According to the GPIA website, a major objective of the Practicum is to serve as a transition from the academic to the professional world. For students in their final semester, especially those about to graduate and join the working world, the Practicum is treated as a "consultancy" rather than an internship, emphasizing deadlines and professional standards for work products. Projects are substantial, rigorous, and challenging, and student-consultants are expected to produce professional-standard work. Unlike a Thesis, the Practicum project work is not academic. A work product will not be theoretical, but is produced to be used by the client in their work.