Curricular Practical Training (CPT) as defined by the United States Federal Code of Regulations: temporary employment authorization granted to an F-1 student to fulfill required off-campus training that is an integral part of an established curriculum. 

The regulations define CPT as paid/non-paid “alternate work/study, internship, cooperative education, or any other type of internship or practicum which is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with the school.” (8 C.F.R. § 214.2 (f) (10) (i)

The following requirements must be met to be eligible for CPT

1. The student must be in valid F-1 status at the time of the application and have been in full-time status for one academic year preceding that CPT application. Exception: Graduate students whose degree requires immediate participation in CPT may apply at any time.
2. The work must be needed to fulfill course/class requirements.
3. The course must be an “integral part of the established curriculum,” i.e., it must be required for the degree program or earning credit for the degree program. For graduate students on a thesis or dissertation, the work done must be required to complete the thesis or dissertation.
4. The student must have a minimum of a 2.0 overall GPA to participate in CPT.
5. The student must submit the completed CPT request before the census date of the semester they wish to participate in CPT.

To request authorization, you must submit the following:

• Copy of the CPT Online Blackboard Certification
• Handshake CPT Internship Approval from Career Center
• Curricular Practical Training Advisor/Instructor Agreement & Certification
• Academic  Recommendation Letter
• Employment/Internship Offer Letter

All CPT Documentation can be found on Blackboard. 

The deadline to apply for CPT for any given semester is the census date for that semester. 

Please review census dates here: https://www.utrgv.edu/_files/documents/admissions/utrgv-academic-calendar.pdf.