the gerald r. ford school of public policy

The Ford Schoolat Michigan

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Preventable illnesses take the lives of far too many. Unemployment rates remain unreasonably high in struggling

communities. Schools fail our nation’s most vul-nerable children. The list of problems is long; the problems themselves are urgent and complex.

But while the problems we face are daunting, the Ford School is an ideal place to engage with them. Ours is a small, dynamic community—a community passionate about resolving our world’s toughest challenges, and taking advantage of our most promising opportunities.

“Safety effort in Bangladesh falling short” International Herald Tribune, July 3, 2013

Student influential in U-M decision to support Bangladesh factory safety accord

“UN reports sharp increase in refugees as civil wars cripple nations” The New York Times, June 20, 2014

Alum announces new UN Refugee Agency strategy for fuel, energy

“Detroit files largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history” The Washington Post, July 18, 2013

Bohnett Public Service Fellows fill vital role in City of Detroit Mayor’s Office

“Debt crisis crushes college dream” Boston Globe, June 20, 2014

Senators promote bipartisan student loan legislation, Dynarski’s “answer on a postcard”

fordschool.umich.edu

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For master’s students who are eager to lead—eager

to find solutions—the Ford School offers a rigorous,

interdisciplinary, applied professional education.

We are America’s first graduate public service training

program—excited to be embarking on our second century.

And we’re among its most prominent—respected for the

excellence of our faculty, our grounding in social science research and

quantitative analysis, the real-world policy issues woven throughout our

curriculum, and the careers of leadership and impact forged by our alumni.

Situated at one of America’s great public universities but with just around

110 master’s students matriculating each year, the Ford School is large enough

to satisfy diverse intellectual and political interests, but small enough to offer

a warm, collegial educational community.

Our faculty make game-changing discoveries, and contribute actionable solutions.

Our alumni network is active, impressive, and growing. And through engagement

in student organizations, internships, applied policy courses, and other activities,

our students have an opportunity to make a real and lasting difference in the world.

In 1999 we took the name of the University of Michigan’s favorite son, U.S.

President Gerald R. Ford. We’re proud to keep alive his legacy of integrity

and service. I welcome your interest in the Ford School.

SuSan M. CollinS

Joan and Sanford Weill Dean of Public Policy

Board Member, Detroit Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago; President, Association of

Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA); Nonresident Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution;

Senior Staff Economist, President’s Council of Economic Advisers (1989–90).

Welcome

“Safety effort in Bangladesh falling short” International Herald Tribune, July 3, 2013

Student influential in U-M decision to support Bangladesh factory safety accord

“Detroit files largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history” The Washington Post, July 18, 2013

Bohnett Public Service Fellows fill vital role in City of Detroit Mayor’s Office

Prepared to act, serve, and lead

The Ford School at Michigan

Students who choose the Ford School are active and engaged, creative and passionate. They’re interested in big-picture solutions to complex challenges in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors.

Prepared to act, serve, and lead


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Our master’s curriculum emphasizes research, analytic, and management skills

that are highly transferable across sectors, issue areas, and geographical

regions—all offered with an applied approach to policy training, providing

hands-on learning around real-world problems. Students move as a

cohort through a carefully sequenced set of core courses, acquiring

foundational skills including significant quantitative training in data

analysis and program evaluation. Students then have tremendous flex-

ibility in choosing from advanced courses in social policy, international

trade, education, national security, human rights, politics, and more.

Rigor: our curriculum

MPa MPP Dual

Degree One-year, mid-career master’s of public ad-ministration degree

Two-year master’s of public policy degree

Dual-master’s with other U-M schools and departments including law, business, and education

Core credits 16 26 Varies, based on program

Elective credits 14 22 Varies, based on program

Total credits 30 48 Varies, based on program

Internship Not required Required, between 1st and 2nd years

Required, summer following first year of MPP core coursework


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ForD SChool eleCtiveSFord School electives vary from year to year, but include courses like the history and future of Detroit, the economics of developing countries, sustainable energy systems, thinking about crime, poverty and inequality, international peacebuilding, the economics of education, and more.

univerSity oF MiChigan eleCtiveSLow administrative barriers between schools and units give students the flexibility to combine their policy courses with electives offered by the University of Michigan’s outstanding professional schools— including law, business, education and urban plan-ning—and top-ranked social science departments.

Core MPP courses*

Politics of Public Policy (PubPol 510)

Calculus (PubPol 513)

Statistics (PubPol 529)

Microeconomics A (PubPol 555) and Microeconomics B (PubPol 558)

Values, Ethics, and Public Policy (PubPol 580)

Public Management (PubPol 587)

Quantitative Methods of Program Evaluation (PubPol 639) or Applied Econometrics (PubPol 571)

10-week Summer Internship

Integrated Policy Exercise (PubPol 638)

* Students with sufficient knowledge may place out of calculus, statistics, or microeconomics A based on orientation test results.


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The Ford School emphasizes an applied approach to policy education,

providing students with a wide range of opportunities to use what they’ve

learned in the classroom through hands-on, practical policy experiences.

Relevance: an applied approach

at work in the worlDA required policy-relevant summer internship allows MPP students to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to a significant problem in their policy area of interest. With support from the school’s well-resourced Graduate Career Services and Alumni Relations Office, students secure internships with an impressive range of domestic and international employers. Because we recognize that many of the best internship opportunities are unpaid or require costly travel, the Ford School offers generous summer internship stipends to students who need them. Established and fully-funded partnerships give

Ford School students direct access to highly selective internships in key organizations. Our 2014 internship partnerships included the United Nations Refugee Agency in Geneva, Switzerland; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, DC; the National Association of State Legislatures in Denver, Colorado; and many more.


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engageD learningOther for-credit opportunities to actively engage with real-world policy issues include an annual China study trip and the International Economic Development Program (IEDP). The IEDP allows students to study the policy challenges faced by a particular developing economy, and then take a study trip there to meet with policymakers, members of civil society, foreign development agencies, and university students.

Since 2000, the International Economic Development Program has offered students opportunities to learn about development issues relevant to emerging economies. Recent destinations have included the Philippines (2010), Grenada (2011), Colombia (2012), Cape Verde (2013), Myanmar (2014), and Brazil (2015).

real worlD ConSultingThe Ford School’s applied policy seminar is a three-credit course, offered each semester, that gives students an opportunity to complete a commissioned policy project for a public sector client under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Teams of three to six students work with the client to develop a project work plan, collect relevant materials and information, conduct research and analysis, prepare a written report, and present findings and recommendations.

For Andrew Schroeder (MPP ’07) of Direct Relief—a nonprofit that provides medical assistance to communities impacted by poverty, natural disasters, and civil unrest—Ford School students organized large-scale public health datasets from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania and conducted population modeling and data analysis to predict variation in key health indicators at the local level.


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The Ford School environment and curriculum give students the

professional capabilities needed for a successful policy career:

• Analytic skills: The Ford School is a nationally rec-ognized leader in quantitative analysis. In addition, a core class teaches strategies for understanding and dealing effectively within complex political orga-nizations. Another core course explores the ethical dimensions of policy analysis and management.

• Communication: Writing and communication skills are an essential component of a public policy educa-tion. The Ford School provides a well-staffed writing center that offers one-on-one tutorials and policy-writing modules designed to help students articulate public policy knowledge in writing that is accurate, logical, and concise. Presentation and oral communi-cation skills are woven into our curriculum.

• Collaboration, teamwork, diversity: In a world often stymied by partisanship and gridlock, the Ford School emphasizes collaboration and civil, reasoned debate. Students at the Ford School represent great

diversity—in race and ethnicity, in political view-points, in life experiences, in professional interests, in socioeconomic status, and more. Faculty foster a collaborative spirit among students, emphasizing team-based projects and challenging students to examine, share, and articulate their views. The goal: graduates who are equipped to lead in an increas-ingly diverse world.

• Leadership and management: A core class focuses on the management and negotiation skills needed for effective public sector leadership. Students play an active role in the school, leading student organiza-tions, serving on school-wide committees, reaching out to prospective students, and organizing public service activities like our annual charity auction.

Prepared to make an immediate impact

after 35 years in public service, I consider career-related

mentoring and advising of students to be one of the most

important benefits I bring to the Ford School…and I spend

many hours doing this in class, in office hours, and in my work

with Graduate Career Services.”

aMbaSSaDor Melvyn levitSky (ret ired ) , Professor of International Pol icy and Practice


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as a student I interned with the Gates Foundation, thanks to

incredible support from Graduate Career Services. From preparing

my resume to aligning the internship with my career goals, the staff

worked side by side with me. Now, I’m part of an alumni community

that is committed to staying engaged with current students.”

annie Maxwell (MPP ’02) , President, Skol l Global Threats Fund

Information. Connections.

Strategy. Support.

graDuate Career ServiCeSOur dedicated Graduate Career Services team understands the Ford School difference, helping students market their skills and land their dream jobs. They’re joined by our faculty and our engaged alumni base, all collaborating to prepare, support, and launch students toward successful, high-impact careers.

Resume and cover letter reviews, professional develop-ment grants, networking training, information sessions with recruiters, career conversations with successful alumni, mock interviews, career exploration trips, alumni-in-residence programs, internship partnerships, active outreach and partnership with the top employers in the field: the list of services goes on.

Prominent, accessible facultyShobita Parthasarathy, Associate Professor of Public Policy


Prominent, accessible faculty

Poverty and economic development. Health and human security. Energy and the environment. Alongside their critical work as teachers and mentors, Ford School faculty members are nationally and internationally recognized experts in vitally important policy areas. They are deeply committed to strengthening the connections between rigorous academic research, real-world policy issues, and the student experience.


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Our faculty

Our faculty’s broad and interdisciplinary research interests are demonstrat-

ed by the wide range of units with which they hold joint appointments—

including economics, political science, sociology, history, math, business,

social work, education, natural resources, information, and urban planning.

aCCeSSible anD engageDWhile our faculty members are world-class scholars, they are also enthusiastic teachers and mentors who prize the school’s close-knit, nurturing community. Our student-faculty ratio is 8:1, and our faculty actively participate in student-orga-nized events and activities like our annual charity auction.

DiStinCtion While the Ford School is a small school within the much larger University of Michigan, our faculty hold a disproportionate number of awards and honors. Two of our faculty members hold the highest appointment at the University of Michigan, that of Distinguished University Professor. Thirteen of our faculty members hold named professorships. Others have been recognized for outstanding mentor-ing, distinguished research, and exceptional teaching.

Anmol Chadda, Assistant Professor of Public Policy


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gaMe-Changing reSearCh, CatalyStS For ChangeOur faculty members make transformational discoveries—identifying new methods for fostering cooperation in the midst of intractable conflicts, slowing the spread of life-threat-ening diseases, and designing low-cost methods to reduce poverty in developing nations. And they’re deeply engaged in the world of practice. They include senior government advisors, current and former members of the Council of Economic Advisers, a U-M provost, the chief medical officer for the State of Michigan, and more.

PoliCy talkS @ the ForD SChoolThe Ford School makes Ann Arbor a destination for distinguished policy-makers from around the world. These leaders give public lectures and meet with small groups of students to discuss substantive policy issues or offer career advice. Dozens of speakers visit the school each year, including 2014 speakers like (clockwise, from upper left) Paul Rusesabagina, the hotel manager who inspired Hotel Rwanda; U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME); U.S. Senator Carl Levin (D-MI); and Carrie Hessler-Radelet, director of the U.S. Peace Corps.

State DePartMent DiPloMat in reSiDenCeThe U-M is one of a very small group of U.S. colleges selected by the State Department to host a Diplomat in Residence (DIR)—a foreign service officer who spends one to two years on site, here at the Ford School. These career diplomats work individually with students, connecting them with professional opportunities available in the foreign service.

towSley FounDation PoliCyMaker in reSiDenCe PrograM The Towsley Foundation Policymaker in Residence Program brings individuals with significant national and international policymaking experience to campus to interact with students and faculty. Policymakers in Residence teach graduate-level courses ranging in length from six weeks to a full semester, deliver public lectures, and advise and mentor students on projects, papers, and career plans.

The U.S. Department of State:

• Is the Ford School’s #1 summer internship employer

• Currently employs more Ford School alumni than any other federal agency

Ambassador Richard Boucher


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MiCroFinanCe toolSTo test the impact of microfinance innovations, Dean Yang employs what some are calling today’s gold standard in economic research—randomized controlled trials (RCT) that are very similar in design to the clinical trials used in medicine. RCTs require substantially more funding and up-front work than the traditional econometric evaluations conducted by most development economists, but they make it possible to clearly and precisely identify the impact of a microfinance innovation that could be offered more broadly, and convey that data to policymakers and practi-tioners who can act on it.

aCCeSS to eDuCationSenators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) recently proposed bipartisan legislation to dramatically simplify the college financial aid form, announcing their proposal in their New York Times op-ed, “An Answer on a Postcard.” The senators heavily cite Susan Dynarski’s research and policy recommendations; Dynarski first introduced the idea of a two-question financial aid application in 2007. In addition to her work on FAFSA sim-plification, Dynarski is active on many policy issues designed to enhance educational equity and opportunity in the U.S. and abroad.

MiChigan’S toP DoCtorDr. Matt Davis is not your typical physician. Sure, he attended medical school and completed a residency, just like his peers. But Davis also earned a master’s degree in public policy. Now, he’s serving as chief medical executive for the state of Michigan—working with the Michigan legislature to address one of the Affordable Care Act’s larger goals, eliminating socioeconomic health disparities. Public policy engagement is vitally important to Ford School faculty members like Davis, whose teaching and research are enhanced through their experiences with policymakers and practitioners.

Faculty focus

y a n g

D y n a r S k i

D a v i S


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FoStering CooPerationIn 1984, when Robert Axelrod published The Evolution of Cooperation, The Wall Street Journal wrote “copies should be marked ‘urgent’ and sent to our strategic arms negotiators, to all businessmen, to all lawyers and to anyone who has to deal with anyone else—which is everyone.” Axelrod was recognized with a MacArthur Prize Fellowship and was inducted into the National Academy of Sciences (the youngest political scientist ever to receive that honor). Thirty years later, Axelrod’s work has been honored with the Skytte Prize and The Evolution of Cooperation has been translated into twelve languages and cited tens of thousands of times; it continues to influence policymakers, diplomats, and scholars all around the world.

laSting, loCal ChangeWhen the Governor of Michigan invested $10 million to create 1,000 sustainable jobs for the long-term unemployed, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation tapped distinguished political scientist Elisabeth Gerber to measure the outcomes. And when metro Detroit launched efforts to develop a more cohesive and accessible public transit system, the Regional Transit Author-ity board chose Elisabeth Gerber for a leadership role. At the Ford School, Gerber oversees teams of graduate students who complete commissioned consulting assignments for policy organizations.

a PowerFul PubliC ServiCe Scholarly CVs are long, there’s no denying it, so it’s not surprising that Paul N. Courant’s CV stretches a good twelve feet from end to end. What is surprising is that what is likely to be Courant’s single greatest contribution to scholarship isn’t mentioned in his CV at all: development of the largest digital library in the world, the HathiTrust. Thirty-five percent of the 11.4 million volumes in the HathiTrust are in the public domain—accessible to anyone with an internet connection, anywhere in the world. Each weekday, some 50,000 users access the library’s collections, free of charge.

a x e l r o D

g e r b e r

C o u r a n t

Consider the possibilities


Consider the possibilities

Whether you see yourself managing refugee programs at the United Nations or leading the City of Detroit’s riverfront redevelop-ment efforts, the Ford School should be your first stop. The policy interests of Ford School students and alumni are diverse—they’re local and global, corporate and not-for-profit, educational and economic. What will you do with your Ford School degree?


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From here to there, and points between

reSearCh CenterSThe Ford School is home to a growing number of active research centers. Here are just three of them—each of which helps students engage in policy issues close to home and farther afield:

Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP): CLOSUP provides local government leaders with trusted, nonpartisan research that helps them discover and adopt innovative policy solutions. Each year, the center engages hundreds of policy students in its work through events, work-study employment, and internships.

Education Policy Initiative (EPI): The central mission of the initiative is to engage in applied education policy research. The initiative brings together nationally-recognized education policy scholars to generate and disseminate policy-relevant education research. In 2014, the EPI sponsored four summer internships for our MPP students with the Michigan Department of Education.

International Policy Center (IPC): The IPC fosters interdisciplinary faculty research in international affairs, informs policymakers and the press, and engages policy students through its international speaker series, policy debate series, international policy courses, international internships, and other activities.

Ford School alumni are managing multi-million dollar support programs for

farmers in Afghanistan. They’re crafting market regulations at the Federal

Reserve Bank. They’re directing successful gubernatorial political campaigns.

They’re improving health policy in East Africa. And they’re leading national land and

water conservation efforts for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. So, whether your

policy interests lie in Detroit—described by some as one of the great urban renewal

testing grounds in the world—in Beijing, or some point between, at the Ford School

you’ll gain the real-world policy experience and the professional skills needed to

make an immediate impact.


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Many of our students gain practical international experience through their required summer internship. Around 25 percent intern outside of the U.S. each year in organizations such as the International Organization for Migration, U.S. State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development, the World Bank, and Innovations for Poverty Action; another 20 percent intern with U.S.-based organizations that deal with international issues.

SuMMer internShiPSThe required internship between the first and second year of study allows our students to explore their policy interests. We have established internship partner-ships with the Detroit Mayor’s Office; the Michigan Governor’s Office; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; and many other local, state, and national organizations.

Internships by Sector● Federal Government 23%● State Government 5%● Local Government 7%● Government, non-U.S. 1%● International Orgs 6%● NFP/NGO 47%● Private Sector 11%

Five-year average (2010–2014)

Internships by Location● Washington, DC 33%● New York 5%● Michigan 18%● Illinois 8%● California 6%● Other U.S. 7% ● International 23%

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eriC loPez (MPP ’06)

Tidelands Capital Improvement Program OfficerCity of Long BeachLong Beach, CA

DuDley benoit (MPP ’95)

Senior Vice President, Commercial Term LendingJ.P. Morgan ChaseNew York, NY

Diana Flora (MPP/MUP ’13)

Detroit Revitalization FellowData Driven DetroitDetroit, MI

branDy JohnSon (MPP ’09)

Executive DirectorMichigan College Access NetworkLansing, MI

Matthew JohnSon (MPP ’10)

Deputy Director, Global Security Contingency FundU.S. Department of DefenseWashington, DC

Silvana koStenbauM (MPP/MUP ’04)

Public Governance and Economic Development Consultant; Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Where in the World?Ford School graduates obtain skills that allow them to pursue their passions, whether close to home or far afield. Our alumni work all across the globe, addressing policy challenges in education, urban revitalization, economic development, foreign affairs, human rights, and many other fields.

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walter braunohler (MPP ’02)

Foreign Service OfficerU.S. Department of StateKrakow, Poland

MiChael ChaPniCk (MPA ’00)

Director of Communications and Public AffairsAsia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat, Singapore

Carly Farver (MPP ’14)

Senior Project Associate Innovations for Poverty ActionLilongwe, Malawi

tanniStha Datta (MPP ’09)

Child Protection SpecialistUnited Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) New Delhi, India

benJaMin reaMeS (MPP ’96)

Regional Borders CoordinatorU.S. Department of State Kabul, Afghanistan

anDreaS hatzigeorgiou (MPP ’08)

International Trade Economist, Advisor to the Minister for TradeMinistry of Foreign AffairsStockholm, Sweden


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Paula oSborn (MPP/MREES ’15)

I N t e r N S h I p :

U.S. Embassy Kiev, Ukraine

with a travel and living stipend from the Ford School’s Neil Staebler endowment, Paula osborn interned with the U.S.

embassy in Ukraine, serving as the active officer on environment, science, technology, and health issues while the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service officer was on leave. The experience, she says, opened her eyes to the issues and hurdles developing countries face and formalized her interest in international policy and the democratization of post-Soviet countries.

Interns: home and abroad


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brian garCia (MPP/MBA ’16)

I N t e r N S h I p :

Office of the Mayor Detroit, Michigan

brian garcia came to the Ford School after serving as a com-munity development team leader for the U.S. Armed Forces.

In that role he planned community and economic development projects in Kandahar City, Afghanistan. He was awarded the David Bohnett Foundation Leadership and Public Service Fellow-ship in 2013. Each year, the fellowship is given to three incoming graduate students, providing two years’ of in-state tuition support and a funded internship in the City of Detroit mayor’s office or the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation.

A world-class university


A world-class universityThe Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy is a top-ranked policy school located within one of the world’s premier research universities—in one of America’s best college towns. Ford School students have ready access to the intellectual, cultural, and social resources of the University of Michigan. And when they graduate, they join the largest living alumni body in the world.


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Go Blue

A university ranked among the best in the

world. A city ranked among America’s best

college towns. A diverse, dynamic, and friendly

community to call your own. 1,400 student clubs and

organizations, bringing vitality and energy to campus.

And the University of Michigan’s 547,000 living alumni,

transforming communities across the globe.

aCaDeMiC reSourCeSThe University of Michigan is home to nineteen graduate schools and colleges; 250 degree programs; 6,700 faculty members; and dozens of world-class academic depart-ments. Remarkably low barriers between schools make it easy for students to register for courses in any department, accessing the full range of the University of Michigan’s intellectual, cultural, and social resources.


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reSearCh CenterSIn addition to the vibrant research centers housed at the Ford School, students have access to the faculty, events, and courses hosted by hundreds of University of Michigan research centers including the Institute for Social Research, the nation’s longest-standing laboratory for interdisciplinary research in the social sciences; the Center for the Study of Complex Systems; the William Davidson Institute; the Erb Institute for Sustainability, and many more.

Dual-DegreeSAbout 30 percent of Ford School master’s students pursue dual-degrees while on campus, includ-ing fourteen formal dual-degree programs with business, law, public health, and area studies, as well as dozens of individualized dual-degrees with social work, urban planning, natural resources and environment, and more. Not sure whether a dual degree is in your future? No need to decide before coming to Michigan; our students can apply to other schools after enrollment at the Ford School. The application process is straightforward and our academic advisors are here to help.

#6#4 15

Best Values in Public Colleges Kiplinger’s

Top Public School U.S. News & World Report

University by Worldwide Reputation Times Higher Ed. 2014#


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CertiFiCateSThe U-M hosts a wide variety of non-degree certificate programs that allow students to specialize in an area of interest without pursuing a full dual degree. Ford School students may be interested in certificates in regional studies; science, technology, and public policy (an innovative STPP program is housed at the Ford School); survey methodology, complex systems, spatial analysis, and more.

interDiSCiPlinary StuDieSFor those students who choose not to pursue a dual-degree or certificate, fully one-quarter of Ford School credits can be taken outside of the school.

12#5

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100 Best Value Colleges Princeton Review, 2014

LGBTQ-Friendly Campus Huffington Post, 2014

Graduate Programs in the top 10 U.S. News & World Report

#

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global MiChiganAfrican Studies Center, Center for European Studies, Center for Japanese Studies, Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies, Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies . . . . The University of Michigan hosts seventeen area studies centers and programs, which provide classes, research oppor-tunities, and events focused on specific regions of the world.

More than 65 languages are taught at the University of

Michigan, including an impressive array of less-commonly

taught languages; full-time Ford School students can take

undergraduate language classes without charge.

AkanArabicArmenianBambaraHebrewHindiIndonesianPersianPolishPortuguesePunjabiSanskritSwahiliSwedishThaiTibetanTurkishUkranianUrduUzbekWolofYiddishZulu

Join a powerful network

Join a powerful network

From the day you set foot on campus, you’re part of a great community— close-knit, engaged, and active while in school, and well-connected, involved, and committed long after graduation.



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2014 MPP/MPA Class Profile

110 Incoming class size

27 Average age 21-41 Age range 27% Non-U.S. 30% Students of color (U.S. only)

48% Female 52% Male

4.5 Years of work experience

14 Countries of origin

Students who choose the Ford School are passionately interested in public affairs. They want to help shape the public decisions that affect their neighborhoods, their countries, and people around the globe.

Student-led organizations are an integral part of Ford School community life. Groups like the Domestic Policy Corps, the International Policy Students Association, and the Charity Auction Committee join students with shared

interests, lead school-wide public service initiatives, host speakers, and provide numer-ous opportunities for students to act, serve, and lead.

Our student body is diverse across a broad spectrum of dimensions. On average, 25 percent of our graduate student body comes from abroad and 30 percent of our domestic students come from groups historically under-represented in policymaking.

Student life


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ann arborAnn Arbor is nationally ranked as one of the most livable communities in the United States. Energetic and intellectual, attracting students from all over the country and the world, the city features outdoor concert series, farmer’s markets, and schools that have won national recognition for their excellence.

Downtown, you’ll find museums, restau-rants, music venues and independent bookstores, as well as record stores, comic shops and movie theaters. Just beyond downtown, students find recreation options on the beautiful Huron River, along with dozens of miles of running trails in the Nichols Arboretum and in the city’s enormous park system.

Ann Arbor is within an hour

drive of Detroit and about

five hours from Chicago and

Toronto. New York City, Boston,

and Washington D.C. are ninety

minutes away by plane.


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As a graduate of the Ford School—the nation’s first public administration

graduate program and one of its most prominent—you’ll join a

powerful and growing network of alumni engaged in public service

and leadership positions around the world.

Ford School alumni are deeply involved

with the school as volunteers, helping cur-

rent students define their career interests

and build their professional networks.

Well-connected and engaged


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Knowing that Ford School alumni are some of the best resources available to students for real world career information, leads on internships and jobs, and mentoring advice, our well-resourced Office of Graduate Career Services and Alumni Relations coordinates dozens of professional development activities each year:

• Our Alumni in Residence program brings accomplished alumni back to campus to spend one or two days holding office hours and supporting students through resume reviews, mock interviews, and career conversations.

• Fordies Under 40 serves a similar function, but is led by student organizations, who invite back alumni based on particular policy areas of interest.

• We organize a number of opportunities for students to network with alumni in more social settings, including annual career exploration trips to DC and Chicago and Worldwide Ford School Spirit Day, where alums host events in cities around the globe.


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The MPP program prepares graduates for professional careers in policy advocacy and public affairs, program implementation, analysis and research, and evaluation in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. The MPA degree is a one-year degree designed to enhance the analytic abilities and management skills of experienced professionals who have at least five years of work experience.

Our highly competitive PhD program prepares graduates for careers as faculty members in a social science department or professional school or senior research analysts in think tanks, government or intergovernmental agencies. More at www.fordschool.umich.edu/phd.

aDMiSSionS overviewThe Ford School seeks MPP/MPA applicants from a diversity of academic and professional backgrounds. We emphasize the applicant’s academic performance as an undergraduate, demonstrated commitment to public policy, potential for gradu-ate studies, statement of purpose, relevant work experience, range of courses taken, and faculty and employer evaluations.

SPeak with uSWe welcome your questions. Please find us at a graduate fair, come to Ann Arbor for a graduate information session, call, or write. Details: www.fordschool.umich.edu/ask-us

aPPliCation DeaDlineSJanuary 15 for MPP and MPA programs

Which advanced degree should you pursue?


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CoSt (per academic year, based on 2014 figures)

In-state Out-of-state

Tuition and fees $22,764 $41,384

Housing and food $13,504 $13,504

Books and supplies $1,192 $1,192

Personal and miscellaneous $4,552 $4,552

total cost $41,994 $60,632

FellowShiPS anD FinanCial aiDThe Ford School offers financial assistance through merit-based fellowships. These fellowships—available to both domestic and international applicants—are awarded with admission.

In previous years, about 60 percent of each entering class received some level of fellowship support. In addition, Ford School students have been successful seeking university fellowships, graduate student instructor (GSI) positions (teaching assistantships), and graduate student research assistantships. Dozens of our students receive Ford School GSI positions each year. (University of Michigan GSI packages are very generous, including not only tuition, but also a living stipend and health insurance coverage.)

The University of Michigan also provides need-based financial support in the form of subsidized loans and work-study funding.

Please speak with a Ford School advisor for more information.


ContaCt inFoGerald R. Ford School of Public PolicyUniversity of MichiganJoan and Sanford Weill Hall735 South State StreetAnn Arbor, MI 48109-3091734 764 3490734 763 9181 faxfordschool.umich.edu

Student and Academic Services: 734-764-0453

Graduate Career Services: 734-615-9557

Development: 734-615-3892

Alumni Relations: 734-615-5760

Communications and Outreach: 734-615-9691

Regents of the University of MichiganMark J. Bernstein, Ann ArborJulia Donovan Darlow , Ann ArborLaurence B. Deitch, Bloomfield HillsShauna Ryder Diggs, Grosse PointeDenise Ilitch, Bingham FarmsAndrea Fischer Newman, Ann ArborAndrew C. Richner, Grosse Pointe ParkKatherine E. White, Ann ArborMark S. Schlissel (ex officio)

© 2014 The Regents of the University of Michigan

A Non-discriminatory, Affirmative Action Employer

“There may be no greater honor than

to have a school bear your name.

Such recognition means all the more

when it comes from an institution that

you love, and when it is dedicated—not

to me personally—but to the cause of

public service to which I have devoted

most of my life.”

geralD r. ForD1913–2006

On the occasion of the dedication of Joan and Sanford Weill Hall, October 13, 2006

38th President of the United States; AB ’35 and HLLD ’74, University of Michigan

the gerald r. ford school of public policy

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