ISE graduate students are permitted to enroll for academic credit for internships, co-ops, practicum, or other educational experiences. All students should refer to the information below.
Domestic students can ignore the instructions specifically regarding the CPT Authorization that must be granted by the UFIC and is required for International students to maintain F1 visa status.
Curricular Practical Training
Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is an alternate work/study, internship, cooperative education, clerkship, or optional/required internship or practicum, available only while International students are in F-1 status and before completion of their educational objective.
There are two CPT options: full-time (over 20 hours) and part-time (20 hours or less). Full-time CPT of one year (365 days) or more will lead to student ineligibility for Optional Practical Training (OPT); a part-time CPT does not affect OPT eligibility.
USCIS eligibility requirements for CPT state that graduate students must complete two academic terms on campus of full-time enrollment to apply for CPT/OPT.
CPT Eligibility Requirements
- Students must be enrolled full-time for at least one full academic year (fall and spring semesters)
- Employment must be relevant to the established curriculum
- CPT training is encouraged but not required by the ISE department for program completion
How to Apply for Curricular Practical Training
Students are responsible for finding internships and will need an official offer before the start of the semester in which the internship is to be completed, so that all documents can be processed by the ISE academic department and the International Center in a timely manner.
Application Requirements
- Complete CPT Authorization Request
- Complete and transmit the Department Recommendation Request within the CPT Authorization application.
- The name and email that should be entered for the department contact are Jordan Sharpshair and jsharpshair@ise.ufl.edu.
- Provide an official CPT Internship Offer Letter from the prospective employer. This letter must:
- Be on employer letterhead, signed and dated by a supervisor/HR representative, and include the student’s signature indicating acceptance of the internship
- Include the Employer Identification Number (EIN) of the employer
- Include the current date
- Include the student’s given and family/surname
- Provide position/job title
- Provide the start date and end date of the internship
- State the number of hours expected to work per week
- Provide the exact physical address for the position
- Provide a general description of duties (3-5 sentences or bullet points; if the company does not provide duties in the offer letter, then an addendum to the offer letter must be provided)
- Send a copy of your completed CPT internship offer letter to Jordan Sharpshair.
- Next, your internship offer letter will be reviewed by the academic coordinator, Professor Jorge Sefair, for approval/disapproval.
- If approved, Jordan Sharpshair will then register you for the correct number of internship credits, EGN 5949 (3 credits fall and spring or 2 credits summer).
- For internships/CPT related to research for a thesis or dissertation, students will be enrolled in the applicable research course for the same number of credits indicated above.
CPT Registration Requirements
- Registration requirements for Graduate students.
- Registration requirements for Graduate students pursuing a thesis or dissertation.
The Graduate Advisor will notify students that their internships are approved and that they are enrolled for credit. Only 3 credits of EGN 5949 are permitted to be used to meet degree requirements. If a student continues with an internship beyond 1 semester, they need to submit a new CPT with an updated offer letter to be approved by the academic coordinator. Although a student may be registered for additional credits of EGN 5949, the student will still only be able to use 3 credits towards their degree.
Students can now complete their CPT Authorization Request and submit the Departmental Recommendation forms online. Students should continue to keep in contact with their International Student Advisor after their Graduate Academic Advisor has approved their online CPT departmental recommendation and CPT Employment Information forms.
If you have any questions about the Departmental Recommendation Request section of the CPT Authorization Application, make an appointment to see Jordan Sharpshair.
Ph.D. CPT Applicants
Students who have assistantships must elect either the assistantship or the internship; both cannot be completed at the same time. If a student wants to do an internship, the ISE HR department must be informed of the semester in which the internship is to be completed. ISE HR will place the student on leave from their assistantship for that term. All students are responsible for payment of the internship course. Once the internship is over, students will return to their assistantships in the following semester.
End of Semester Internship Grading:
Students will receive a grade of “S” (Satisfactory) or “U” (Unsatisfactory) for internships.
The ISE Graduate Academic Advisor will send out an email 1-2 weeks before grades are due, asking students to request that their supervisor/HR representative send a letter on company letterhead, along with their supervisor/HR representative’s signature, by email to both Dr. Jorge Sefair and Jordan Sharpshair stating if their student work was satisfactory/or unsatisfactory. If this letter is not received by the time grades are due, the student will receive an Incomplete (“I”) grade. Once we receive the requested letter with the student’s grade, we will then proceed with a grade change for the course, if necessary.
If you have any questions or concerns about CPT or internships, make an appointment to see Jordan Sharpshair.
Optional Practical Training
Optional Practical Training (OPT) is defined as: “temporary employment for practical training directly related to the student’s major area of study.” The student can use it during or after program completion.
Pre-completion OPT is always part-time and can be used at any time during the degree program. Post-completion OPT is full-time and is granted only after graduation or completion of the degree program.
Applying for OPT (Optional Practical Training Recommendation I-20)
For more information on how to apply for an OPT, visit the International Center. The first step in applying for OPT from USCIS is to request the OPT Recommendation I-20 from the F-1 International Student Advisor by submitting the OPT Request online. Students may apply for OPT during the 90 days before their graduation day and within the 60 days following their graduation day.
All OPT Department Recommendation Requests should be submitted to Jordan Sharpshair.