Curricular Practical Training
Curricular practical training is defined as an internship, cooperative education, or any other type of required internship or practicum, which is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with the school. A student must have completed one academic year of full-time enrollment to be eligible to apply for CPT. Exceptions to this regulation are provided for students enrolled in graduate programs that require immediate participation in curricular training. If you participate in full-time curricular practical training for twelve (12) months or more, in total, you are not eligible for Optional Practical Training (OPT).
How to Apply:
1. Complete the online Curricular Practical Training course.
a. Upon completion of the course, download and save your completion certificate.
2. Obtain an employment offer letter from the company / organization you wish to be employed with. The employment letter must contain ALL of the following information:
a. Is printed on company's letterhead
b. Is addressed to the student
c. Includes job title
d. Provides detailed job description (at least a few sentences describing specific duties, tasks, goals, etc.)
e. Specifies the employer's address (including street, city, state and zip code)
f. Specifies the exact number of hours of work per week
h. Employer signature
g. Specifies exact start and end dates of the CPT employment*
*NOTE: The start and end dates MUST fall within BGSU's Academic Start and end date, for the semester in which you are applying for CPT.
**If any of the above seven items are missing, the CPT request will be returned to the student**
3. Initiate and complete the Curricular Practical Training- Request for Approval form. In order to do so:
a. Start the Curricular Practical Training- Request for Approval here
b. Enter your Academic/Faculty Advisor information
c. Check your BGSU email for the form
d. Complete the form in entirety, including uploading electronic copies of the certificate from the online course and the employment letter
e. Electronically sign and submit the Curricular Practical Training- Request for Approval
4. The Curricular Practical Training- Request for Approval form will then electronically be forwarded between International Programs & Partnerships and the Academic/Faculty Advisor for approval
5. Once the Curricular Practical Training- Request for Approval has been approved, the student will receive notification and they can come to the International Programs & Partnerships office to pick up their new Form I-20
Things to Consider:
- The Curricular Practical Training must be related to academic program
- The online training course may be completed at any time, however the Curricular Practical Training- Request for Approval Paperwork needs to be filed by student after receiving job/internship offer
- The process will take between 5-10 business days for review and approval AFTER the Academic/Faculty Advisor electronically signs the form
- Student is NOT permitted to work until the new Form I-20 has been created and picked up
- Student must share a copy of the new Form I-20 with the employer
If a student qualifies for CPT, International Student Services will authorize it and note the employment authorization on page 3 of the student’s Form I-20. Per USCIS regulations, all students planning to do CPT must apply for and receive official approval from the ISS Office BEFORE beginning employment.
Students who are doing CPT must meet the following requirements: Whether doing part-time or full-time CPT, the student must carry a full course load during the academic year (12 credit hours per semester for undergraduates and 8 credit hours per semester for graduates). For example, if an undergraduate student is doing a three-hour internship, he/she must be registered for an additional nine credit hours to meet the minimum 12-credit hour requirement.
Graduate students with GA positions should contact the International Programs & Partnerships office to confirm eligibility prior to starting this process.
Students who have completed all required courses for their degree program (but still have a paper, thesis, or dissertation to finish to graduate) should apply for Optional Practical Training.
Cost: No Cost to Employer
Time Frame: During academic program
Updated: 03/21/2024 12:15PM