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About the Program
The MA program in Behavioral Economics is a joint program of the Tiomkin School of Economics and Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology. The aim of the program is to provide students with theoretical and applied knowledge in psychology, economics, and public policy. The program relies on the strong historical link between these three disciplines; its goal is to train behavioral economists and give them practical tools and hands-on experience with state-of-the-art policies and interventions aimed at improving decision-making processes.
The program is taught in English, by leading classical and behavioral economists. Our faculty members are doing cutting-edge and innovative research in behavioral economics, alongside their work in the field. The cooperation between the School of Economics and the School of Psychology creates a unique interdisciplinary program. We invite you to join us on a fascinating and enriching experience.
Program Highlights
- The program is designed for students from Israel and abroad who are passionate about human behavior, and motivated to lead social changes and to help individuals and organizations better manage their lives. Suitable candidates may come from a range of academic backgrounds, including psychology, economics, sociology, law, computers, and more.
- The program includes a research track (thesis) and nonthesis track (final project). Students must select their preferred track by the end of the 4th mini semester.
- Applicants can have a bachelor’s degree in any field, and must have a grade point average of at least 80.
- 9 mini semesters (6 weeks each) over the course of two academic years.
- The program offers behavioral economics internships for top students.
- Courses will be given 2 days a week: Sundays and Fridays.
For more information on the Thesis click here
*In Mini semester 1 only, the school day will start at 13:00 on Sundays.
What Are You Going To Study?
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Prerequisite Courses
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Dr. Carolina Silva
This course aims to familiarize students with methods of data analysis in economics and advanced issues in econometrics. Students will be exposed to state-of-the-art statistical techniques and will learn how they can be applied when analyzing issues of social concern and public policy.
Core Courses
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Dr. Ron Lazer
This course provides theoretical and practical tools to analyze financial information, primarily information in financial statements, for the purpose of making investment decisions. The primary focus is on equity (share) valuation, with some attention given to credit analysis and the valuation of debt.
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Dr. Amitay Kauffmann
This course aims to impart a critical perspective of, and an empirical familiarity with, the range of methods available to behavioral researchers. The course will overview advanced and state-of-the-art research methods in the fields of behavioral economics, psychology, and decision making.
Advanced and Applied Courses
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Dr. Ariel Tikotsky
The practicum seminar introduces students to concepts and practices expected of them during their practicum experience and their professional lives. The seminar will set the ground for the actual work, with classes focusing on methodologies, best practices and case studies, and simulations.
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Dr. Guy Hochman
During the course, we will present different approaches to interventions, debiasing techniques, and environmental designs aimed at encouraging people to make optimal, moral, and pro-social decisions. Students will work in groups to propose different behavioral interventions designed to solve key societal issues.
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Prof. Shimon Kogan
This course investigates how individuals and firms make financial decisions, specifically savings and investment decisions, how these decisions deviate from the rational benchmark, and how these decisions impact financial markets. Policies and regulations to improve and transform these decisions will be discussed.
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Prof. Yona Rubinstein
Taking advantage of recent research papers published in top outlets, this course focuses on how to formulate questions of interest in an econometric model, estimate the parameters of interest using a state-of-the-art menu of econometric methods, and structurally interpret the estimates using these tools.
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Prof. Dan Zakay
Most economic models adopt a normative approach to decision-making, focused on how one should optimally make decisions. By contrast, this course takes a descriptive approach focused on how people actually make decisions. The aim of the course is to improve the ability of students to predict and influence the behavior of others, by understanding how other people make decisions.
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Dr. Yair Friedman
The Sharing Economy is one of the fastest growing business trends in history. In its digital form, Sharing Economy is a relatively new social-economic phenomenon made possible by the ubiquity of smart phones, inefficiency of ownership, and the establishment of trust among communities and networks. This course examines the design of various platforms and markets, and introduces this phenomenon and its antecedents, characteristics, and outcomes. It also presents a wide variety of related issues, such as complementary currencies, circular economy, and servicing.
Final Project & Thesis
- For the entire list of courses please refer to the Student Handbook
- Students are required to take 43 credits and to submit a final project or thesis; 39 credits are required courses and 4 credits are elective courses.
- The academic administration of Reichman University reserves the right to make changes to the curriculum.