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Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

CPT Application (click to download)

CPT is an employment directly related to student's field of study and is an integral part of an established curriculum. It is an internship, practicum, or other type of employment that is either required for the degree program or taken for credit toward the degree.

The only programs at Princeton that allow a summer CPT option are:

1. Master's in Public Affairs Program in the Woodrow Wilson School (required summer internship);

2. Master's in Finance 2-year program (required summer internship);

3. Summer internship courses offered through the departments of Applied Mathematics, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science, Economics, Electrical Engineering, Geosciences, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, ORFE (Operations Research and Financial Engineering), and Physics.

      Eligibility

  • You have been in lawful immigration status and a full-time student for at least one academic year;

  • You are currently in F-1 status;

  • You have a job offer from a specific employer with established employment start and end dates;

  • You may not begin your employment before June 1.

  • You must end your employment before classes begin in the Fall semester (September 17 in the Academic Year 2009/10)

      Important Notes

  • Estimated CPT processing time is between 3-5 business days, so please take this into consideration when making employment plans;

  • CPT authorization will be noted on the third page of your I-20; you may not begin your employment before you pick up the endorsed I-20 from the Office of Visa Services;

  • CPT may be authorized for part-time (20 hours or less per week) or full-time (over 20 hours per week);

  • Students should follow the same procedure for both paid or unpaid internship;

  • A new application is required if there is any change of employer, location of employment or if the employment ending data expires;

  • Your local U.S. address information must be current in SCORE;

  • Use of full-time CPT for one year or more eliminates eligibility for Optional Practical Training (OPT). Use of part-time CPT does not affect eligibility for OPT.

 

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