Student Directory
Dear Prospective Student,
I welcome your interest in the Ford School, one of the top US graduate programs in public policy. Our distinguished faculty, rich curriculum, and diverse and engaged student body make this an excellent place to prepare for work in the policy world.
As you explore our web site, you’ll see that the Ford School, a tightly-knit community within a highly-regarded university, offers a rigorous and distinguished public policy education. We are deeply committed to the interdisciplinary training that provides you the foundation from which to build a career in public policy. I encourage you to look at both the community of the Ford School and the broad resources of the University of Michigan and invite you to contact us with questions about our programs.
I look forward to seeing you on campus.
Susan M. Collins,
Joan and Sanford Weill Dean of Public Policy
Why Public Policy?
When you choose a career in public affairs, you choose a path of leadership and service. You choose to be an active participant in public decisions — decisions that affect your neighborhood, your community, your country, and people around the globe. You choose to analyze problems, seek solutions, collaborate for change, and advocate for your community.
The Ford School Tradition
A Ford School public policy degree will prepare you to lead and effect change in a broad range of public service roles. Our graduates develop creative and sound solutions that advance the goals of public policy. They are adaptable and respond quickly to our ever-evolving social, economic and political landscape. Our graduates are effective leaders who empower, challenge, inspire others, and shape the world in which we live.
At the Ford School of Public Policy, you will:
- Share in our outstanding legacy of training leaders in public service—dating
back to 1914, when the University of Michigan established one of the
nation’s first institutes for public administration.
- Gain access to the immense academic and research resources of the
No. 2 ranked public university in the U.S.—including some of
the best programs in the social sciences, and world-renowned faculty.
- Become part of our community of scholars and practitioners committed
to serving the public through the pursuit of advanced degree work
that will equip you for leadership in public policy analysis and public
management, and to excel in social science research that will shape
the world in which we live.
- Benefit from the Ford School’s distinctive interdisciplinary
approach to public policy education that will allow you to explore
concentrations in areas such as social welfare, international trade,
international development, economic policy, and non-profit and public
management, to name a few.
- Learn effective ways to evaluate and address public policy issues
through a balanced emphasis on quantitative analysis, research, and
hands-on training in community settings.
- Join a tradition of alumni who have achieved tremendous success in a wide range of public policy fields, such as: government, international organizations, non-profit and community organizations, and in academia or in research organizations (“think-tanks”).
What our Alumni Have to Say
Don’t just take our word for it.
Click here to discover in-depth testimonials from Ford School alumni who are out in the field, working in all sectors of public policy in the US and around the world, and who credit much of their success to their exceptional experience at the Ford School.
