Happiness Studies Academy (HSA)

The mission of the Happiness Studies Academy is to lead the happiness revolution, by educating leaders who are themselves dedicated to personal, interpersonal, and communal flourishing.
To realize our mission, we at HSA take a wholistic, interdisciplinary approach to teaching happiness—first in the way we define happiness, and second in the way we teach it. We define happiness as the experience of wholeperson wellbeing, or in short, the experience of wholebeing.

The five elements essential to a life of wholebeing are:

Taken together, these elements, make up the acronym SPIRE,
and indeed they inspire all of our programs—from our introductory lectures on
happiness to the one-year Certificate in Happiness Studies.

The Power of Interdisciplinary Learning

To better understand, pursue, and attain wholebeing, it is not enough to explore each of the SPIRE elements through the lens of a single field—be it psychology or philosophy. Instead, we need to take an interdisciplinary approach, turn to psychology and philosophy, as well as to literature, history, economics, theology, biology and other disciplines. This interdisciplinary approach is aligned with our general wholistic approach—one that bridges rather than divides, unites rather than separates. The rich content coupled with the unique way in which the content is taught, informs about the meaning and significance of happiness, as well as transforms and creates a better world.

Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar | HSA Co-founder & World-Renowned Expert

One of the world's leading experts in the science of happiness!
Tal taught two of the most popular courses in Harvard University's history: Positive Psychology and The Psychology of Leadership. His books have been translated into over 30 languages and have appeared on best-seller lists around the world. Tal's work bridges Eastern and Western traditions, ancient wisdom, and modern technology, science, and art.

"HSA’s mission is to bring the study of happiness out of the ivory tower and into everyday life through our programs, courses, and community. Rather than leaving happiness research solely to psychologists, HSA embraces insights from philosophy, theology, biology, economics, and beyond—because discovering what makes life meaningful requires a truly interdisciplinary approach. Our curriculum invites students to engage with diverse perspectives and to put proven practices into action. At the heart of HSA’s offerings lies the SPIRE framework—five interrelated domains (Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Relational, and Emotional) that guide our workshops, retreats, coaching, and online courses. By weaving together scholarly wisdom and hands-on experimentation, HSA empowers learners to cultivate lasting wellbeing in all areas of life."

Yuval Kutz | HSA President & Co-founder

Happiness Studies Academy offers online multilingual educational programs from a Certificate in Happiness Studies to a fully accredited master's degree. HSA hosts a global support network made up of thousands of professionals from 100 countries.

"SPIRE is a scientific-based happiness model focused on human beings' more basic and natural aspects. Therefore, it is an objective happiness that fits every environment and culture. It is already proven in more than 100 countries around the world. SPIRE is well structured and supported because it is an academic mesh, covering many fields of human knowledge such as economics, sociology, philosophy, theology, biology, psychology, anthropology, literature, art, and music. The SPIRE model has dramatically impacted people with no previous approach to happiness and those who have taught it for years. It can be taught at different depths and fitted to diverse audiences and various needs."