Curricular practical training (CPT) is a type of off-campus work authorization for F-1 students during their academic program (prior to graduation). CPT is defined in the federal regulations to be "alternative work/study, internship, cooperative education or any other type of required internship or practicum that is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with the school. CPT is an integral part of an established curriculum."
Because CPT is defined as "curricular," only work that is directly related to a student's major field of study, and which is important for a student's academic progress, may be considered for approval.
To be eligible to apply for CPT, students must:
Training required by your degree program as stated in the course catalog always meets the requirements for CPT.
Training that is not required by your degree program may meet the requirements for CPT if you receive academic credit for the training experience, and your academic advisor can verify that it is an integral part of your established curriculum still in progress.
To ascertain that the CPT is an integral part of the established curriculum, the student must be enrolled in a designated internship course or independent study course specifically designed for this CPT. Students must register and complete the CPT-related course during the semester that they are authorized for CPT.
If a PhD student will be post-candidacy at the time they wish to do the off-campus work, to qualify for CPT, the training must yield data that is necessary to complete the dissertation. The academic advisor will need to provide a written explanation describing how the research will form an essential, required part of the dissertation. If the work to be done on CPT is in the student's field of study but is “optional” rather than “curricular,” the student may meet the eligibility requirements for Optional Practical Training (OPT) and should apply for that instead. Please see OPT guidelines for additional information.
The Office of International Affairs has developed the following system to determine whether a specific experience requires CPT:
You must apply at least five business days before your requested CPT start date, and you may only begin work on CPT after receiving your new Form I-20, showing the CPT authorization on page 2.
We recommend that you apply for CPT prior to the start date of the term in which you will be working, so as to avoid late fees for your CPT course enrollment.
Additionally, please note that: