MSc Behavioural Science

Looking to work at the cutting edge? Our pioneering Masters in Behavioural Science for Management will provide you with an in-depth knowledge of the theory and practice of behavioural science and behavioural economics, and how this can be applied to predict the decisions of consumers, firms, citizens and regulators.

What we offer

We'll teach you how to apply behavioural science in practice. Our recent students have worked on projects with Siemens, Tesco, Keep Scotland Beautiful, Volunteer Scotland, and Iceland’s Cancer Detection Clinic. 
 
Our course motivates you to apply behavioural science to answer some of the biggest questions facing society – for example, ‘how can we improve people’s wellbeing?’, ‘how can we help people save more for the future?’, and ‘how can we foster more effective environmental behaviours?’. In addition, each year we award the Keep Scotland Beautiful Prize for Best Research in Behavioural Science relating to the Environment. 
 
We have a regular series of seminars and events where students have an opportunity to chat to leading practitioners and researchers. Each year we host a conference focusing on an aspect of Behavioural Science. In the past these have focused on the ethics of behavioural science, behavioural science and health, and behavioural science in workplace. We regularly invite world leading experts to talk at these events e.g., Aisling Ni Chonaire, Senior Analyst at the Behavioural Insights Team and graduate of the Masters course. We also aim to host a yearly reunion event (typically in April) which brings back to Stirling students and staff from the past 8 years. 
 
Our teaching staff are world-leading researchers, having published in top journals in management, economics, psychology, medicine, risk, and science generally. We are also experienced at academic-industry collaborations and have written and taught extensively on the ethics and unanticipated consequences of nudging. 
 
Our assignments challenge you to apply behavioural science in practice – you will design your own experiment, write policy briefs, and learn to moderate a Behavioural Challenge Workshop.

Industry demand for skills in behavioural science

Demand for managers with behavioural science knowledge is growing in many different industries. With our MSc Behavioural Science for Management you’ll be fully equipped to break new ground in industries such as:

• Marketing and market research: Key skills needed in marketing and market research include the ability to apply behavioural theory and methods to understand product pricings, promotion, and consumer perceptions. Part of this involves understanding the characteristics of customers, so that they can be grouped and targeted in customised ways.
• Human resources: Organisations need leaders with skills in development and design, resourcing and talent development as well as employee engagement within the HR environment.
• Survey research: High-quality survey data is always needed by governments, state agencies, and businesses. Companies delivering this service seek sophisticated survey operations skills, including knowledge of data collection modes, survey design, survey completion behaviour, formatting, quality control, and distribution.
• Business: Business and management careers now place increasing value on the capacity to apply behavioural insights to business challenges and to gather evidence using experimental methods.
• Policy: Governments now have behavioural insight teams which draw on insights from the growing body of academic research in the fields of behavioural science and psychology.

Developing business leaders of the future

Postgraduate education at the University of Stirling Management School goes beyond text books and lecture rooms, we also focus on your personal and professional development. Our teaching and assignments will equip you with the skills you need to succeed in a variety of occupations.

Our unique Flying Start Leadership Programme equips you with the awareness, knowledge and techniques essential for building a successful career. These range from practical skills, like effective public speaking, to developing ways to work under pressure in difficult situations such as conflict management. Find out more about Flying Start.

Learn from the experts

You’ll benefit from the vibrant research community within our Behavioural Science Centre, where there’s a regular programme of visiting speakers, leading academics, and policy and industry professionals. There’s also the opportunity work closely with course staff who have published in leading peer-reviewed outlets on:

• Forecasting
• Risk and how to communicate it
• Altruism
• Donating behaviour
• Survey design
• Selective Attention
• Priming, including Mortality Salience
• The optimal design of nudges
• The ethics of nudging
• The replication crisis in the social sciences

And have applied their research to an extensive set of areas including:

• health
• the environment
• finance
• food safety
• employment and HR
• insurance markets
• culture and entertainment industries

The full-time MSc Behavioural Science for Management consists of two 15-week semesters of taught modules and a three-month dissertation period.