WIL 611 allows graduate students to engage in work-integrated learning (WIL) as part of an interdisciplinary team, working on projects with an industry or community partner focused on one of the five Global Futures.
There are two phases to this course. For the first four weeks, students will engage in asynchronous online modules that focus on building specific skills and knowledge to prepare for the project experience. There will also be opportunities to engage with peers and reflect individually on career curriculum focused on identity, goal setting, networking and articulating your unique skillset. Students are required to complete all assigned learning activities and assessments within the scheduled timeframe.
Typically, starting in week 5, students will, in an assigned team, engage and respond to a real-world project brief submitted by a community or industry partner. This phase is online with both synchronous and asynchronous components. Compulsory online synchronous sessions include orientation and project brief sessions, client meetings, and a final presentation.
During the project, students will function as consultants, analyzing the organization’s challenge, conducting research and analysis and presenting their findings and recommendations in a tailored report and presentation. This consulting experience will enable students to develop and track their professional skills during an authentic industry/community engagement. Typically, there is one client per team, and each team will have a custom project brief aligned to their client’s challenge.
Each student is expected to input 120 hours of effort across the project. This includes content review, teamwork, research and client deliverable creation and reflection activities.
What will students do in WIL 611?
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Apply academic expertise in a practical setting to real-world work situations
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Develop research and evidence-informed solutions
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Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team
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Engage in planning, organizing, and managing projects, including setting objectives, allocating resources and meeting deadlines
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Build professional relationships with community and/or industry partners
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Reflect upon strengths and gaps in current knowledge, skills and abilities
What will students get out of WIL 611?
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Apply your domain specific knowledge to real-world work situations with real industry or community partners
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Develop communication, teamwork, problem solving, time management, decision-making, critical thinking and reasoning skills
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Gain interpersonal and workplace communication skills
Spring 2026 course details
This course is being offered in partnership with the Faculty of Environment and will be held within an ENVS course shell this spring term. More information on course enrollment will be available in April.
This spring offering is open to graduate students in the Sustainability Management (SUSM) Coursework Program, the Master of Economic Development and Innovation Program (MEDI), the Master of Development Practice, and the Master of Climate Change (MCC). Students in other graduate degree programs in the Faculty of Environment can reach out to their Graduate Program Coordinator to discuss enrolment.
In this course, you'll explore how technology and people work together in today’s workplaces and how to help shape the future of work responsibly and sustainably. Through flexible, online learning, students will examine the benefits and challenges of emerging technologies, including ethics, privacy and human-centred design.
You will work in assigned interdisciplinary teams on real projects with industry and/or community partners. You will create recommendations for responsible and sustainable technology solutions that align with client needs and values. The course emphasizes responsible AI, inclusive decision-making, and critical thinking about technology’s impact. You will be placed into teams and assigned clients for the spring term.
By the end of the course, you'll gain hands-on experience in project management, professional communication, business analysis, and change management. Through reflection and an authentic client project, you will connect theory to practice and build practical skills for their future career.
The course will be held online with both asynchronous and synchronous sessions. You can expect to spend ~10 hours per week during the project experience working with their team’s assigned client partner.
Project overview
In the project experience, you will work in teams to apply what you’ve learned to real challenges faced by industry and/or community partners. You will analyze current practices, explore how emerging technologies are being used, and evaluate their effectiveness from technical, ethical, and sustainability perspectives.
You will identify opportunities to improve or redesign existing systems and develop practical recommendations for responsible and inclusive technology adoption. Throughout the project, you will consider potential risks, barriers, and unintended impacts, and propose solutions that support long-term organizational, social, and environmental sustainability.
By engaging directly with real clients, you will build experience in problem-solving, collaboration and professional consulting while developing the skills needed to lead thoughtful, future-focused technology initiatives.
Projects in spring 2026 will include a focus on sustainability, climate and innovation challenges and may include:
- Technology adoption and evaluation
- Sustainable systems and processes
- Organizational change
- Policy or program improvement
- Climate and environmental solutions
Student testimonials
Working with my peers from other faculties allowed us to identify and leverage each other’s strengths for the best result. The experience was a great representation of the real world, working with an interdisciplinary team, accepting each other's thoughts because they can differ greatly when people have different backgrounds.