Internship / Practicum Application

F-1 students who have completed one full academic year of full-time study (unless your graduate program requires CPT earlier), have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, have met the English proficiency requirement, and whose job is related to their field of study. CPT is not available in the ESL program.

No. You may not begin work until the school approves the internship and — if you are an F-1 student — a new I-20 with CPT is issued. You will be notified when it is ready for pick-up.

Your program’s required internship / practicum course. For the MBA this is BUS 510 (Current Issues in Business Management).

After you submit, you will be scheduled for a brief interview with the Administrator of Student Services. Processing time depends on the completeness of your documents and the SEVIS / I-20 update, so please apply well before your intended start date.

If your employer requires one and you do not already have one, the Office of Student Services will give you a support letter and your I-20 to take to the Social Security office after your CPT is approved.

Online CPT submission is currently available for the MBA only. If you are in another program, please contact the Office of Student Services and we will guide you through the steps.

CPT is authorized for a specific employer and a specific period of time, and it can never extend past your program end date. Nobel authorizes CPT in periods of up to 11 months; you may apply for a new period (with a new application and documents) before the current one ends. Note: 12 months or more of full-time CPT — counted cumulatively across every SEVP school you have attended — makes you ineligible for OPT. (8 CFR 214.2(f)(10))

CPT and OPT are separate types of practical training, so you can use both. However, if you accumulate one year (12 months) or more of full-time CPT — added up across all SEVP schools you have attended — you lose your eligibility for OPT entirely. Part-time CPT (20 hours per week or less) does not count against OPT. It is your responsibility to keep track of your cumulative full-time CPT. (8 CFR 214.2(f)(10), (f)(10)(i))

20 hours per week or less is part-time CPT; more than 20 hours per week is full-time CPT. While school is in session you must still maintain a full course of study. Only full-time CPT counts toward the 12-month limit that affects OPT eligibility.

Not automatically. CPT is authorized only for the specific employer, work location, and dates shown on your I-20. A change of employer or work site — or a significant change in your duties — requires a new CPT application and a new I-20 with the updated authorization before you begin the new work. (8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)(i))

Self-employment CPT is possible only if it meets every CPT requirement — the work must be an integral part of your program's established curriculum, directly related to your major, and you must be able to document the business (for example, a business license, articles of incorporation, or tax documents showing your name). Self-employment CPT is reviewed closely; please discuss it with the International Student Advisor before applying. (8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)(i))

Only after you have completed one full academic year of full-time F-1 enrollment — time you were enrolled full-time at your previous SEVP-certified school counts toward that requirement. (Graduate programs that require immediate participation in CPT are the exception.) You also need a Nobel I-20 and must be enrolled in your program's required internship / practicum course. (8 CFR 214.2(f)(10))