Curricular practical training (CPT)

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Overview and definition

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is temporary employment that is an "integral part of an established curriculum" and "directly related to an F-1 student's major."  CPT is authorized by the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) with the purpose of achieving a curricular objective. CPT includes alternate work, co-ops, internships, or any other type of practicum which is required or for which academic credit will be awarded. 

icon It is the student's responsibility to maintain their F-1 status. In order to apply for CPT at the University of Utah a student must be both academically eligible as well as compliant with U.S. federal government regulations as outlined below. 

icon CPT Workshop Event Details

Attendance is mandatory to avoid any confusion in the process and ask advisors questions. Registration is required through UAtlas and opens 30 days prior to each workshop. Below is a schedule of dates for the 2024 year.

If a student is offered an internship or off-campus position that requires CPT authorization from ISSS, first the student will need to be aware of when to begin submitting an application. See below the current application window periods for each semester:

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student eligibility requirements

Main Campus Students

Students who have been in lawful nonimmigrant status for ONE academic year (two consecutive full-time semesters) and have a current ACTIVE SEVIS record. 

iconStudents do not need to have had F-1 status for the one full academic year; students can satisfy the “one full academic year” requirement even if they had another nonimmigrant status during that time and there was no break in study.

U Asia Campus Students

Students transitioning from the U Asia Campus must complete ONE academic year (two consecutive full-time semesters) at the University of Utah Main campus in Salt Lake City, Utah before applying for CPT. 

Utah Global Students

Students in the Utah Global program as an Academic Accelerated Program (AAP) or Extended Accelerator Program (EAP) student are not eligible for CPT during their program. In other words, time spent in the Utah Global program does not  count towards CPT eligiblity. After completing the program, students must complete ONE academic year (two consecutive full-time semesters)  at the University of Utah to be eligible for CPT. 

Transfer Students

Students transferring their SEVIS record may qualify for immediate CPT if they met the full academic year requirement at the previous institution and did not have a break in study. Students must provide transcripts from the previous institution to ISSS to determine eligibility. 

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policies

First or Second Semester CPT (Graduate Students Only)

Graduate students will only be eligible to do CPT in their first or second semester of the program, if the department requires both domestic and international students to participate in an internship. ISSS will reach out to the department to obtain confirmation. No other exceptions will be made. 

LOCATION

CPT that is physically located outside the State of Utah is not allowed during the fall/spring semesters. If summers is your final semester, it is not considered a vacation semester and you will be required to be physically present on-campus. 

Remote Work

Students are permitted to do remote-work but will be required to complete the CPT Employer form.

Processing Time 

Upon receiving a COMPLETED application, ISSS will process the application within 10 business days. Depending on the time of the year the processing time may be a few days longer. 

iconThe 10 business days will begin once the department’s advisor submits their portion of the form , not when the student initially submits their application. It is the student's responsibility to ensure they meet the completed submission deadline.

Expedited Requests

ISSS is not able to expedite any request as we strive to provide fair and equitable service to all students. It is the student's responsibility to ensure they submit their CPT request in a timely manner.

icon Calling and emailing ISSS to request that we process student's requests as soon as possible will only slow down the process. We ask that you communicate with your employer about your CPT status and patiently wait until a decision is made. 

Previous Semester CPT Grades

A withdrawal (W) or un-authorized withdrawal (EU) from a previous CPT course will require further review from the DSO after the application is submitted. 

Final Semester

If summer is your final semester, it cannot be considered a vacation semester. Fall/Spring restrictions will apply.

Hours

Students may choose to participate in part-time or full-time CPT in their final semester. All general rules for part-time or full-time CPT apply.

Enrollment

The CPT course may NOT be the only course taken in the final semester, the student must be enrolled in an in-person course to meet the final semester eligiblity.  

icon Please note that students must also have a course that requires on-campus physical presence in their final semester. 

Location

CPT that is physically located outside the State of Utah is not allowed. If Summer is your final semester, it is not considered a vacation semester. 

Grade Point Average (GPA) (Full-Time CPT)

A cumulative 3.0 GPA for undergraduate or 3.5 GPA for graduates, in the most recently reported semester is required prior to applying for Full-Time CPT during fall/spring semesters.

break in study

A break in study will reset the eligibility clock. OPT or STEM OPT is considered a break in study or re-entering the U.S. on a new SEVIS record.

Thesis Credits 

For graduate students (Masters and Ph.D) in a thesis program can use thesis credits for CPT as long as the internship activity is a necessity for the student's thesis research and the experience and/or data will facilitate the student's dissertation or thesis work. 

icon Graduate students must have completed their coursework and actively be researching or working towards their dissertation/thesis topic. 

Part-Time or Full-Time

CPT may only be authorized for either part-time or full-time, providing a student meets all eligiblity requirements.

Part-Time CPT

• • • 1-20 hours per week (not an average)
    • Students authorized for a medical reduced course load: part-time employment may be approved if it is encouraged by the student's physician in order to promote the student's health and wellness and must be reflected on the physician form.

Full-Time CPT

• • • 21-40 hours per week (not an average)
    • GPA requirements: 
      • Cumulative 3.0 GPA for Undergraduate Students  
      • Cumulative 3.5 GPA for Graduate Students
      • Cumulative GPA in the recently reported semester prior to applying for full-time CPT in the fall, spring or a student's last semester.
      • A DSO will not be able to process the CPT until all grades have been posted in the previous semester and is calculated in the GPA.
      • Exceptions may be available only for students whose programs require internship participation or completion of the program. 
    • F-1 students are eligible for full-time CPT during the summer vacation semester regardless of GPA (unless it is their first semester).
    • Students authorized for a medical reduced course load: Full-Time employment is NOT permitted.

icon Students who accumulate 12 months or more of Full-Time CPT will no longer be eligible to apply for Post-Completion OPT. Part-time CPT does not affect OPT eligibility.  Students are responsible for tracking their own full-time CPT accumulation. 

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cpt requirements

Students must meet all of the following requirements before applying for CPT.

icon Related to Program/Major

The CPT opportunity MUST  be directly related to a student's declared major/program of study. 

icon Maintain Lawful Status & Full-Time Enrollment

Students must be in lawful status for ONE academic year (two consecutive full-time semesters) and have an ACTIVE SEVIS record. 

icon Students can satisfy the “one full academic year” requirement even if they had another nonimmigrant status during that time and there was no break in study.

icon Satisfactory Academic Progress 

Students must be making progress towards completing their degree. CPT must not cause a delay in the completion of a student's academic program. 

icon CPT Course Enrollment

Students must be enrolled in an internship/practicum course within their department and is appropriate for their degree level. At time of submitting the application to ISSS a CPT course must be in the student's schedule and must remain enrolled for the entire period of authorized CPT. 

• Students must understand that there are tuition costs for CPT courses.
• Students may not enroll in independent study courses for CPT. 

icon For assistance in registering for the Business Student Internship Program (BSIP) or Career Services Internship Program (CSIP) course, students will need to work with their BSIP/CSIP advisor.

iconCPT Start and End Dates

CPT will only be authorized for ONE semester at a time. The start and end date must be listed in the offer letter. If the student wishes to pursue another CPT in the next semester, they will need to submit a new CPT application and be enrolled in another CPT-eligible course. 

icon The approved CPT Start and End Dates below are based off of the University Academic Calendar (subject to change).

iconLearning Objective

Students are required to provide a strong, detailed learning objective explaining the relationship between the CPT opportunity and their program of study. The information you provide WILL be submitted to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). 

icon Employment driven opportunities (e.g. networking, resume building, pay, etc.) should not be mentioned in the Learning Objective, the primary objective of CPT is for academic purposes. 

iconJob Offer Letter

Students are required to upload an official offer letter from the company. Below is information that is REQUIRED in the offer letter. 

• On Official Company Letterhead - The letter must be on a company letter head, meaning Company Logo, etc. 
• Student's Full Name (First and Last Name) - The letter will need to address to the student's official name. 
• Job Title - The letter will need to list the student's job title for the CPT opportunity.
• Job Description - The letter will need to list the job description.
  
  icon If the letter does not list the job description, the student can attach a separate document with the description, and upload both to the e-form. 
• Hours - The letter must list the exact number of hours (not "Full-Time" or "Part-Time".) 
• Site Location - The letter must list the site address where the student will be working, in U.S. address format. 
• Start & End Date - ISSS must see the start and end date of the CPT opportunity. It must be within the period for the CPT semester. For information on start and end dates, please refer to above under "CPT start and End Dates." 

example offer letter

icon It is recommended to include the student's Supervisor Name and Contact Information in the offer letter.

icon CPT Employer Form 

The form below may be used as an alternative to the offer letter. If it is a remote position, students are required to complete the CPT Employer Form. 

CPT EMPLOYER FORM

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Application Steps

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1. Login to UAtlas and go to "Employment/Practical Training"
   
   Complete the "Curricular Practical Training (CPT)" e-form. 

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1. Academic Advisor or also known as "Secondary Approver" reviews student application.
   
   

   The academic advisor or program coordinator in your department will receive the application first and will review the information the student has entered. The advisor will approve it academically as either necessary and integral OR required for the program. Once approved, the advisor will submit the request to ISSS.

   icon If the department does not approve of the request, they will inform an ISSS advisor. 

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1. A Designated School Official (DSO) from ISSS will review the completed application.
   
   Once the DSO receives the completed application, they will process it within 10 business days. DSO's will review the student's documents, course enrollment, and to determine if they are eligible under F-1 federal regulations to participate in CPT. Once the application is approved, the student will receive an email from ISSS.
   
   

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1. Receiving the CPT I-20
   
   Once the CPT is approved, the DSO will send the I-20 electronically through UAtlas. Students will receive a second email with instructions on how to retrieve the I-20.  Students are advised to:
   
   1.) Immediately print and sign the I-20 and
   2.) Review the start and end dates of the authorized CPT

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1. Apply for the Social Security Number (SSN) (If Applicable)
   
   Once the student has received the CPT I-20 from ISSS and they do not have a Social Security Number, they will need to complete the Social Security Number application process.
   
   First, the student must complete the SS-5 application online.
   
   SS-5 ONLINE APPLICATION
   

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1. Call the Social Security Administration Office to Schedule an Appointment
   
   
   Students will need to call and schedule an appointment with the SSA Office. Students can check for the nearest SSA office by clicking on the button below:
   SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION OFFICE LOCATOR

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1. Collect all required documents
   
   The X equals document is required
   
   

   	CPT Employment
   Passport (along with old passport if it contains your F-1 visa)	x
   I-94	x
   CPT I-20	x
   Confirmation Page - From the online application, a screen shot or the reference number for your application.	x

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1. Present all needed documents to the Social Security Administration (SSA) in order to apply for a Social Security Number (SSN)

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1. Work with your employer with next steps after receiving your Social Security Number

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