F-1 Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

CPT eligiblity requires that F-1 students:

1. Be in valid F-1 immigration status for at least two full-time semesters (1 academic year) before becoming eligible for CPT.
   Exceptions to 1 Academic Year Requirement (Rare): 1) Graduate students who have internship as a degree requirement for all students which must occur prior to completion of 1 academic year. 2) Students who have changed from some other US visa status to F-1 student status and have been continually enrolled full-time for an academic year during the change of status period.
2. Enroll for Internship/Field Study/Practicum Course Credit OR be completing a Degree Requirement. (See below for Degree Requirement or Course Credit CPT.)
3. Secure an academically appropriate internship offer directly related to the student's current degree. NOTE: Positions must be appropriate to the student's level of study and major field of study. Retail sales, food service, and other unskilled positions will be denied.
4. Apply for and Receive CPT authorization BEFORE beginning employment. Authorization cannot be back-dated.
5. Be registered for classes at UC Berkeley; CPT cannot be used when a graduate student is on Filing Fee status. Enrollment in internship coursework may be required.
6. Appropriate supervision and oversight.The student's supervisor for the internship cannot be an F-1 or J-1 student. BIO does not authorize CPT for self-employment.

NOTE: Transfer students beginning their program at UC Berkeley  are not generally approved for CPT during the initial term. Students wishing to transfer in and begin immediate should consult a BIO advisor before taking any steps to apply.

Degree Requirement CPT may be authorized when an internship, practicum, or capstone work experience is a requirement of a degree program (i.e., all students in the program must complete an internship to obtain the degree). Authorization can be for full-time or part-time employment, depending on the academic department's requirement. Proof of course enrollment for this type of CPT is not required but degree requirement.

***Degree requirement CPT can only be used once (to fulfill the requirement) and should occur during the program’s normal internship period. ***

Currently, the following programs at UC Berkeley have been identified as requiring employment or practical training to graduate:

• Bachelor of Science in Educational Sciences (3 units EDUC W144, part-time only during Fall/Spring)
• Masters of Analytics
• Masters of Bioengineering/Masters of Translational Medicine (Capstone Project: Bioengineering 296)
• Masters of Biotechology
• Masters of City Planning
• Masters of Design (MDes)
• Masters Development Engineering (MDE)
• Masters of Development Practice
• Masters of Financial Engineering
• Masters of Journalism 
• Masters of Landscape Architecture
• PhD in Metabolic Biology
• Master of Nutrition Science and Dietetics (MNSD)
• Master of Business Administration (MBA)
• Masters of Public Affairs 
• Masters of Public Policy
• Masters of Public Health
• MRED+D
• Masters of Social Welfare
• Masters of Teacher Education (BTEP)
• Optometry Residency Program
• PhD in School Psychology

CPT may be authorized for students who enroll in a course that requires employment to earn a grade, or a course where students design their own research project based on the employment.

• Course enrollment must be in the student's major department (or intended major for undeclared students) or via Berkeley Global Internships OR Berkeley Career Engagement Center Independent U.S. Summer Internship .The student's academic department determines the appropriate number of internship units according to the academic program.
• Students with multiple majors should enroll for course credit in the major that is directly related to the CPT experience
• Enrollment in the course must be concurrent with the employment AND CPT employment must overlap with the internship enrollment semester dates. Employment may take place in the fall, spring, or summer terms.
• Authorization is be granted on a semester-by-semester basis. 
• You may request a CPT start date that either begins or ends during the semester break immediately before or after the internship semester. Students whose internship dates extend into the semester breaks will need to have a legitimate academic reason for requiring an CPT start/end outside of normal semester dates. (see Application Process, below). 
• Summer CPT enrollment will also incur Summer enrollment fees. See the Summer Sessions fee website to calculate the cost of your Summer enrollment. BIO does not determine the cost of Summer fees. 

Current eligible courses for Course Credit CPT include:

• Undergraduates, MOST COMMON: 97/197 Internship/Field Studies or 99/199 Independent Study Come departments have major-specific enrollments:
  • Haas Undergraduates 193C Internship
  • Environmental Design 193 or ARCH 108 or LD ARCH 160
    Before enrolling in ARCH 108 during summer, students must meet with a BIO advisor.
  • UCDC Program Participants only: UGIS C196B
  • UGIS W157 or UGIS W158 for Berkeley Global Internships and UGIS C151 for Independent U.S. Summer Internship Credit Option (See links for instructions on how to apply for this course credit.)
  • UGIS 192A-E if participating in URAP Program
  • UCDC Program internship enrollment ( employment may be full-time Fall/Spring if needed)
• Graduates, MOST COMMON: 297 Internship/Field Studies or 299 Independent Study with the exception of the following major-specific enrollments:
  • Haas MBA 293C Individual Supervised Study
  • Masters in Landscape Architecture LD ARCH 260 or LA 297
  • Architecure ED193 (Summer 2017 only)
  • Public Policy 299 or 205
  • School of Information INFO293 
  • PhD in Business Administration PHDBA 602C
  • Law Students (J.D. & J.S.D.) 297 Internship/Field Studies or 299 Independent Study through Boalt.
    For summer CPT, enroll in Law 297 through Boalt.
    *See Dean Hirshen for enrollment and recommendation instructions. y Science 280
  • Law UCDC Program internship enrollment ( employment may be full-time Fall/Spring if needed)
  • Earth & Planetary Science 280

• Employment is limited to part-time (20 hours per week or less) during the Fall and Spring semesters. 
  • Earliest CPT start date is generally the start date of instruction. However, you may choose a start date that begins during the semester break immediately before the internship semester, if you have an academically legitimate reason for extended dates. 
  • Latest CPT end date is the last day of final exams. However, you may choose an end date that ends during the semester break immediately after the internship semester, if you have an academically legitimate reason for extended dates. 
• CPT dates must overlap with the internship enrollment or degree requirement semester dates.  Students whose internship dates extend into the semester breaks will need to have a legitimate academic reason for requiring an CPT start/end outside of normal semester dates.
• Students completing Degree-Requirement CPT (see above for Degree Requirement programs) may be authorized for full-time CPT during Fall/Spring only if needed to complete the degree requirement.
• Graduate or undergraduate students participating in the UC DC Washington Program may be authorized for full-time CPT, if required by the UC DC internship.
• Graduate students who have advanced to candidacy are eligible for full-time employment during the Fall/Spring semester only if the employment is integral to their degree program and completion of the thesis or dissertation.
• CPT in the final semester of enrollment is limited to part-time 20 hours per week AND must end as of the last date of finals.

Note: Because CPT is part of the academic program of study, CPT is counted seperately from on-campus employment, and CPT work hours do not impact on-campus employment work hours. 

• Full-time (20 hours or more per week) employment is allowed for all continuing students in the summer.
• If summer is the first or final semester of a student’s degree program- CPT is limited to 20 hours per week.
• Students completing Degree-Requirement CPT (see above for Degree Requirement programs) may be authorized for full-time CPT during the final Summer semester only if needed to complete the degree requirement.
• Students must enroll in one of Summer Sessions (A-F) in one of the courses listed above. Check with the sponsoring faculty member to determine the number of units required. Some students may need to obtain a course code from their academic adviser to be able to add Independent Study units into their Summer enrollment. 
• For students continuing enrollment in Fall, CPT authorization can be granted from the day after the spring semester officially ends up to the last day of the summer (the day before fall classes begin).  Students completing degrees in Summer may only be authorized until the end date of the I-20 or Summer term- whicher is first.
• Transfer students beginning their program at UC Berkeley in Summer are not generally approved for CPT during the initial Summer term. BIO recommends transfer students obtain OPT from their prior institution for internships occurring before the start of their Berkeley degree program. Students wishing to transfer in for Summer and begin immediate Summer CPT should consult a BIO advisor before taking any steps to apply.

Note: Because CPT is part of the academic program of study, CPT is counted separately from on-campus employment, and CPT work hours do not impact on-campus employment work hours. 

1. Submit the CPT Request e-form.
2. The CPT Request e-form will prompt you to upload a Verification Letter from your employer. Your employer must print and complete the CPT Employment Verification Letter Template on their company letterhead. We will only accept a properly completed template letter. CPT applications without the Template Letter will be DENIED. The employment start and end dates on the letter must match the start and end dates in your CPT request e-form.
3. When you submit the student section of the CPT Request e-form, the academic/program advisor that you have specified will receive an email link prompting them to complete the Advisor Recommendation section.
4. For Course Credit CPT: Enroll in the appropriate CPT course. BIO will verify your enrollment when processing your CPT request. Your CPT request will be denied if you are not enrolled in the appropriate CPT course.
5. After your academic advisor/program completes the Advisor Recommendation section, the CPT request is submitted to Berkeley International Office. BIO will review your application and your eligibility for CPT. 
6. If approved, the CPT authorization is granted by issuing you a new I-20 with the CPT employment information notated on page 2 of the document, which you will show to your employer as evidence of work authorization. We will email you the updated I-20 5 business days after receiving a complete CPT request, including the Advisor Recommendation section.

CPT is granted on a 1 semester at a time basis. To extend CPT beyond the current semester, complete the Application Process steps again. For course credit CPT, an extension of CPT authorization cannot be granted until proof of CPT enrollment for the next term is available. 

For paid CPT, students will need to apply for a Social Security Number (SSN). You will apply after you get the CPT I-20. For more information about this process, please refer to our Social Security Number page.