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Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

This is a type of off-campus work/internship that is directly tied to the student’s program of study and enrollment. 

GRADUATE CPT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

  • Graduate students can request CPT in their first semester of enrollment, it is an integral part of the student’s graduate studies.
  • There is no limit to the number of months a student utilizes part-time CPT.
  • If a student completes 12 months (11 months and 29 days) or more of full-time CPT, he or she will not be eligible for Optional Practical Training (OPT). It is the student’s responsibility to keep track of the number of months he or she has participated in CPT.
    • Please note, the written offer of employment/internship experience must be included with the application. In addition, the offer letter must meet the following requirements:
      • Must be written on company letterhead
      • Must contain an original signature from an authorized individual from the company
      • Be dated within the past six months.
    • Students must have a CPT endorsed I-20 in hand before participating in employment.

CPT REQUEST PROCESS:

  • Secure a job/internship offer (in writing) in a position directly related to the student’s field of study. 
  • Complete the CPT Request Form or CPT Renewal Form. 

CPT APPLICATIONS:

IMPORTANT: CPT applications are specific to term and employer. If employment changes OR if a student starts a new program of study a new request is required. Submitting a request for one term does not automatically carry over to the next term even if some request have already been applied, approved, or issued. Please make sure to submit the proper application and/or renewal for each term. It is a student’s responsibility to keep track of employment details and update their DSO. For questions or concerns please contact your assigned DSO by email.

All CPT applications can be submitted through UC Global

 ***Please do not use Google Chrome when submitting your CPT application as you may experience difficulty uploading your documents.***

CPT FAQs