Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
Encyclopedia
The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan
, often referred to as the Ford School, is a leading public policy school
in the United States
. Founded in 1914 as the Institute of Public Administration, it was named in 1999 after former President
Gerald Ford
, who was a 1935 graduate of the University of Michigan. In the latest US News and World Report rankings, it is ranked #7 overall amongst national public policy schools, including #2 in social policy, #3 for public policy analysis and health policy, and #6 for environmental policy.
The Ford School offers wide-ranged research in public policy
and is known for its strong quantitative
orientation. The school runs dual degree programs with the University of Michigan Law School
, Ross School of Business
, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
, School of Information
, School of Social Work, School of Natural Resources and Environment, and School of Public Health, as well as the Departments of Economics, Sociology and Political Science.
The Ford School was founded in 1914 as the Institute for Public Administration. Consequently, it is the oldest public policy institution in the United States. It was part of the Progressive Era
movement for clean government and well-trained professional civil servants. For the first half-century of its existence, the institute focused on training individuals who would serve in state and local government in the United States.
In the mid-1960s, academic work in the social sciences suggested that the analytic methods of the social sciences could be usefully applied to the understanding of public concerns. The institute, which was renamed the Institute for Public Policy Studies, redesigned its curriculum to include rigorous training in the social sciences, particularly quantitative analysis of economic, political, and organizational questions. The focus of faculty research and student training moved to national and international issues.
The University of Michigan established the institute as the School of Public Policy in 1995, with Lorch Hall as the host building. Since achieving this status, the school has been expanding. In 1999, the school adopted as its current namesake Michigan alumnus and former U.S. President Gerald Ford.
In the fall 2006, the Joan and Sanford Weill Hall became the new permanent home of the Ford School. The Weill family donated $8 million, $5 million for 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 Robert A. M. Stern
, houses several research centers, a policy library, and study areas for students. At the same time, the school has begun admitting junior-level undergraduate students for two-year programs for public policy majors.
Undergraduate degree:
Discontinued degree:
The doctoral program is conducted jointly with the economics, sociology, or political science department. The MPP program is the largest of the three, and is generally completed in two years. 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, natural resources and the environment, public health, Russian and Eastern European studies, social work, or urban and regional planning.
The curriculum emphasizes analytic methods, management, and ethics. Grounded in these key areas, students specialize in a wide range of policy fields from domestic social policy and international trade to nonprofit management. 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:
In September 2007, the school began its first undergraduate program with 50 third-year students beginning the two-year program of study.
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 has a Diplomat in Residence program to provide students with firsthand access to information about the U.S. State Department
.
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, often referred to as the Ford School, is a leading public policy school
Public policy school
Public policy schools teach students policy analysis, policy studies, public policy, political economy, urban planning, public administration, public affairs, and public management.Public policy schools offer a wide range of public policy degrees...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Founded in 1914 as the Institute of Public Administration, it was named in 1999 after former President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
, who was a 1935 graduate of the University of Michigan. In the latest US News and World Report rankings, it is ranked #7 overall amongst national public policy schools, including #2 in social policy, #3 for public policy analysis and health policy, and #6 for environmental policy.
The Ford School offers wide-ranged research in public policy
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
and is known for its strong quantitative
Quantitative property
A quantitative property is one that exists in a range of magnitudes, and can therefore be measured with a number. Measurements of any particular quantitative property are expressed as a specific quantity, referred to as a unit, multiplied by a number. Examples of physical quantities are distance,...
orientation. The school runs dual degree programs with the University of Michigan Law School
University of Michigan Law School
The University of Michigan Law School is the law school of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. Founded in 1859, the school has an enrollment of about 1,200 students, most of whom are seeking Juris Doctor or Master of Laws degrees, although the school also offers a Doctor of Juridical...
, Ross School of Business
Ross School of Business
The Stephen M. Ross School of Business is the business school of the University of Michigan. Numerous publications have ranked the Ross School of Business' Bachelor of Business Administration , Master of Business Administration and Executive Education programs among the top in the country and the...
, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
The A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning is an undergraduate and graduate institution for the built environment at the University of Michigan. Formerly known as the College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Taubman College gained the namesake of real estate developer and...
, School of Information
University of Michigan School of Information
The School of Information or iSchool at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is a graduate school offering both a Master of Science in Information and a Doctor of Information ....
, School of Social Work, School of Natural Resources and Environment, and School of Public Health, as well as the Departments of Economics, Sociology and Political Science.
History
Progressive Era
The Progressive Era in the United States was a period of social activism and political reform that flourished from the 1890s to the 1920s. One main goal of the Progressive movement was purification of government, as Progressives tried to eliminate corruption by exposing and undercutting political...
movement for clean government and well-trained professional civil servants. For the first half-century of its existence, the institute focused on training individuals who would serve in state and local government in the United States.
In the mid-1960s, academic work in the social sciences suggested that the analytic methods of the social sciences could be usefully applied to the understanding of public concerns. The institute, which was renamed the Institute for Public Policy Studies, redesigned its curriculum to include rigorous training in the social sciences, particularly quantitative analysis of economic, political, and organizational questions. The focus of faculty research and student training moved to national and international issues.
The University of Michigan established the institute as the School of Public Policy in 1995, with Lorch Hall as the host building. Since achieving this status, the school has been expanding. In 1999, the school adopted as its current namesake Michigan alumnus and former U.S. President Gerald Ford.
In the fall 2006, the Joan and Sanford Weill Hall became the new permanent home of the Ford School. The Weill family donated $8 million, $5 million for 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 Robert A. M. Stern
Robert A. M. Stern
Robert Arthur Morton Stern, usually credited as Robert A. M. Stern, is an American architect and Dean of the Yale University School of Architecture....
, houses several research centers, a policy library, and study areas for students. At the same time, the school has begun admitting junior-level undergraduate students for two-year programs for public policy majors.
Programs of study
Three graduate degrees and one graduate certificate are currently offered:- Master of Public PolicyMaster of Public PolicyThe Master of Public Policy , one of several public policy degrees, is a master's level professional degree that provides training in policy analysis and program evaluation at public policy schools. The MPP program places a focus on the systematic analysis of issues related to public policy and the...
(M.P.P.) - Master of Public AdministrationMaster of Public AdministrationThe Master of Public Administration is a professional post-graduate degree in Public Administration. The MPA program prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, and increasingly in nongovernmental organization and...
(M.P.A.) - Doctor of PhilosophyDoctor of PhilosophyDoctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in Public Policy and Social Science - Graduate Certificate in Science, Technology, and Public Policy
Undergraduate degree:
- Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy (B.A.)
Discontinued degree:
- Accelerated Master of Public Policy. The Accelerated M.P.P. was a sub-matriculation program for exceptional undergraduates that allowed them to complete a Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of ArtsA Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and Master of Public PolicyMaster of Public PolicyThe Master of Public Policy , one of several public policy degrees, is a master's level professional degree that provides training in policy analysis and program evaluation at public policy schools. The MPP program places a focus on the systematic analysis of issues related to public policy and the...
fully in five years time. The prerequisites consisted of extensive undergraduate political science, economics, and mathematics coursework. It was discontinued with the creation of the undergraduate policy degree. The final Accelerated M.P.P. students graduated in 2009.
The doctoral program is conducted jointly with the economics, sociology, or political science department. The MPP program is the largest of the three, and is generally completed in two years. 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, natural resources and the environment, public health, Russian and Eastern European studies, social work, or urban and regional planning.
The curriculum emphasizes analytic methods, management, and ethics. Grounded in these key areas, students specialize in a wide range of policy fields from domestic social policy and international trade to nonprofit management. 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 AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
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.
Research
The Ford School is home to or co-sponsor of a number of multi-disciplinary research centers that focus on policy concerns including:- CLOSUP (Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy)
- International Policy Center
- National Poverty Center
- Nonprofit and Public Management Center
- Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program
- Research and Training Program on Poverty & Public Policy
- Michigan Program on Poverty & Social Welfare Policy
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 has a Diplomat in Residence program to provide students with firsthand access to information about the U.S. State Department
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
.