The Ford School is so proud of the Classes of 2023—a resilient, talented group who earned their University of Michigan degrees in a time of historic challenges. This year’s graduates supported each other along the way, and they did more than just...
Dear friends,
Our talented faculty and students continue to land awards and recognition for their accomplishments! In March, Earl Lewis, the Thomas C. Holt Distinguished University Professor of History, Afroamerican and African Studies, and...
Happy spring from Ann Arbor!
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time serving as interim dean this past year, working closely with and learning so much from our community. U-M Provost Laurie McCauley's search for a new dean is ongoing, with the...
Three University of Michigan units have partnered to hold their respective ceremonies at Elbel Field this year. Together, and in partnership with U-M Rec Sports, the Ford School of Public Policy, School of Public Health, and School for...
The Ford School will be celebrating the graduating Classes of 2022 on Saturday, April 30 at 4:30 p.m. at an outdoor commencement ceremony at the iconic Elbel Field.
Just down the road from Weill Hall at the corner of S. Division and Hill, Elbel...
On December 19, 22 Ford School winter 2021 graduates and their families came together to celebrate a significant milestone. Four MPAs, five MPPs, twelve BAs, and one BA minor were conferred in U-M’s first in-person commencement ceremony since 2019....
The Ford School community came together to celebrate a significant milestone this week for 19 graduates as they earn their degrees in public policy. In a challenging year, and against the backdrop of a semester filled with online courses, Zoom...
The Ford School is proud to celebrate our classes of 2020 graduates—BAs, MPPs, MPAs, and PhDs—as they move forward to work on collaborative, creative solutions to complex challenges in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors.
Due to the...
This year the Ford School is honored to welcome Janet Murguía, President and CEO of UnidosUS, as the keynote speaker at the 2020 commencement for our graduating BA, MPP, MPA, and PhD students.Founded in 1968, UnidosUS—formerly the National Council...
This year the Ford School is honored to welcome noted journalist Michele Norris as the keynote speaker at the 2019 commencement for our graduating BA, MPP, MPA, and PhD students.Norris, born in Minnesota, graduated with a degree in journalism and...
Dear friends:Greetings from beautiful springtime Ann Arbor! We’re feeling tremendous pride and excitement in our newest alumni (view videos from a beautiful Commencement Ceremony here), our growing faculty, and in our school’s momentum and bright...
He's a philanthropist, an activist, an entrepreneur, and a U-M alum. David C. Bohnett (MBA '80), founder and chairman of the David Bohnett Foundation and Baroda Ventures, will give the keynote address to the Ford School's spring 2018 graduating...
On Saturday, April 29, the Ford School honored the accomplishments of 169 new graduates at public ceremonies in Rackham Auditorium.
The bicentennial class included 5 doctors of philosophy, 81 masters of public policy, 10 masters of public...
During spring commencement, the University of Michigan will forego its traditional honorary degrees to recognize ten young alumni with a special Bicentennial Alumni Award.
Among the bicentennial honorees is Ford School alumna Annie Maxwell (AB...
On Saturday, April 30, the Ford School honored the accomplishments of 174 new graduates, including 7 doctors of philosophy, 96 masters of public policy, 7 masters of public administration, and 64 bachelors of public policy.
Faculty remarks were...
On Saturday, May 2, Ford School commencement honored the accomplishments of 184 new graduates, including 9 doctors of philosophy, 104 masters of public policy, 10 masters of public administration, and 61 bachelors of public policy.
Faculty...
"You are not just graduates of a great university," Senator Carl Levin told the Ford School's centennial graduating class. "You are graduates of a school of public policy, which implies that you—your ideas and passions, your hard work and drive and...
Michael Pan, Senior Policy Advisor to Susan E. Rice, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, will deliver the Charge to the Class at the 2010 Ford School commencement ceremonies.Pan is a 1999 MPP alumnus of the Gerald R. Ford School of Public...
The Ford School celebrated the achievements of our graduating students as hundreds of friends and family members gathered for the 2009 Commencement Ceremony in the Rackham Auditorium on Saturday, May 2.Eighty-four MPP students graduated, many with...
Hill Auditorium
825 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
The Ford School is proud to celebrate the achievements of the graduating classes of 2025!Graduation eventsUniversity of Michigan Spring CommencementSaturday, May 3, 2025 Ford School Commencement CeremonySunday, May 4, 20254:00 PMHill AuditoriumInformation for graduating studentsEligibilityIn accordance with Rackham rules, students who graduate during the academic year (i.e., the previous December, in April/May, or the following August) will be eligible to participate in the Ford School's Commencement ceremony and walk across the stage. This includes Ford School students receiving BA, MPP, MPA, or PhD degrees. Barring a request for an exception, these are the only students who will be eligible to participate in the ceremony. Please contact Jordan Long, [email protected], if you would like to request an exception.Academic attireAcademic attire is required for the Commencement ceremony. All students are responsible for purchasing a gown, cap, and tassel. Masters and PhD students are also responsible for purchasing an academic hood. The color of the hood for public policy is teal. These items are available at the following stores: Barnes and Noble @ University of Michigan, Barnes and Noble @ North Campus, The M Den, and Michiganensian Yearbook beginning mid-March.The Ford School has some academic attire for loan on a first-come, first-served basis, which will be available starting in April. You will be required to sign each item out with the understanding that you'll return the borrowed items after Commencement. The gowns, hats, and hoods will be available for pick-up from the Office of Student & Academic Services during business hours. Prohibited itemsPlease note that we will use the Michigan Stadium list of prohibited items, which includes purses, umbrellas, containers, video cameras, and more. Guests will be refused entry if they are in possession of any of the items listed, or will have to leave items unguarded on the steps of Hill Auditorium. Please be sure to read the list carefully and leave any prohibited items in your car or at home.Information for Ford School Commencement guestsAccommodationsAccommodations in and around Ann Arbor for commencement weekend require reservations well in advance. For a list of hotels, motels, and bed and breakfasts in the Ann Arbor vicinity, please visit: https://www.annarbor.org/hotels/ParkingParking is at a premium around campus and especially during commencement weekend. Please allow ample time to find parking. All U-M parking lots and structures will be open to the public on Sunday, May 4, 2025. The closest lot is on Thayer, and other nearby lots are shown on this map: https://ltp.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/central_south.pdf Important U-M contact informationUniversity Commencement: (734) 647-7900Campus Information Center: (734) 764-4636 Ford School contact informationFord School events: [email protected] Long, Academic Advisor: [email protected]
Crisler Center
333 E. Stadium Boulevard
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Congratulations to the Ford School graduates walking in the 2024 University of Michigan Winter Commencement Ceremony!Winter Commencement is a festive, campus-wide event where undergraduates and masters degree recipients process onto the stage, PhD candidates process across the stage, and honorary degrees are conferred.Contact / more informationFor questions regarding graduation eligibility, schedule, or other concerns, please visit this site or contact the Office of University and Development Events at 734-647-7900
Be present for the campus-wide University of Michigan Winter Commencement, where undergraduates and masters degree recipients process onto the stage, PhD candidates process across the stage, and honorary degrees are conferred.
Be present for the campus-wide University of Michigan Winter Commencement, where undergraduates and masters degree recipients process onto the stage, PhD candidates process across the stage, and honorary degrees are conferred.
The Ford School invites graduates from the class of 2020, who are planning to attend the University’s 2020 Comeback Commencement, to an afternoon reception at Weill Hall.
Fordies: Join Students of Color in Public Policy and the Center for Racial Justice for an end-of-year celebration honoring and celebrating our graduates of all degree levels.
