IPS/MIP 40th Anniversary

The MIP program was established in 1982 to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to analyze and address complex global challenges in a rapidly changing world, and to prepare the next generation of leaders for public and private sector careers in international policymaking and implementation. MIP is unique for its location on the West Coast, its ethos of innovation and interdisciplinary, and its small cohorts.

 

MIP was originally a one-year Master of Arts degree program known as International Policy Studies (IPS). In 2006, the program recieved a generous endowment from Susan Ford Dorsey that initiated a redesign to a two-year program. IPS welcomed its first-year cohort in September 2007 so this also marks the 15th anniversary of the Ford Dorsey Program.

 

In 2017, Michael McFaul spearheaded IPS' move into the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI). The program was then renamed as the Ford Dorsey Master's in International Policy (MIP), reflecting the enhanced practical focus of the revamped curriculum. 

 

The capstone course features the MIP Problem-Solving Framework, an innovative, multidisciplinary, and iterative guide for solving public policy problems in the real world designed by Francis Fukuyama and Jeremy Weinstein.

 

The MIP program continues to evolve and adapt to the changing global landscapes, with a commitment to providing students with the skills and knowledge necessary to address the most pressing international policy challenges of our time. As of 2022, there are 939 graduates.