Student Directory
Ford School Facts
History
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. Since achieving this status, the school has been on an expansion track.
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. Construction of a new home for the school, Joan and Sanford Weill Hall, began in the fall of 2004 and was completed in fall of 2006. 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
The Ford School is known for its strength in quantitative analysis of policy issues. It has long had strength in economic policy and in social policy. A major emphasis in recent years has been to expand and strengthen the international curriculum in the School, as well as create a set of new courses relating to science policy.
The Ford School prides itself on offering educational opportunities far beyond the traditional classroom setting. All MPP students are required to participate in an internship in the summer between their first and second year. In the summer of 2006, 21% spent this time with an overseas organization, 29% were in Washington D.C. at a national or internationally-focused organization, while the remainder scattered across the country in a wide variety of positions. The Ford School also requires that its MPP students participate in a school-wide policy simulation exercise each winter.
In addition to classes, the Ford School hosts several regular seminar series and also schedules a number of speakers, many of them prominent public figures. Among those who have talked at the Ford School over the past several years include Senator Carl Levin (D, MI), General David Petraeus, Brent Scowcroft, and Joseph Stiglitz. The Ford School also has a regular faculty exchange with both Sciences Po in Paris and Renmin University’s School of Public Administration in Beijing.
Faculty
Teaching faculty: 41 persons, 22 FTE
Tenured or tenure-track faculty: 27 persons, 18.25 FTE
Intermittent or adjunct teachers (policymakers, visitors, etc): 19 persons
Faculty in the school have joint appointments with a wide range of schools and units: economics, political science, sociology, math, information, law, business, social work, history, education, natural resources, the Institute for Social Research, Pediatrics, and urban planning.
Ford School faculty are not only excellent teachers, but are well-known in both the world of research and the policy advisory world. Two Ford School faculty hold the highest appointment at the University of Michigan, that of Distinguished Professor. Thirteen other faculty hold named chairs. One faculty member currently serves as the president of the American Political Science Association; another is currently president of the Association of Public Policy Analysis and Management.
In academic year 2006-2007, 77 courses were offered within the School.
In FTEs, the faculty has grown 62% since 2000.
Staff
The Ford School has staff members supporting administration, finance and human resources, student academic services, graduate career services, research administration, communications and outreach, computing services, development, and alumni relations. The staff has grown 118% since 2000, as the Ford School added students, faculty, and research centers.
Students
In academic year 2006-07, the Ford School has 177 Master's students and 47 joint doctoral students. About 25% of our Master’s students pursue dual degrees while on campus. The School's total enrollment has grown over 90% since 2000 and will grow by an additional 100 students by fall 2008 when the undergraduate program is fully enrolled.
The 2006 incoming MPP/MPA class was typical in the extent of its diversity across age, country of origin, and race/ethnicity:
- Incoming class size: 83
- Average age: 27
- Age range: 21-53
- Non-U.S.: 13%
- Students of color (U.S. only): 24%
- Female: 51%
- Male: 49%
Research Centers
The Ford School houses three research centers, all new since 1999:
- The National Poverty Center, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to conduct and promote multidisciplinary, policy-relevant research on the causes and consequences of poverty and provide mentoring and training to young scholars
- The Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy, which integrates research, teaching, and outreach to foster understanding of the problems facing states, cities, and metropolitan areas
- The International Policy Center, which is devoted to interdisciplinary research in the areas of international trade and finance; international political economy; comparative economic development; and global health issues
The school is also home to the Nonprofit and Public Management Center, a joint initiative with the School of Social Work and the Ross School of Business, and to the Science, Technology, and Public Policy (STPP) Program, which hosts a seminar series in addition to offering a graduate certificate program.
Financial Resources
General fund support for the School has been increasing steadily, and the FY 2007 projected level is $7.1 million. This contrasts to $4 million in FY 2000. Under the University's budgeting system, schools and colleges receive tuition income and overhead recovery from research that their activities generate, in addition to a Provost's allocation to support programmatic investment. Our total operating budget in FY 2007 is projected to be $16.0 million. In this model, to the extent that enrollments and sponsored research volume increase, the School will experience continued growth in revenue.
Over the past 7 years, the Ford School has developed a professional fundraising capacity, working closely with the University Development office. Between FY2000 and FY2007, almost $36.1 million in endowment and gift income was generated. The current endowment of the Ford School stands at $24.6 million. These moneys are used to support faculty salaries, student fellowships and internships, speakers and public events, and other programming activities.
Financial Aid
In FY 2006, MPP students at the Ford School received $1.7 million in fellowships and assistantships. About 60% of the Ford School’s MPP students receive some level of fellowship support, and all of our PhD students are fully funded.
Facilities
Designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, the Ford School's new home, Joan and Sanford Weill Hall, opened its doors in August 2006. The 85,000-square-foot building, on the northeast corner of State and Hill streets, offers state-of-the-art classrooms and many areas for student-faculty interaction. Weill Hall's highly visible location at a gateway to campus enhances the school's role as a central venue for public discussion on current national and international policy issues.
The building contains five classrooms, one computer lab, two seminar rooms, and several conference rooms. It was built at a cost of $35 million, a little more than half of which was raised from private donations, with the remainder contributed by the University of Michigan. Almost all of the Ford School classes are taught in Weill Hall, and the classrooms are used to schedule other U-M undergraduate and graduate level classes when they are not needed for Ford School students.
