International Studies at the Ford School

Diverse and Internationally Engaged

Around 15% of the Ford School’s graduate student body comes from abroad. We regularly attract Fulbright scholars and also work with the Muskie and Ford Foundation fellows programs; these programs have recently brought students from Sweden, Jordan, Singapore, Armenia, and Kazakhstan to the Ford School. In addition, several Japanese government officials attend the Ford School each year, the result of a partnership with Japan’s Government Ministries. Faculty exchanges are also in place with Renmin University in China and Sciences Po in Paris. We have also benefited from visiting faculty from countries such as South America, Costa Rica, and Italy.

One of the Ford School’s most active student groups is the International Policy Students Association (IPSA). Each year, IPSA students work with a faculty member to plan a trip to a developing country during the late-February school break. The project, known as the International Economic Development Program (IEDP), begins with classroom study of the economics, politics, and culture of the country. During the trip, students conduct interviews and discussions with policymakers, members of civil society, foreign development agencies, and university students. Destinations have included Peru, China, Ethiopia, Cuba, Morocco, Venezuela, Czech Republic, Costa Rica, and Jordan.

The Ford School’s International Policy Center conducts and promotes research in the areas of international trade and finance, international political economy, comparative economic development, and global health issues. In addition to supporting IPSA, and IEDP, the IPC ALSO brings renowned speakers to campus for public lectures and small-group student discussion.

Preparing Students for International Careers

The Ford School’s core courses lay the analytical groundwork necessary to understand international affairs, institutions, economic systems, and politics. Advanced electives include classes on international trade, human rights, economic development, national security, and diplomacy.

Through the Ford School’s required summer internship, many of our students gain practical international experience working at NGOs, private sector firms, and government agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The number of opportunities for students to take internationally-focused internships continues to grow. Over 25% of students intern outside of the U.S. each year in organizations such as the EastWest Institute, U.S. State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development, the World Bank, and Amnesty International; another 15% do internship work on international issues within a U.S.-based agency.

The World on Campus

Other Ford School and U-M resources:

The Ford School’s International Policy Center (IPC) conducts and promotes research in the areas of international trade and finance, international political economy, comparative economic development, and global health issues. The IPC brings renowned speakers to campus for public lectures and small-group student discussions.
The U-M is host to seventeen Area Studies Centers and Programs, which provide classes, research opportunities, and events focused on specific regions of the world. The Centers are housed under the umbrella of the International Institute (II), which also provides our students with scholarship opportunities and funded international internships.
The Ford School is one of sixteen schools selected by the State Department to host a Diplomat in Residence, giving our students access to a current, active Foreign Service officer.
The U-M is one of just ten schools in the country to host a European Union Center of Excellence, making Ann Arbor one of the premier places to study and learn about modern Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, and the European Union.
Nearly fifty languages are taught at the University of Michigan, and Ford School students who are enrolled full-time can take undergraduate language classes without charge.
In addition to classes offered by the Area Studies Centers, Ford School students have access to cross-disciplinary international coursework at the U-M’s professional schools, including classes in international business from the Business School and on international law and affirmative action issues from the Law School.