The Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism at the University of Southern California was founded in 1971 with generous support from Ambassador Walter H. Annenberg. Its strategic location in Los Angeles at USC enables it to foster dynamic synergies and multidisciplinary approaches to the study of communication and journalism through unparalleled access to the nation's and the world's entertainment, media and technology industries.
In 1994, two of USC's related academic departments - Communication Arts & Sciences and Journalism - merged with the Annenberg School, creating two distinct academic units within USC Annenberg: the School of Communication and the School of Journalism. While the faculty and research programs were expanded and strengthened as a result of the merger, Ambassador Annenberg's mission statement remains the central focus of the School:
Every human advancement or reversal can be understood through communication. The right to free communication carries with it the responsibility to respect the dignity of others, and this must be recognized as irreversible. Educating students to communicate this message effectively and to be of service to all people is the enduring mission of this school.
Today, with more than 70 full-time faculty members, more than 1,900 undergraduate and graduate students, and dozens of research and public interest projects and programs, including the Norman Lear Center, The Center for Health Journalism, and the Knight Digital Media Center, USC Annenberg has become a hub for discussion among scholars and professionals in journalism, communication, public policy, media, and education.
Multidisciplinary and international in scope, focused and practical in application, USC Annenberg scholars, both students and faculty, are defining these fields for the 21st century and beyond.