Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy

About

Inspiring leaders, fueling game-changing discoveries, catalyzing real and lasting change—America's 1st grad program for aspiring public servants.

Story

Founded over a century ago (http://fordschool.umich.edu/ford100) at the height of America’s Progressive Era movement, ours was the nation’s first systematic public service training program. We launched the degree to give students the tools they needed to apply rigorous scientific methods—the same methods that had fueled America’s technological, medical, and scientific advancements—to the pressing social problems of the era.

One hundred years later, we remain one of America’s most highly respected schools of public policy and public administration. But while the scope of our programs has expanded, and our analytic methods have advanced dramatically, our core values remain: community, integrity, service, action, and leadership to advance and improve our world.

Read about the game-changing discoveries and policy engagement of our distinguished, interdisciplinary faculty: http://fordschool.umich.edu/research. Read about the impact and action of our impressive alumni, serving issues and organizations near and far: http://fordschool.umich.edu/alumni. And explore the rigor and the applied approach that undergird our curriculum: http://fordschool.umich.edu/academics.

Products

BA in Public Policy
fordschool.umich.edu/ba

Master of Public Policy
Master of Administration
fordschool.umich.edu/mpp-mpa

PhD in Public Policy and Political Science
PhD in Public Policy and Sociology
PhD in Public Policy and Economics
fordschool.umich.edu/phd

PPIA Junior Summer Institute
fordschool.umich.edu/ppia

Science, Technology, and Public Policy graduate certificate
fordschool.umich.edu/stpp