The Student Exchange and Visitor Program (SEVP) guidance provides information on how CPT operates as an integral and required part of an educational experience:
- A student may be authorized to participate in a CPT when it is an integral part of an established curriculum. Curricular practical training is defined 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.
- In any instance where an elective course is optional, making the CPT optional, the integral and required aspects of CPT would not be met. CPT is an integral part of an established curriculum, and the practical training is required for all students participating in that curriculum, regardless of citizenship.
- This means that all students - foreign and American - are required to participate in practical training if they are enrolled in an established curriculum where practical training is integral.
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 for degree requirements during the first year of study)
- Plan to be enrolled through the duration of the CPT
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, meets the requirements 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 department chair will need to provide a written explanation describing how the research will form an essential, required part of the dissertation to complete the degree. 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.
Application procedure
- The application procedures are currently being revised. During this period, contact the Office of International Affairs at iss@osu.edu if your situation fits the above guidelines.
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.