Enrolled students on F-1 student visas who wish to participate in a required experience directly related to and required by their academic program must be authorized for CPT (“Curricular Practical Training”). CPT is employment which is an “integral” or required part of the curriculum for the student’s major field of study, e.g., an internship, practicum, or co-op.

Review the qualifications, requirements, and process for CPT authorization on the ISSS website.

NO. F-1 students are required to have some tie to campus and must take at least one (1) in-person credit hour in their final semester.

YES, since CS 598 is considered an in-person class in a non-final semester.

YES. For on-campus jobs, no more than 37.5 hours/week can be worked in summer. For off-campus jobs, typically no more than 40 hours/week can be worked in summer.

YES. There can be no more than 20 hours/week total (combined between paid/unpaid, on-/off-campus, in-person/remote positions) worked during a non-vacation semester.

YES. F-1 students need to register for at least 1 credit hour of CS 598 each time. Domestic students/U.S. citizens have the option of registering for CS 598 if they wish to earn credit for an internship but are not required to do so.

Keep in mind that no more than 3 combined credit hours of CS 598: Practical Work Experience and/or CS 697: Directed Readings can apply to an MS degree. When registering for CS 598, you may choose 1-3 credit hours.

YES. Keep in mind that no more than 3 combined credit hours of CS 598: Practical Work Experience and/or CS 697: Directed Readings can count towards an MS degree.

YES.

1. Obtain an offer letter for the position that meets the following requirements:

   1. Offer letter is on company letterhead and signed by the hiring manager and/or HR representative.
   2. Job/position title is stated and detailed job responsibilities are clearly outlined.
   3. Start and end dates are listed and align as closely as possible with the semester's start and end dates on the Academic Calendar.
      1. Typically, internships shouldn’t begin more than one week prior to the first day of class for the semester and shouldn’t end more than one week after the last day of final exams for the semester.
      2. Internships are not permitted to overlap multiple semesters; they can only be submitted and approved for one semester at a time.
   4. Full- or part-time status and the number of weekly work hours must be included.
   5. Pay rate must be given; if the internship is unpaid, this should be explicitly stated in the letter.
   6. Location of the position should be specified; if the internship is remote and not based locally, the letter should clearly state that it is a "remote" internship.
   7. Comprehensive contact information is included for the hiring manager and/or HR representative, including their address, phone number, company website, and email address on the company's domain.

2. Forward the email and the offer letter you received from the employer to the MS Program Manager at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Once your offer letter is approved (typically within 1-2 business days), the Program Manager will send you an email letting you know you are cleared to register for CS 598.

   1. You must then register yourself for 1-3 credit hours of CS 598; the hours can be confirmed/adjusted by selecting “Change Class Options” on the Registration menu in BlazerNet.
   2. Please note that during busier times of the year, particularly the month before the first day of classes each semester, it may take longer to process these requests (~2-4 business days) since we receive such a large volume of requests then.
3. F-1 Students: The Program Manager will attach a CS departmental support letter (sometimes referred to as the “academic advisor support letter”) to the email they send you for your CPT application. You will need this letter to submit the required online ISSS Work Authorization Request form to ISSS.

To earn credit for and pass your CS 598 course, the manager or advisor of the student intern must send a one-paragraph evaluation from their work email address directly to the MS Program Director at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at the end of the internship. In this evaluation, they should describe the work performed by the student intern and assess how well the intern performed in their role. This should be received by the last day of final exams unless there are extenuating circumstances in which case you should inform the Program Director.