Welcome to the Lamb School website! The communication program at Purdue has been around for decades, but our School today is named for Brian Lamb—an alumnus, the founder of C-SPAN, and one of only three Purdue alumni (the only non-astronaut!) to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Brian is known for his commitment to and belief in open and straightforward communication to bring about positive change. In the research and teaching that takes place here, we share that commitment.
The Lamb School is a community of scholars and teachers, undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, community partners, friends, and supporters. We are the academic home to roughly 400 undergraduate majors (many of them double majors), 40 graduate students in our residential program, and more than 100 graduate students in our online Master’s program.
Our undergraduate Communication major is customizable with eight dynamic concentrations. An emphasis on experiential learning gives students the chance to do things like create digital content, work with public relations clients on actual campaigns, and broadcast lifestyle and sports programming. The Center for C-SPAN Scholarship and Engagement involves students from across the university who have interests in political communication or careers in Washington.
The graduate program was one of the early leaders in the study of Organizational Communication. Today it also includes the instructional units Health Communication; Interpersonal Communication; Media, Technology, and Society; and Public Relations.
Our alumni include Olympians, a Pulitzer Prize winner, legislators, CEOs, community organizers, authors, filmmakers, attorneys, professors, government researchers, and more. Our faculty members include award-winning teachers and scholars, media professionals, and the director of C-SPAN’s Video Archives. So explore the website, contact us with any questions, and, if you’re looking for an academic home, consider joining us!
Josh Boyd, PhD
Professor and Interim Head, Brian Lamb School of Communication