School Overview
The USC Annenberg School for Communication was founded in 1971 with generous support from the late Ambassador Walter H. Annenberg. In 2009, recognizing the critically important role journalism plays in a democratic society, the USC Board of Trustees voted to change the name to the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. Its strategic location in Los Angeles enables it to foster dynamic synergies and multidisciplinary approaches to the study of communication 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.
Today, with 83 full-time faculty members, more than 2,200 undergraduate and graduate students and dozens of research and public interest projects and programs, USC Annenberg has become a center for discussion among scholars and professionals in communication, public policy, media and education. Multidisciplinary and international in scope, but focused and practical in application, USC Annenberg scholars — both students and faculty — are defining communication, journalism and public relations for the 21st century and beyond.