CURRICULAR PRACTICAL TRAINING University of South Carolina International Student Services Revised 04/2009

What is Curricular Practical Training (CPT)? Curricular Practical Training is an authorization for off-campus employment allowing an F-1 student to participate in USC’s Cooperative Education (Co-op) Program, or a paid internship, practicum or research project in the field of study.

Who is Eligible? Students enrolled in an internship or practicum course for academic credit Students enrolled in thesis or dissertation credit hours who need to collect and generate data for their research Students who are registered in the USC Cooperative Education Program

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Must have been enrolled full-time for one academic year and in F-1 status at time of application Must continue to maintain F-1 student status while on CPT Proposed employment must be an integral part of an established curriculum

Who Authorizes CPT? International Student Services grants written authorization for either part-time or full-time employment in conjunction with your academic advisor.

CPT Application Checklist For all applicants: Recommendation form completed by instructor of the course Employer letter on company letterhead that includes employer name, address, job duties, and beginning and ending dates of employment *Graduate Students must also submit a program of study

CPT Application Checklist Additional requirements for students collecting data: a letter from thesis/dissertation director describing the research Employer letter on company letterhead including authorization for using data

CPT Considerations 1) Never work off-campus without employment authorization 2) Employment authorization for CPT cannot delay expected completion of studies date

Additional CPT Considerations You may engage in CPT only for the specific employment authorized CPT may be granted in increments of no more than one year Use of full-time CPT for one year or more eliminates eligibility for Optional Practical Training

What is the USC CO-OP Education Program? A professional internship program offered through the Career Center Involves two terms of employment Enrollment is not expected Shows up on your transcript

Co-op Required Documentation For Undergraduate Students: Offer letter from employer that commits to both semesters of employment Academic advisor recommendation form For Graduate Students: Approval letter from the academic department chair Approved program of study form

Additional Co-op Information Graduate Co-op = full time employment Undergraduate Co-op can be part-time No enrollment required during the Co-op Program Graduate assistantships are not allowed while on Co-op

Unauthorized Employment Very serious violation of your F-1 Status Obligation to report unauthorized employment to SEVIS Not a “fixable” problem inside the United States

Meeting with Advisors Appointments are available Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Please call International Student Services at 777- 7461 to schedule an appointment.

Got an immigration question? Email us at ISS@sc.edu An international student advisor will respond.