Under very specific, limited circumstances, you may be authorized by your Designated School Official (DSO) for off-campus employment while you are still in your program. The work must be an integral part of an established curriculum and directly related to your program of study. Internship is the most common course linked to CPT (for Clinical Mental Health Counseling students, internship is the only course that would qualify for CPT).

Here are the details:

You must have been enrolled in your program on a full-time basis for at least one full academic year to qualify.

You must apply for CPT to your DSO (see application form below). The DSO will review the application and authorize you for CPT if you qualify. You will receive a new I-20 with the work authorization.
You may not begin the CPT until the employment start date recorded by the DSO in SEVIS and after you have received the new I-20 with work authorization.
This process must be completed for every semester that you wish to participate in CPT.
Work should be limited to 20 hours or less per week. In our current programs, only part-time CPT is available. Part-time CPT does not affect eligibility for OPT.
You must have a job offer that qualifies for CPT and present an offer letter from your employer to your DSO to apply that includes the following information:
- Your employer’s name and address
- Your employment start and end dates
- Your expected work hours
- The financial compensation you will earn
- A brief description of how your position and work are directly related to your course curriculum
This work can be paid or unpaid. Please apply for CPT when you will be completing an internship off-campus regardless of whether your work will be paid or unpaid.