Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy

University of Michigan
Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy

Type	Public
Established	1914
Parent institution	University of Michigan
Dean	Celeste Watkins-Hayes (interim)
Academic staff	89
Students	500
Location	Ann Arbor, Michigan , U.S.
Campus	Urban
Affiliations	APSIA
Website	fordschool.umich.edu

The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, often referred to as the Ford School, is the public policy school at the University of Michigan. Founded in 1914 to train municipal administration experts, the school was named after University of Michigan alum and former President Gerald Ford in 1999.

The school offers two master’s degrees, 14 dual-master’s programs, three joint PhDs, a Bachelor of Arts in public policy, a minor in public policy, and a graduate certificate in science, technology, and public policy. In the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, the Ford School was ranked was ranked #1 in social policy, #4 in health policy and management, and #5 in policy analysis.

On average, the Ford School’s master’s of public policy cohorts consist of 110 students, the master’s of public affairs cohorts consist of 20 students, the doctoral program consists of 35 students, the bachelor degree cohorts consist of 80 students, and the minor cohorts consist of 30 students. The school has over 4,000 alumni.

History

The Becky Blank Great Hall, which is most often used as a study area but also hosts events.

The University of Michigan first offered its graduate program in municipal administration in 1914, the first university in the United States to do so.

The program went through a few changes in the 1930s and 1940s —in 1936, the program became the Institute of Public and Social Administration. Ten years later, in 1946, it became the Institute of Public Administration. The institute grew over the years, and the University established it as a school in 1995. The School of Public Policy was housed in Lorch Hall on the University of Michigan campus. In 1999, the school was renamed in honor of former President Gerald R. Ford, who graduated from the University of Michigan in 1935.

In 2006, Joan and Sanford Weill Hall was built to give the Ford School a place on campus. The Weill family donated $8 million, $5 million for the construction of a new $35 million building (dedicated on October 13, 2006, which houses classrooms, offices, and meeting space for students, faculty and staff, and $3 million to endow the position of dean of the school. The five-story structure, designed by the firm of the 2011 Driehaus Prize winner Robert A.M. Stern Architects, houses several research centers, a policy library, and study areas for students.

In September 2007, the school began its first bachelor’s of arts in public policy program with 50 third-year students beginning the two-year program of study.

Programs of study

MPP students specialize in a wide range of policy fields, including domestic social policy, international trade, and nonprofit management. Master of Public Policy (MPP) Program Students are encouraged to participate in interdisciplinary work by incorporating graduate courses from other schools at the university. Most students choose a particular area on which to focus, generally from: U.S. Social Policy, Economics, International Development & Politics, Public & Nonprofit Management, Politics of Policymaking, or Methodologies of Policy Analysis.

A key component of the MPP course of study is hands-on experience, which takes the form of a required ten-week internship, typically completed in the summer between the program's two years.

Students also have opportunities for specialized study and travel during the academic year. Currently, there are four courses which allow students to gain practical experience with policymaking and/or international exposure:

• Applied Policy Seminar – A semester-long course in which students are assigned to real-world projects for local governments, often requiring assessment of costs/benefits and implications of a policy change.
• Integrated Policy Exercise – A week-long, school-wide simulation addressing either a local or international issue.
• Distance Learning Project for Quantitative Social Science – A year-long course that trains students in social science techniques for policymaking and partners them with social scientists in South Africa via the web and a country trip in the winter term.
• International Economic Development Program – A semester-long course in which students, in conjunction with a faculty member, study the economic, political, and social development of a developing country, culminating in a visit over the winter break.

In September 2007, the school began its first undergraduate program with 50 third-year students beginning the two-year program of study.

The doctoral program is conducted jointly with the economics, sociology, or political science department.

Of the doctoral program, the MPP program, and the undergraduate program in public policy, the MPP program is the largest. The Ford School has developed dual degrees with many professional programs, which enables students to complete work on two degrees simultaneously. The most common dual degree programs include coursework in business, education, information, law, environment and sustainability, public health, Russian and Eastern European studies, social work, or urban and regional planning.

The school is a full member of the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA), a group of public administration, public policy, and international studies schools.

Research

The Ford School is home to or co-sponsor of a number of multi-disciplinary research centers that focus on policy concerns including:

• Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP)
• Center on Finance, Law, and Policy
• Education Policy Initiative
• International Policy Center
• Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program
• Poverty Solutions
• Weiser Diplomacy Center
• Youth Policy Lab

Several members of the school's faculty have joint appointments in other departments, and there are visiting professors from around the U.S. and other countries. The Ford School also hosts a Diplomat in Residence to provide students with firsthand access to information about the U.S. State Department.

Faculty

Notable past and present Ford School faculty include:

• Robert Axelrod
• Michael Barr
• Susan M. Collins (economist)
• Paul Courant
• Sheldon Danziger
• Susan Dynarski
• Robert Hampshire
• Brian Jacob
• Paula Lantz
• Shobita Parthasarathy
• Susan Rice
• Celeste Watkins-Hayes
• Justin Wolfers

External links

• Official website
• Ford School Facts
• US News Guide to Public Affairs Programs