Science of Happiness

Faculteit—

NiveauBachelor

Studiejaar2026-2027

Beschrijving

Course goals

The entire course will be taught in English. This also includes assignments and exams.

The goal of this course is to get students acquainted with an interdisciplinary, scientific, view on happiness. This includes different theoretical perspectives (e.g., on micro-, meso- or macrolevel factors) as well as different methodological approaches to understanding well-being of individuals and societies. Students will learn to evaluate scientific evidence from the field of positive psychology and other relevant research domains to be able to provide appropriate advice to individuals, organizations or governments seeking to promote happiness and well-being.

After this course, students will be able to:

Participate in academic debate (both orally and in writing) on topical issues related to happiness and well-being.
Critically reflect on public discussions on issues related to happiness and well-being.
Compare, contrast, and integrate different disciplinary perspectives on promoting well-being.
Analyze the scientific basis for interventions (at micro-, meso-, and/or macrolevel) to promote well-being.
Suggest evidence-based interventions (at micro-, meso-, and/or macrolevel) for individuals, organizations, or governments to promote well-being.

Content

‘What makes people happy?’ is probably one of the most fundamental questions that concerns both individuals and societies at large. This interdisciplinary course, with contributions from (positive) psychology, public administration, and interdisciplinary social science, focuses on happiness in its broadest sense. What factors influence individuals’ subjective well-being, why are some societies happier than others (and why are some individuals within these societies affected more by these factors than others?), and what can we do to foster happiness in future generations? We discuss how aspects from within the individual, their social environment, and policy measures may interact. We also look at the interplay of well-being and topics such as health and sustainability.

This course is part of the minor “Well-being by Design”. The course comprises an overview on topics addressed in the minor but can also be followed independently.

The course heavily relies on students’ active participation in discussions and debate. We will discuss topical issues and societal challenges in an interdisciplinary approach, where straight-forward answers will often not be available. Next to frequent group discussions, students will work in interdisciplinary groups to apply their theoretical knowledge to actual cases. In this way, the course focuses on the development of academic skills, in particular analyzing scientific evidence and translating it to practical applications.

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