Welcome and orientation activities

We’re looking forward to welcoming you to the Ford School.
Even before you arrive in Ann Arbor this fall, you will have an opportunity to meet and engage with peers, faculty, and staff, and begin the process of preparing for the academic year.

We'll make more information, updates, and a detailed fall welcome schedule available to incoming students later this summer through Canvas, U-M's campus-wide learning management system.

Smiling Ford School students at our annual Fall Launch event
Ford School students meet and get to know one another at our annual Fall Launch event
  • Springboard: summer stats program

    The Ford School's virtual training program in basic quantitative reasoning is offered during the summer. Designed and taught by our faculty, the program will center policy analysis and help prepare incoming graduate students for the outstanding, rigorous analytic training they’ll receive at the University of Michigan. Look for more information by email about how best to determine whether Springboard is the right step for you and how to get involved.

    Career interests and resume reviews

    Career Services wants to get to know your individual intentions and career interests. In mid-summer, stay tuned for an opportunity to share your individual career/employer interests, have your resume reviewed, and gain access to and learn how to navigate the Ford School's internal career management system, FordCareers.

    Leadership development

    The Ford School's Leadership Initiative offers a variety of opportunities to practice and develop your leadership skills through courses, coaching, and other programs. In August, you'll get the chance to start your leadership journey by completing the CliftonStrengths assessment. 

    American government module

    The American government module is a free non-credit course to acquaint incoming master's students—international students, and domestic ones in need of a refresher—with the U.S. political system. The module covers the basics of the American political system—Congress, the presidency, the judiciary, elections, lobbyists, interest groups, and the federal bureaucracy.

    Math camp

    Math camp is a free non-credit refresher course on Algebra skills and concepts you will see in quantitative classes, such as microeconomics, statistics, and calculus. Everyone is invited to attend, and we strongly encourage it for those who haven’t had much math or haven’t taken any math since high school.

    Orientation programming

    Over the course of a series of required and recommended gatherings, you'll new be introduced to some of the school's core values of academic integrity, diversity, mutual respect, and constructive engagement. In addition, there are policy writing and leadership seminars, a current student panel, an information fair, and a chance to give back to the Ann Arbor community through volunteer opportunities, if public health protocols allow.

    Review sessions and waiver exams

    We'll host a statistics review session and offer waiver exams for both Statistics and Microeconomics A. There is no penalty for taking a waiver exam and not passing.

    International and first-gen welcome events

    We'll invite all our international and first-generation students to welcome mixers.

    Fall launch and all school assembly

    In early September, Ford School leaders will host an all school assembly to bring the community together and discuss the coming academic year, introduce new faculty, and share updates on school and student priorities.

     

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