2021 Practicum Projects
- Direct Air Capture
- Renewable Natural Gas
- Regenerative Agriculture
- Sustainable Supply Chain
- School Bus Fleet Electrification
- Hydrogen Hubs
Project Practicum
The project practicum is a 10-week team consulting project for a corporate, non-profit, or municipal client.
The MSES program team works with partner organizations to develop practicum projects that enable students to do consequential work with engaged partners. Students provide input to narrow a list of potential practicums and ensure that final topics match student interests.
Projects topics span energy technology, sustainable infrastructure and transportation, food & agriculture, sustainability and circularity, climate, and energy & sustainability finance. All projects include substantial elements of the three program pillars.
Learn More About the MSES Practicum
Hear from students and clients about their experience with the practicum project.
"The students at Northwestern...brought expertise at the same caliber as some of the top-tier consulting firms."”
Sam Stockdale
SVP, Head of Sustainability
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2022 Practicum Projects
- Carbon Labelling
- Innovation in Municipal Waste Management
- Carbon Offsets - Wetland & Marine (Project 1), Marginalized Land (Project 2)
- Small Scale Nuclear
- Environmental Justice PPAs
- Heavy / Medium Duty Charging Hubs
- Chemical Recycling
- Iron Air Batteries & Economic Development
2023 Practicum Projects
- A Model for Circular Building Materials
- eVTOLs
- Plastic Recycling Economics
- Agrovoltaics
- Transport Electrification
- Sustainable Aviation Fuels
- Lithium Market Assessment
- New vs. Renewed Medical Equipment
- Green Hydrogen
2024 Practicum Projects
- Facilitating Energy Transition with Circularity in the North American Heavy Duty Equipment Market
- Investing in “Electrify Everything”
- Low-temp Heating Electrification
- DCFC in a Desert
- Post Consumer Residue (PCR) Extended Responsibility Program
- Refrigerant Solutions
- The Returns Dilemma: Managing Costs and Carbon in Reverse Logistics
- Mobile Battery Technologies in Marine Applications
- Scope 3 GHG Emissions
2025 Practicum Projects
- Carbon Offsetting vs Insetting
- Energy Transition Services Market
- Feedstock for Food Waste Digester
- Health Benefits of Sustainable Design
- Impact Analysis of a California Plastic Packaging Ban
- Impact of Quantum on Energy & Equipment Demand
- Interconnection Queue Management Challenges & Opportunities
- Roadmap to Waste Reduction
- Solar & BESS Deployment Framework
- Promoting Environmental Justice in Southeast Chicago Battery Project
2026 Practicum Projects
- Methane Management Strategies for Lower-Carbon Beef
- Identifying and Evaluating Industrial Applications for Thermal Batteries
- Assessing the Viability of Virtual Power Plants
- Maximizing the Benefits of Community-Scale Clean Energy and Healthy Homes Programs
- The Business Case for Wetland Restoration
- Evaluating Lower-Carbon Concrete Mixes
- Market Analysis for US Forest Service Produced Timber
- Improving Maintenance and Anomaly Detection in Solar and Energy Storage Operations
- Regional Market Analysis for Smart Water Deployment
- Using AI to Integrate Sustainability into Procurement Decisions
- Optimizing the Circularity of US Data Center Hardware