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 four 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 two electives may be taken from disciplines and schools across the University on related topics.

MBDS electives include:

• BDS 5110: Negotiation Behavior
• BDS 5550: Groups and Networks
• BDS 5850: Consulting in Behavioral Science
• Independent Research Studies and Special Topic Seminars: Students may pursue an Independent Research Study (IRS) and take Special Topic Seminars (STS) 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.

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 Experience 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), students will 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.

Students in the Master of Behavioral and Decision Sciences program are eligible to use electives to complete the Graduate Certificate in Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (SCAN). The four required courses provide a strong foundation in neuroscience for non-scientists, emphasizing the aspects of neuroscience that are most relevant to understanding human behavior. If you are interested in this certificate, please contact penn-scan@sas.upenn.edu.