Behavioral Decision Science Minor
Behavioral decision science examines how people and groups make judgments and decisions, and seeks to apply insights from behavioral science to improve decision-making processes and decision outcomes for all.
Leveraging behavioral science to enhance decision-making
Would you like to build your expertise in understanding how people make decisions, and how to influence those decisions? Behavioral science reveals how people process information and make choices in social, economic, and civic contexts. Our classes build skills that will help you to recognize the cognitive biases people routinely exhibit that influence their decisions, and apply techniques for managing these limitations. You’ll also learn how to apply probabilistic thinking to evaluate everything from your own personal choices to more complex social problems, and identify incentives and social dynamics that can promote positive collective outcomes in groups. Insights from the fields of psychology, neuroscience, and economics will provide you with a strong foundation to navigate the complexities of applied decision-making, and a toolkit for ethically influencing others’ decisions to achieve better personal, professional, and societal outcomes.
Faculty Contact
Please feel free to reach out to Dr. Jill Sundie at jsundie@vt.edu with questions about BDS courses or the Minor program.
Requirements
The 18-credit hour minor in Behavioral Decision Science (BDS) includes:
9 hours of Core requirements, 6 hours of Elective courses selected from a list of options, and a 3 credit hour Capstone course.
Behavioral Decision Science minor flyer: BDS flyer
Checksheet: Online Checksheet for 2025-2026 Catalog
The new Behavioral Decision Science Minor launched in Fall 2025 is a Pathways Minor! https://www.pathways.prov.vt.edu/minors/showcase/behavioral-decision-science.html
Students will cover at least 3 of the Pathways Concept Areas by completing this Minor, as well as taking courses designated as Ethical Reasoning and Intercultural & Global Awareness in the Pathways program. The new 2025-2026 Minor also includes an expanded list of required and elective course options, and multiple Capstone course options.
2024-25 Catalog Year Minor Requirements
Planned Course offerings in 2025-2026 academic year
Fall 2025:
BDS 2005 (2 sections, T/Th 11-12:15, and 12:30-1:45)
Spring 2026:
BDS 2005 (1 section), BDS 2006 (1 section), ECON/BDS 3134 (1 section), PSYC/BDS 4194 (Capstone Class option), BDS/ECON 4864 (Capstone Class option)