Is financial aid available?

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Money and Happiness

Enjoy unlimited growth with a year of Coursera Plus for $199 (regularly $399). Save now.

Money and Happiness

This course is part of Money, Wealth, and Happiness Specialization

Instructor: Donovan J. Sanchez, CFP®

Included with

Learn more

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Beginner level

No prior experience required

6 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Beginner level

No prior experience required

6 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

Define key concepts related to happiness, subjective well-being, and financial well-being.
Identify how income, values, and financial behaviors influence personal well-being.
Describe strategies for aligning financial decisions with personal values.
Create a personalized plan to enhance happiness through intentional financial choices.

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

logos of Petrobras, TATA, Danone, Capgemini, P&G and L'Oreal

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Money, Wealth, and Happiness Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

What does it mean to live a good life—and how does money fit into that picture?

In this course, you'll explore the science behind happiness and financial well-being. Drawing from psychology, behavioral economics, and personal finance, you'll learn how money can both help and hinder our pursuit of a meaningful life. Along the way, you'll reflect on your own values, assess your financial wellness, and discover practical strategies to align your spending with what matters most. Whether you're a student, professional, or lifelong learner, this course will help you understand the complex relationship between money and happiness—and empower you to make choices that support your well-being. By the end of the course, you’ll walk away with a personalized plan to enhance your happiness through intentional financial decisions. This course is part of the College of ACES suite of online programs. To learn more about online programs from the College of ACES and explore ways to apply your Coursera work toward a degree program at the University of Illinois, visit: https://aces.illinois.edu/online.

In the course orientation, you will become familiar with the course, your classmates, and our learning environment. The orientation will also help you obtain the technical skills required for the course. Then dive into the second part of this module to explore what happiness means—both personally and scientifically. We’ll examine how definitions of happiness have evolved over time and introduce the concept of subjective well-being. You’ll also learn how financial well-being fits into the broader picture of a happy life and take a short assessment to reflect on your own financial wellness. This week sets the foundation for everything to come.

What's included

8 videos6 readings2 assignments1 discussion prompt

8 videosTotal 28 minutes

Course Overview1 minute
Meet Your Instructor | Donovan Sanchez1 minute
Module 1 | Overview0 minutes
What is Happiness?6 minutes
What is Financial Well-Being?8 minutes
Achieving Financial Well-Being3 minutes
Strengthening Financial Well-Being5 minutes
Module 1 | Wrap-Up0 minutes

6 readingsTotal 60 minutes

Syllabus10 minutes
Updating Your Profile10 minutes
Scientific answers to the timeless philosophical question of happiness10 minutes
Reading Highlights | Financial Well-Being: The Goal of Financial Education10 minutes
Activity | Take the CFPB Financial Well-Being Quiz10 minutes
Financial Well-Being: What it means and how to help10 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 20 minutes

Orientation Quiz10 minutes
Module 1 | Knowledge Check10 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes

Getting to Know Your Classmates10 minutes

This module explores the relationship between money and happiness. You’ll learn about hedonic adaptation—a key theory in happiness research—and examine what the data says about how income affects well-being. We’ll also look at contradictory findings in the literature and discuss how to interpret them with humility and curiosity.

What's included

6 videos3 readings1 assignment

6 videosTotal 16 minutes

Module 2 | Overview0 minutes
Tolstoy’s Tale and the Pursuit of More3 minutes
Hedonic Adaptation Theory 4 minutes
The effect of income on subjective well-being3 minutes
Contradictory findings on the effect of income on subjective well-being3 minutes
Module 2 | Wrap-Up1 minute

3 readingsTotal 30 minutes

How Much Land Does a Man Need?10 minutes
Hedonic Adaptation and the Set Point for Subjective Well-Being10 minutes
Income and Happiness: What the Research Really Says10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 10 minutes

Module 2 | Knowledge Check10 minutes

This module is all about self-discovery. You’ll reflect on your personal values using the Kinder Questions, explore how your upbringing shaped your financial beliefs through a Money Genogram, and begin aligning your financial goals with what matters most to you.

What's included

10 videos2 readings1 assignment

10 videosTotal 31 minutes

Module 3 | Overview1 minute
The Story of the Mexican Fisherman3 minutes
How do you know what you value? 2 minutes
Financial Socialization4 minutes
Tools to Unpack Financial Socialization4 minutes
Identifying Values and Goal Setting5 minutes
The Money Genogram Project1 minute
Personal Reflection1 minute
Visualization 3 minutes
Module 3 | Wrap-Up1 minute

2 readingsTotal 20 minutes

Interactive Money Genogram10 minutes
Money Genogram10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 10 minutes

Module 3 | Knowledge Check10 minutes

In our final module, you’ll bring everything together. We’ll explore the importance of relationships, revisit hedonic adaptation, and learn how to use money in ways that increase happiness. You’ll then create a personalized plan grounded in your values and the science of well-being. This is your opportunity to take what you’ve learned and apply it to your life. At the conclusion of this module, you will be ready to complete the final assessment for the course and earn your Coursera certificate!

What's included

8 videos5 readings2 assignments1 plugin

8 videosTotal 26 minutes

Module 4 | Overview0 minutes
What is the most important factor in overall well-being?4 minutes
Hacking hedonic adaptation2 minutes
Where do we get it wrong when it comes to money and well-being?3 minutes
Ways that money might “buy” happiness9 minutes
Bringing it all together1 minute
Relationships, Purpose, and Autonomy3 minutes
Module 4 | Wrap-Up0 minutes

5 readingsTotal 50 minutes

Learner Highlight Guide: Spending for Happiness10 minutes
Reflection and Planning Guide10 minutes
Resources & References10 minutes
Take the Next Step Toward Wealth and Happiness10 minutes
Getting Your Course Certificate10 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 40 minutes

Module 4 | Knowledge Check10 minutes
Final Assessment30 minutes

1 pluginTotal 15 minutes

What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness | TED15 minutes

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Instructor

Donovan J. Sanchez, CFP®

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

0 Courses0 learners

Offered by

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Explore more from Personal Development

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Financial Planning for Young Adults
Course
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Investing and Building Wealth
Course

Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.

Learner since 2018

"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."

Jennifer J.

Learner since 2020

"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."

Larry W.

Learner since 2021

"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."

Chaitanya A.

"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."

Open new doors with Coursera Plus

Unlimited access to 10,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription

Learn more

Advance your career with an online degree

Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online

Explore degrees

Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business

Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy

Learn more

Frequently asked questions

Yes! Although completion of the Coursera course alone is not credit-bearing, it is a required component of a graduate-level Canvas course that can be "stacked" toward advanced credentials such as an academic (transcriptable) graduate certificate or a degree. If you decide to pursue further education, the credits you earn from this course can be applied toward a formal academic program, provided that you meet all the requirements of admission to the certificate or degree.

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.