Behavioral Economics, BS
This new collaborative field, behavioral economics, has provided an understanding of how people’s decisions deviate from “optimal” choices and the consequences of such deviations for consumers, managers, firms, and policy. This joint concentration between the Operations, Information, and Decisions Department and the Business Economics and Public Policy Department explores the behavioral aspects of economics and decision making.
This concentration provides students with the opportunity to develop an understanding of (a) the rational actor model, (b) modifications to that model that reflect the psychology of human behavior, and (c) implications of those modifications for decision-makers, markets, and public policy.
For more information: https://bepp.wharton.upenn.edu/programs/undergraduate/program-information1/behavioral-economics/
The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2025 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.
Other Wharton Requirements
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| First-Year Foundations | ||
| BEPP 1000 | Introductory Economics for Business Students 1 | 1 |
| MATH 1400 | Calculus, Part I | 1 |
| or MATH 1070 | Mathematics of change, Part I | |
| Critical Writing Seminar | 1 | |
WRIT 0020, 0110, or 0120-0990 | ||
| Business Fundamentals | ||
| Leadership Journey | ||
| WH 1010 | Business and You | 0.5 |
| WH 2010 | Business Communication for Impact | 0.5 |
| or WH 2011 | Global Business Communication for Impact | |
| MGMT 3010 | Teamwork and Interpersonal Influence | 0.5 |
| Senior Capstone | One course with attribute WUCP required 2 | 0.5 |
Please visit https://undergrad-inside.wharton.upenn.edu/senior-capstone for more information. | ||
| Fundamentals 3 | ||
| ACCT 1010 | Accounting and Financial Reporting | 1 |
| ACCT 1020 | Strategic Cost Analysis | 1 |
| BEPP 2500 | Managerial Economics (or Honors) | 1 |
| FNCE 1000 | Corporate Finance (or Honors) | 1 |
| FNCE 1010 | Monetary Economics and the Global Economy (or Honors) | 1 |
| LGST 1000 | Ethics and Social Responsibility (or Honors) | 1 |
| or LGST 1010 | Law and Social Values | |
| MGMT 1010 | Introduction To Management | 1 |
| MKTG 1010 | Introduction to Marketing (or Honors) | 1 |
| OIDD 1010 | An Introduction to Operations, Information and Decisions | 1 |
| STAT 1010 | Introductory Business Statistics (or Honors) 4 | 1 |
| or STAT 4300 | Probability | |
| or ESE 3010 | Engineering Probability | |
| STAT 1020 | Introductory Business Statistics (or Honors) | 1 |
| or STAT 4310 | Statistical Inference | |
| or ESE 4020 | Statistics for Data Science | |
| Flex Fundamentals | ||
Global Economy, Business & Society | ||
| One course unit with attribute WUGE required | 1 | |
Technology, Innovation & Analytics | ||
| One course unit with attribute WUTI required | 1 | |
| Liberal Arts & Sciences | 7 | |
Foreign Language Requirement | ||
Two semesters at the beginner level of a language other than English or demonstration of equivalent proficiency required 5 | ||
Humanities | ||
Natural Science, Math & Engineering | ||
Social Science | ||
Flexible Gen Ed | ||
Three course units of approved undergraduate coursework taken outside of Wharton required | ||
Cross-Cultural Perspectives | ||
Three course units with substantial cross-cultural content required 6 | ||
| Business Breadth | ||
| Three upper-level course units from three different Wharton departments outside of the student's concentration required. Please visit https://undergrad-inside.wharton.upenn.edu/business-breadth/ for details. | 3 | |
| Unrestricted Electives | ||
| Five course units required 7 | 5 | |
| Total Course Units | 33 | |
- 1
For students who take ECON 0100 Introduction to Micro Economics and ECON 0200 Introductory Economics: Macro in place of BEPP 1000 Introductory Economics for Business Students: one of these courses can be used to satisfy BEPP 1000 on the degree audit. The second course may be used to fulfill a Liberal Arts & Sciences or Unrestricted Elective requirement.
- 2
Beginning with capstones offered in Fall 2027, all students must complete all business fundamentals as a prerequisite for the senior capstone, in addition to the Leadership Journey courses and any other required prerequisite course(s).
- 3
Course numbers for honors business fundamentals are: BEPP 2508 Managerial Economics, FNCE 1008 Corporate Finance (Honors), FNCE 1018 Monetary Economics and the Global Economy (Honors), LGST 1008 Ethics and Social Responsibility, LGST 1018 Law and Social Values, MKTG 1018 Introduction to Marketing, STAT 1018 Introductory Business Statistics, and STAT 1028 Introductory Business Statistics.
- 4
Dual-degree students majoring in SSE (Systems Science Engineering) and EE (Electrical Engineering) must take ESE 3010 Engineering Probability and ESE 4020 Statistics for Data Science.
- 5
Courses taken at Penn that satisfy the Foreign Language requirement may double-count as Humanities or Flexible Gen Ed.
- 6
Up to one course may be on U.S. cultural diversity. Please see course attribute WUCN for a list of non-U.S. courses and WUCU for a list of U.S. courses. Two CCP course units may double-count as Humanities; Natural Science, Math & Engineering; Social Science; or Flexible Gen Ed.
- 7
Students pursuing a second concentration may apply three course units of concentration courses to Unrestricted Electives.
Behavioral Economics Concentration
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| BEPP 2200 | Behavioral Economics, Markets, and Public Policy | 1 |
| OIDD 2900 | Decision Processes | 1 |
| Complete two course units of BHEC electives | 2 | |
| American Public Policy through an Economic Lens | ||
| Risk Management | ||
| Decision Making Under Uncertainty | ||
| Behavioral Finance | ||
| Consumer Behavior | ||
| Risk Analysis and Environmental Management | ||
| Negotiations | ||
| Advanced Negotiation | ||
| Advanced Decision Systems: Evolutionary Computation | ||
| Judgment and Decisions | ||
| Other Wharton Requirements | 33 | |
| Total Course Units | 37 | |