Practicum

Fourth-year Practicum

Practicum placements offer in-office, laboratory or field-based opportunities with government departments, NGOs, and private sector organizations, giving students practical professional experience. Practicum and the department’s other cooperative education option give you the chance to explore great learning and career opportunities; apply current best practices in your field of study; attempt challenging and interesting assignments to broaden your horizons; and network with professionals working in your field of interest.

We recognize consultant-format opportunities wherein a student conducts an applied analyses or applied GIS projects for a specific organization, government, or private sector sponsor. Practicum has also been expanded to include work with community-based organizations and associations. You are expected to seek out such opportunities on your own but contact us for guidance or assistance. If you live outside of Ottawa, you are encouraged to seek out opportunities with local organizations, government institutions, and private companies. Then follow the steps outlined in the Student InfoPack.

If you have any questions about practicum, or clarification concerning a possible placement opportunity, contact John Milton. He is happy to provide you with guidance and support both throughout the summer and into the fall and winter semesters.

During the academic semester, you will work with an employment sponsor/agency on a project of mutual interest. You can choose to work in the private sector, within government agencies or with non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

We have numerous organizations that provide work placements for our students. Recent examples include: City of Ottawa, Renfrew Victoria Hospital, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, Ecology Ottawa, Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Environment Canada, Canadian Museum of Nature, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, McCormick Rankin, Geo Digital, PCI Geomatics, Just Food and many more…

Examples of some of our students practicum experiences

If you are a sponsor interested in participating in the Practicum,
Sponsor Infopack 2025-2026

If you are a student interested in participating in the Practicum,
Student InfoPack 2025-2026 PDF
 Student InfoPack Word document