Mar 29, 2024  
USC Catalogue 2020-2021 
    
USC Catalogue 2020-2021 [ARCHIVED CATALOGUE]

Economics


Return to: USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences  

The economics curriculum is oriented toward a general, liberal education. The study of economics requires adequate preparation in mathematics and statistics. The department offers a BA degree in Economics, a BA degree in Political Economy, a BA degree in Social Sciences with an emphasis in Economics, a BS in Economics/Mathematics and minors in Economics and Behavioral Economics. The BA degrees require a total of 32 upper-division units for the major. The department offers a Master of Arts in Economics, a Master of Science in Applied Economics and Econometrics, a Master of Science in Mathematical Finance, a Master of Science in Spatial Economics and Data Analysis, a dual degree with the USC Gould School of Law, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Economics.

Kaprielian Hall 300
(213) 740-8335
FAX: (213) 740-8543
Email: econ@dornsife.usc.edu

Chair: Romain Rancière, PhD

Faculty

Robert C. Packard Trustee Chair in Law and Professor of Law, Political Science and Economics: Edward McCaffery, PhD (Law)

John E. Elliott Distinguished Chair in Economics: M. Hashem Pesaran, PhD

Robert R. and Katheryn A. Dockson Chair in Economics and International Relations and Professor of International Relations and Economics: Joshua Aizenman, PhD (International Relations)

Leonard D. Schaeffer Director’s Chair of the USC Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics and Professor of Public Policy, Pharmacy, and Economics: Dana Goldman, PhD (Public Policy)

Presidential Professor of Economics: Angus Deaton, PhD

Professors: Antonio Bento, PhD (Public Policy); Isabelle Brocas, PhD; Juan Carrillo, PhD; Thomas Chaney, PhD; Giorgio Coricelli, PhD; Robert Dekle, PhD; Cheng Hsiao, PhD; Ayse Imrohoroglu, PhD (Business); Selahattin Imrohoroglu, PhD (Business); Matthew Kahn, PhD; Michael J. P. Magill, PhD; Hyungsik Roger Moon, PhD; Jeffrey B. Nugent, PhD*; Vincenzo Quadrini, PhD (Business); Romain Rancière, PhD; Geert Ridder, PhD; Arthur Stone, PhD (Psychology); John Strauss, PhD; Guofu Tan, PhD; Donald E. Yett, PhD; Fernando Zapatero, PhD (Business)

Associate Professors: Caroline Betts, PhD; Michael E. DePrano, PhD; Yingying Fan, PhD (Data Science and Operations); Pablo Kurlat, PhD; Robert Metcalfe, PhD; Paulina Oliva, PhD

Assistant Professors: Marianne Andries, PhD; Vittorio Bassi, PhD; Fanny Camara, PhD; Yu-Wei Hsieh, PhD; Michael Leung, PhD; Jonathan Libgober, PhD; Monica Morlacco, PhD; Afshin Nikzad, PhD; Jeffrey Weaver, PhD; David Zeke, PhD

Professor of the Practice of International Relations and Economics: Lord John Eatwell, PhD

Professor (Teaching): Mark Moore, PhD

Professors (Research): Daniel Benjamin, PhD; Arie Kapteyn, PhD; Jinkook Lee, PhD; Soeren Mattke, PhD

Associate Professors (Research): Titus Galama, PhD; Anya Samek, PhD

Assistant Professors of the Practice: Brijesh Pinto, PhD; Malgorzata Switek, PhD

Assistant Professors (Teaching): Ergin Bayrak, PhD; Ladan Masoudie, PhD; Ratika Narag, PhD; Lodovico Pizzati, PhD; Manochehr Rashidian, PhD; Michael Sproul, PhD

Assistant Professors (Research): Marco Angrisani, PhD; Silvia Barcellos, PhD; Daniel Bennett, PhD; Leandro Carvalho, PhD; Simone Schaner, PhD

Emeritus: Harrison Cheng, PhD; Richard H. Day, PhD; Richard A. Easterlin, PhD

*Recipient of university-wide or college teaching award.

Undergraduate Degrees

Advisement

Upon declaring a major or minor in Economics, students should consult with the department’s undergraduate adviser. Students can check their academic progress on the USCweb under OASIS.

Progressive Degree Program in Economics

The Economics department offers students who have demonstrated exceptional academic success the opportunity to earn both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in a progressive degree program. This program allows students to earn both the Bachelor of Arts and the Master of Arts degrees in five years. Students may also pursue the Bachelor of Science in Economics/Mathematics and the Master of Science in Mathematical Finance. Further details about progressive degree programs can be found here .

Admission

Admission is available after the completion of 64 units of course work toward the undergraduate degree. Students must apply for admission to the progressive degree program after completing 64 units of applicable course work to their undergraduate program, but prior to the completion of 96 units of course work. The application for admission to the progressive degree program must be accompanied by a course proposal plan and two letters of recommendation from USC Economics faculty.

Awarding of Degrees

The bachelor’s and master’s degrees may be awarded separately upon completion of all degree requirements, but the master’s degree will not be awarded before the bachelor’s degree. Students who elect not to complete the master’s must complete 128 units to earn the bachelor’s degree.

Undergraduate Honors Program

The department offers an honors program. First and second semester seniors can enroll in ECON 495 Honors Thesis . Honors will be awarded upon completion of the thesis, an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher and a major GPA of 3.5.

Department Policy Regarding Transfer Credits

Students who have taken courses equivalent to ECON 303 , ECON 305  or ECON 317  from an economics department at another four-year college or from a program deemed comparable by the director of undergraduate studies, can earn transfer credits provided they received a B (3.0) or better in the courses.

Graduate Degrees

The graduate program in Economics is designed to prepare students for careers in teaching, research, industry and government. The department emphasizes economic theory and econometrics; applied economic analysis, including microeconomics, macroeconomics, international and development economics, urban and regional economics; and political economy.

Admission Requirements

Prerequisites

The typical applicant for admission will normally have completed an undergraduate major in economics. Minimal prerequisites for admission to a master’s degree program include courses in intermediate microeconomic and macroeconomic theory, a year of calculus, and a semester of statistics. Applicants for the PhD program are normally expected to have completed more than the minimum, particularly in the areas of mathematics and statistics.

Procedure

The application deadline for master’s degrees is April 1. Completed doctoral applications are due by December 1.  

Placement Examinations

Students whose native language is other than English may be required to take an English placement examination. Course work in English may be required.

Degree Requirements

These degrees are under the jurisdiction of the Graduate School. Refer to the Requirements for Graduation  section and The Graduate School  section of this catalogue for general regulations. All courses applied toward the degrees must be courses accepted by the Graduate School.

Foreign Language/Research Tool Requirements

There is no foreign language requirement. However, competence in the use of one computer programming language is required for all graduate degrees offered through the Department of Economics.

Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy

Application deadline: December 1

The Department of Economics and the Department of Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy (USC School of Pharmacy) jointly offer a program of study leading to the PhD degree and to the MA degree in the process of work toward the PhD degree.

Required courses include both core requirements and area requirements. Core requirements include courses in economic theory, econometrics, and research methods. Area requirements include courses in health economics, pharmaceutical economics, welfare theory and applied econometrics.

For a detailed description of this program, see the USC School of Pharmacy  section of this catalogue.

Programs

Bachelor’s Degree

Combined Major

Minor

Master’s Degree

Dual Degree

Doctoral Degree

Courses

Economics

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