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Behavioral Science in Business: Understanding People to Drive Results

Date(s)
November 12–14, 2025
Cost
$8,150
CIBE Credits
3
Format
In-Person
Location
Manhattanville Campus, NYC
Date(s)
April 13–15, 2026
Cost
$8,150
CIBE Credits
3
Format
In-Person
Location
Manhattanville Campus, NYC
Requirements
This program is suitable for attendees at all executive levels who will benefit and find equal value, regardless of their prior knowledge of behavioral science.
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Behavioral Science in Business: Understanding People to Drive Results

Date(s)
November 12–14, 2025
Cost
$8,150
CIBE Credits
3
Format
In-Person
Location
Manhattanville Campus, NYC
Date(s)
April 13–15, 2026
Cost
$8,150
CIBE Credits
3
Format
In-Person
Location
Manhattanville Campus, NYC

Overview

The last few years have seen an explosion in both the study and effective application of behavioral science — the science that combines applicable insights from the fields of psychology, behavioral economics, and neuroscience.

Whether you need to improve employee engagement, encourage changes in behavior of consumers, coworkers, or clients, or generate improved commercial returns — the ability to effectively, efficiently, and ethically influence people's behavior allows you to better achieve your business objectives and positively impact the bottom line.

But as organizations come to realize the impact behavioral science can make, two challenges emerge: Which of the myriad of behavioral science tools and insights will be the most useful? And how can they be used in meaningful and applicable ways to deliver measured returns on investment?

The Behavioral Science in Business program equips executives with a deep understanding of behavioral science for business and the tools to implement and measure its impact of behavioral science, using a proprietary Full Cycle Approach to Applying Behavioral Science™.

The Full Cycle Approach to Applying Behavioral Science™ is a behavior change model that sets out the specific steps organizations should undertake to benefit from leveraging behavioral science in meaningful and sustainable ways. Organizations who adopt the seven key steps outlined in this model, supported by strong leadership and only modest resources, can quickly profit from what is increasingly becoming known as the ‘behavioral revolution’.

The program has been developed in collaboration with world-leading researchers and practitioners in the field. You will be learning from some of the most noted experts, leading scholars, and best-selling authors who are leaders not just in the theory of behavioral science, but also in its practice.

“Organizations are increasingly recognizing the value of placing behavioral science — the blend of insights from psychology, economics, and neuroscience — front and center of their activities.”

Steve Martin

The Program's Faculty Director

Hear about the program from faculty director Steve Martin.

Impact

Engaging, fascinating, and challenging yet always relevant and practical, this program equips you with new insights, tools, and skills in the field of behavioral science to inform and optimize your business strategies by better understanding and influencing people's behavior — whether its consumers, coworkers, or clients. Specifically, you will walk away knowing:

  • The fundamental aspects of behavioral science all decision makers need to understand
  • A proprietary Full Cycle Approach to Applying Behavioral Science™ developed for applying the most important insights from behavioral science
  • Behavioral science insights and tools that are important to your role and your business
  • Ways to build a bridge between the theory of behavioral science and its practice, including quantifiable ways of measuring your success
  • Approaches to leveraging data analytics and precision questioning for your behavioral science strategy
  • An immediately implementable, action-orientated, and measurable plan of action

In this video, Faculty Director Steve Martin shares a real-world example for applying behavioral science where a small change lead to a pretty big difference:

Program Structure

Part 1 focuses on the essentials of behavioral science. You will be introduced to aspects of the science that you ‘need to know’ for your business and learn how to distinguish them from behavioral science aspects that are just ‘nice to know’. You will be introduced to the Full Cycle Approach to Applying Behavioral Science™ as well as the three essential models that represent the most important engines of behavioral change. You will explore how behaviors frequently come about rather than being thought about and examine the merits of changing minds over changing behaviors. You will also explore the importance of defining behaviors in a way that is understandable and makes change more likely.

“Fantastic faculty, content, and connections. I would highly recommend the program if you’d like to learn a practical approach to behavioral science.”

Travis Windling

Travis Windling

Analytics Enablement Lead at Manulife/John Hancock

“Without a doubt the best program I have ever attended. Highly recommendable.”

Jesper Ambrosius

Jesper Ambrosius

Head of LEGO Workplace Experience at The LEGO Group

“Behavioral Science has the (proven) ability to impact individuals and organizations in ways that most other contemporary approaches don't. A vital skill for any leader or manager who wants to make an impact.”

Russell Raath

Russell Raath

President at Kotter Inc.

“The course is extremely practical and useful. The method [taught in the program] gave me a systematic approach to influencing behavior and help you focus on your energy, resources, and time!”

Luis Martini

Luis Martini

CMO at Tenda

Participant Profile

The program is designed so all attendees will benefit and find equal value, regardless of their prior knowledge of behavioral science. There are no formal requirements or assignments that need to be undertaken before starting the program. However, we strongly recommend participants think about specific workplace challenges that they'd like to work on during the program and to which they plan to apply their learnings. For participants who wish to conduct some pre-reading around the subject, a recommended reading and preparation activity sheet will be available from the program director four weeks prior to the program start date.

This program will be attractive and relevant to any business or policy professional who would like to enhance their ability to influence, persuade, and produce change. Executives with a minimum of three years managerial experience will be suited for this program. Previous attendees have included general managers, marketing and brand managers, sales directors, state and federal government officials, client services directors, business development managers, HR leaders, CSR and loyalty program directors, entrepreneurs, and owner operators.

Job Function

Job Function %
General Management 37
Other 11
Finance/Accounting 10
Sales 9
Operations 9
R&D 6
Marketing 6
Administrative 6
IT 3
HR 3
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Industry

Industry %
Healthcare 8
Education 6
Finance/Accounting 18
Consulting 10
Insurance 13
Consumer Products 5
Government 5
Other 35
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Faculty

Steve Martin

Steve Martin

CEO, Influence at Work

Faculty Director
Oded Netzer, Arthur J. Samberg Professor of Business at Columbia Business School, is an expert in data-driven decision-making. He mainly researches business challenges and develops quantitative methods to guide decision-making under uncertainty.

Oded Netzer

Arthur J. Samberg Professor of Business, Columbia Business School

Stephan Meier, James P. Gorman Professor of Business at Columbia Business School, studies psychology and economics’ impact on consumer decision-making and business strategy.

Stephan Meier

James P. Gorman Professor of Business

Chair of Management Division

Participant Interviews

MedTech Innovation and Behavioral Science with Matthew Hinton

MedTech Innovation and Behavioral Science

Matthew Hinton, a medtech innovator and MBA ’03, is building a platform that uses machine learning to improve sell-side analytics in healthcare. As a participant in the Behavioral Science in Business program, he shares how the tools of behavioral science are helping him navigate stakeholder influence, overcome adoption barriers, and shape go-to-market strategies. Matthew reflects on the value of executive learning, and how the program is already changing the way he and his team drive impact.

Q&A with Inés Peralta Aguero

Unlocking Behavioral Drivers in Digital Sales

At Google, Inés Peralta Agüero leads a fast-paced sales team across Southern Europe. She joined the Behavioral Science in Business program to better understand what drives behavior. Inés shares how the experience reshaped her leadership style, coaching approach, and influence strategy.

All certificate images are for illustrative purposes only and may be subject to change at the discretion of Columbia Business School Executive Education.

FAQ

Assignments

Will there be any homework or assignments?
For select programs, there will be some assignments to complete after the end of select program sessions. Assignments will typically consist of readings, self-reflections, and brief assessments. This approach is designed to help you practice your learnings.

How long will assignments take?
We do not expect that homework assignments will take up a large amount of time to complete. 

Will there be any examinations or grades?
There will be no examinations or grades for our live online programs.

Certification

I’m interested in the Certificate in Business Excellence (CIBE), how do I get started?
At Columbia Business School Executive Education, you’ll be able to customize a unique learning experience by selecting programs that best interest you and are most suited for your needs. Any completed program, regardless of format (live online, in-person, or online), will count towards the Certificate in Business Excellence. 

Which programs qualify for the CIBE? 
Any completed executive education program, regardless of format (live-online, in-person, or online), will count towards the Certificate in Business Excellence. Partner programs will also count towards the certificate.

What programs are considered partner programs? 
Executive education programs developed and administered with our educational partners, bring the best of our combined knowledge, thought leadership, resources, and expertise. Kindly find a list of our partners here on our partnership page.

What are the costs of the certificate? 
There’s no set cost associated with the certificate path since you’re able to customize your learning journey with in-person and online programs (price will vary depending on the program type and length).

Are there any tuition assistance or scholarships? 
At Columbia Business School Executive Education, we offer non-degree and non-credit-based professional development programs to the global business community. As our programs are non-degree and non-credit, they do not qualify for financial aid.

How are CIBE credits determined? 
Credits for a program are determined by the program duration and total learning hours. 

Where do I find information on the credit value for a program?
You will find this information on each program page. Credits range from 0.5 credits – 26 credits per program. 

How do I get enrolled in the CIBE? 
Your certificate journey will start with your first program, and you have 4 years to complete your CIBE. You may register for any of our executive education programs on each program page. You may enroll using the “Enroll Now” button, and the application process should take 5-10 minutes. 

How do I receive credits? 
You are required to fully attend a program and complete all necessary coursework in order to receive CIBE credits. Credits are only awarded after you complete a program. 

How do I check the status of my Certificate completion? 
Kindly reach out to a Learning Solutions representative for any questions on the status of your CIBE credit count. 

Do CIBE credits expire? 
Credits are only valid for four years (Please note: While we are not able to offer in-person programming due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the duration to complete the programming has been extended to five years.). If you have not completed your CIBE within four years, we will only count non-expired credits towards your CIBE credit total.

Does the Certificate in Business Excellence expire? 
Your Certificate in Business Excellence does not expire. Once you become a certificate recipient, you will join the greater alumni community at Columbia Business School. 

I’ve reached 18 CIBE credits, what’s next? 
Congratulations! You should receive a digital copy of your certificate at the end of your program. If you do not receive a copy from your program manager, kindly contact your Learning Solutions representative or your program manager for next steps. 

Will I receive a physical certificate? 
Upon completion, you will receive a secure, digital certificate through Accredible. Within the platform you will have the option to print your credential, post it to your LinkedIn feed, or display it on your profile as a certification. Please contact your program manager for the status of your digital certificate. 

How do I get access to my alumni benefits? 
Once you complete your CIBE, we kindly ask for your patience as we process your alumni credentials. The processing time can take anywhere from 8 to 10 weeks long. 

Can I add the Certificate in Business Excellence to LinkedIn? 
Yes! We will provide you with instructions on how to add your certificate to your LinkedIn profile after you become a Certificate recipient. 
 

Preferred Pricing and Tuition Benefits for Alumni

Are there preferred pricing options available?
Yes, preferred pricing is available for groups of two or more. To inquire, email execed@gsb.columbia.edu.

As a Columbia Business School alumni am I eligible for tuition benefit?

When you earn a Certificate in Business Excellence you will receive a 25 percent tuition benefit for full-price Executive Education in-person programs lasting three and four days and all full-price online programs. Exclusions apply**

 

Which programs do not qualify for a 25 percent tuition benefit?

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