Psychology: How the Brain Influences Behavior
Psychology touches nearly every industry, from healthcare and education to product design, marketing, and social media. This course grounds you in the science behind human behavior, covering neuroscience, perception, memory, learning, and social psychology, then shows you how those concepts apply to real-world problems and professional settings. If you're curious whether a psychology-related career fits your direction, this is a smart way to find out before investing in a full program of study.
Program Dates
Multi-length courses available throughout the year
Eligibility
For students ages 18 and up
College Credit Course Fees
$3,995
Enrichment Course Fees
$1,895
What's the Difference Between Our College Credit and Enrichment Courses?
Both enrichment and college credit–bearing options feature engaging online lessons and instructional support. College credit–bearing courses include additional coursework and offer the opportunity to earn academic credit upon successful completion. Some course content overlaps across both options, so students are encouraged to choose the format that best aligns with their academic or professional goals.
College Credit Courses$3,995
Length of Course: Multi-length course options
Instruction & Activities: 128 hours
Grading: Letter grade
On Your Own Schedule: ✔️
Academic Support: ✔️
Final Project: ✔️
College Credit Hours: ✔️
Certificate of Completion: Georgetown Transcript
Enrichment Courses$1,895
Length of Course: 1-, 2-, or 4-weeks
Instruction & Activities: 20-30 hours
Grading: Pass/Fail
On Your Own Schedule: ✔️
Academic Support: ✔️
Final Project: ✔️
College Credit Hours:❌
Certificate of Completion:✔️
The Science Behind Human Behavior
What Psychologists Actually Do
Learn how psychologists investigate human behavior using the scientific method, and get hands-on experience designing your own experiment. This module sets the foundation for thinking critically about the research and data behind psychological claims.
The Brain, Rewards, and What Drives Behavior
Examine how the brain's reward system shapes motivation, and explore the effects of reinforcement, punishment, and drugs on behavior. These neuroscience fundamentals are directly applicable to careers in clinical psychology, counseling, public health, and psychopharmacology.
How Design Shapes the Way You See the World
Discover how perception and attention influence the way people interact with products, systems, and environments. This is the psychology behind user experience, product design, and human factors engineering, fields where demand for behavioral insight is growing fast.
The Science of Learning and Memory
Explore how the brain forms, stores, and retrieves memories, and identify the factors that strengthen or disrupt learning. This module connects to careers in education, cognitive science, neuropsychology, and workplace training and development.
Your Brain on Social Media
Examine the psychological need to belong and how social interaction activates the brain's reward pathways, then evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of online communities and social media. These insights are increasingly relevant to roles in digital wellness, behavioral research, and tech ethics.
Where Psychology Can Take Your Career
Survey the professional paths psychology opens up, from clinical practice and counseling to UX research, human factors, social work, and behavioral science. Assess how the skills and knowledge from this course align with your goals.
What You Gain From This Experience
- Grounding in the science of human behavior, from neurobiology and the reward system to perception, memory, and social psychology.
- Practical exposure to how psychological principles apply in product design, digital environments, learning, and everyday decision-making.
- Awareness of career paths in clinical psychology, counseling, UX research, human factors, education, and behavioral science.
- Experience applying psychological science to real scenarios through a Final Capstone Project.
- A Certificate of Completion from Georgetown University upon successful completion of the course.
What Sets This Program Apart
A Capstone Project With Real-World Relevance
- Set two personal goals rooted in psychological principles and develop a plan for implementing one new habit and removing another.
- Present your strategy in a multimedia format that demonstrates how course concepts translate into real behavioral change.
Instructional Guidance And Mentorship
- Receive feedback from course mentors as you work through experiments, assignments, and your Final Capstone Project.
- Sharpen your ability to think critically about human behavior through guided review of both written and presentation-based work.
Flexible Learning With Clear Expectations
- Engage with online coursework designed to fit alongside your current academic, professional, or personal commitments.
- Complete assignments and the Final Capstone Project on a predictable timeline that supports independent planning.
Apply Now for the Next Available Course
Course Designed by Georgetown University Faculty
Dr. Paul Merritt, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor of Psychology
Dr. Merritt earned a doctorate in Cognitive Psychology with a cognitive neuroscience specialization from Colorado State University. He taught online psychology courses in psychopharmacology and cognitive psychology for 10 over years. His expertise included visual perception and visual attention, gender, hormones, and cognition, as well as applied cognitive psychology.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How will you be graded? What are assignments like? How much time do you have to turn around a project? When do you find out if you’re admitted? Find answers to your questions here.
Answers to Your Questions HereScholarships
We offer need-based scholarships for participating students who exhibit high potential and an inability to pay the full tuition.
- If you haven’t applied to the program, apply here. After submitting your application, click “Apply for a need-based scholarship” on the confirmation page to request a scholarship.
- If you’ve already applied to the program, sign in to your profile to check your scholarship status. If we don’t have a scholarship request on file, click “Apply for a need-based scholarship” to request a scholarship.