By learning behavioural insights knowledge and skills, you can draw on the behavioural and decision sciences to create ethical, behaviourally-informed, evidence-based solutions that have a positive impact on individuals, communities, organizations, and/or the planet.
UBC offers two BI programs geared toward working professionals across sectors:
- Fundamentals of Behavioural Insights: This 3-week online course introduces BI, experimentation, and ethics.
- Advanced Professional Certificate in Behavioural Insights: This 9-month online program combines coursework and a capstone project to provide rigorous BI practitioner training.
Upcoming Webinars
Curious to learn about these programs as well as scholarships and other financial support options? Join one of our upcoming free webinars:
- [Open to BC Public Servants only] Tues., March 11, from 12-1pm Pacific:
Program director Kirstin Appelt will be joined by a panel of program alumni in the BC Public Service to talk about UBC’s BI programs and about using BI in the BCPS. Register to attend by emailing BIG@gov.bc.ca. - [Open to all] Thurs., Mar. 13, from 12-1pm Pacific:
Program director Kirstin Appelt and program alum Lindsay Miles-Pickup will provide a brief intro to BI and an overview of UBC’s BI programs. Register to attend.
What is Behavioural Insights?
BI combines an understanding of how we all make decisions plus rigorous research methods to tackle a variety of problems from sustainability to compliance to employee engagement and beyond. By developing your BI skills and knowledge, you can make evidence-based policy and product decisions to increase your strategic impact.
What BI Programs does UBC offer?
Learn how to add a BI lens to how you approach problems by enrolling in UBC’s Fundamentals of Behavioural Insights course.
- This three-week, live online course provides an introduction to behavioural insights, experimentation, and ethics.
- This course is next offered Apr. 21-May 11 on Thursday evenings 5-7pm Pacific. This will be the last offering before the deadline for applications for the 2025-2026 cohort in the Advanced Professional Certificate in Behavioural Insights.
Learn how to develop and test appropriate BI solutions for different challenges by applying for UBC’s Advanced Professional Certificate in Behavioural Insights.
- The certificate is rigorous BI Practitioner training that combines live online coursework and a capstone project to help you develop your BI knowledge and skills.
- The program runs September-May each year. The early-bird deadline for the 2025-2026 cohort is April 30.
- Please note that Fundamentals of Behavioural Insights is required prerequisite for the Advanced Professional Certificate; you must complete Fundamentals to successfully complete your certificate application.
What do alumni say?
“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).”
Martina Valkovicova
Fall 2024
Assistant Dean, Hari B. Varshney Business Career Centre, UBC Sauder School of Business
“The Advanced Professional Certificate in Behavioural Insights proved to be an invaluable learning experience. I was uncertain about what to expect, but I quickly discovered that the program exceeded my expectations in every aspect. The professors were not only knowledgeable, but incredibly supportive and engaging, fostering an enriching learning environment. Working on the capstone project allowed me to collaborate with an interdisciplinary group of professionals, which significantly enhanced my understanding of Behavioural Insights. The knowledge and skills I acquired during this program have helped immensely, both in my work in marketing strategy, and in my ongoing studies.”
Anne Mburu
Class of 2023
Independent Contractor, Marketing Strategy in Mental Health & Wellness