Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy

The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy offers rigorous, interdisciplinary, applied education to students in our MPP/MPA programs; our joint PhD programs with Economics, Sociology, and Political Science; and, starting in 2007, our undergraduate liberal arts degree program. Students come to the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy because they are passionate about making the world a better place in which to live and learn. Our students are interested in public affairs and want to be active participants in public decisions - decisions that affect their neighborhood, their country, and people around the globe.

Through the school's partnership with the Nonprofit and Public Management Center, our students gain cross-disciplinary education and hands-on experience in preparation for successful careers in public management and in nonprofit organizations. Our commitment to the NPM reflects the Ford School's ongoing emphasis on crossing academic disciplines. Through the NPM, Ford School students interested in issues of nonprofit management find internship opportunities, work for experience or school credit with community organizations, and attend workshops and seminars alongside students pursuing graduate degrees in business and social work; this prepares students for effective careers at the boundaries of government, the nonprofit sector, and the private sector.

The core Ford School coursework gives our students a foundation of skills in economics, statistics, political analysis, and public management. Along with this serious quantitative training in data analysis and cost-benefit analysis, the curriculum provides students with practical policy experience, giving them the opportunity to develop and enhance their skills in a real-world setting. Our students contribute that analytical, applied perspective to the dialogue among the graduate students who participate in NPM activities.