Senior Practicum

Real World Solutions, Real World Clients

The Senior Practicum stands as a pinnacle program for all Environmental Science majors at IoES, offering one of the most exceptional educational experiences in the field of environmental science and policy worldwide.

Crafted to propel our students into impactful careers, the Practicum has garnered high praise from alumni, often hailed as the highlight of their UCLA journey. In many instances, students transition from the program to full-time positions with the clients themselves.

The structure of the program involves assembling teams of five to seven students, who are then paired with a faculty member or environmental expert. These teams are subsequently connected with a diverse array of clients, ranging from the Natural Resources Defense Council to the U.S. National Park Service to Northrop Grumman.

ucla students help pacific island economies grow sustainably

Real World Solutions

Clients from Los Angeles, across California, throughout the United States, and around the world come to IoES with complex environmental and sustainability challenges. Students collaborate in small teams—guided by faculty and external experts—to design and deliver science-based solutions. Through the Practicum, they take the lead in addressing pressing questions such as:

The impact of hydraulic fracturing spills on groundwater.
The link between industrial livestock operations and antibiotic resistance.
The potential of spectral light to reduce malaria-carrying insect populations.
Strategies to protect free-ranging wildlife from pest control poisons.
The pathway for a mid-sized California city to achieve carbon neutrality.

View 2025 Practicum Projects

china’s belt and road initiative: global opportunity or climate disaster?

Real World Clients

Our partners span government agencies, nonprofits, and industry leaders—including the National Park Service, The Nature Conservancy, Walt Disney Imagineering, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Many return year after year, gaining fresh insights and practical solutions through the Practicum. In the process, they help train and inspire the next generation of environmental problem-solvers.

Notable achievements:

Mapped potential groundwater pollution in Maywood, CA, advancing research on lead and manganese contamination.
Investigated antibiotic resistant bacteria in coastal waters, raising awareness of potential health risks.
Studied urban park preferences in Los Angeles, highlighting the importance of community-based park planning.
Explored the use of drones for enforcing low-sulfur fuel standards in California waters, reducing air pollution.
Developed a methodology for assessing co-benefits of carbon offset projects related to livestock operations, incentivizing sustainable practices.

Become a Practicum Client?

2025-2026 Partners & Projects

Assessing airborne exposure to environmental antibiotic resistance in residential areas near concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) (Center for Race, Poverty, and the Environment (CRPE) and Socially Responsible Agriculture Project (SRAP))

Assessing coverage and gaps in California coast and ocean monitoring (Scripps Institution of Oceanography)

Analyzing corporate climate risk disclosures in California (California Air Resources Board (CARB))

Analysis of on-road vehicle activity in the Southern California region (CARB)

Measuring and reducing Scope 3 emissions in healthcare supply chains (UCLA Health)

Assessing biodiversity in California Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) using eDNA analysis and community science data (Heal the Bay)

Assessing biodiversity and planning for biological resources on UCLA’s Westwood campus (UCLA Sustainability)

A Biodiversity assessment and strategic plan for American Honda Motors Torrance, CA campus (American Honda Motors)

Leveraging the power grid to make TV and movie productions more sustainable in Los Angeles (Sustainable Entertainment Alliance)

Hyperlocal shade deployment for low-shade pedestrian areas in Los Angeles using spatial and survey data (ShadeLA)

Plugging and abandonment of idle oil and gas wells in California (Center for Biological Diversity)

Modeling impacts of smoke from prescribed burns and catastrophic wildfires for critical policy insights (Climate & Wildfire Institute)

Analyzing deer movement on Catalina Island in response to hunting, climate, and vegetation access (Catalina Island Conservancy)

A multidisciplinary impact assessment of the Ebony Project – a community agroforestry initiative in Cameroon (Taylor Guitars)

2024-25 Partners

Anthony Pritzker Family Foundation
California Center for Sustainable Communities
City of Los Angeles – LASAN and Department of City Planning
EcoAgriculture Partners
Jones Coffee Roasters
Leadership Council for Justice & Accountability
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council)
California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
Socially Responsible Agriculture Project
Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP)
Taylor Guitars
UCLA South Bay Campus
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Watch the Final Presentations of the 2023-24 Environmental Science Practicum

Part 1

Part 2

2022-23 Partners

L.A. County Department of Public Health
Natural Resources Defense Council
Center for Biological Diversity
California Office of Health Hazard Assessment
The Nature Conservancy
The City of Los Angeles
The Bay Foundation
Agriculture for Africa
Aquarium of the Pacific
Los Angeles Waterkeeper
Sustainable Production Alliance
LARC – The Los Angeles Regional Collaborative for Climate Action and Sustainability
WILDCOAST
City Plants

2019-20 Partners

The ADEPT Group, Inc.
The Bay Foundation
Bludso’s Bar & Que Restaurant
Centro de Ecología Aplicada de Neuquén and The Nature Conservancy
Conservation International
La Brea Tar Pits and Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
SEED LA
Sustainable Conservation
Taylor Guitars
UCLA IoES
WildEarth Guardians

B.S. in Environmental Science