a concentrated period of study you will rapidly delve into a subject area and develop projects to apply directly to your organisation.

They can enhance your working practice or prepare you to make the change you want to see in your career.

This qualification is accredited by the University of Warwick.

View our Subject Specific Postgraduate Awards

Postgraduate Certificate

Successful completion of three Postgraduate Awards will grant you a Postgraduate Certificate.

It is ideal if you aren't sure whether you want to take your studies onto the Executive Diploma level, but want to make your mark with an accredited qualification from the University of Warwick, and enhance your CV.

View our Subject Specific Postgraduate Awards

Executive Diplomas

Successful completion of four themed Postgraduate Awards, plus an assessed Project Module (40 credits), will grant you an Executive Diploma in one of our specialist subject areas.

You can complete your Executive Diploma in just over one year, through four modules each studied over four days. If you need to, you have up to five years to complete your Executive Diploma. This is an accredited qualification, awarded by the University of Warwick.

View our Subject Specific Executive Diploma Pathways

Design your own Executive Diploma

You can completely tailor your qualification by completing any four Postgraduate Awards from our selection of subject areas below, plus the assessed Project Module (40 credits) to gain an Executive Diploma in Advanced Management.

If you need to, you have up to five years to complete your Executive Diploma.

This is an accredited qualification, awarded by the University of Warwick.

View the Executive Diploma in Advanced Management