Major in making a difference: The Ford School BA in public policy (2021)

Q: Inequality.

Xenophobia and racism.

Refugee and migrant crises.

Climate change.

Access to higher education.

Student loan debt.

Gun violence.

A: Dreamers.

Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy

Major in Making a Difference

W

e face unprecedented, complex public challenges.

Our world needs the efforts of an energetic, committed, creative generation, prepared to lead. Our world needs you.

The Ford School BA in Public Policy is a liberal arts degree based in the social sciences. We give students the knowledge and skills needed to analyze policy problems, understand the stakes, and create viable solutions.

At the Ford School, you’ll work in small groups with world-class faculty and with students who bring diverse backgrounds, talents, and perspectives to their studies.

You’ll come together in small, interdisciplinary policy seminars that emphasize teamwork, writing, analysis, and class participation. Recent examples include: • Crime & Public Policy • Global Financial Markets, Crises, and Policies • Poverty, Inequality, and Public Policy • Behavioral Economics • Drugs, Crime, and Terrorism • Immigration Policy • Dangerous Peacemaking • Energy and Climate • Philanthropic Foundations

You’ll get individualized writing instruction from our best-in-class Writing Center.

You’ll take an applied policy seminar with your whole cohort, exploring how values, experiences and identities shape policy opinions, and culminating in a policy simulation exercise.

You’ll design a focus area and gain a deeper understanding of a policy topic of your choice; examples include: energy policy, health care policy & infectious disease control, historical perspectives on foreign policy, and development policy in Southeast Asia.

You’ll have access to a dedicated career counselor, terrific peer advisors, visiting policy leaders, and more.

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Ten years after graduation, our BA alumni are: Working on the Hill, including as the chief of staff for a member of Congress

Entrepreneurs Research directors and program managers for think-tanks, consulting firms, and nonprofit organizations

Teachers in large public school districts Lawyers with the U.S. Department of Justice, law firms, and major advocacy organizations

How will you make a difference?

Average BA class size: 24 students

The Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Policy Major in Making a Difference How and when to apply

Contact us

Application deadline: February 1 of sophomore

Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy

year at U-M

Joan and Sanford Weill Hall

Prerequisites: Economics 101 and 102, one course

735 South State Street

from Race and Ethnicity (RE), and another introductory social science course

Ann Arbor, MI 48109-3091 734-764-3490

Apply online at: fordschool.umich.edu/ba/admissions.

Regents of the University of Michigan

Ford School scholarship assistance is available.

Michael J. Behm, Grand Blanc

In addition, we offer financial assistance for unpaid internships. fordschool.umich.edu/ba

Jordan B. Acker, Huntington Woods Mark J. Bernstein, Ann Arbor Paul W. Brown, Ann Arbor Sarah Hubbard, Okemos Denise Ilitch, Bingham Farms Ron Weiser, Ann Arbor Katherine E. White, Ann Arbor Mark S. Schlissel (ex officio) © 2021 The Regents of the University of Michigan A Non-discriminatory, Affirmative Action Employer