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Engaged learning
An applied approach to public service
We believe that interactions with people and organizations outside of U-M who are actively working on—and have the capacity for changing—public policy helps prepare our students to become leaders in service of the public good.
We are an engaged learning and teaching community.
The Ford School is deeply integrated with a wide range of policy communities cultivated by our faculty and our strong and engaged alumni network that provide opportunities for students to engage with real-world policy issues in the classroom and through research, activities, and workshops. And we offer a wide range of opportunities that allow students to use what they've learned in the classroom through hands-on, practical policy experiences.
Practical courses and experiences
Whether it's during their summer internship, consulting for credit, or during a policy simulation or workshop, students have numerous opportunities to practice what they learn in the classroom, here at home or abroad. Courses and independent study projects provide opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to engage with community partners in dialogue, research, and service as they conduct program evaluations, policy research, grant writing, and more.
My community learning project has allowed me to connect with like-minded students to make a difference [in Detroit]. I really appreciate the opportunity to give back and do so on the incredible issue of community and police reforms."
Kyron Smith (MPP '22) who worked with Peace and Justice in Detroit
Community learning project
Michigan maritime: Ports set to grow economy throughout the state
A new law that gives the state's 32 ports tools to expand and grow the maritime economy started out as a community project for a handful of University...
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Real-world impact
Research centers give U-M students hands-on, practical policy experiences
With the guidance and support of the Ford School’s research centers, graduate and undergraduate students are creating a real-life impact in a range of...
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Research centers offer additional opportunities for students at all levels to work directly with public officials and the community.
- The Weiser Diplomacy Center serves as a hub for engagement with the foreign policy community, bringing a diverse cadre of seasoned diplomats and foreign policy experts to campus and creating new opportunities for students and faculty through public events, conferences, internships and fellowships, and more.
- The International Policy Center (IPC) supports the faculty and students of the University of Michigan and the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy in creating new knowledge, fostering considered debate, and developing the policy leaders of tomorrow.
- The Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) conducts, supports and fosters applied academic research to inform local, state, and urban policy issues.
- Through the Center on Finance, Law & Policy's Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project (DNEP), students provide technical and strategic consulting services to neighborhood-based entrepreneurs.
- Poverty Solutions offers academic programs, student workshops, events to deepen students' understanding of the root causes of poverty. There are many opportunities for students to engage in research projects and community conversations and outreach, and policy engagement.
- The Center for Racial Justice (CRJ) welcomes graduate and undergraduate research assistants to analyze how public policies have undermined or advanced the goal of racial equity.
- The Science, Technology, and Public Policy (STPP) program trains the next generations of students—across a wide range of disciplines—to bring a public interest perspective into scientific conduct, technological development and deployment, and related public policies.
I learned about the importance of teamwork, the impact of legislation, and how quickly the political landscape can change."
Sarah Niemann (BA '22)
Community learning project with Detroit Action
Faculty Spotlight
Ambassador Susan Page
Professor of practice in international diplomacy
Page played a major role in peace processes and international negotiations. In the early 2000s, she was a legal and political advisor to the Horn of Africa’s Intergovernmental Authority on Development Secretariat for Peace that mediated an end to Africa’s longest-running civil war.
Read her profile
I can’t say enough about how responsive, thoughtful, professional, smart, and organized this team of students was throughout the semester. The work by this team was very comprehensive."
Naomi Norman
Assistant Superintendent, Washtenaw Intermediate School District, a Strategic Public Policy Consulting client
Policy Talks @ the Ford School
Distinguished policymakers from around the world give public lectures and meet with small groups of students to discuss substantive policy issues or offer career advice.
Rewatch here
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Governor Gretchen Whitmer event: Ford School students perspective Mar 24, 2023
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Susan Rice on Tough Love: 'My Story of the Things Worth Fighting For' Jan 20, 2020
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Debbie Dingell and Fred Upton: Voices from across the aisle Feb 18, 2019
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Hillary Clinton: Reflections on Foreign Policy: Defense, Diplomacy, and Development Oct 10, 2019
Kaltura Video
Kaltura Video
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Additional U-M resources
The University of Michigan offers extensive resources for international engagement, including internationally focused courses, internships, study abroad, language instruction, and research opportunities. Other resources include: