Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Prerequisites for CPT

• Curricular practical training (CPT) must be an integral part of an in-progress curriculum.
  • Curricular practical training is defined as alternative work/study, internship, cooperative education, or any other type of required practicum. 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f)(10)
• Students must receive course credit throughout the CPT period.
• CPT must fulfill a specific academic objective. An employment opportunity sought solely because it is beneficial, relevant, or excellent professional/personal experience does NOT qualify for CPT.

Eligibility Requirements

• Student must have been lawfully enrolled full-time in a degree-granting program for one full academic year (3 quarters or 2 semesters) before applying for CPT. (There is an exception for graduate students whose programs require immediate CPT.)
• You must have an offer of employment directly related to your field of study.
•  You must be registered in a qualifying co-op or internship course granting credit for your internship OR an internship must be required for all students to graduate from your program; appropriate documentation of this requirement is needed.
• CPT is limited to 20 hours per week, except for:
  • Students registered for full-time co-op
  • Students in an approved vacation or break term
  • Students whose programs have full-time practical training requirements (for example, minimum clinical hours)
• CPT must not cause a delay in the completion of studies.
• CPT taking place in the final term must be fulfilling an academic requirement. CPT employment cannot continue beyond a student's graduation date.

Procedure

• Students participating in the cooperative education program must first meet with their Steinbright Career Development Center Co-op Advisor to initiate the CPT process.
• Students who are not participating in the cooperative education program must meet with their academic advisor to confirm that the proposed CPT is integral to their academic program.
  • PhD students require secondary approval from the Graduate College.
• Once the student has received confirmation, they will submit their CPT paperwork to ISSS for final review and will be notified of subsequent approval or denial. CPT forms can be found on the ISSS Student Portal.

Duration of CPT

• CPT start and end dates will be driven by official term start and end dates per the Drexel academic calendar. Students cannot engage in CPT-related employment activities before the official CPT start date.
• Extensions beyond the last day of the term (i.e. during break week) can be considered by ISSS on a case-by-case basis and cannot roll over into the new term.
• Term-by-term authorization is necessary for all non-Steinbright Career Development Center-designated experiential education programs. On the other hand, Steinbright Career Development Center-designated co-ops, are granted according to the established co-op cycle.
• Use of full-time CPT for one year (364 days) or more eliminates eligibility for Optional Practical Training. Use of part-time CPT or co-op abroad does not affect eligibility for Optional Practical Training.

Co-op Abroad (does not require CPT)

• Must maintain full-time enrollment each term.
• I-20/SEVIS will remain active.
• No ISSS authorization/CPT I-20 is required.
• Obtain travel signature on I-20 before departure.
• Students may NOT work remotely from inside the U.S. Working in the U.S. without CPT authorization is a violation of F-1 status.