Cours de Happiness

Most people know “happiness” as the state of being happy. When it comes to courses in higher education, the subject of Happiness typically covers the science behind this sought-after emotion, and even the different ways learners can achieve it.

One phenomenon associated with the study of Happiness is the relatively new field of Positive Psychology, often called “the science of happiness”. Learners explore real-life applications and empirical research on happiness.

Becoming happier—and keeping it that way—has long been an important skill that people strive to learn. With top universities covering Happiness, researchers can better pinpoint what it takes to lead a happy and fulfilling life.‎

Jobs in Mental Health are often high-paying with ample job stability, with many mental healthcare professionals earning salaries that exceed $60,000. In regards to Happiness, learners interested in the field of Psychiatry, Psychology, Social Work, etc., can incorporate Positive Psychology into their techniques for working with clients or patients. For the research aspect of Positive Psychology, learners can find research work as Clinical Researchers, Psychiatric Assistants, or in academia.‎

Courses on Happiness offered through Coursera provide learners with knowledge on how to increase their own happiness; ways to decrease negative thoughts; research on how people can best make personal growth; details on the phenomenon of Positive Psychology; and more.

Lessons on Happiness are taught by Professors of Psychology and other departments from major universities, and are administered via video lectures, readings, quizzes, and more.‎

The skills or experience you need to already have before learning about happiness can include understanding some very basic ideas about psychology and the willingness to see yourself and others clearly, whether you come from an education, healthcare, social work, or corporate setting. Every type of work setting you can think of is in dire need of leaders who can help manage the anxieties of their employees, increase their positive emotions, and incorporate resilience strategies into the lives of team members. You may also already possess the eagerness to learn about resilience and optimism, which are two critical skills needed in today’s workplaces. Learning about happiness and all its facets gives you the knowledge to differentiate between helplessness and mastery within yourself and others.‎

The kind of person who is best suited to learn about happiness is someone who wants the meaningful challenge of clarifying specific goals and building more productive habits for themselves and others. If you would like to understand what it takes to find your or someone else’s purpose, the definition of success, goals for best mental and physical health, and to find the importance of community and connection, you might be well-suited to learn about happiness. The kind of person who would like to learn about happiness is likely someone who wants to be able to identify and analyze the psychological mechanisms that motivate their own and other people’s actions.‎

Learning about happiness may be right for you if you feel the desire to articulate and define your purpose and passion, and those of others. When you learn about happiness, you deepen your inner knowledge about what makes you and others tick. You can then create a life purpose statement that reflects your most important qualities and values which in turn clarifies your life path, and you can then guide others to do the same. If you want to learn how to better navigate risks and challenges in your personal and professional life, and also of those around you, learning about happiness may be right for you.‎