General Information
Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is defined as “employment which is an integral or important part of a student’s curriculum, including alternate work/study, internship, cooperative education, or any other type of required internship or practicum which is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with the school.” Thus, CPT for F-1 students is intended to provide work experience in situations where the work serves as an integral part of a student's academic program, prior to completion of that program.
Types of CPT:
- Required by the degree program. Training that is required by the degree program as part of the core requirements always meets the requirements for CPT, regardless of whether or not the student receives academic credit for the work.
- Not required by the degree program . Training that is not required by the degree program meets the requirements for CPT if the work is an integral part of the program of studies and either: (1) the student receives academic credit for the employment experience; or (2) the undergraduate student participates in Wayne State’s Cooperative Education Program as offered by Counseling and Placement Services, located on the 1 st floor of the Faculty Administration Building (F/AB), Room 1001.
Who can participate?
- Students that have been lawfully enrolled full-time for one academic year (2 semesters) may apply to participate in this type of training. However, graduate students in programs that include mandatory training are not bound by the one-academic-year in full-time status requirement.
- To be eligible for Curricular Practical Training, you must have a job offer since the employment authorization will be position and employer specific. If there are any changes in the terms and conditions of the CPT, please contact the OISS immediately as a new CPT authorization might be necessary.
- To participate in full-time CPT during the semester, you must be registered for at least 3 credit hours. To participate in part-time CPT during the semester, you must be registered full-time – 12 credit hours for undergraduate students and 8 credit hours for graduate students. Students participating in CPT during the summer are required to be enrolled for at least 1 credit hour.
Application Procedure:
Make an appointment and bring the following to OISS:
Complete required paperwork/documents and turn in to OISS no later than 5-10 business days before employment begins. CPT must be authorized before employment begins.
1 . Passport and Form I-94;
2. Form I-20;
- Completed Form "Curricular Practical Training Recommendation " (attached); and
- Letter of offer from the employer on the employer ’s official letterhead with original signature.
Upon reviewing the items above, an OISS advisor will prepare a new SEVIS I-20 with the CPT endorsement on the employment page. This endorsement serves as your authorization to work for a pre-determined amount of time.
The student may engage in Curricular Practical Training upon receipt of the endorsed Form I-20 ID from the advisor in OISS. The recommendation form from the faculty advisor or department chair will be placed in your file in OISS.
Additional CPT Information:
- Although authorized part-time (20 hours or less per week) CPT employment is permitted with no penalties until completion of a degree, students who have received one year or more of full-time (21 hours or more per week) CPT are ineligible for Optional Practical Training (OPT) which is typically used immediately after graduation.
- CPT is authorized on a semester basis. Should you require additional time past your current CPT end date, you will need to reapply.
- You are authorized to work for specific dates of employment on your I-20. You may not begin before the start date or continue working after the end date. If you expect that you will need to work past your end date, you must reapply for CPT and be approved by OISS. If you work past the end date, you will be working illegally and could lose future immigration benefits.
