My brother studies the dismal science at university.
dismal science
idiomEconomics or the field of political economy.
Origin
first recorded 19th c.Coined by Thomas Carlyle in 1849, a play on gay science (“poetry”).
After reading the latest report on inflation, he joked that the dismal science is more confusing than ever.
Although he initially pursued a degree in history, he eventually found himself drawn to the dismal science, fascinated by how market forces shape the rise and fall of nations.