Employment

CURRICULAR PRACTICAL TRAINING

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is an academic program to allow students to participate in either an internship or training required of all students obtaining that degree, or employment that is for degree credit and is an integral part of the degree program.

If you have been lawfully enrolled in school full-time for two semesters and are currently in F1 status, you may be eligible for Curricular Practical Training. CPT is a departmental privilege, and thus may be revoked for academic reasons at any time. In order to apply for CPT, students must submit the CPT Application Form and a job offer letter from their potential employer on the company’s letterhead, which must include the following information:

1. Your full name
2. Company name and address (physical address, not a P.O. Box)
3. Position title with job description
4. Supervisor's name, phone number, and e-mail address
5. Salary/hourly wage for the position
6. Number of hours per week to be worked
7. Start Date and End Date

OPTIONAL PRACTICAL TRAINING

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is temporary employment authorization that gives F-1 students an opportunity to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to a practical work experience off campus. You may use some or all of the available 12 months of practical training during your course of study or save the full twelve months to use after you complete your studies. There is also a 17 month extension of OPT above and beyond the original 12 month period. Authorization for optional practical training is granted by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) formerly known as the Immigration and Naturalization Service or INS - and can take at least 90 days and frequently up to 120 days to obtain. It is important that you apply for the authorization at the earliest possible date. Students are required to attend an OPT workshop before they can apply for OPT. Contact International Student Services for more information.