Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) for students is temporary employment that allows an F-1 student to gain practical experience through internships, cooperative education, or practicums. It is an integral part of the curriculum and must be directly related to the F-1 student’s major field of study. It is either a required part of the curriculum or taken for credit.

CPT Workshops

Workshops will be done virtually for the Fall 2023 semester. The dates for the virtual sessions are listed below. Please note that the same material will be covered in each workshop.

Fall 2023 Workshop Schedule, VIRTUAL:

• Thursday, October 19th, 2023 - RECORDING

Eligibility For CPT

• You must have been in lawful full-time F-1 status for at least one academic year in a degree-seeking program.
• You must be in good academic standing: undergraduates 2.25 grade-point average (GPA), graduate students a 3.0 GPA minimum. Note: Some departments may require a higher GPA. Students on academic probation will not be able to pursue or continue in the co-op/internship programs.
• The employment offer must be related directly to your major field of study as listed on the I-20.
• To apply for CPT, you must work with your academic department, Career Services, or the Career Management Center for initial approvals. Final approval will be in the form of an updated I-20 issued by the Office of Global Services (OGS). Chicago-Kent College of Law, Institute of Design, and Psychology students must work directly with the academic units and the OGS.
• Authorization period and time restrictions:
  • Work authorization is granted by the academic terms (fall, spring, or summer); each term requires a new application or renewal. If approved, the I-20 will list the employer information, start date, end date, and approval to work either full-time (more than 20 hrs/week) or part-time (under 20 hrs/week).
• Enrollment requirements:
  • Students enrolled in an internship during a required term (fall/spring) must be enrolled in 12 undergraduate or nine graduate credits of coursework/research in addition to the internship credits.
  • If you are enrolling in an internship during your last term, you must also be enrolled in at least one live course.

Application Procedure

Please follow the general guidelines below for CPT I-20 approval:

1. Work with your academic department, Career Services or the Career Management Center for initial approvals. Chicago-Kent College of Law, Institute of Design, and Psychology students must work directly with the academic units and the OGS.
2. Submit a "Curricular Practical Training (CPT)" request within the ISSS Portal. Please note, the required CPT Form must be completed and ready to upload when submitting the request in the portal. It is also required to be properly registered for the internship course associated with your CPT application.
3. The OGS's estimated processing time for CPT requests is 7 business days. This is a strict timeline as we cannot accommodate expedited requests at this time. Please note, students who do not follow the Key Deadlines below will not receive their I-20 in a timely manner.
4. Receive the new CPT I-20 from the OGS and may begin working from the approved start date listed on the I-20.

Key Deadlines Summer 2024

• Monday, July 1, 2024
  • Full/Part-Time Non-Credit Internships - Final Date to submit forms to OGS with the latest start date of July 15.
• Wednesday, August 2, 2024 - Saturday, August 10, 2024
  • Students must end summer internships during this time.

Key Deadlines Fall 2024

OGS Key Deadlines for Fall 2024 Semester

Key Deadlines Spring 2025

OGS Key Deadlines for Spring 2025 Semester

CPT Forms

Please download the correct CPT Form below that matches with your major/school. The student will need to complete the form with all required signatures in order to upload within the "Curricular Practical Training (CPT)" request for submission in the ISSS Portal.

F-1 CPT Psychology Department
F-1 CPT Institute of Design
F-1 CPT Chicago-Kent College of Law

Loss or Changes in Employment

• If employment has been terminated or work details have been changed by your employer, you are required to notify the Experiential Learning Office (explearning@iit.edu) and the OGS (global@iit.edu) within 10 days of the change. Once Curricular Practical Training (CPT) has been authorized to you, and if the start and end dates of the authorization have passed, the OGS cannot backdate your authorized dates. The SEVIS system does not allow us to do so.