About LBC

Lyman Briggs College (LBC) is the science-focused residential college for undergraduate students at Michigan State University. The College was founded in 1967 to bridge the cultures of the sciences and the humanities and social sciences. Today, we offer an innovative and integrated curriculum, crossing disciplinary bounds and exploring the sciences in their social, human, and global contexts.  

 

LBC students and faculty enjoy the “best of both worlds,” experiencing many of the advantages of a small liberal arts college paired with the opportunities afforded by a world-class, research-intensive, public university. Student housing and dining, faculty and staff offices, classrooms and laboratories are all under one roof in Holmes Hall. LBC is an undergraduate student-focused, inclusive and collaborative community of approximately 2,000 students and 65 teaching-focused academic specialists, tenure-system faculty, academic advisors, and professional staff.  

Since 2019, U.S. News & World Report has ranked university programs that promote positive learning outcomes and successful undergraduate student experiences. For the 4th consecutive year, Michigan State University has been the top public institution recognized for its learning communities. Lyman Briggs College is a key factor driving this ranking. 

 

LBC students, affectionately called “Briggsies,” live and learn together in Holmes Hall their first year. They build a core science foundation in LBC’s innovative biology, chemistry, physics, and math courses before taking upper-level STEM courses in other MSU colleges. They complement these STEM courses with a sequence of interdisciplinary courses in Science and Society that explore the interplay between the sciences and the arts, humanities, and social sciences. We foster curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving through evidence-based and inclusive teaching. LBC students also have ample opportunities to participate in high-impact learning experiences such as being an undergraduate learning assistant, engaging with course-based and independent research, and Lyman Briggs education abroad and away programs. 

 
LBC’s 10-year Strategic Plan lays a path to achieve our vision: to transform what it means to be a scientist through teaching and research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a culture of support, inclusion, and mutual respect.