Public Policy and Service Concentration

Do more than learn about making an impact through public service: empower yourself to contribute to the public good as a career through the public policy and service concentration in Albion College’s Gerald Ford Institute for Public Service. Through your classes, institute networking activities, and an internship in government, the nonprofit sector, or the media, you’ll begin to see the rewards of serving the public—and the possibilities that await after graduation.

Why Study Public Policy and Service at Albion?

Students interested in public policy and service typically are deeply involved in their communities, are leaders in on- and off-campus organizations, and follow issues of interest at home and in our global society. Albion students who choose the concentration are also members of the College’s Gerald Ford Institute for Public Service. Created by the 38th U.S. president in 1977, the Institute has a long history of its graduates becoming successful advocates for the greater good.

Experience Opportunities

The Gerald Ford Institute for Public Service regularly brings in guest visitors and speakers (often alumni) who can provide deep insights as to what students can expect as they start to plan their careers in public policy and service. By junior year students are ready to take their networking further through a wide variety of credit-earning internships: at the Michigan statehouse, as part of congressional staff in Washington, D.C., on the team of a political or nonprofit advocacy organization—these are only some of the many opportunities available.

Off-Campus Study

From our nation’s capital to historical Philadelphia and many other locations, opportunities abound that combine an internship with classroom coursework. Programs such as the Washington Center, Washington Semester, Chicago Center of Urban Studies, The Philadelphia Center (managed by Albion College), Educational Programs Abroad (EPA), and international experiences through Boston University allow students to explore their academic and career interests in a different city or nation.

What Will You Learn as a Public Policy and Service Student?

The concentration, open to students of all majors with a serious interest in public service, features courses in ethics, public policy, and political science, as well as a range of choices in economics and management, English, modern languages, and communication.

You’ll become attuned to the stages of the policymaking process, build your public speaking skills, and explore positions and arguments behind some of the biggest domestic and global challenges of today and tomorrow.

The public policy and service concentration prepare students for careers in government, for private-sector careers related to government policy, or for careers with a range of nonprofits and international organizations. It also provides strong preparation for students planning on attending law school or earning a master’s degree or Ph.D. in public policy, public administration, public health, or social policy.

Job Titles

• Policy analyst
• City manager
• Social worker
• Community relations director
• Nonprofit organization executive director
• Nongovernmental organization (NGO) director