Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

After securing an internship offer, enroll in a full course load or indicate that you are in your final semester on the CPT I-20 Request. 

Next, register for an internship course, if applicable. If D-Clearance is required, you will register after Step 5 is completed.

Complete the CPT I-20 Request and attach an internship offer letter for review by your academic advisor or internship coordinator.

If you are a USC Viterbi School of Engineering student, follow the CPT instructions on the Viterbi Career Connections website.

Your academic advisor or internship coordinator will sign the CPT I-20 Request and give D-Clearance, if applicable, for the internship course registration.

OIS will email you an electronically signed CPT authorization and I-20 within four business days.

The CPT authorization and employment information will be annotated on page 2 or 3 of the CPT I-20. Review the CPT authorization to ensure accuracy.

If you do not have a Social Security number (SSN), schedule an appointment at the Social Security Administration office at 1122 W. Washington Blvd. and bring all necessary documents.

A student may not begin working until they have received the CPT I-20 from OIS and the employment start date has been reached.

To be eligible for CPT, students must:

• Have properly maintained F-1 status each semester.
• Be enrolled full time for the semester in which they wish to pursue the CPT.
  • The only exception to this is during a student’s final semester; refer to the hours of employment section of this page for details.
  • Students who were granted CPT but subsequently drop below the full course load must stop working immediately and notify OIS of this change.
• Have been in F-1 student status for at least one academic year in a degree-seeking program before applying for CPT. Refer to the section below for the two exceptions to this regulation.
• Have a specific job or internship offer in a position related to the student’s major.

Additionally, successful completion of all internship courses is required for both current and future CPT authorization eligibility.

During CPT, students may work remotely from home in the United States if their employer allows it and they adhere to the in-person requirements of their courses.

USC International Academy students are not eligible for CPT.

In general, students must have been in F-1 student status for at least one academic year in a degree-seeking program to be eligible to apply for CPT. However, there are two exceptions to this rule:

1. Students who attended another school in the United States as an F-1 student and transferred their SEVIS record to USC. These students must submit copies of their previous school’s I-20 and official transcripts via our contact form for review.
   • Please note that students cannot use CPT to continue employment under OPT/STEM OPT that has since ended. CPT must be an integral part of the new degree program’s established curriculum. Therefore, students who transfer to USC upon completion of OPT/STEM OPT or during a period of OPT/STEM OPT at a previous school must wait at least one semester to apply for CPT at USC.
2. Students who are enrolled in degree programs that require an internship or practicum hours in their first year to fulfill degree requirements. This requirement will be stated in the USC Catalogue. Students in the below master’s degree programs do not need to fulfill the one academic year requirement in order to apply for CPT (list subject to change without prior notice):
   • Applied Behavior Analysis at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
   • Applied Psychology at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
   • Global Media and Communication at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
   • Health Administration at the USC Price School of Public Policy
   • Health Systems Management Engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering (ISE 509 only)
   • Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages at the USC Rossier School of Education (EDUC 639 and 655 only)
   • One-Year (IBEAR) MBA at the USC Marshall School of Business
   • Peter Stark Program at the USC School of Cinematic Arts
   • Physical Therapy at the Keck School of Medicine of USC
   • Public Administration at the USC Price School of Public Policy (pre-service designation only)
   • Social Work at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
   • Speech-Language Pathology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC
   • Urban Planning at the USC Price School of Public Policy
   • Wireless Health Technology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and USC Viterbi School of Engineering

Students must register for an internship course or a class that requires an internship at USC during the semester in which they wish to complete CPT. Successful completion of this course is required to be considered for future CPT authorizations.

However, students who are enrolled in degree programs that require an internship or practicum hours to fulfill degree requirements (must be stated as such in the USC Catalogue) are exempt from registering in an internship course for CPT purposes. Students in the following master’s degree programs do not need to register for an internship course in order to apply for CPT (list subject to change without prior notice):

• Peter Stark Program at USC School of Cinematic Arts
• Health Administration at USC Price School of Public Policy
• Physical Therapy at Keck School of Medicine of USC
• Public Administration at USC Price School of Public Policy
• Urban Planning at USC Price School of Public Policy
• Advanced Pediatric Dentistry at Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC

Undergraduate Students

Undergraduate students must register for the specific internship course offered by their academic department. For majors without a dedicated internship course, register in MDA 250, a general internship class through USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

Graduate Students

Students must submit a D-Clearance request to their department staff advisor to register for the internship course offered by their academic department.

USC Viterbi School of Engineering graduate students must follow the CPT instructions on the Viterbi Career Connections website.

USC Marshall School of Business graduate students must register for ACCT, BAEP, BUCO, DSO, FBE, MKT or MOR 595.

Students are limited to part-time (20 hours per week or fewer) CPT during the fall and spring terms, but are eligible full-time (21 hours per week or more) CPT authorization under the following circumstances:

• Summer term. Students may qualify for full-time CPT during the summer term. If summer is the final semester, the half-time enrollment rules below apply.
• Final semester with half-time enrollment. During their final semester, students may qualify for full-time CPT only if their total course load, including the internship course, does not exceed half-time enrollment.
• Thesis/dissertation stage. Graduate students in the thesis/dissertation stage, who have completed all required coursework and are enrolled only in thesis/dissertation units (594/794), may qualify for full-time CPT during the fall or spring term.
  • PhD students are not eligible for CPT during any fall or spring term in which they hold a 50% graduate assistantship appointment, such as teaching assistant, research assistant or grader.
• PharmD students enrolled in Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) courses. Full-time CPT may be authorized for required off-campus APPE placements.

Half-time enrollment is defined as:

• 6 units or fewer for undergraduates
• 4 units or fewer for graduate students, or only one remaining course. Graduate students with one final course may qualify for full-time CPT if the final course and the internship course combined do not exceed 5 units. 

Additionally, students (except PhD students subject to the exception listed above) may participate in CPT and on-campus employment simultaneously, provided that such employment does not impede satisfactory academic progress. 

CPT authorization is given on a semester basis and is only authorized for the dates of the specific semester. Therefore, students must apply separately for each semester in which they wish to complete CPT. 

CPT I-20 start dates will be listed either as the requested start date or the approval date, whichever is later. Restrictions on end dates may occur based on the start of research assistant (RA)/teaching assistant (TA) positions. 

Program extensions will not be granted for CPT purposes. 

Please refer to the dates below for guidance, but note that they are not guaranteed. 

• CPT application deadline is the last/add-drop date of each semester, unless the student is able to add the internship course with special permission, at the discretion of their academic department.
• CPT authorization is employer-specific and valid only for the student’s current employer. If the student changes jobs, they will need to apply for a new CPT authorization.
• Students must keep all original copies of CPT I-20s, as they will be required for future USCIS applications, such as OPT, H-1B and permanent residency.
• Working without authorization or in an unauthorized capacity is a serious violation of F-1 status.
• CPT cannot be issued to employers without a physical presence in the United States. The employer must have a United States-based office or operations and a physical address to be eligible for CPT. Students working for non-United States-based companies while physically present in the United States without proper work authorization violate their F-1 status.