Practice Curriculum
Practicum Capstone Option
All GPIA students fulfill a two-course Capstone requirement: Thesis, Research Portfolio, or Practicum. The Practicum provides an applied experience working with a client organization on an assigned project.
In the first of two semesters students choose a client project and begin to work on it in either prerequisite courses Project Cycle Management; or Critiquing, Negotiating and Advocating Policy. Student teams undertake Terms of Reference, and conduct research, data collection and analysis. In the second semester students work on implementing a project, producing the client-requested deliverables. Finally, the team makes a formal presentation to the client and university community.
The client role and interaction with students is an integral element of the learning process, with the ups and downs of a student’s work differing with each client. Ideally we seek – and often have – very-engaged clients, however the reality is also very-busy clients with limited time, who can be unresponsive, with vague and/or late feedback, lack of direction and sometimes even mis-direction. Students thereby learn flexibility, and adjustment to a fluid, sometimes slow and then fast-paced environment.
Through the Practicum, students, besides becoming expert on their specific project topic, problem and sector, students develop professional and consulting skills, including understanding client objectives, using a Terms of Reference, managing appropriate client communication and reporting, and turning in high-quality work on deadline. They also learn teamwork skills, including managing schedules, roles and responsibilities; and troubleshooting relationships among members to produce optimal results.
Finally, as a capstone approaching graduation into the working world, they have gained understanding of how organizations work, and expanded their professional network.
Past practicum projects include:
2024
- Al Haq
- International Rescue Committee
- Mission with a Vision
- New York City Civic Engagement Commission
- The Stimson Center
- United Nations Academic Impact
- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
2023
- Global Policy Forum
- Las Minas
- Mission with a Vision
- Partners for Democratic Change Serbia
- Social Accountability International
2022
- Global Policy Forum
- Indigenous People’s Rights International
- Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
- International Action Network on Small Arms
- Stimson Center
- Third World Network
- UNICEF
- United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
2021
- UNICEF
- The Stimson Center
- United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
- International Action Network on Small Arms
- UN Habitat
- Slum Dwellers International
2020
- Most Mira
- United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
- International Action Network on Small Arms
- Slum Dwellers International
2019
- United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
- Slum Dwellers International
- United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
2018
Click here to see more past Practicum deliverables.
International Field Program
Since its inception in 2002, hundreds of students have participated in our signature International Field Program (IFP) in more than 30 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. The IFP is a platform for emerging practitioners and researchers to gain experience in the field in an academic environment. The IFP’s extended field stays are unique among international affairs programs in the United States. In the course of nine weeks, students work and conduct research with community-based organizations, NGOs, international organizations, and governmental agencies. The topics covered range from community development, policy advocacy, citizen journalism, and post-conflict state-building to urban planning and long-term monitoring and evaluation. Learn more.
United Nations Summer Study
The United Nations Summer Study (UNSS) program provides graduate and undergraduate students and continuing education professionals from all fields and areas of study with knowledge and skills for understanding the United Nations system, and offers preparation for international careers. Unlike other UN study programs, UNSS takes you beyond a narrow focus on security and diplomacy to investigate development, human rights, humanitarian action, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, and environmental and reform issues. UNSS’s online coursework prepares you to analyze and engage with contemporary issues, policies, and debates in international affairs. UNSS practicums, not found in any other UN summer program, enable you to gain hands-on experience through remote consultancy work with the UN system. Learn more.