Curricular Practical Training

It’s important that you consult your academic adviser/department adviser about CPT before you submit a request. Discuss with them the following questions:

• Is the experience or training integral and required for all students in my major or academic program?
• Do I meet the departmental requirements to participate in CPT?
• Am I required to register for course credits for the CPT experience?
• Who in the department should I list as the Academic Adviser Approver for the CPT application?
• Does my approved thesis or dissertation require me to participate in CPT for the data collection process?

You should prepare the necessary documents before applying for CPT. Review the request and make sure your documents have all the required information for a smooth authorization. Missing information or documents will delay the ISS approval of your CPT request.

• Offer or Placement Letter that includes the following details (see template):
  • Your employer letterhead and/or the signature of your hiring manager or supervisor
    • If submitting a placement letter from your department, it should be on UW letterhead
  • The date that the letter was issued (this must be within the past 12 months)
  • Your name
  • Your start date
  • Name of your employer
  • Physical address of your employer (CPT employers must have a physical U.S. address)
  • Maximum work hours per week
  • Position title
• Faculty Adviser/Principal Investigator (PI) Letter for Thesis or Dissertation Verification that includes the following details (see template):
  • Must be on official UW or department letterhead.
  • Confirmation practical training is required for the approved thesis or dissertation research.
  • Confirmation there are no reasonable alternative methods for the data collection process.
  • A description of the approved thesis or dissertation topic or area of research.
  • Anticipated timeline for completion of the Master’s degree thesis or the defense of the dissertation.
  • Signature of the supervising Faculty Adviser or the Faculty Principal Investigator (PI), including the date, their name, title, and email address.
• Previous School Transcript (only if applying for CPT within your first year at the UW)
• Approver Information
  • This must be your academic adviser in your primary major or academic program.
  • This cannot be yourself, your employer, or anyone other than an academic adviser in your department.
  • This also cannot be the same person who signed your employment or faculty adviser/PI letter.

To complete the CPT request in MyISSS, you will need the following details:

• Job offer letter and training details
  • Your employer should be the company/organization you will be working for, not your supervisor.
• Faculty Adviser/PI letter if CPT is required for your approved thesis/dissertation research.
• Start and end date of CPT employment
  • This should fall within quarter dates, including the intersession. If you are participating in an extended CPT opportunity, you will need to submit a request for each quarter of authorization.
• Name, title, department, and email address for your academic department approver.

The process for approval is follows:

• You submit your CPT Request with all required documents in MyISSS.
• Your academic department approver reviews and approves the request.
• ISS receives the request after your department adviser approves it and then an ISS advisor reviews it for eligibility. Once CPT is approved by ISS, you will be issued an updated I-20 with the CPT approval (process requires 2 – 3 weeks).

You cannot begin CPT employment/work until you have received the updated I-20 from ISS with CPT authorization.

It depends on your authorization. If you are authorized for part-time CPT, you can work up to 20 hours per week. If you are authorized for full-time CPT, you can work more than 20 hours per week.

No. If it the opportunity is not a requirement in the established curriculum for all students in the program to graduate, even if it is strongly recommended, it cannot be authorized for CPT.

No. The SEVP broadcast message clearly stated that if any other options are available to students, international students should select the non-CPT option.

Yes. On-campus employment and CPT authorization will not impact the eligibility of the other.

If you are authorized for 12 months or more of full-time CPT, you will no longer be eligible for OPT. Part-time CPT should not impact your OPT eligibility.

You will need to submit a CPT update request through MyISSS. Please note that we are unable to fully cancel a CPT authorization once the authorized start date passes, and we are unable to delete or change the dates of a CPT authorization once the end date has passed.

You must submit a new CPT request for the extended date. If the extended dates are within the same quarter as your original CPT authorization, you are not required to enroll in additional CPT credits.

In general, you must enroll in your CPT credits during the quarter you are participating in CPT. The only exception to this is summer quarter. If you are doing CPT during summer, you may defer credit to the autumn quarter (with approval of your academic department). ISS will not approve CPT without autumn quarter enrollment.

Note: Since CPT is curricular, students are required to enroll in a minimum of one CPT credit per authorized quarter. If you defer your CPT credit from summer and plan to participate in another CPT opportunity in the autumn, you must enroll in a minimum of two CPT credits in autumn quarter.

No. Since the purpose of most ASB programs is service learning, they are not considered curricular training and generally do not require CPT. However, if your ASB is focused on professional training rather than service, we recommend you meet with an ISS advisor to determine whether CPT authorization may be required to participate. 

Yes. You can be authorized for CPT during your final quarter as long as you have a degree requirement remaining that requires CPT.