Curricular Practical Training

All students:

• ​A student must be in valid F-1 status at the time of the CPT request
• A student must have been enrolled full-time for at least one full academic year (at least one fall and one spring semester) prior to participating in CPT
  • The clock counting the one full academic year resets when:
    • A student experienced a break in enrollment such as: 
      • Starting a new program after time spent engaged in Post-Completion OPT or STEM OPT Extension
      • Returning to F-1 status after time spent in another status in the U.S. while not enrolled full-time
      • Returning from a Leave of Absence after 5 or more months spent outside of the U.S.
    • Re-establishing F-1 status after termination of their SEVIS record
• A student must continue to be enrolled for a full course of study during the CPT
• The CPT must be an "an integral part of an established curriculum" and directly related to the student's current program of study at NJIT
• A student must be in good academic standing and meet GPA requirements:
  • Undergraduate students: Cumulative minimum GPA of 2.2 or above
  • Graduate students: Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above
• All F-1 students must be physically present in the US while engaging in CPT employment. 
• The CPT site must be located within 3 hours driving distance from NJIT
  • Fall and Spring Semesters - CPT is restricted to locations within 3 hours driving distance from NJIT because USCIS requires physical presence on campus during the fall and spring semesters.
  • Summer Internships - CPT may be in other geographical locations in the U.S. UNLESS summer is the student's semester of completion of program/graduation
  • Final Semester - If CPT is in the final semester in which a student is expected to graduate, including summer, the training site must be within 3 hours driving distance from NJIT. In addition to the co-op class, the student must also be enrolled in at least one other face-to-face or hybrid class.
• NJIT cannot be the sponsoring employer for the CPT. If NJIT is the employer and the employment takes place on the NJIT campus, this is considered on-campus employment, which does not require CPT authorization.
• A student must receive Form I-20 with CPT authorization PRIOR to starting employment

Other Requirements:

• A student must submit a Handshake application and receive all the necessary approvals (CDS, academic adviser, and OGI) PRIOR to starting employment
• A student must register for a co-op course while on CPT. Please consult with Career Development Services (CDS) regarding co-op course registration.
• The CPT must occur before a student has completed their program of study at NJIT
  • ​ A student may not participate in CPT after completing their program at NJIT, or when they are between programs and applying for a Change of Level. For example, if a student completed their B.S. program in the spring and have been accepted to start a Master's program in the fall, they cannot engage in CPT during the summer between the two programs.

You must start your CPT application in a timely manner in order to obtain the required CPT authorization on your I-20 prior to your intended start date.

STEP 1: Meet with your academic and career advisors to discuss co-op eligibility.

STEP 2: Complete your Handshake application. Please keep in mind that the application must be approved by several people, which may take 2-3 weeks or more.

STEP 3: Register for the co-op course related to your program. Please contact your career advisor for assistance.

STEP 4: Your Handshake application will be routed to OGI for review. Please note that OGI can only review the Handshake application after the faculty co-op advisor, the career advisor, and the employer have approved it. Processing time for OGI is up to 7 business days after we receive the Handshake application.

STEP 5: Apply for a social security number, if you don’t already have one, after you receive your Form I-20 with CPT authorization. For more information about SSN, click here.

STEP 6: Begin your CPT experience on the first day of authorization as indicated on page 2 of your new Form I-20. NOTE: You must have final approval from OGI in order to begin employment, even if the employment start date in Handshake has already passed. 

F-1 students must continue to pursue a full course of study while on CPT.

Undergraduate students

• Must register for 12 credits in fall and spring semesters (except in the last semester)
  • At least 9 credit hours must be in person as defined by NJIT
    • This must include one 3-credit hour co-op course
  • Only 3 credit hours may be online as defined by NJIT
• Cannot take a co-op course by itself (except during summer term) if it is not required for graduation
  • If summer is your final semester prior to program completion, you are required to have at least one in-person course.

Graduate students

• A graduate student participating in part-time CPT must be registered for a minimum of 9 credits in fall and spring semesters
  • At least 6 credit hours must be in person as defined by NJIT. That includes any co-op credit hours.
  • Only 3 credit hours may be online as defined by NJIT
• Graduate students participating in full-time CPT are eligible to enroll in less than 9 credit hours only if they meet the requirements listed below:
  • Must register for at least one (1) in-person course while engaged in CPT
  • Must submit the online Full-Time Certification Form
• Cannot take a co-op course by itself (except during summer term) if it is not required for graduation
  • If summer is your final semester prior to program completion, you are required to have at least one in-person course.

ALL students planning to engage in CPT will be required to register for a corresponding Co-op/internship course.

Undergraduate students: Contact Career Development Services for course enrollment requirements and billing questions.

Graduate students: The CPT course will be for one (1) credit and included in the student’s bill the first time they register. Any consecutive CPT courses will also be for one (1) credit, but no tuition will be charged irrespective of change of employer. Other fees still apply.

NJIT and the OGI will approve CPT employment for the following periods (to coincide with academic calendars as much as possible):

SUMMER CPT: From the day after the spring semester officially ends, through the day before fall classes begin.

FALL CPT: Up to to 2 weeks prior to the the fall semester officially begins, through the day before spring classes begin.

SPRING CPT: From January 1, through the day before summer classes begin.

*IMPORTANT* If the student is graduating at the end of the semester in which the co-op is taken, CPT authorization will end on the program completion date (the last day of final exams as listed on NJIT’s academic calendar). 

• If the student wishes to remain employed with the same employer, they may not "resume" or "continue" employment after program completion until they have received their OPT approval and EAD card.

You can apply for part-time CPT (maximum of 20 hours per week), or full-time CPT (more than 20 hours per week).

There is no limit on how many part-time CPTs you may complete without affecting your Optional Practical Training (OPT) eligibility.

More than 364 days of full-time CPT authorization will cancel your eligibility for OPT.

Working full-time while taking courses can be stressful. Please remember your primary responsibility is to study and finish your program in the time allotted. You will not be allowed to extend your program end date if you didn't graduate due to CPT taking up too much of your time. Federal regulations require you to continue making progress toward your degree.

The OGI will not grant I-20 extensions for students who did not graduate in a timely manner (two years for MS students; four or five years for undergraduate students, depending on the program) due to CPT employment. CPT cannot delay your program completion.

CPT authorization for Ph.D. students is strictly limited to situations where there is a clear, demonstrated need for the student to collect data relevant to their dissertation research. As CPT is not intended to facilitate general employment, it would only be approved if the academic advisor can clearly justify its necessity for the dissertation. Additionally, all CPT requests for Ph.D. students require approval from the Graduate Studies Office (GSO).

CPT authorization cannot extend beyond the student’s dissertation defense date. For example, a Ph.D. student who is defending their dissertation on September 15th is not eligible for CPT during the fall semester, as there are no remaining "curricular" requirements to fulfill.

A student’s program is considered complete once the final, revised dissertation is submitted to the GSO, regardless of any pending administrative forms. This submission date will also be used to determine the official program completion date for immigration purposes. Upon submission of the final dissertation, the student’s I-20 will be shortened to reflect the program completion date. The student becomes eligible to begin Optional Practical Training (OPT) the day following program completion.

You may work only for your approved employer during CPT. For any concerns during the course of your co-op, please contact your CDS advisor.

You may work during the authorized dates only. Any unauthorized employment outside of these dates will result in termination of your F-1 status.

Note: If the student is graduating at the end of the semester in which the co-op is taken, CPT authorization will end on the program completion date (the last day of final exams as listed on NJIT’s academic calendar). If the student wishes to remain employed with the same employer, they may not "resume" or "continue" employment after program completion until they have received their OPT approval and EAD card.

If approved for CPT, the OGI will issue a new I-20 that will include CPT work authorization on the second page. You can only work for the employer listed on the I-20 and within the start and end date indicated on the I-20. Make sure to verify this information before you start working. If you think there is an error, contact your OGI adviser right away.

You cannot start working until you receive your new I-20 with the authorization on the 2nd page. This includes paid or unpaid work.

Students with approved CPT and off campus employment will need to obtain a Social Security Number from the Social Security Administration.

Students are required to review the requirements to qualify for and obtain a Social Security card as outlined by the Social Security Administration. Further information can be found HERE.

Authorization for more than 364 days of full-time CPT will cancel your eligibility for OPT. Studens should carefully plan their CPT employment so that they do not surpass 364 days of full time employment if they wish to be eligible for OPT (pre or post completion).

There is no limit on the number of days students may be authorized for part-time CPT.

If your employer extends your job offer for the current semester, bring an updated letter with the new end date to your CDS adviser. Please remember that the latest date possible is the last day of the current semester.

If your employer wants you to continue working next semester (or summer term) you will have to submit a new CPT Handshake application for the new term. The application process does not change for subsequent CPT authorizations, so students should allow enough time to complete the entire Handshake application process.

If your employer wants you to continue working after you complete your NJIT program of study, you will have to apply for Post-Completion OPT. Be mindful of the deadlines and allow enough time for processing. You cannot continue CPT employment after your Program End date (which is the last day of finals in your semester of completion).

If your CPT has not been approved yet, contact your OGI adviser right away. If changing employers, you will also need approval from CDS and you should contact OGI immediately so we don't proceed with your original application.

If your CPT has already been approved and your employment is terminated, notify your OGI adviser right away so we can shorten your CPT authorization. Otherwise, the time approved in SEVIS will count toward the total amount of CPT allowed.

No. If you have completed all of your degree requirements, you must graduate and your I-20 end date will be shortened. You cannot extend your graduation unnecessarily just to do CPT. If you want to work in the U.S., you can apply for Post-Completion OPT.

No. If you have completed all the requirements you must graduate. If you need a program extension for a legitimate medical or academic reason, such as needing more time to finish your requirements or thesis, you may be granted an extension and apply for CPT that semester if otherwise eligible. CPT cannot be the justification for a program extension.

U.S. regulations do not explicitly restrict on-campus employment while participating in CPT. However, Students who wish to work on-campus while engaging in CPT should apply for part-time CPT and not exceed 40 hours per week of work combined between their on-campus and CPT employment.

Although permissible, it is important to note that U.S. government agencies may request further clarification about your work arrangements should you apply for certain benefits or visas (e.g., H-1B, green card). As an F-1 visa holder, your primary purpose in the U.S. is to be a full-time student, not to work.

For Ph.D. students, approval from the Graduate Studies Office (GSO) is required for CPT authorization. The approval process takes into account the student's on-campus job responsibilities and the relevance of CPT activities to their dissertation research.