A wealth of international resources

With a longstanding reputation for providing a rigorous professional education to leaders in public policy analysis and public management, the Ford School and the University of Michigan offer a rich and diverse set of academic and research resources to graduate students seeking careers dedicated to cross-national and international issues.

The curriculum

Our core courses lay the analytical groundwork necessary to understand international affairs, institutions, economic systems, and politics. Advanced electives include classes on international trade, human rights, economic development, national security, and diplomacy. Students have the opportunity to enrich their learning by taking internationally focused classes, like our China policy class.

Faculty resources

Accessible faculty who are actively engaged with international policy issues
An International Policy Center that promotes research, brings renowned speakers to campus for lectures and student discussions, and serves as a hub for international studies at the school
A State Department Diplomat in Residence — a senior, current Foreign Service officer who is available to students

A diverse student body

Fully 25% of the Ford School's graduate student body comes from abroad. Last year's incoming class included mid-career government officials as well as Fulbright scholars and Ford Foundation Fellows from Colombia, Hong Kong, Japan, Pakistan, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, and Uganda.

Work and study abroad

A growing number of students gain practical international experience through their required summer internship. Around 25% intern outside of the U.S. each year in organizations such as the International Organization for Migration, U.S. State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development, the World Bank, and Innovations for Poverty Action; another 20% intern with a U.S.-based organization that deals with international issues.

Two courses offer students the chance to travel abroad: Introduction to Chinese Policy (PubPol 716) is a course that starts with classroom education and ends with a trip to Beijing. For the annual Economic and Social Policies in a Selected Emerging Market Economy, IEDP (PubPol 674) trip, students and faculty learn about a developing country then travel there to meet with policymakers, members of civil society, foreign development agencies, and university students. Destinations have included Costa Rica, Cuba, Czech Republic, Jordan, Morocco, the Philippines, and Senegal.

Ford School global engagement

Please visit our Global Engagement page for more information about opportunities for international engagement, the U-M Travel Policy, and funding resources for current Ford School students.

Global Michigan

The University of Michigan:

Hosts eighteen Area Studies Centers and Programs, which provide classes, research opportunities, and events focused on specific regions of the world. The Centers are housed under the International Institute, also a source of scholarships and funding for international internships.
Is one of just ten schools in the country to host a European Union Center of Excellence, making Ann Arbor one of the premier places to study and learn about modern Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, and the European Union
Offers instruction in nearly fifty languages (full-time Ford School students can take undergraduate language classes without charge)
Is home to world-class professional schools, including Business and Law, giving Ford School students access to outstanding international coursework in many disciplines

Learn more on the University of Michigan's Global Portal website.