The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, often referred to as the Ford School, is a leading public policy school in the United States. Founded in 1914 as the Institute of Public Administration, it was named in 1999 after former U.S. President Gerald Ford, who was a 1935 graduate of the University of Michigan. The date of establishment or date of founding of an institution is the date on which that institution chooses to claim as its starting point. ... Year 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... A financial endowment is a transfer of money or property donated to an institution, with the stipulation that it be invested, and the principal remain intact. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... In an educational setting, a dean is a person with significant authority . ... A faculty is a division within a university. ... Alternate uses: Student (disambiguation) Etymologically derived through Middle English from the Latin second-type conjugation verb stŭdērĕ, which means to study, a student is one who studies. ... For the railroad company, see Ann Arbor Railroad. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ... Crowded Shibuya, Tokyo shopping district An urban area is an area with an increased density of human-created structures in comparison to the areas surrounding it. ... A website (alternatively, Web site or web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos and other digital assets that is hosted on one or several Web server(s), usually accessible via the Internet, cell phone or a LAN. A Web page is a document, typically written in HTML... The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (U of M, U-M or simply Michigan) is a coeducational public research university in the state of Michigan, and one of the foremost universities in the United States. ... Public policy schools teach students policy analysis/policy studies, public policy, public administration, and public affairs. ... For the pop band, see Presidents of the United States of America. ... Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. ...

The Ford School offers wide-ranged research in public policy and is known for its strong quantitative capability. The school runs dual degree programs with the University of Michigan Law School, Ross School of Business, School of Information, School of Social Work, and School of Public Health, as well as the Departments of Economics, Sociology and Political Science. A scale for measuring mass A quantitative property is one that exists in a range of magnitudes, and can therefore be measured. ... It has been suggested that Student Funded Fellowships be merged into this article or section. ... The Stephen M. Ross School of Business (previously known as the University of Michigan Business School) is the business school of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. ... The School of Information (SI) at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor is a graduate school offering both a Master of Science in Information (MSI) and a Doctor of Information (Ph. ...

History

The Ford School was founded in 1914 as the Institute for Public Administration. Consequently, it is the oldest public policy institution in the United States. It was part of the Progressive Era movement for clean government and well-trained professional civil servants. For the first half-century of its existence, the institute focused on training individuals who would serve in state and local government in the United States. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

In the mid-1960s, academic work in the social sciences suggested that the analytic methods of the social sciences could be usefully applied to the understanding of public concerns. The institute, which was renamed the Institute for Public Policy Studies, redesigned its curriculum to include rigorous training in the social sciences, particularly quantitative analysis of economic, political, and organizational questions. The focus of faculty research and student training moved to national and international issues.

The University of Michigan established the institute as the School of Public Policy in 1995. Since achieving this status, the school has been expanding. In 1999, the school was officially named for Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States and a University of Michigan alumnus. Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. ...

In the fall 2006, the Joan and Sanford Weill Hall became the new permanent home of the Ford School. The Weill family donated $8 million, $5 million for construction of a new $35 million building (dedicated on October of 13th of 2006), which houses classrooms, offices, and meeting space for students, faculty and staff, and $3 million to endow the position of dean of the School. The five-story structure, designed by Robert A. M. Stern, houses several research centers, a policy library, and study areas for students. At the same time, the school has begun admitting junior-level undergraduate students for two-year programs for public policy majors. Sandy Weill in the 1970s Sandy Weill (March 16 1933 -) is a financier, philanthropist, and chairman of Citigroup. ... Robert Arthur Morton Stern, usually credited as Robert A. M. Stern, (born May 23, 1939) is an American architect and Dean of the Yale University School of Architecture. ... In some educational systems, undergraduate education is post-secondary education up to the level of a Bachelors degree. ...

Programs of study

Three graduate degrees are currently offered:

• Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.)
• Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Public Policy and Social Science (Ph.D.)

The doctoral program is conducted jointly with the economics, sociology, or political science department. The MPP program is the largest of the three, and is generally completed in two years. The Ford School has developed dual degrees with many professional programs, which enables students to complete work on two degrees simultaneously. The most common dual degree programs include coursework in business, education, information, law, natural resources and the environment, public health, Russian and Eastern European studies, social work, or urban and regional planning. The Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.) is a professional Masters degree that traditionally provided training in policy analysis and program evaluation at public policy schools. ... The Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree is one of several master level professional public affairs degrees that provides training in public policy and project/program implementation (more recently known as public management). ...

The curriculum emphasizes analytic methods, management, and ethics. Grounded in these key areas, students specialize in a wide range of policy fields from domestic social policy and international trade to nonprofit management. Students are encouraged to participate in interdisciplinary work by incorporating graduate courses from other schools at the university. Most students choose a particular area on which to focus, generally from: U.S. Social Policy, Economics, International Development & Politics, Public & Nonprofit Management, Politics of Policymaking, or Methodologies of Policy Analysis.

Several members of the school's faculty have joint appointments in other departments, and there are visiting professors from around the U.S. and other countries. The Ford School also has a Diplomat in Residence program to provide students with firsthand access to information about the U.S. State Department. The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, equivalent to foreign ministries in other countries. ...

The school is scheduled to begin an undergraduate program in Fall 2007 that will award a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in public policy. The two-year program of study will admit 50 students with junior standing into its first class.

Research

The Ford School is home to or co-sponsor of a number of multi-disciplinary research centers that focus on policy concerns including:

• CLOSUP (Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy)
• International Policy Center
• National Poverty Center
• Nonprofit and Public Management Center
• Research and Training Program on Poverty & Public Policy
• Michigan Program on Poverty & Social Welfare Policy

A key component of the MPP course of study is hands-on experience, which takes the form of a required ten-week internship.

Students also have opportunities for specialized study and travel during the academic year. Currently, there are four courses which allow students to gain practical experience with policymaking and/or international exposure:

• Applied Policy Seminar - A semester-long course in which students are assigned to real-world projects for local governments, often requiring assessment of costs/benefits and implications of a policy change.
• Integrated Policy Exercise - A week-long, school-wide simulation addressing either a local or international issue.
• Distance Learning Project for Quantitative Social Science - A year-long course that trains students in social science techniques for policymaking and partners them with social scientists in South Africa via the web and a country trip in the winter term.
• International Economic Development Program - A semester-long course in which students, in conjunction with a faculty member, study the economic, political, and social development of a developing country, culminating in a visit over the winter break.

External links

• Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy official site
• US News Guide to Public Affairs Programs