Becker Friedman Institute University of Chicago Courses

The Economics of Early Childhood - Why the First Five Years Matter Most

Discover why the first five years of life are economically crucial through Nobel laureate James Heckman's insights on brain development, early intervention programs, and lifelong outcomes.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 45 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Stuck - How Housing Regulation Ended America's Mobility Revolution

Explore how housing regulations created a two-tier system limiting American mobility and economic opportunity, featuring insights from economist Peter Ganong and journalist Yoni Appelbaum.

• YouTube
• 49 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Law of Unintended Consequences - How Dobbs Changed Contraceptive Choices

Discover how the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision unexpectedly transformed contraceptive choices across America through analysis of millions of health insurance claims and data patterns.

• YouTube
• 23 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Finding Your Why at Work - The Economics of Purpose

Discover how self-reflection workshops boost workplace performance through UChicago research on 3,000 employees connecting personal purpose to daily work for better fulfillment and business outcomes.

• YouTube
• 34 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Economics of Biodiversity Losses

Explore how biodiversity losses impact human wellbeing through economic analysis and natural experiments, examining the connection between species extinction and ecosystem services.

• YouTube
• 46 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Choosing with Uncertainty - An Extra Slice of the Pie

Explore economic decision-making under uncertainty with Nobel Laureate Lars Hansen, addressing policymaker choices, public confidence in science, and potential overconfidence among economists.

• YouTube
• 43 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Shaping Markets to Promote Vaccine Equity and Address Climate Change

Explore innovative market-shaping strategies and advance market commitments to tackle global challenges like pandemic preparedness and climate change, focusing on aligning commercial incentives with social impact.

• YouTube
• 48 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Knowing When to Stop - The Unintended Consequences of Monetary Policy

Explore monetary policy's unintended consequences with Raghuram Rajan and Charles Evans as they discuss central banking challenges, financial stability, and economic impacts through expert analysis.

• YouTube
• 58 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Reduce Crime and Violence - Evidence on Long-Term Effects from Liberia

Discover how CBT-informed interventions effectively prevent antisocial behavior and reduce crime, with insights from a decade-long study in Liberia and its implications for policy reform.

• YouTube
• 45 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Bad Medicine: Why Different Systems of Organized Crime Demand Different Solutions

Explore how crime is organized in Chicago, Medellín, and San Salvador with Chris Blattman, who presents evidence for tailored policy responses to different criminal systems.

• YouTube
• 44 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Uncertainty, Social Valuation, and Climate Change Policy

Explore how uncertainty impacts climate change policy through decision theory, stochastic impulse response, and cash flow pricing with Professor Lars Peter Hansen.

• YouTube
• 38 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

AI, the Economy, and Public Policy

Explore how AI impacts today's economy and future implications with UChicago economists, policy experts, and Anthropic researchers discussing economic trends, policy considerations, and innovative AI applications.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 8 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Moving to Opportunity - Together? Gender Disparities in Career Outcomes When Couples Relocate

Discover how couple relocations create lasting gender wage gaps, with men's incomes rising 10-15% while women's earnings stagnate, based on UChicago economist Matt Notowidigdo's research.

• YouTube
• 32 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Human Capital for Humans - An Accessible Introduction to the Economic Science of People

Discover how human capital theory applies to everyday life through an accessible exploration of Gary Becker's Nobel Prize-winning economic insights on investing in people's skills and knowledge.

• YouTube
• 58 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Talk as Capital - AI-Powered Parenting Intervention to Reduce Early Childhood Skill Gaps

Discover how AI-powered messaging tools can reduce early childhood skill gaps by encouraging parent-child conversations that build language and socio-emotional development.

• YouTube
• 43 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video