At its core, behavioral science is the study of human behavior. It can be applied to many different career paths including management, data analysis, counseling, consumer science, law enforcement, and healthcare. Programs in this field may be broad in scope or may focus on a specific application.

Requirements for the PhD program often involve the student having already obtained a Master’s degree. Additionally, a thesis or dissertation primarily consisting of original academic research must be submitted. In some countries, this work may even need to be defended in front of a panel.