FutureLearn

The Science of Success: What Researchers Know that You Should Know (FutureLearn)

Offered by University of Michigan,
The Science of Success: What Researchers Know that You Should Know (FutureLearn)

Explore the science and research behind individual success and learn practical ways of reaching your goals at work and in life. Explore the science and research behind individual success and learn practical ways of reaching your goals at work and in life. What predicts success in life? And how can you achieve the success you desire? On this course, alongside experts from the University of Michigan, you’ll explore decades of scientific research on what the most successful people do differently.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see FutureLearn's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

You’ll discover why your IQ isn’t necessarily a reliable predictor of success and why many commonly accepted beliefs are often limiting when it comes to achieving your goals.
By the end of this course, you’ll understand how small, achievable actions will help you exceed your goals faster and you’ll be able to create a plan of action to get there.

What topics will you cover?
Although this course is based on the science of success, you will learn many practical ideas that you can apply to your own life immediately, particularly in three main areas:

  • Getting better results at work (and school)
  • Achieving career success (however you define success)
  • Enjoying a meaningful, happy, and healthy life

You will also learn what predicts success in life. You will also create a personalized action plan which will help you succeed.

Learning on this course
You can take this self-guided course and learn at your own pace. On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Apply and learn four strategies for success that researchers have discovered that the most successful people do differently than others
  • Apply the lessons you learn in this course to your own life immediately, which will bring you closer to achieving your most treasured life goals

Who is the course for?
This course is for anyone who’d like to know how to plan for a more meaningful, happy, and healthy life or career.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Systematic Creative Thinking: Tools for Success (Coursera) Coursera
Imperial College London

Systematic Creative Thinking: Tools for Success (Coursera)

Personal and Professional Development

Creativity is a widely acclaimed attribute. A range of creativity tools are available that rely on creativity principles to enable systematic idea generation. This module builds on the first module where various types of brainstorming were introduced along with the creativity diamond framework which provides a guide to which type of creative approach to use. Here we will introduce systematic creativity tools that can be used to provoke a wide range of ideas that might not normally arise and can be used to augment your innate creativity.

Oct 19th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Creativity Success Creative Thinking
Details
Essentials of Entrepreneurship: Thinking & Action (Coursera) Coursera
University of California, Irvine

Essentials of Entrepreneurship: Thinking & Action (Coursera)

Business

Success in business can be greatly enhanced with an understanding of key entrepreneurial characteristics and competencies solutions. This interactive course provides potential entrepreneurs with the knowledge of succeeding in an entrepreneurial opportunity. Topics include: how creativity, opportunity and feasibility are best evaluated; business strategies for new businesses; importance of a business plan; achieving success in a new business. At the end of the course students will have the skills and confidence to evaluate starting a business, in addition to becoming more enterprising in how they approach their roles should they decide to work in organizations.

Oct 12th 2026
4 Weeks
Business Management Marketing
Details
Demystifying Mindfulness (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Leiden University

Demystifying Mindfulness (FutureLearn)

Health & Society Personal and Professional Development

Discover the science of mindfulness, learn how it works and why, from a political, psychological, and philosophical perspective. Experience mindfulness for yourself, and learn whether it really works. Interest in meditation, mindfulness, and contemplation has grown rapidly in recent years. These practises are increasingly being seen as scientifically and psychologically valid forms of therapy.

Jul 5th 2021
5-12 Weeks
Philosophy Psychology Ethics
Details
Prepare for Career Success at University (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Goldsmiths, University of London

Prepare for Career Success at University (FutureLearn)

Management & Leadership

Find out how to make the most of your time at university and ensure you have the skills and experience graduate employers want. This free online course will show you how to make the most of the time you’ll spend in higher education, with the ultimate aim of improving your prospects when you graduate.

No sessions available
3 Weeks
Higher Education University Skills
Details
The Foundations of Happiness at Work (edX) EdX
University of California, Berkeley,BerkeleyX

The Foundations of Happiness at Work (edX)

Social Sciences Business

Learn why happiness at work matters and how to increase it within yourself and across your organization. This course explains what happiness at work looks like, why it matters, and how to cultivate it. It begins by defining happiness and making the case that happiness at work improves the performance of individual employees and organizations as a whole, increasing innovation, productivity, engagement, retention, and the quality of their work.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Positive Psychology Happiness The Science of Happiness at Work Professional Certificate
Details
The Science of Happiness (edX) EdX
University of California, Berkeley,BerkeleyX

The Science of Happiness (edX)

Social Sciences Personal and Professional Development

The first MOOC to teach positive psychology. Learn science-based principles and practices for a happy, meaningful life. "A free eight-week Science of Happiness course that will offer practical, research-backed tips on living a happy and meaningful life." - Huffington Post. We all want to be happy, and there are countless ideas about what happiness is and how we can get some. But not many of those ideas are based on science. That’s where this course comes in.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Psychology Positive Psychology Happiness
Details
Foundations of Professional Identity (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Foundations of Professional Identity (Coursera)

Management & Leadership

Many find themselves frustrated in their careers by lack of preparation for dealing with predictable dilemmas that regularly arise in the world of work. Two in five professionals fired in their jobs after college are terminated for lying, or misuse of technology. Easy to avoid! Or is it? What if you find you have to compromise your values to keep your job? What if they ask you to lie or cheat, even though you know if you are found out you will be fired? What if you find out the company is breaking the law?

Oct 26th 2026
4 Weeks
Business Career Success Professional Identity
Details
Trabajar para ser feliz (Coursera) Coursera
Universidad Austral

Trabajar para ser feliz (Coursera)

Personal and Professional Development

En nuestra vida diaria nos movemos a toda velocidad por diferentes escenarios: la familia, el trabajo, la vida social. Muchas veces podemos quedar atrapados en la vorágine o en la rutina del día a día y olvidarnos de algo importante y que da sentido a todo lo que hacemos: cómo ser felices y cómo hacer felices a los que nos rodean en casa y en el trabajo. Hoy en día existe una confusión, porque estamos muy centrados en el “bienestar”. Vivimos en una cultura que tiende al consumismo, al activismo y nos olvidamos del “bienser”, entendido como ese sentido de plenitud que lleva a sentirse bien con uno mismo y con su entorno.

Nov 2nd 2026
4 Weeks
Happiness Wellbeing Happy
Details
Introduction to Creative Thinking: Tools for Success (Coursera) Coursera
Imperial College London

Introduction to Creative Thinking: Tools for Success (Coursera)

Personal and Professional Development

Creativity concerns the development of new ideas. Throughout human history, the application of ideas has led to transformations of our daily lives and society. Modern business activity thrives on recently developed ideas, and it is through creativity that we address both challenges and opportunities. In this module, we will help you develop your implicit understanding and skills in creativity.

Oct 19th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Creativity Success Brainstorming
Details
The Science of Well-Being for Teens (Coursera) Coursera
Yale University

The Science of Well-Being for Teens (Coursera)

Personal and Professional Development

A recent survey found that 37% of teens say they have poor mental health. This 6-week course aims to curb this mental health crisis by bringing together the best insights from Dr. Laurie Santos’ popular Yale course Psychology and the Good Life. In this course, you will explore what the field of psychology teaches us about how to be happier, how to feel less stressed, and how to thrive in high school and beyond. The lessons along with short weekly ‘happiness homework’ assignments will ultimately prepare you to put these scientific findings into practice. The ultimate goal is for you to feel better and build healthier habits. Parents, teachers, and other professionals supporting teenagers may also find the course beneficial.

Oct 19th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Psychology Mental Health Happiness
Details