Practice-Based Learning at GPIA
GPIA's Practice-Based Learning components combine skills courses, workshops and on-the-ground experience to give students knowledge, training and confidence.These components are the International Field Program, internships, and the final project Practice Option.
All Master of Arts students have a Final Project requirement, which means a choice between writing a thesis (Thesis Option) or undertaking a Practicum project (Practice Option). Students who choose the Practice Option must take a two-course sequence - Program Development and Project Management (PDPM) and The Practicum in International Affairs (PIA). The two do not need to be taken consecutively, as PDPM is also recommended to students going on the International Field Program. So, while PDPM can be taken in second or third semester, the Practicum should be your last class at the GPIA.
Master of Science (MS) students do not have a Final Project requirement.
Program Development Project Management
The prerequisite course for the Practicum, PDPM provides students the opportunity to gain a comprehensive understanding of key concepts and skills essential to effective program development and project management. By examining the project cycle through a potential future Practicum project, students learn techniques and tools - needs assessment, logical framework, strategic design, implementation, proposal and report writing, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation, advocacy - used in a range of professional contexts. Most students should take PDPM in their third semester, or have completed 24 credits, prior to registering for PDPM. Students planning to go on the International Field Program can take PDPM earlier, in the Spring semester prior to the summer, as PDPM skills can be useful in the IFP. However PDPM cannot be taken earlier in Fall semester.
For more information on PDPM, click here: PDPM
The Practicum
Taken in the final semester after the prerequisite Program Development Project Management, the Practicum in International Affairs (PIA) is centered around completing a semester-long project assigned by an international organization client from the not-for-profit, public and private sectors, and multilateral agencies such as the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, and the International Rescue Committee. In conjunction with the client, the students clarify a project Terms of Reference, design an approach to the project, conduct data collection and analysis, write a report or produce some other product (e.g. brochure, manual, film). Finally, the team makes a formal presentation to the client and The New School community.
As the Practicum is the equivalent of a Master's thesis, the project itself is substantial and significant. The course is treated as a "consultancy" rather than an internship in that we ask organizations for a specific project with an end deliverable. The project should be rigorous, challenging and difficult. To the extent possible, the course simulates a professional experience, including an emphasis on deadlines and professional standards. Projects are done by teams of four to six students, depending on the project and client. Often the Practicum project is the same worked on and carried over from PDPM.
For more information on the Practicum, and to see past and current projects, click here.Students who have decided on the Practice Option are encouraged also to do the International Field Program and an internship during their time at GPIA.
For more information, email instructor Mark Johnson, johnsonm@newschool.edu