Ford School

Bio

The Ford School began in 1914 as the Institute of Public Administration. It was founded as 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 primarily in state and local government in the United States. In the mid-1960s, analytic methods from the social sciences began to be applied to the understanding of public concerns. The Institute, which was renamed the Institute for Public Policy Studies, re-designed 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. Recognizing the value of research and education in public policy and the academic excellence of its program, the University of Michigan established the School of Public Policy in 1995. The school was re-named in 1999 to honor President Gerald R. Ford, the 38th President of the United States and a 1935 graduate of the University of Michigan. In 2001, the school established joint doctoral programs with the departments of economics, sociology, and political science. In winter 2007, the school began accepting applications for its new junior-senior undergraduate Public Policy degree. Degree Programs and Curriculum * Master of Public Policy (MPP) * Master of Public Administration (MPA) * 14 formal Dual Masters Degrees with other U-M schools and departments, several other individualized dual degrees * PhD in Public Policy and Social Science (with Economics or Political Science or Sociology) * BA in Public Policy * Graduate Certificate in Science, Technology, and Public Policy Learn more about the Ford School