BAS5525 Advanced understanding of behaviour and decision making
Faculty of Science
BAS5525 Advanced understanding of behaviour and decision making is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Science, offered in 2026 in Semester 2 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 2
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 3 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before BAS5525
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After BAS5525
No unit lists BAS5525 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
COREQUISITE: You must be enrolled in a Monash Master’s degree or the Graduate Certificate of Behaviour Change to undertake this unit.
Overview
Human behaviour is complex. Shaped by current and emerging social and environmental factors, behaviour is also rooted in evolved and instinctive ways of functioning. To strengthen and expand your understanding of human behaviour for change, this unit delves deep into the latest theories and thinking about why, when, and how behaviours occur. The unit considers behaviour from various lenses and schools of thought, and draws on key theory and understanding from disciplines such as psychology, sociology, and behavioural economics.
You will learn about a range of constructs and theoretical frameworks around behavioural drivers and barriers, and the influence of personal, social, and environmental factors on behaviour, such as personality, culture, and context. You will explore and apply practical decision-making frameworks that take into account how people behave, and grapple with key questions and arguments around why and how certain behavioural interventions work. Finally, you will be introduced to emerging topics in behavioural science and behaviour change, including behavioural spill-over, behavioural contagion, resistance to change, and the role of groups and social movements as catalysts for change.
You will understand the importance of applying an evidence-based approach to advancing knowledge in behavioural science, develop an attitude and mindset towards decision-making that values rigour, clarity and precision, actively critique existing and emerging theories and models, and contribute to dialog around future theoretical advancements and applications
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Second semester | Clayton | Online ev |
| Second semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Learning portfolioPortfolio40%
- Critical reviewWritten50%
- ReflectionWritten10%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Describe the theoretical, methodological, and practical approaches to how we understand and conceptualise human behaviour and how it changes, from a range of disciplines, lenses and perspectives;
- 2
Critically evaluate and synthesise relevant theories seeking to explain why, when, and how behaviour does or does not occur, in the context of behaviour change;
- 3
Critically appraise how research evidence on advanced and emerging themes of human behaviour has been conducted, reported, and applied in context;
- 4
Effectively communicate scientific ideas and findings in both persuasive and non-persuasive formats to diverse audiences;
- 5
Participate in cutting-edge discourse about behaviour and decision-making with experts in the field.
Workload and teaching
- Workshops24 hours
- Teaching approachEnquiry-based learning
- Teaching approachOnline learning
- Teaching approachProblem-based learning
- Teaching approachPeer assisted learning
- Teaching approachActive learning
- Teaching approachCase-based teaching
In total, you can expect to commit a total of ~144 hours of work across the teaching period.
- 2 hours of synchronous workshops per week, delivered on-campus, or online in the evenings
- You will also engage in 10 hours of independent study per week or equivalent, including asynchronous study using Moodle; divided approximately into 6 hours of engagement with materials and 4 hours towards assignments.
Throughout the unit, and in response to a set problem or case study, you will develop a set of questions for enquiry, engage in an investigation of current evidence, develop a set of hypotheses based on evidence, discuss with each other, gather feedback, and reflect.
This unit will be enriched with a comprehensive set of reading materials, videos, and case scenarios prepared for independent online learning. These materials will complement and support the activities to be completed in the weekly workshops, and will offer accessible access to key content to be used for assessment.
Throughout the unit, you will apply your learning to a variety of problems, contexts, and challenges.
You will bring a diverse range of experiences and perspectives to your learning, to share with others during workshops and the collaborative learning portfolio, and from which to learn vicariously. There will also be many opportunities for collaborative learning during this unit, which will involve peer assisted learning.
Throughout the unit, you will complete a variety of synchronous and asynchronous activities and participate in interactive forums that will facilitate engagement with the learning material, and enable collaboration with other learners.
Theories, frameworks, methods and tools taught will be illustrated through real-life case scenarios. The intention of these scenarios is to bring the theory to life, to demonstrate its practical application, and to empower you in the use of these theories and tools.
Where it fits
BAS5525 is part of 1 area of study in the 2026 handbook.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Professor Liam Smith
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Filia Garivaldis
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for BAS5525?
BAS5525 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is BAS5525 offered?
In 2026, BAS5525 runs in Semester 2 at Clayton.
How much work is BAS5525?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does BAS5525 have an exam?
No. BAS5525 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include BAS5525?
BAS5525 is part of Leadership for sustainable development.