Univeristy of Michigan. Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

In 1914, the Department of Political Science established a graduate program which led to a master's degree in municipal administration. Courses were taken from the curricula of various departments, schools and colleges including Economics, Landscape Design, the Law School, and the College of Engineering. By the mid 1930s, a demand had developed for individuals trained to perform various administrative functions in Michigan. In 1936, the Institute of Social and Public Administration was established as part of the graduate school at the university to address this need. A program was developed to satisfy demands for trained administrators who could work in the fields of public administration, land utilization, and social work. In 1938, the Bureau of Government, a center for research on municipal administration, became part of the University Institute of Public and Social Administration.

The Regents of the University of Michigan approved a plan for the establishment of the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) on September 28, 1945. A formal announcement of the formation of the new institute was issued in March 1946. The new program had several goals. They included training students in the field of public administration as well as conducting research on matters of public interest such as taxes, employment, etc. Offering services to public officials and legislative bodies was also identified as one of the goals of the program. Finally, the program would cooperate with government offices to offer "in-service training" to advanced students, as well as to offer short courses to public employees. Instruction and research in the fields of law, engineering, public health, and economics, among others, were integrated into the program.

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