Curricular practical training (CPT) is a type of off-campus work authorization for F-1 students during their academic program (before graduation). The federal regulations define CPT as "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 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.
Basic eligibility requirements
To be eligible to apply for CPT, students must:
- Currently be in F-1 status
- Currently be in good academic standing (minimum GPA of 3.0 for graduate students and 2.0 for undergraduate students)
- Have been enrolled in a full course of study for at least one academic year (exceptions may be made for students in graduate programs requiring off-campus work during the first year of study)
- Plan to be enrolled through the duration of the CPT
- Have an off-campus job offer, such as an internship
F-1 students may work up to 20 hours per week (on-campus and off-campus combined) during the academic year and over 20 hours per week during semester breaks and the vacation term. Graduate students working as a GA/TA/RA may not be eligible for CPT during the academic year unless they are post-candidacy and the training is required to complete their dissertation.
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.
How to know if you need to apply for CPT
The Office of International Affairs has developed the following system to determine whether a specific experience requires CPT. All other unique scenarios should be discussed with the Office of International Affairs on a case-by-case basis in advance.
Tier 1: Observation/Shadowing
CPT is not required if the objective of your internship, practicum, field placement, etc. is primarily to observe or shadow a professional in your field of study with little or no "hands-on" experience.
Tier 2: Shadowing/Hands-On Training
CPT is strongly recommended and must be authorized in advance if the objective of your internship/practicum/field placement/etc. is observing or shadowing a professional in your field of study and up to 50% "hands-on" experience.
Tier 3: Hands-On Training
CPT is required in advance if the objective of your internship/practicum/field placement/etc. is primarily (51% or more) "hands-on" training and experience and is required for your major.
Application procedure
- Log in and complete the student section of the CPT application
- On the application, you will need to upload your job offer letter printed on official business letterhead with:
- Job title and brief job description
- Exact dates of employment
- Number of hours of work per week
- Physical place of employment
- After completion, the application will then be routed to your academic advisor for approval and then to the Office of International Affairs for review and processing
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 two.
The Office of International Affairs recommends that you apply for CPT before the start date of the term you will be working to avoid late fees for your CPT course enrollment.
Additionally, please note that:
- CPT may only be authorized for a maximum of 20 hours per week during the academic year
- Students may work full-time (beyond 20 hours per week) under the following circumstances:
- During official breaks, such as winter or spring break
- During an authorized summer vacation term
- CPT may be authorized on a per-semester basis only. If your position will last more than one academic term, you must submit new application materials before the start of the new term.