Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Applying for Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

What is CPT?
CPT is an employment option available to F-1 students if the practical training (or employment) is considered to be an integral part of the curriculum or academic program. According to the immigration regulations, this employment may be an internship, or any other work experience that is either required for your degree (as defined in the course catalogue), or for which academic credit is awarded.

What are the eligibility requirements for CPT at MHC?
To be eligible for curricular practical training, you must have been lawfully enrolled on a full-time basis for one full academic year, your must have a declared major,  your job offer must be related to your major, and you must complete an independent study with a practicum component. See "Applying for CPT" for more details.

What is the difference between Optional Practical Training (OPT) and Curricular Practical Training (CPT)?
OPT is defined as "temporary employment in your field of study," so it may be used only for work that is related to your declared major at Mount Holyoke. F-1 students are eligible for 12 months of OPT throughout their Bachelor's degree studies. These twelve months can be divided as you wish (for example, three months in the summer, followed by nine months after graduation). You must apply to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) and pay an application fee of $340.00. You do not need a job offer to apply for OPT, but you may not begin work until your OPT application has been approved by USCIS and you have recieved the EAD (Employment Authorization Document) card. For more details, see the Optional Practical Training page on the Global Initiatives web site.

CPT is also defined as "temporary employment in your field", but the employment must be directly related to your declared major (not minor). You must also earn at least one academic credit by completing an independent study with a practicum component supervised by a faculty sponsor. You may apply for CPT through the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives and there is no application fee. As soon as your application is approved by the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives, you will be authorized to begin working. You may apply for CPT as often as you wish, as long as you meet the eligibility requirements (see above).

Important: The time you spend doing CPT will not be deducted from your twelve months of allowable OPT (Optional Practical Training) UNLESS you use 12 months or more of full-time CPT. If you work 20 hours or less per week while you are enrolled for classes that is considered part-time CPT. The employment authorization page of your I-20 will specify permission to engage in part-time training and you must limit your work to no more than 20 hours per week. There is no limitation upon the length of time you may participate in part-time curricular practical training cumulatively, but you must be enrolled as a full-time student in order to maintain lawful F-1 status. Note that you must have a job offer prior to applying for CPT and your CPT authorization will be employer and date specific.

Applying for Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
Since CPT is authorized only if your employment is directly related to your declared major, you should first consult with your major advisor or a faculty member in your major department to discuss the possibility of doing an independent study with a practicum component (for academic credit) in which you reflect on how your internship/employment experience connects to your academic studies in the field. Once you have found a faculty sponsor for the independent study with a practicum component and have secured employment/an internship, you will need to fill out the following application form:

 Application for Curricular Practical Training with Educational Plan

After you have completed the application form, make an appointment to meet with Jenny Medina in the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives. Please make sure to bring both your completed CPT application form and your job offer letter to the appointment. Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is authorized by the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives and does not require approval from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). A new I-20 will be issued to you denoting employment authorization on page three. You must not continue employment beyond the date authorized. Any work undertaken after the expiration date of your CPT will be considered unauthorized employment.

VERY IMPORTANT: Students who are engaged in CPT during the summer will need to register for and complete the accompanying independent study with a practicum component during the fall semester following their internship/employment experience. Students who do not complete and receive a grade for the required independent study will not be able to apply for CPT again. There are ABSOLUTELY NO EXCEPTIONS to this rule.