International Students
- Return To Intern Program
- Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Curricular Practical Training

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is a temporary work authorization for international students who hold an F-1 visa and who have been enrolled full-time in a college-level degree program for at least one academic year.

You can use CPT for an internship or co-op experience that is directly related to your major or field of study. See the Penn State Global website for more information about CPT.

If you have an offer for an internship or co-op and you are eligible for CPT, our office can help with the process of obtaining it. Please note:

If you are planning to work part-time on campus, you do not need to apply for CPT. See the Penn State Global website for more information about rules and requirements for on-campus jobs.
If you are graduating before your work experience is scheduled to begin, you are not eligible for CPT and must seek Optional Practical Training (OPT) instead. Please contact International Student and Scholar Advising (ISSA) with any questions about OPT; our office is not involved in this process.

Undergraduate Students

Step 1: Obtain an Offer Letter

Obtain an offer letter from your prospective employer (ideally on letterhead) that meets CPT requirements, including all of the following:

Job title
Name of the company or organization and full address, including street/number, city, state, and zip/postal code
- If you are working on-site, this address should be the specific location where you will be working (if the employer has multiple sites)
- If you are working remotely or in a hybrid arrangement, the address where you will be physically working must also be included (home, apartment, friend's apartment, etc.)—you must provide this information to the employer to be included in the letter
Exact start and end dates of employment
- Work experiences must be 12–15 weeks long in either the fall or spring semesters or 10–12 weeks long in the summer
- Work experiences should not start before the first day or end after the last day of the Penn State semester in which you plan to work
Number of hours of work per week (20–40 hours)
Whether the work will be done on-site or virtually

Please highlight or circle all of these items within your offer letter to make review and approval quicker and easier.

If you plan to do a co-op, your offer letter must include both intended work semesters in order to verify that the offer will be for a rotational experience. For example, an offer letter should state that the offer is "for a summer and fall 20xx co-op." Employers may include a clause stating that they intend to bring the student back for at least two co-op rotations "if business conditions and student performance permit."

Your employer must also provide a detailed description of the specific tasks you will be doing on the job; this may either be included in the offer letter or provided as a separate job description. This description must provide enough specifics to show clearly that the job relates to your major and will provide experience related to your field of study.

Here is an example of a detailed job description for a mechanical engineering student:

Support the design and development of automotive components or systems by providing engineering analysis, testing, and validation
Assist with the creation of engineering drawings and specifications for components or systems
Design and develop manufacturing processes for existing and new products
Work on tooling design and prototyping
Provide root cause analysis of non-conformances and implement corrective actions
Complete equipment and process validation
Evaluate and investigate mechanical failures in manufacturing equipment

A general description of duties (e.g., perform duties as assigned, work with managers and peers to learn more about the business) will not be sufficient for ISSA approval. If the offer materials you have received from your prospective employer do not contain specific details about your job duties, please contact the employer to request more information.

Step 2: Complete the Employment Survey

Complete the Employment Survey to notify us of your upcoming work assignment and to give us important information about your employer and the internship or co-op course you intend to take.

If you have an offer to work for a single semester at a company or organization, you are doing an internship. If your internship is for fewer than 20 hours per week or fewer than 8–10 weeks, your course number will be ENGR 185; otherwise, your course number will be ENGR 195. Full-time internships must be completed during summer semesters.

If you have an offer to work for at least two semesters at the same company or organization, you are doing a co-op. Your courses will be:

ENGR 295 for a first co-op semester
ENGR 395 for a second co-op semester
ENGR 495 for a third co-op semester

Co-ops may include one fall or spring semester in addition to one or more summers.

You must complete a new Employment Survey for each semester in which you plan to work.

Once you have completed the Employment Survey, we will review your documents and—if they meet ISSA requirements for CPT—we will register you for your requested course and notify you when you have been registered.

Step 3: Complete the Curricular Practical Training eForm in iStart

Complete the CPT eForm in iStart, which is a requirement of the U.S. government. As part of this process, you will need to have an academic recommendation completed by a Penn State faculty or staff member.

If you are enrolled in ENGR 195:

If you are a student in the College of Engineering, you may designate either Carmen Bilén, Associate Director, Engineering Career Resources & Employer Relations, or your academic or departmental adviser to complete the academic recommendation. If you are an engineering student in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, you must work with your academic adviser and/or department head on this process; please review the EMS information for international students.
The individual you have designated will receive an email notification with a link to complete the recommendation.
After your recommendation has been completed and submitted, you will receive an automated confirmation email message.

If you are enrolled in ENGR 295, 395, or 495:

If you are a student in the College of Engineering, you must designate Carmen Bilén, Associate Director, Engineering Career Resources & Employer Relations, as the adviser to complete the academic recommendation. If you are an engineering student in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, you must work with your academic adviser and/or department head on this process; please review the EMS information for international students.
After your recommendation has been completed and submitted, you will receive an automated email message.

Step 4: Pay for the Course

Once you see the course on your schedule for the appropriate semester, submit payment for the course.

You should expect ISSA's review and approval of your CPT to take place within 10–14 days of receipt of the academic recommendation. Note that delays may occur during peak times, especially at the end of the spring semester.

If your CPT request is approved, an ISSA adviser will contact you directly when your new I-20 is ready.

If your CPT request is not approved, please notify us as soon as possible so we can cancel your registration in the internship or co-op course and help you avoid a financial penalty.

Graduate Students

The specific steps that you must take as a graduate student seeking CPT depend on a number of factors, including when and where you plan to work, what type of degree you are pursuing, and where you are in your degree program.

Fall or Spring Work Experiences

Step 1: Obtain an Offer Letter

Obtain an offer letter from your prospective employer (ideally on letterhead) that meets CPT requirements, including all of the following:

Job title
Name of the company or organization and full address, including street/number, city, state, and zip/postal code
- If you are working on-site, this address should be the specific location where you will be working (if the employer has multiple sites)
- If you are working remotely or in a hybrid arrangement, the address where you will be physically working must also be included (home, apartment, friend's apartment, etc.)—you must provide this information to the employer to be included in the letter
Exact start and end dates of employment (must be 12–15 weeks in either the fall or spring semesters)
- Work experiences should not start before the first day or end after the last day of the Penn State semester in which you plan to work
Number of hours of work per week (must be 20–40 hours)
Whether the work will be done on-site or virtually

Please highlight or circle all of these items within your offer letter to make review and approval quicker and easier.

Your employer must also provide a detailed description of the specific tasks you will be doing on the job; this may either be included in the offer letter or provided as a separate job description. This description must provide enough specifics to show clearly that the job will provide experience related to your field of study.

Here is an example of a detailed job description for a mechanical engineering student:

Support the design and development of automotive components or systems by providing engineering analysis, testing, and validation
Assist with the creation of engineering drawings and specifications for components or systems
Design and develop manufacturing processes for existing and new products
Work on tooling design and prototyping
Provide root cause analysis of non-conformances and implement corrective actions
Complete equipment and process validation
Evaluate and investigate mechanical failures in manufacturing equipment

A general description of duties (e.g., perform duties as assigned, work with managers and peers to learn more about the business) will not be sufficient for ISSA approval. If the offer materials you have received from your prospective employer do not contain specific details about your job duties, please contact the employer to request more information.

Step 2: Complete the Employment Survey

Complete the Employment Survey to notify our office of your upcoming internship and to give us important information about your employer and the course you plan to take (ENGR 595 or another graduate-level course).

Once you have completed the Employment Survey, we will review your documents to ensure that they meet ISSA requirements for CPT. If you have requested ENGR 595, we will register you for your course and notify you when you have been registered. If you plan to register for departmental credit, you should do so independently or seek departmental assistance in doing so.

Step 3: Complete the Curricular Practical Training eForm in iStart

Complete the CPT eForm in iStart, which is a requirement of the U.S. government. As part of this process, you will need to have an academic recommendation completed by a Penn State faculty or staff member.

If you are pursuing an M.S. or M.Eng. degree in the College of Engineering:

You may be registered for either ENGR 595 (internship) or a non-thesis research course.

If you are enrolled in ENGR 595
- You may designate either Carmen Bilén, Associate Director, Engineering Career Resources & Employer Relations, or your departmental adviser to complete the academic recommendation.
- The individual you have designated will receive an email notification with a link to complete the recommendation.
- After your recommendation has been completed and submitted, you will receive an automated confirmation email message.
If you are enrolled in a non-thesis research course:
- Your adviser must complete the recommendation.
- After your recommendation has been completed and submitted, you will receive an automated confirmation email message.

If you are pursuing a Ph.D. degree in the College of Engineering:

If you have not yet completed your qualifying exam and/or are not currently working on your thesis: You may be eligible for CPT if you are enrolled in ENGR 595 and the work you plan to do is in your internship is directly related to your course of study. Your department adviser should complete the recommendation.
If you are currently working on your thesis and the work you plan to do in your internship will be used for your thesis, you must be enrolled in a thesis course and your thesis adviser must complete the recommendation.
If you are currently working on your thesis and the work you plan to do will not be used for your thesis:
- If your prospective employer is located near University Park (or another Penn State campus), or if your internship is virtual, you may be eligible for CPT if you are enrolled concurrently for a full-time course load while working and for a non-thesis research course. In this situation:
  - Your thesis adviser must complete the recommendation.
  - After your recommendation has been completed and submitted, you will receive an automated confirmation email message.
- If your prospective employer is not located near University Park and you are required to work on-site, you may only be eligible for CPT if you are willing to pay for 9 credits of department-approved research associated with your internship. Most students in this situation opt not to complete an internship.

If you are pursuing either an M.S. or a Ph.D. engineering degree in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences:

You must work with your department on the appropriate course enrollment during your internship and your graduate adviser and/or department head must complete the recommendation.
The individual you have designated will receive an email notification with a link to complete the recommendation.
After your recommendation has been completed and submitted, you will receive an automated confirmation email message.

Step 4: Pay for the Course

Once you see the course on your schedule for the appropriate semester, submit payment for the course.

You should expect ISSA's review and approval of your CPT to take place within 10–14 days of receipt of the academic recommendation. Note that delays may occur during peak times, especially at the end of the spring semester.

If your CPT request is approved, an ISSA adviser will contact you directly when your new I-20 is ready.

If your CPT request is not approved, please notify us as soon as possible so we can cancel your registration in the internship or co-op course and help you avoid a financial penalty.

Summer-Only Work Experiences

Step 1: Obtain an Offer Letter

Obtain an offer letter from your prospective employer (ideally on letterhead) that meets CPT requirements, including all of the following:

Job title
Name of the company or organization and full address, including street/number, city, state, and zip/postal code
- If you are working on-site, this address should be the specific location where you will be working (if the employer has multiple sites)
- If you are working remotely or in a hybrid arrangement, the address where you will be physically working must also be included (home, apartment, friend's apartment, etc.)—you must provide this information to the employer to be included in the letter
Exact start and end dates of employment (must be 10–12 weeks)
- Work experiences should not start before the first day or end after the last day of the Penn State semester in which you plan to work
Number of hours of work per week (must be 20–40 hours)
Whether the work will be done on-site or virtually

Please highlight or circle all of these items within your offer letter to make review and approval quicker and easier.

Your employer must also provide a detailed description of the specific tasks you will be doing on the job; this may either be included in the offer letter or provided as a separate job description. This description must provide enough specifics to show clearly that the job will provide experience related to your field of study.

Here is an example of a detailed job description for a mechanical engineering student:

Support the design and development of automotive components or systems by providing engineering analysis, testing, and validation
Assist with the creation of engineering drawings and specifications for components or systems
Design and develop manufacturing processes for existing and new products
Work on tooling design and prototyping
Provide root cause analysis of non-conformances and implement corrective actions
Complete equipment and process validation
Evaluate and investigate mechanical failures in manufacturing equipment

A general description of duties (e.g., perform duties as assigned, work with managers and peers to learn more about the business) will not be sufficient for ISSA approval. If the offer materials you have received from your prospective employer do not contain specific details about your job duties, please contact the employer to request more information.

Step 2: Complete the Employment Survey

Complete the Employment Survey to notify our office of your upcoming internship and to give us important information about your employer and the course you plan to take (ENGR 595 or another graduate-level course).

Once you have completed the Employment Survey, we will review your documents to ensure that they meet ISSA requirements for CPT. If you have requested ENGR 595, we will register you for your course and notify you when you have been registered. If you plan to register for departmental credit, you should do so independently or seek departmental assistance in doing so.

Step 3: Complete the Curricular Practical Training eForm in iStart

Complete the CPT eForm in iStart, which is a requirement of the U.S. government. As part of this process, you will need to have an academic recommendation completed by a Penn State faculty or staff member.

If you are pursuing an M.S. or M.Eng. degree in the College of Engineering:

You may be registered for either ENGR 595 (internship) or a non-thesis research course.

If you are enrolled in ENGR 595:
- You may designate either Carmen Bilén, Associate Director, Engineering Career Resources & Employer Relations, or your departmental adviser to complete the academic recommendation.
- The individual you have designated will receive an email notification with a link to complete the recommendation.
- After your recommendation has been completed and submitted, you will receive an automated confirmation email message.
If you are enrolled in a non-thesis research course:
- Your adviser must complete the recommendation.
- After your recommendation has been completed and submitted, you will receive an automated confirmation email message.

If you are pursuing a Ph.D. degree in the College of Engineering:

If you have not yet completed your qualifying exam and/or are not currently working on your thesis: You may be eligible for CPT if you are enrolled in ENGR 595 and the work you plan to do is in your internship is directly related to your course of study. Your department adviser should complete the recommendation.
If you are currently working on your thesis and the work you plan to do in your internship will be used for your thesis, you must be enrolled in a thesis course and your thesis adviser must complete the recommendation.
If you are currently working on your thesis and the work you plan to do will not be used for your thesis:
- If your prospective employer is located near University Park (or another Penn State campus), or if your internship is virtual, you may be eligible for CPT if you are enrolled concurrently for a full-time course load while working and for a non-thesis research course. In this situation:
  - Your thesis adviser must complete the recommendation.
  - After your recommendation has been completed and submitted, you will receive an automated confirmation email message.
- If your prospective employer is not located near University Park and you are required to work on-site, you may only be eligible for CPT if you are willing to pay for 9 credits of department-approved research associated with your internship. Most students in this situation opt not to complete an internship.

If you are pursuing either an M.S. or a Ph.D. engineering degree in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences:

You must work with your department on the appropriate course enrollment during your internship and your graduate adviser and/or department head must complete the recommendation.
The individual you have designated will receive an email notification with a link to complete the recommendation.
After your recommendation has been completed and submitted, you will receive an automated confirmation email message.

Step 4: Pay for the Course

Once you see the course on your schedule for the appropriate semester, submit payment for the course.

You should expect ISSA's review and approval of your CPT to take place within 10–14 days of receipt of the academic recommendation. Note that delays may occur during peak times, especially at the end of the spring semester.

If your CPT request is approved, an ISSA adviser will contact you directly when your new I-20 is ready.

If your CPT request is not approved, please notify us as soon as possible so we can cancel your registration in the internship or co-op course and help you avoid a financial penalty.