CPT Information for Graduate Students

To be eligible for CPT, you must:

• Have completed two full semesters while maintaining F-1 immigration status. (Master’s students may be eligible prior to two full semesters by using the M.S. Concentration in Field Experience.)
• Be in good academic standing.
• Be making satisfactory progress towards your degree.
• Be an active student who has not yet completed their degree program.

For an employment offer to qualify for CPT, the following requirements must be met:

• You must have a written job offer or CPT letter for the position.
• The position must be directly related to the student's field of study.
• CPT employment may not delay the completion of the academic program.

For more important CPT details and requirements, visit the Office of Global Affairs (OGA) website.

Q: Can I hold an internship in the Fall or Spring terms?

A: Master’s students can hold CPT during the Fall and Spring after they’ve completed at least two semesters in the program. If you would like to begin CPT sooner than that, you can hold CPT as soon as your second semester in the program as a part of the M.S. Concentration in Field Experience. (For example, if you begin the program in the Spring semester and would like to hold Summer CPT, you would need to apply for the Field Experience concentration.) You’ll want to check the requirements on the website to ensure that you’ve met the pre-internship course requirements, and then submit your Field Experience application before or at the same time that you submit your Experiential Learning Request.

Q: Can I work more than 20 hours per week during the Fall or Spring semesters?

A: Master’s students can work full-time during the Fall and Spring as a part of the M.S. Concentration in Field Experience. You’ll want to check the requirements on the website to ensure that you’ve met the pre-internship course requirements, and then submit your Field Experience application before or at the same time that you submit your Experiential Learning Request.

Q: Can I hold CPT in my final semester in the Masters program?

A: Yes, but you can work no more than 20 hours per week and you must be on-campus to take in-person courses. You also must submit your CPT request before the end of the add/drop period.

Q: Can I hold an on-campus job while on CPT?

A: In most cases, yes. Contact your Academic Advisor for further details regarding your specific circumstances.

Q: Can I hold CPT for more than one company at once?

A: Yes, but both employers must be aware that you are employed by another organization and approve of the employment. You must submit documentation of this approval with your Experiential Learning Request. MS Advising will not approve more than 40 working hours of CPT during the Spring and Fall terms, or more than 60 hours of CPT during the Winter and Summer terms.

Q: How should I answer “Are you legally authorized to work in the United States?” on a job application?

A: You should say yes. If you are on an F-1 visa then you have CPT / OPT approval to work in the U.S.

Q: How should I answer “Will you now or in the future require sponsorship for an employment-authorized visa status or work authorization?” on a job application?

A: You should answer yes. Your CPT / OPT approval lasts for a finite amount of time after which you will require a different kind of sponsorship (H1B or Green Card).

STEP 1: Student verifies that their job offer letter or CPT letter includes all necessary information. Please note: You may need to follow up with the company for revisions to the letter if it is missing any required components.

• The letter must be on company letterhead (with complete mailing address).
• The letter must contain ALL of the following information:
  • Job title.
  • Brief description of job duties.
  • Number of hours per week you’ll be working, or part-time or full-time classification.
  • Any monetary compensation you will receive for this work. This includes bonuses and relocation stipends. Please note: Per the Office of Global Affairs, CPT is not necessary for unpaid opportunities (i.e., volunteering) unless that opportunity is likely to become a paid position. Organizations should follow recruiting guidelines including Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
  • Job location (where you will actually work). If you’ll be working remotely, the letter must state that. If you’ll be working partially in the office and partially from home, the letter must state that along with the address of the office where your on-site work will be performed.
  • Exact employment start and end date. The Experiential Learning Request start and end dates must fall within the start and end dates of the academic term for which you are applying. Check the UMass Academic Calendar for these dates. If your CPT request spans more than one academic term, you will need to submit multiple CPT requests (one for each academic term). However, you are permitted to use the one offer letter with start and end dates spanning multiple academic terms for each of these Experiential Learning Requests.

STEP 2: Student initiates an Experiential Learning Request in SPIRE. Please note: Your employment start date should be at least 10 business days from the submission of your Experiential Learning Request.

• Log in to your student account on SPIRE.
• Click on the Academics Tile.
• Under the Forms and Academic Requests tab, choose Experiential Learning Request.
• Click the Create a New Request button.
• Fill out all the information. Items marked with an asterisk are mandatory fields.
  • Select the respective department from the Instructor Department dropdown (under CICS, not CMPSCI) to then choose your desired instructor from the Instructor dropdown. Master's and PhD should select Taylor Nichols as the Instructor.
  • Graduate students should select “internship,” not “co-op” when completing the request form.
  • Graduate students should use course number CICS 598T (1 credit).
  • The start and end dates must fall within the start and end dates of the academic term during which you intend to hold this CPT.
  • Click the next to fields to view more information on them.
  • Enter your home address in the Student Living Address section, and the organization's address in the Work Address section. If your home address will change once your CPT begins and you do not yet have your new home address, fill in your current home address and then email your updated address to Taylor Nichols once you have it.
• Attach your offer letter and/or CPT letter at the bottom of the page.
• Click the Submit Request button. Read the terms and conditions, and click the acknowledgement checkbox at the bottom of the page and click “I Accept.”
  • This will send a request to the selected instructor/sponsor for processing and approval. You will receive a confirmation email along with a copy of the acknowledgment form you signed.
• CICS Grad Advising reviews after receiving email notification from SPIRE, confirms student eligibility in SPIRE, and verifies the internship is CICS-related and the offer letter meets requirements (typically reviewed 2-5 business days after submission).
• CICS Grad Advising approves or denies the request, which sends the student an email notification of the request’s status.
• Students will save the PDF of the APPROVED Experiential Learning Request in SPIRE. Be sure to save the WHOLE contract, do not just screenshot the top of the experience. You can save the whole approved contract by using the PRINT, SAVE AS PDF function on your computer.
• Students are allowed to formally accept the offer after CICS approval (final CPT approval is not required to accept a job offer).

STEP 3: Enrollment in 598T.

• If applying for CPT for the summer or winter term, the student must request  a UWW enrollment appointment (see instructions here).
  • CICS Grad Advising contacts the registrar’s for the request to be accepted.
  • CICS Grad Advising requests the student's enrollment  in 598T with UWW. UWW only processes enrollment requests in bulk, so it may take 2-3 business days for the student's enrollment to appear in SPIRE.
    📣 We are typically able to do course registration late adds, as needed, unless you are applying for CPT in your final semester.
  • Student pays for mandatory Pass/Fail UWW CPT course. Summer rates for the CPT course can be found here. Although this one-credit course will appear on your transcript, it does not count toward your CICS requirements. There is a registration fee and per credit fee associated with this Independent Study (see “Cost”).
• If applying for CPT for the spring or fall terms, CICS Grad Advising will submit an enrollment request for 598T on your behalf. Although this one-credit course will appear on your transcript, it does not count toward your CICS requirements.
• There is a registration fee and per credit fee associated with this Independent Study; view tuition and fees here. 

STEP 4: Student submits CPT e-form: Master's Non-Thesis Students or Doctoral Students. Choose the Option: "I will receive academic credit..."

• Attach the job offer letter (do not include special characters in the file name), approved Experiential Learning Request, and a screenshot(s) of your course enrollment/your co-op/externship paperwork for the term(s) you are requesting CPT.
• Fill in the following to complete the CPT e-form:
  • Advisor Name: Taylor Nichols (for all CICS graduate students)
  • Advisor Title: Academic Advisor
  • Advisor Email: tcannon@cics.umass.edu
  • Department: Computer Science
  • Advisor Phone: 413-545-4822
• CICS Careers / CICS Advising reviews the CPT e-form; approves, as appropriate.
• Office of Global Affairs (OGA) reviews the completed CPT request and submits paperwork to the federal government to generate I-20 (typically reviewed 7-10 business days after receipt). Important: ****Students cannot begin working until CPT is approved (the start date may need to change if approval is pending).
• Student picks up the CPT I-20 at the OGA.
• Students can apply for Social Security Number (SSN).
• Student provides the employer with new I-20, valid passport, and evidence of F-1 immigration status (F-1 visa or USCIS F-1 approval notice, and I-94 record) to satisfy Federal employment authorization requirements.

STEP 5: Student completes a post-internship survey

• Student completes a survey reflecting on their internship experience.
• Instructor of Record contacts supervisor to verify completion of internship experience (only for M.S. Concentration in Field Experience).
• Instructor of Record documents Pass/Fail grade.

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) : Office of Global Affairs : UMass Amherst