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    • Decision Making

    Decision Making Courses Online

    Explore decision-making techniques for personal and professional growth. Learn to make informed and strategic decisions using data and analysis.

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    Explore the Decision Making Course Catalog

    • U

      University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

      Accounting for Business Decision Making: Measurement and Operational Decisions

      Skills you'll gain: Management Accounting, Cost Accounting, Cost Control, Accounting, Business Metrics, Operational Analysis, Product Management, Operational Efficiency, Profit and Loss (P&L) Management, Strategic Decision-Making, Operations Management, Decision Making, Financial Analysis, Cost Management, Analysis, Sales

      3.8
      Rating, 3.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      182 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • U

      University of Minnesota

      Simulation Models for Decision Making

      Skills you'll gain: Simulations, Probability Distribution, Probability, Statistics, Business Mathematics, Microsoft Excel, Operations Research, Complex Problem Solving, Business Modeling, Risk Modeling, Financial Modeling, Data Modeling, Strategic Thinking, Analysis, Statistical Analysis

      4.5
      Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
      ·
      54 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • U

      University of Colorado Boulder

      Ethical Decision Making for Success in the Tech Industry

      Skills you'll gain: Courage, Business Ethics, Ethical Standards And Conduct, Professionalism, Decision Making, Technical Management, Engineering Management, Personal Integrity, Leadership

      Build toward a degree

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      80 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Y

      Yunus Social Business Fund Bengaluru

      Value and Business Decision Making

      Skills you'll gain: Cash Flows, Financial Analysis, Decision Making, Risk Analysis, Business Valuation, Strategic Decision-Making, Environmental Social And Corporate Governance (ESG), Capital Budgeting, Stakeholder Management, Finance, Business Ethics, Return On Investment, Corporate Sustainability, Economics, Policy, and Social Studies

      4.9
      Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
      ·
      9 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • B

      Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo

      Decision Making and Governance of Natural Disaster Risk

      Skills you'll gain: Feasibility Studies, Risk Management, Risk Analysis, Project Risk Management, Risk Mitigation, Business Risk Management, Governance, Financial Analysis, Cost Benefit Analysis, Prioritization, Economic Development, Decision Making, Public Policies

      4.3
      Rating, 4.3 out of 5 stars
      ·
      43 reviews

      Advanced · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • U

      University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

      Accounting for Business Decision Making: Strategy Assessment and Control

      Skills you'll gain: Management Accounting, Performance Measurement, Organizational Strategy, Capacity Management, Cost Accounting, Financial Accounting, Budget Management, Accounting, Business Strategy, Financial Controls, Budgeting, Resource Allocation, Price Negotiation, Variance Analysis, Decision Making

      3.9
      Rating, 3.9 out of 5 stars
      ·
      112 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • U

      University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

      Exploring and Producing Data for Business Decision Making

      Skills you'll gain: Descriptive Statistics, Sampling (Statistics), Probability Distribution, Business Analytics, Statistics, Microsoft Excel, Analytics, Statistical Inference, Data Analysis, Exploratory Data Analysis, Probability & Statistics, Statistical Analysis, Histogram, Data Collection, Data Presentation, Graphing

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • U

      University of Michigan

      Data Augmented Technology Assisted Medical Decision Making

      Skills you'll gain: Healthcare Ethics, Statistical Methods, Health Care Procedure and Regulation, Patient Evaluation, Clinical Research, Data Ethics, Probability & Statistics, Health Technology, Health Informatics, Health Policy, Medical Equipment and Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML)

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: New
      New
      U

      University of Michigan

      Healthcare Quality Improvement and Decision-Making

      Skills you'll gain: Health Care Administration, Patient Safety, Leadership, Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), Health Informatics, Decision Making, Health Technology, Teamwork, Reliability, Problem Solving, Communication Strategies

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free
      Free
      U

      University of London

      Discover Acting

      Skills you'll gain: Performing Arts, Literacy, Self-Awareness, Verbal Communication Skills, Analytical Skills, Creativity, Communication, Adaptability

      4.9
      Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
      ·
      141 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • U

      University of Leeds

      Introduction to Technology-Assisted Decision-Making

      Skills you'll gain: Resource Allocation, Operations Research, Production Planning, Graph Theory, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Decision Making, Mathematical Modeling, Process Optimization, Network Planning And Design, Complex Problem Solving, Algorithms, Linear Algebra

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • I

      IBM

      IBM Business Intelligence (BI) Analyst

      Skills you'll gain: Dashboard, Data Storytelling, Data Warehousing, SQL, Database Design, MySQL, Presentations, Descriptive Statistics, Extract, Transform, Load, Business Intelligence, IBM DB2, Relational Databases, Tableau Software, Stored Procedure, Data Visualization Software, Interactive Data Visualization, Regression Analysis, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Excel Formulas, Microsoft Excel

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      14K reviews

      Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months

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    In summary, here are 10 of our most popular decision making courses

    • Accounting for Business Decision Making: Measurement and Operational Decisions: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    • Simulation Models for Decision Making: University of Minnesota
    • Ethical Decision Making for Success in the Tech Industry: University of Colorado Boulder
    • Value and Business Decision Making: Yunus Social Business Fund Bengaluru
    • Decision Making and Governance of Natural Disaster Risk: Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo
    • Accounting for Business Decision Making: Strategy Assessment and Control: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    • Exploring and Producing Data for Business Decision Making: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    • Data Augmented Technology Assisted Medical Decision Making : University of Michigan
    • Healthcare Quality Improvement and Decision-Making: University of Michigan
    • Discover Acting: University of London

    Skills you can learn in Business Essentials

    Analytics (37)
    Presentation (33)
    Modeling (29)
    Business Analytics (27)
    Language (26)
    Microsoft Excel (26)
    Writing (26)
    Speech (18)
    Plan (17)
    Business Communication (16)
    Decision-making (16)
    Leadership (15)

    Frequently Asked Questions about Decision Making

    Decision-making skills are the ability to evaluate several courses of action and choose which to take. This is an important life skill as well as a business leadership skill, since effective problem-solving requires deciding on a solution. However, making smart business decisions isn’t just about being decisive in an abstract sense.

    Effective decision-making is a skill that requires a combination of critical thinking and data analysis. In a business context, a familiarity with tools of financial analysis is especially important for decision-making, although the financial bottom line isn’t always the only factor to be considered in a careful cost-benefit analysis. For example, a growing number of companies consider corporate social responsibility principles and a “triple bottom line” approach that also looks at social and environmental costs and benefits.

    Beyond cost-benefit analyses, there are approaches informed by psychology that are used to make decisions as well as describe decision-making in the real world. Decision theory uses tools similar to game theory to analyze how decisions are affected by uncertainty, different timing between decisions and impacts, social and competitive situations, and other factors. And behavioral economics helps to understand how cognitive bias can influence decision-making, as in the case of the sunk cost fallacy which results in economically irrational decisions based on previous investments.‎

    Decision-making skills are essential for leadership positions in every field, whether chief executive officers (CEOs) of corporations, executive directors of non-profit advocacy groups, or government roles such as mayors and governors. These leaders are responsible for setting organizational goals and policies and, ultimately, making decisions on how to achieve them.

    According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, top executives earn a median pay of $104,690 per year, including a median pay of $184,460 for CEOs. This high level of compensation is a testament to the importance of savvy decision-making skills, which are in high demand in organizations of all kinds.‎

    Absolutely. Coursera lets you learn about decision-making and related topics like problem-solving, psychology, and leadership from top-ranked schools like the University of California, Irvine, the University of Michigan, and the University of Pennsylvania. And although you’ll be learning remotely, you’ll get the same course materials as on-campus students as well as opportunities to discuss these important topics in leadership with expert faculty as well as your fellow students.‎

    Everyone can benefit from learning about decision making, both in their personal and professional lives, so you may not need any previous experience or skills to study the concept. However, any type of work experience may help prepare you for your studies. Once you've worked in a field, you'll better understand why decision-making skills are important and how you can use them to advance your career or even get a new job in your field.‎

    A person who is a leader and good communicator is best suited to work in roles that involve strong decision-making skills. As a matter of fact, learning how to be a good decision maker can lead to supervisory and management positions in your field. You should also be an active listener and someone who can easily convey to other people what your thoughts and ideas are. People who are strong decision makers tend to be good analyzers, troubleshooters, problem solvers, and critical thinkers. This helps them gather the evidence they need to make a choice. Other skills needed for roles that require good decision-making skills are time management, logic, reasoning, and intuition. You'll also need to have good interpersonal skills, as well as be a good collaborator who doesn't shy away from teamwork.‎

    Decision-making studies or skills look good on any resume, so if you're looking for a new career or starting a career, learning about it may be right for you. It can also be helpful if you're looking to be promoted into a managerial position at work. Decision-making skills are very important for people in roles of leadership. If you currently work in a managerial position or any position in any field and find that you're having trouble making sound decisions at work, learning how to do so can improve your work performance. Learning it can also help you make better decisions in your personal life.‎

    This FAQ content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

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