From healthcare to the environment to law, economic theories help make sense of complex issues. In USC Dornsife s Economics department, economic theory is intertwined with practical models to address concepts across many disciplinary boundaries. In this original approach to research, scholars are developing analytical models to explain broad concepts, such as human behavior. Theories like the economics of happiness and the economics of uncertainty were honed within USC Dornsife walls. Emphasis is placed on practical economic research, such as how economics can be used to better understand business contracts and competition within industries. The progressive degree program in Economics permits exceptional undergraduate students to receive both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in Economics within five years.