Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Yes. Because CPT is a class, enrollment is required. The class must be listed in the University catalogue. The Career Development Services and your academic department can help you with determining both how many credits you need and the course number.

The following items are requirements for CPT eligibility:

• Attend the CPT workshop within six months of your internship
• GPA--Undergraduates: 2.0, Graduates: 3.0
• Two semesters of full-time enrollment in a fall/spring or spring/fall combination completed
• Approved RCL in VISA for any semester in which you took fewer than the required number of credits (ANY time undergraduates go below 12 hours and graduates go below 9 hours)

Full-time CPT is an internship where you work 21 or more hours per week. Part-time is 20 hours or fewer. If, once you have started your CPT, you find you need to decrease or increase your hours, a new application must be filed and approved before you work the new hours.

• Part-time CPT: Fall or Spring semester
• Full-time CPT: Each summer semester and in your graduating semester.

In Spring/Fall semester: on-campus employment and CPT cannot total more than 20 hours per week.

In your graduating semester: on-campus employment and CPT cannot total more than 40 hours per week.

In Summer semester: on-campus employment and CPT cannot total than 40 hours per week.

If you have a graduate assistantship, you can contact your hiring department to discuss your eligibility to continue your assistantship while completing CPT.

You can view ODU's academic calendar here for the exact dates of classes.

Yes. If an internship is required of every student in your program, you may do your CPT when required after obtaining approval from your VISA advisor, who will require documentation of the mandatory internship/practicum from your department.

You must register for CPT and additional academic credits; part-time or full-time CPT is permitted. Note that you may have only one graduating semester CPT; if you do not graduate as planned, you must wait for OPT upon graduation.

You only need to submit the CPT Request Form, the CPT Responsibilities Form and the original internship offer letter. Be sure you do not have any registration holds and that the Career Development Services has added the course to your schedule.

Your start date can never be in the past; it must be at least 10 business days in the future from the date you submit your application.

All of the following must be included in your letter:

• Your name
• Internship site's name and address
• Hours of work per week
• Stating if position is paid or unpaid; if paid, wages must be stated at an hourly rate
• Brief description of duties
• Start and end dates (current semester only)
• Statement that this is an internship only (i.e. not long-term employment). A template of the letter is part of the CPT application packet.

Refer your supervisor to the CPT/OPT Info for Off-Campus Employers section of the VISA web site for more information.

Provided that your application is complete and your academic advisor/Graduate Program Director and Career Development Services signed-off your CPT packet, it takes up to 10 business days for us to process your application and issue your new I-20. We will do our best to process your application as quickly as possible.

You'll get an e-mail in your ODU student e-mail inbox. This will let you know that your I-20 is ready for pick-up in VISA. Once you have your I-20 and the start date of your CPT has arrived, you may begin your internship.

First, make sure your SEVIS U.S. address is updated. Keep an eye on ISSlist e-mails for updates and reminders of paperwork requirements.

The best thing to do is to attend the CPT workshop and then follow up by meeting with your VISA advisor.