The Ford School of Public Policy (formally the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy) is the public policy school of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was founded in 1914 to train public administration experts. In 1999, the school was named after University of Michigan alumnus and the 38th president of the United States Gerald Ford.
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.
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.
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History
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.
Curriculum
The Ford School offers the following degrees and programs:
Master of Public Policy, a two-year program that provides training in policy analysis, political and ethical analysis, communication, and leadership.
Master of Public Affairs, a 30-credit program that combines training in applied policy analysis with the development of public and nonprofit management, leadership, and communication skills.
13 dual-degree programs, ranging from a degree from the Ross School of Business, to the University of Michigan Law School.
Joint PhDs in Public Policy and Economics, Political Science, and Sociology, respectively, which allows students to combine their public policy studies with disciplinary work at another school at U-M.
Bachelor of Arts in public policy, a liberal arts undergraduate degree based in social science
Minor in public policy, an undergraduate minor provides students the training to analyze, write, and design policies.
Science, Technology, and Public Policy graduate certificate program, a 12-credit program that analyzes the role of science and technology in policymaking and explores the political and policy landscape of science and technology areas.
Predoctoral Program in Policy, which offers master’s students the opportunity to gain skills, network and mentor relationships necessary for doctoral studies.
Of the doctoral program, the masters programs, and the undergraduate program in public policy, the MPP program is the largest. The Ford School offers policy concentrations for its master of public policy students. The concentrations include public policy analysis methods, nonprofit and public management, social policy, international policy, and international economic development.
Research
The Ford School is home to or helps support 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
Center for Racial Justice
Education Policy Initiative
International Policy Center
Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program
Poverty Solutions
Program in Practical Policy Engagement
Weiser Diplomacy Center
Youth Policy Lab
Most 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.
Memberships and awards
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. The Ford School is also a member of The Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA), the recognized global accreditor of master's degree programs in public administration, public policy, public affairs, nonprofit and related fields.
In 2021, APSIA awarded the Ford School’s Student-Initiated Projects through the Weiser Diplomacy Center and Extended Research Projects through the International Policy Center with the Innovation Award for Professional Development Programming.
Faculty
Notable past and present Ford School faculty include:
Scott Atran
Robert Axelrod
Michael Barr
Rebecca Blank
Bill Bynum
Susan M. Collins
Paul Courant
Sheldon Danziger
Christian Davenport
Alan Deardoff
Kathryn M. Dominguez
James Duderstadt
Susan Dynarski
Abdul El-Sayed
Robert Hampshire
John Hieftje
Gerald Hills
Brian Jacob
Paula Lantz
Sander Levin
Melvyn Levitsky
Earl Lewis
Daniel Little
Jeffrey Morenoff
Susan D. Page
Shobita Parthasarathy
Joe Schwarz
Melvin Stephens Jr.