To integrate and internalize core lessons from the MSS curriculum, each student completes a 120-hour or equivalent practicum project of their own design. This project involves collaborating on a complex sustainability challenge with an on-campus or outside partner and working through the types of constraints often faced by decision-makers and leaders. The practicum is an opportunity for students to put theory into practice and develops the students' identities as transformative leaders through practice. Students will apply the design thinking, systems thinking, and social innovation mindsets and skills acquired from the curriculum, develop actionable knowledge and solutions for this practical experience, and present their final analyses and reflections in their theses or project reports.

Each student takes the initiative to identify a partner organization, laboratories, or existing sustainability-related projects and develop a thesis research and practicum plan, with guidance from MSS program staff and the student's thesis advisor(s). The practicum can be completed in various ways: over the summer, in between semesters, as a final dedicated project, or part-time alongside academic work. Students enroll in the thesis research & practicum for six units (these can be spread across multiple semesters) and should expect the practicum workload to span approximately 120 hours or equivalent. Students are encouraged to develop their thesis research & practicum in a wide range of sectors, including but not limited to the following:

•    Academia－Sustainability-related research projects, sustainability living lab projects

•    Government－Sustainable development / sustainability transitions projects in government agencies

•    Corporate - Sustainability-related companies, ESG/social responsibility departments in large corporations

•    Communities, NGOs/NPOs, Startups - University social responsibility projects, sustainability-related NGOs/NPOs or startups