Courses and Curriculum

The goal of the Master of Behavioral and Decision Sciences is to equip students with practical tools for applications and a focused academic portfolio.

Students are encouraged to tailor their elective courses to fit their professional interests and objectives. MBDS students must take three elective courses to complete the program. These electives should be chosen to enhance the skills and expertise for academic and professional goals. Two electives must be from the MBDS curriculum, while the remaining elective may be taken from disciplines and schools across the University on related topics.

MBDS electives include:

• BDS 5110: Negotiation Behavior
• BDS 5310: Behavioral Science in Action: Past, Present & Future
• BDS 5550: Groups and Networks
• Students may choose to take a second course from the quantitative unit as an elective after the core course requirement is met.
• Independent Research and Special Topic Seminars: Students may pursue an Independent Research study (BDS 5991) and take Special Topic Seminars (BDS 5880, when available) during their program. These options provide great opportunities for students to strengthen their research skills and get academic mentorship.

Electives may be taken from the following Penn schools:

• The Wharton School
• School of Arts and Sciences
• Annenberg School for Communication
• School of Dental Medicine
• Stuart Weitzman School of Design
• Graduate School of Education
• School of Engineering and Applied Science
• Penn Carey Law
• Perelman School of Medicine
• School of Nursing
• School of Social Policy & Practice
• School of Veterinary Medicine

Please note: Successful registration for courses from other disciplines and schools depends on the availability of the course and the approval of its instructor. For details about courses, please visit the Penn Course Catalog.

Prerequisite courses are usually satisfied by undergraduate courses taken in advance of the MBDS program (as shown on the student's transcripts). For students who lack one or both of these prerequisites, we offer these courses to satisfy the requirement. These prerequisite courses do not count toward the nine credit units that make up the master.

Across private and public sectors, it is increasingly recognized how insights from behavioral science help in solving a variety of problems, optimizing processes, and achieving efficient outcomes. But how is this change taking place? How are businesses using behavioral insights to have a positive impact, and what type of professional from the field are they looking for?

The new Capstone course consists of two semesters where students are invited to engage in a dialogue with industry to understand the landscape of the field of behavioral science, and use the tools learned in MBDS courses to tackle specific industry problems.

Fall semester: In the first semester (fall), the Capstone will focus on Consulting with Behavioral Science, as students engage in conversation with industry leaders that will provide them with first-hand knowledge of a) how behavioral science is applied in organizations across several domains, b) why behavioral science insights and tools are becoming increasingly relevant in organizational settings, and c) what MBDS graduates can expect when they finally get to the job market. Students will use these conversations to identify, develop, and focus on their professional goals, helping them to refine their academic plans to support these goals.

Spring semester: In the spring, students embark on a Design Challenge, where, in teams, they will have a chance to use instructional and strategic input from these conversations to shape their work. Check out past Design Challenge clients by visiting the Design Challenge page.